Featured Very ancient excavation

Just thought I'd post this from my local news, its about 20 miles from me.


Toy and drum found in tragic grave of three children
The East Yorkshire grave containing three children was described as "highly moving"

A toy found in the tragic grave of three children discovered in East Yorkshire is to go on display for the first time next week.

The drum was found lying above the head of a child who was holding two younger ones in a moving scene discovered during routine excavations near Burton Agnes.

The 5,000-year-old chalk sculpture has been hailed as "one of the most significant" ancient discoveries in the UK and will go on display at the British Museum for the first time from 17 February.

It is similar to three "Folkton drums" found in 1889 just 15 miles from the grave of the three children which was unearthed in 2015

British Museum curator Neil Wilkin told the BBC: "This is a truly remarkable discovery, and is the most important piece of prehistoric art to be found in Britain in the last 100 years.

"The Folkton drums have long remained a mystery to experts for well over a century, but this new example finally begins to give us some answers.

"To my mind, the Burton Agnes drum is even more intricately carved and reflects connections between communities in Yorkshire, Stonehenge, Orkney and Ireland.

The barrel-shaped sculpture is one of only four to have been found and it still intricately decorated with what are known to be British and Irish designs.

Despite being called a ‘drum’, it wasn't an instrument that could be played and is believed to be a talisman to protect the three young children in the grave.

There are three holes in the 'drum' that are thought to be a reference to the three bodies in the grave, the eldest was found holding the two youngest who were holding hands.

Similar to other sites found elsewhere in Yorkshire, a chalk ball and polished bone pin - thought to be a child's toy - was also found next to the drum and underneath one of the children's heads.

A radiocarbon date from one of the child's bones has identified the burial to date between 3005BC and 2890BC.

 

I hope they managed to extract some DNA, I might be related.
My maternal side never left this area.