Chinese police have concluded 121 skulls found in a ravine with their tops missing were byproducts of a local handicraft industry using human bone as a vital ingredient, state media reported on Thursday.
A farmer surnamed Qiao, a resident of the northwestern province of Qinghai, had hacked the skulls from the bodies of unmarked graves and sold them to two artists in neighbouring Gansu province, the Xinhua news agency said.
The two artists only needed the top of the skulls and dumped the rest in the ravine, leading to speculation after their discovery that the skulls might be from monkeys or the victims of a serial killer.
Art involving the use of human bones is a prominent part of, among others, Tibetan folklore.
Handicrafts claiming to be made from human skulls are often on prominent display in many Tibetan markets, and some websites also put them up for sale. – AFP