Skeleton Lake of Roopkund, India. The Surprise Is What Killed Them …

[The Brain]

OCD

[Razgovory]

Impressive that someone (or someones) could rain those down and kill hundreds of people at once, and then go pick them up so that no one would know what happened.

  Do I have to explain how a mace works?

[Valmy]

Impressive that someone (or someones) could rain those down and kill hundreds of people at once, and then go pick them up so that no one would know what happened.

  Do I have to explain how a mace works?

Please explain how a mace works by coming down straight down from the sky.

[merithyn]

Impressive that someone (or someones) could rain those down and kill hundreds of people at once, and then go pick them up so that no one would know what happened.

  Do I have to explain how a mace works?

No need, Raz. I think you've said enough.

[Eddie Teach]

Impressive that someone (or someones) could rain those down and kill hundreds of people at once, and then go pick them up so that no one would know what happened.

  Do I have to explain how a mace works?

Please go on.

[Razgovory]

Impressive that someone (or someones) could rain those down and kill hundreds of people at once, and then go pick them up so that no one would know what happened.

  Do I have to explain how a mace works?

Please explain how a mace works by coming down straight down from the sky.

By swinging it down on top of someone's head.  Here's a better question:  If they were killed by hail how come there were no other places of the body hit except head and shoulders?  Assuming the article is correct, (a risky assumption) why are there no arms and hands broken as people tried to protect themselves?  Once someone is hit in the head it's likely that person will fall down prone.  Why are there no broken bones on the rest of the body from subsequent hits?

[Valmy]

By swinging it down on top of someone's head.  Here's a better question:  If they were killed by hail how come there were no other places of the body hit except head and shoulders?  Assuming the article is correct, (a risky assumption) why are there no arms and hands broken as people tried to protect themselves?  Once someone is hit in the head it's likely that person will fall down prone.  Why are there no broken bones on the rest of the body from subsequent hits?

So they were attacked by somebody so high every single blow came straight down on the shoulders and head with no signs of struggle of any sort?  And this executioner did so with numerous light taps instead of just shattering their bones for some reason?  And these people came down, killed them all, and didn't take any of their stuff?

[Maximus]

By swinging it down on top of someone's head.  Here's a better question:  If they were killed by hail how come there were no other places of the body hit except head and shoulders?  Assuming the article is correct, (a risky assumption) why are there no arms and hands broken as people tried to protect themselves?  Once someone is hit in the head it's likely that person will fall down prone.  Why are there no broken bones on the rest of the body from subsequent hits?

That argument would be more effective if it were used to argue against it being a human weapon.

[Razgovory]

By swinging it down on top of someone's head.  Here's a better question:  If they were killed by hail how come there were no other places of the body hit except head and shoulders?  Assuming the article is correct, (a risky assumption) why are there no arms and hands broken as people tried to protect themselves?  Once someone is hit in the head it's likely that person will fall down prone.  Why are there no broken bones on the rest of the body from subsequent hits?

So they were attacked by somebody so high every single blow came straight down on the shoulders and head with no signs of struggle of any sort?  And this executioner did so with numerous light taps instead of just shattering their bones for some reason?  And these people came down, killed them all, and didn't take any of their stuff?

Where are you getting the "light taps" thing?  Anyway, I didn't say they died from mace attacks, I only suggest it as an alternate theory.  A much more plausible theory.  The motive of an attack I could only guess at, but it's not all difficult to imagine that the people were executed by a second group of people.  There are lots of potential reason why the attackers wouldn't want to loot the bodies.  They didn't want to be identified as the killers, religious taboo, they were scared off before they could take everything, etc.

This strikes me as more plausable scenario then "giant balls of ice fall from the sky only pinpointing people's skulls".  Hell, it's possible they died non violently and what the researchers interpreted as trauma injuries are actually the results of compression and age.

Here's another theory.  The people who came up with this theory were commission by National Geographic for a television show, and working for a TV show they chose to showcase the most sensational and eccentric theory.

[Razgovory]

By swinging it down on top of someone's head.  Here's a better question:  If they were killed by hail how come there were no other places of the body hit except head and shoulders?  Assuming the article is correct, (a risky assumption) why are there no arms and hands broken as people tried to protect themselves?  Once someone is hit in the head it's likely that person will fall down prone.  Why are there no broken bones on the rest of the body from subsequent hits?

That argument would be more effective if it were used to argue against it being a human weapon.

Not if it's an execution.  It's still an excellent argument against hail.  Why aren't there broken ribs and arms?  Wouldn't you expect that from hail hitting a prone body or a person trying to protect themselves? 

[Valmy]

Where are you getting the "light taps" thing?

From the description of the wounds.

This strikes me as more plausable scenario then "giant balls of ice fall from the sky only pinpointing people's skulls".

Well if you are walking through a valley that is what is pointing upwards.

[Valmy]

Why aren't there broken ribs and arms?  Wouldn't you expect that from hail hitting a prone body or a person trying to protect themselves? 

That is why the theory is dependent on it being a sudden and freak hailstorm. 

[DGuller]

How long did the hailstorm last?  Did it just last for a second, and end before the victims could fall?

[Valmy]

How long did the hailstorm last?  Did it just last for a second, and end before the victims could fall?

Well they could hardly hold up their arms if they were dead and they were probably wearing clothes walking high up in the mountains which would have stopped there from being injuries on other parts of their bodies.

[DGuller]

How long did the hailstorm last?  Did it just last for a second, and end before the victims could fall?

Well they could hardly hold up their arms if they were dead and they were probably wearing clothes walking high up in the mountains which would have stopped there from being injuries on other parts of their bodies.

What I'm suggesting is that someone whacked on the head would probably collapse, and expose other parts of the body to the hailstorm.  A post-mortem hail strike wouldn't leave bruises, but it would still break a bone, I would think.  I doubt that clothes would protect them, since they did have injuries on their shoulders, which I presume were covered.