1 year ago
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Image source, MOLA
The pits look to beryllium laid retired successful 500m (1,640ft) agelong consecutive lines
By Danny Fullbrook
BBC News, Bedfordshire
Archaeologists person discovered up to 25 Mesolithic pits connected what has been described arsenic a "nationally important prehistoric site".
The pits, recovered successful Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire, are up to 5m (16ft) wide and 1.85m (6ft) deep.
Animal bones recovered astatine the bottommost of the pits person been utilized to place them arsenic astir 8,000 years old.
Prof Joshua Pollard, an adept of British prehistory, described the find arsenic "very exciting".
He told BBC Three Counties Radio: "It astir apt is the astir breathtaking happening to ever hap successful Houghton Regis."
Image source, MOLA
Image caption,Experts judge determination mightiness beryllium much pits extracurricular the excavation area
The finds were made connected the Linmere lodging improvement successful the Bedfordshire marketplace town.
Prof Pollard, from Southampton University, said: "While we cognize of different ample and enigmatic pits dug by hunter-gatherers from elsewhere successful Britain, including astatine Stonehenge... the Linmere pits are striking due to the fact that of their fig and the wide country they cover."
The pits were filled successful erstwhile excavation enactment was completed.
Prof Pollard said experts would proceed to survey the findings and "hopefully that's thing the people who are going to unrecorded implicit the apical of them volition find retired about".
Image source, Albion Archaeology
Image caption,Thousands of akin prehistoric pits person been recovered adjacent to Stonehenge, but lone 5 of those day to the Mesolithic period
The tract was archetypal excavated by Albion Archaeology successful 2019. The Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) returned for further excavation successful 2021.
MOLA said it was imaginable "there whitethorn beryllium different pits inactive to beryllium recovered extracurricular these excavation areas".
Yvonne Wolframm-Murray, task officer, said: "It's been astonishing for the full squad to enactment connected specified a important Mesolithic site. It truly shows however important radiocarbon dating is alongside tract work, arsenic without it we wouldn't person realised the value of our discovery."
Image source, MOLA
Image caption,Some of the steep pits were flared retired astatine the bottommost into a wider base
MOLA said determination were precise fewer Mesolithic sites successful the UK.
"Evidence from this play is often slim, lone consisting of flint tools and occasional butchered carnal remains," a spokesperson said.
"This makes it hard to physique up a representation of what beingness successful Mesolithic Britain was like."
Image source, MOLA/Hugh Gatt
Image caption,Evidence from Mesolithic Britain is slim, lone consisting of flint tools and carnal remains
Mesolithic Britain
- The Mesolithic play of Britain took spot betwixt 10,000BC done to 4,000BC
- The Linmere Pits are believed to beryllium from astir 6,000BC
- They are importantly older than different fashionable past landmarks specified arsenic Stonehenge (around 3,000BC) and the Great Pyramids of Giza (around 2,500BC)
- People successful Mesolithic Britain were hunter-gatherers who tended to beryllium rather mobile, not staying successful 1 area
- The Mesolithic play came to an extremity erstwhile farming arrived successful Britain and the Neolithic play began
- The pits are 1 of the largest Mesolithic sites discovered successful Britain
Image source, Albion Archaeology
Image caption,The remains of respective chaotic taxon were recovered successful the pits, including deer, boar and aurochs
Experts said digging specified ample pits would person been a hard task for the nomadic radical of the time.
There are theories arsenic to what the pits would person been utilized for.
Some theorised they could person been utilized successful hunting oregon for nutrient storage, though this is thought to person been improbable owed to their signifier and size.
It is besides speculated they could person a spiritual significance, which is wherefore they were dug successful circumstantial alignments and adjacent to water.
Archaeologists are hoping to uncover the intent of the tract by studying samples of the situation and carnal bones successful labs.
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