Himalaya Mts Yeti
© FREEYORK/Tibetan Anatomica Dictionary
It is well known that among Native Americans, long legendary traditions exist which document the existence of the creature known today as Sasquatch. Although many different names have been attributed to the creature, mostly throughout parts of the Pacific Northwest, similarities remain present throughout the various cultural traditions pertaining to the creature.

The indigenous peoples of the American Northwest aren't the only representation of cultural beliefs pertaining to large, mysterious hominids that have existed for centuries. In fact, an unusual discovery made in 1959 provides a glimpse at similar traditions that have long existed elsewhere in the world, in relation to the alleged existence of large, manlike beasts; more specifically, the famous Yeti of Tibet and Nepal.

The discovery in question was made in 1959 by Emanuel Vlcek, a Czech paleoanthropologist, and professor at the Anatomical Institute of the First Medical Faculty of Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. Vlcek had been part of an anthropological expedition sent by what was then still the Czechoslovakian Academy of Sciences to Mongolia to study the memorial of Prince Kulteghine, and in a more general sense, to "establish conditions for anthropological research in Mongolia."

While visiting Tibet and Mongolia, Vlcek made a unique discovery: the inclusion of an unknown, manlike animal in a rare, eighteenth-century manual on anatomy and diagnosis of various diseases. In a paper which subsequently appeared in the journal Man (which carried on after 1994 as the Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute), Vlcek wrote of his discovery as follows:
While investigating Tibetan books in the library of a former lamaistic university of Gandan, I found a book, by Lovsan-Yondon and Tsend-Otcher, entitled in free translation "Anatomical Dictionary for Recognizing Various Diseases." This illustration shows a biped primate standing erect on a rock, with one arm stretched upwards. The head with the face and the whole body, except for the hands and feet proper, are covered with long hair. The illustration is realistic only stylized according to the conception of lamaistic art.
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Micah Hanks is a writer, podcaster, and researcher whose interests cover a variety of subjects. His areas of focus include history, science, philosophy, current events, cultural studies, technology, unexplained phenomena, and ways the future of humankind may be influenced by science and innovation in the coming decades. In addition to writing, Micah hosts the Middle Theory and Gralien Report podcasts.