Archaeologists on a dig near Stonehenge have uncovered the ancient skeletal remains of a human being believed to be a teenager. The skeleton, found in the earthwork in the Vale of Pewsey, Wiltshire by a team from the University of Reading, is determined to be 4,000-years-old and to have lived during the Bronze Age. The body was in a fetal position when diggers uncovered it, but they estimate it to be about 4.9 feet tall. The skeleton was wearing an amber necklace.
The skeleton's gender and actual age are still going to be determined by the archaeologists, but they believe that the body belongs to a teenager, according to the Daily Mail.
The team is hoping that this discovery will provide more clues as to how the people residing near Stonehenge lived and worshipped thousands of years ago.
"The skeleton is a wonderful discovery which will help tell us what life was like for those who lived under the shadow of Stonehenge at a time of frenzied activity. Scientific analysis will provide information on the gender of the child, diet, pathologies and date of burial. It may also shed light on where this young individual had lived," said Jim Leary, one of the diggers on the site, according to the Archeological Institute of America.
Experts have long tagged the Vale of Pewsey as a burial complex during the Bronze Age and digs were being conducted on the site for the last six weeks by Leary's team.
The dig is expected to be a three-year project and has been mounted in partnership between the University of Reading, the Historic England, the Arts and Humanities Research Council and Wiltshire Museum.
"Bigger than Avebury, 10 times the size of Stonehenge and halfway between the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Sites, comparatively little is known about this fascinating and ancient landscape," said Duncan Wilson of the Historic England, according to BT.
"The work will help Historic England focus on identifying sites for protection and improved management, as well as adding a new dimension to our understanding of this important archaeological environment," he added.
Aside from uncovering the skeleton, the archaeologists have already dug up weapons like flint arrowheads and blades, decorative pottery, adornments like copper bracelets and a Roman brooch.
