Mystery Of Skeleton Lake Solved: Scientists Seveal Bones Found Around Edges Of Indian Lake Belonged To Hundreds Of 9th Century Tribesmen Who Died In Freak Hail Storm

• More than 200 skeletons discovered by British patrol during World War II
• Bodies thought to be Japanese soldiers actually dated back to 850AD
• Now expedition confirms blows to head which killed group were hailstones

By Rosie Taylor

PUBLISHED:19:25 EST, 30 May 2013| UPDATED:14:10 EST, 31 May 2013

Scientists believe they have finally solved the mystery of how the skeletons of more than 200 people came to be in a frozen lake in northern India.

The skeletons, which were first discovered by a British forest guard in 1942, were initially thought to be the bodies of Japanese soldiers travelling through India as part of a World War II land invasion.

But although the cold climate around the Lake of Roopkund, at 16,000ft above sea level, had preserved some of the hair, flesh and leather clothes of the victims, the bodies were dated to around 850AD.

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Scientists discovered they appeared to be from two main groups – one was closely related which seemed to be a family group and another of shorter local people.

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