Archaeologists are baffled by the discovery of dozens of children’s graves from the Bronze and Iron Ages in southern Norway.
The burials, each marked by circles of carefully placed stones, were found last year by a team from the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History near Fredrikstad, about 80 kilometers south of Oslo, near the Swedish border.
“They were lying here as a mystery until we found them,” museum archaeologist Guro Fossum said Science Norway. “We uncovered one by one and ended up with 41 round rock formations.
The stone circles, which measure up to 6 feet (2 meters) across, were stacked together like street paving stones, but were buried several inches below the surface.
Several circles were placed around a large central stone, and further investigation revealed burnt bones and pottery shards beneath these stones.
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New analysis now shows that almost all of the burials contained children who died between 800 and 200 BC. Many of the children were infants and others were between the ages of 3 and 6.
“The dating shows that the burial ground was in use for a long time, so they couldn’t all have died in the same natural disaster or disease outbreak or epidemic,” Fossum said.
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Unique site
According to him, such a concentration of ancient children’s graves is unique in Europe declaration from the museum.
The area around the burial site is littered with rock carvings that describe the paths and worship of the sun, according to the statement.
Experts have noted that the infant mortality rate was likely high at the time, but otherwise have no explanation for the child graves.
After securing important specimens at the site and photographing them extensively, the archaeologists covered up their dig, the website said. However, one of the stone formations will soon be presented at an exhibition called “In Memory of the Children” at the Cultural History Museum in Oslo.
Archaeologists also plan to analyze artifacts from the site, which include pieces of pottery and possibly a metal brooch.
“Analyses of pottery shards can tell us a lot,” Fossum said. “Not all of the containers seem to be containers for burnt bones; some were placed between graves and we are very curious as to what was inside.”
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An accidental discovery
Archaeologists discovered the burial site after surveying a nearby Stone Age settlement, Fossum said.
During the Norse Bronze and Iron Ages, it was common to burn the dead on borders and to either bury or scatter the bones that remained, Fossum said. A flat layer of stones in the shape of a spiral or wheel was then often built over the cremation site, she said.
But the burial ground in Fredrikstad is unusual. “The graves are very close together,” Fossum said. “They must have been out in the open, with thoroughfares nearby, so everyone would have known about them. The cooking pits and hearths around the site indicate that gatherings and ceremonies were held in connection with the burials.”
In addition, the graves were carefully processed. “Each stone was obtained from a different location and placed precisely in the formation,” Fossum said. “We were wondering who put in so much effort.
The answer came with the revelation that most of the dead were children. “They were little baby graves,” she said. “It was done with such care.