In the hinterland of the province of South Khorasan, merging color and relief with the mountainous terrain, there are a hundred tiny houses hiding.
People settled here about three thousand years ago and live to this day. The colorful and mysterious village of the Lilliputians in Iran attracts archaeologists, historians, geneticists and tourists.
Buried mystery
A group of ancient buildings was discovered near the village of Makhunik in 1940. Low man-made caves, only vaguely reminiscent of houses, were covered with sand over the roof. Such natural storage saved the belongings of ancient people from the destructive influence of time.
The design is typical of the Neolithic era:
- clay walls without a frame;
- while the material is raw, shelves and niches were squeezed out from the inside;
- the ceiling is covered with branches and straw, and then it is plastered on the outside with the same clay;
- no windows, only a narrow door. Sometimes houses with windows came across, but these are later buildings.
The dimensions of such a dwelling are striking - an area of about ten square meters, the ceiling height rarely reaches 140 cm. The door is so narrow that you need to squeeze into it sideways, and even fold in half. You can only sit inside - you won't be able to stand up to your full height. Therefore, the mysterious find was nicknamed the village of the midgets. Many believe that a special people once lived here.
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Some houses have preserved simple clay hearths. There is no furniture - ancient people ate and slept on the floor.
Truth or myth
Scientists are divided over the reasons for the size of the houses. It used to be believed that dwarfs really lived here.
According to rough estimates, their height was just over a meter. Underdevelopment is explained by frequent close relationships, harsh living conditions and extremely poor nutrition.
It is known that ancient people were definitely lower than modern people. However, skeptical archaeologists argue that this is not so.
And the diminutiveness of the buildings of the Lilliputian village is explained by other reasons:
- high clay walls without a frame would have collapsed under their own weight, and they could not build in any other way;
- they only slept in a small house - the population of the village spent the whole day in hard labor;
- there was no need to stand inside, and it is more difficult to heat a large house;
- tall buildings can be seen from afar, and tiny "caves" merge with the landscape without attracting enemies.
Civilization brought rice, many vegetables, chicken, medicines to Makhunik - people became taller and slimmer in comparison with their stocky ancestors.