Found together in a bin of plaster covered mudbrick during excavations in 1972, these intertwined skeletons date to the destruction of Hasanlu (ca. 800 BCE). The evocative position in which they were found has led to speculation about their identities and relationship to each other. The two are close together facing each other. The skeleton on the left (SK 336) appears to be reaching out its right hand to touch the face of the skeleton on the right (SK 335). They both have their arms around each other. Curiously, there were no objects found with these individuals with the exception of a stone slab in the bin that is under their heads. Both skeletons have evidence of trauma on their bodies sustained at or around the time of their death.

This archaeological discovery captures a snapshot of a tender and very human moment between these two people. Studying the remains may help to clarify details about both the biological sexes of these individuals and, perhaps, if they were related to one another.

Previously on display at the Penn Museum from the mid-1970s until the mid-1980s, the sexes of the two skeletons have been the subject of much debate. One is clearly male, while the sex of the other is less definitive, although it leans male.

How the two came to be in the bin is unknown, but perhaps they were hiding there as a place of refuge during the final sacking of Hasanlu. They along with the other individuals at the site represent poignant tales of the darker side of human behavior: destruction, warfare, and interpersonal violence.

The Hasanlu skeletal material is the subject of many research questions. Dozens of scholars and students from all over the world come to the Penn Museum to study the collection.