Norway archaeologists find 8,000-year-old skull
NTB/The Local - [email protected]
Published: 10 Jul, 2014 CET.
Updated: Thu 10 Jul 2014 10:24 CET
Archaeologists have found what could be an 8,000 year old human skull in Stokke in Vestfold. The finding could help explain how it was to live in the Stone Age.
For the past two months archaeologists have been digging at the Stokke site, believed to be two separate Stone Age settlements
The human skull containing brain matter is among many findings unearthed at the dig.
It is hoped the skull can tell something about how it was to be a Stone Age human in Norway. It is not yet known whether the skull belongs to an animal or a child.
Gaute Reitan, dig site leader, said to NRK: "It is too early to say. We need help from bone experts."
Early tests date the skull to around 5,900 BC, showing it is almost 8,000 years old.
Reitan said: "When we dug out some sample squares here, we very early came down to masses of soil, rich in carbon. We sent samples of this soil for fast dating in order to find a little more out of what we were dealing with. The bones in the pit are just as old."
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For the past two months archaeologists have been digging at the Stokke site, believed to be two separate Stone Age settlements
The human skull containing brain matter is among many findings unearthed at the dig.
It is hoped the skull can tell something about how it was to be a Stone Age human in Norway. It is not yet known whether the skull belongs to an animal or a child.
Gaute Reitan, dig site leader, said to NRK: "It is too early to say. We need help from bone experts."
Early tests date the skull to around 5,900 BC, showing it is almost 8,000 years old.
Reitan said: "When we dug out some sample squares here, we very early came down to masses of soil, rich in carbon. We sent samples of this soil for fast dating in order to find a little more out of what we were dealing with. The bones in the pit are just as old."
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