In Norway, Dozens Of Ancient Graves Containing Children Were Found Under Stone Circles, And Archaeologists Aren’t Sure Why They Were Buried There
In southern Norway, a Bronze and Iron Age burial ground was unearthed. Dozens of ancient graves containing the remains of children were uncovered at the site. Archaeologists aren’t sure why so many children were buried in the same spot.
The burials were marked by stone circles that were carefully positioned. They were found near Fredrikstad, which is located about 50 miles south of Oslo, the capital of Norway. A team of researchers from the Museum of Cultural History in Norway made the discovery.
“They’ve lain here as a secret until we found them,” said archaeologist Guro Fossum. “We uncovered one after another and ended up with 41 round stone formations.”
The stone circles measured up to six feet across and were arranged like cobblestones on a street. They were buried a few inches beneath the surface of the ground.
Many of the circles were placed around a large, central stone. Under those rocks, there were burned bones and shards of pottery.
In the area surrounding the burial ground, archaeologists observed the presence of rock carvings that portrayed voyages and worship of the sun.
A new analysis revealed that most of the burials contained the remains of children who died between 800 and 200 B.C. Several of the children were infants. Others ranged from the ages of three to six.
According to Fossum, the site was used over a long period—over 600 years. Therefore, the children could not have all had the same cause of death.
The find is significant for Europe, as such a high concentration of ancient graves of children had not been discovered before.
Andrew Mayovskyy – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
Experts do not have a viable explanation for the children’s graves other than the fact that infant mortality rates were high at the time.
The researchers will examine artifacts from the site to try to learn more about the graves. The artifacts include pottery pieces and what appears to be a metal brooch.
“Analyses of the pottery fragments can tell us a lot,” Fossum said. “It doesn’t appear that all the vessels were containers for burnt bones; some were placed between the graves, and we are very curious about what was inside them.”
Archaeologists accidentally discovered the burial ground while exploring a nearby Stone Age settlement.
During the Nordic Bronze and Iron Ages, cremating the dead on pyres and burying/scattering any remaining bones was a common practice. A pattern of stones arranged in a spiral or wheel was then layered over the site of cremation.
However, the burial ground at Fredrikstad possesses features that are unusual for the time. For instance, the graves are situated close together.
Additionally, each stone from the circles was selected with meticulous care and came from different locations.
One of the stone formations will be displayed in an exhibition at the Cultural History Museum in Oslo.
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