Posted on 11/24/2004 12:25:07 PM PST by blam
Bronze Age Site Discovered at Gas Company Dig
By Louise Hosie, Scottish Press Association
Archaeologists have discovered what they believe is the most comprehensively-dated Bronze Age site in Britain, it emerged today.
The 29 cremations pits and a number of artefacts were uncovered by chance during the installation of a gas pipeline in Aberdeenshire.
The pits include 10 pottery urns containing ashes of children and adults and two golden eagle talons.
The talons are of particular archaeological importance as they have never been excavated from this period before.
Archaeologists were called to the site near Maud by gas maintenance company Transco after they made the discovery while constructing the pipeline from St Fergus to Aberdeen during the summer of 2001.
They have dated the remains as belonging to a small community living in the area between 2000BC and 1500BC.
Speaking today, Dr Melanie Johnson of CFA Archaeology said: “This find is extremely important as we have dated every single burial which is not something we can usually do.
“Some of the artefacts can also give us a good idea about the cultural beliefs of the people during this time.”
Dr Johnson added that the fact the eagle talons were found with the remains indicated a belief in the after-life.
Other artefacts excavated include antler toggles, which could have been used to fasten clothing, and bone pins.
Dr Johnson said that many of those buried had medical problems, including arthritis and bad teeth, but this was not an indicator of an unhealthy community as such problems were common at the time.
“This community are likely to have lived in a village of houses with fields around them and have kept livestock,” she added.
The pottery urns are now being kept at Marischal Museum in Aberdeen while the rest of the artefacts are at the CFA Archaeology headquarters in Musselburgh.
GGG Ping.
Ping
BTTT
I didn't know the UK's legacy of NHS was so rooted in the past.Having made my socialized medicine and dentisty point I also doubt you could sink a shovel anywhere in that ancient land and not find some artifact.
Thank you for the "ping"!
:-)
Some of your old friends? lol.
Probably the same people who gave us all those wonderful English cars...
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