The secret of the 2,600-year-old brain fragment

A 2,600-year-old brain fragment that remained intact in a skull discovered in 2008 in Britain has preserved over time thanks to protein aggregates similar to those that cause Alzheimer's, probably formed due to the body's preparation ritual for burial. This is demonstrated by the study published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface by the international group coordinated by Axel Petzold, of the University College of London.

Our ancestor had been beheaded, his reasons unknown, and his head buried in muddy clay-rich soil, in the current territory of the British city of York. Once his remains were found, the researchers noted with surprise that a fragment of his brain was well preserved despite 2,600 years having passed, even keeping the structure intact.

After complex molecular analyzes, the experts discovered that the merit is "some brain proteins, more stable than those of our brain, which act as a sort of skeleton of neurons forming an intricate cell protection network". Another conservation factor, they conclude, "is a compound likely linked to burial rituals, which has avoided enzymes from degrading brain structures, thus allowing soft tissues to resist over the years".