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THE remains of a second child who could have been a human sacrifice have been unearthed in an ancient burial ground in the Yorkshire Dales.
The bones of the child, believed to be aged about four, were discovered last week by Leeds University archaeologists near Kettlewell, in Upper Wharfedale.
It is the second skeleton found at the site, following the discovery late last year of a child's remains in a stone-lined hollow – one of eight sets in the ring cairn at Kettlewell.
And following the latest find, experts believe the site could date back as far as 4,000 years – 1,000 years later than previously thought.
Roger Martlew, a Leeds University archaeological lecturer, said the discovery would help shed light on life during the neolithic period.
"It is tremendously significant because it's the first time that a site of this kind has been excavated in the Yorkshire Dales and there is a lot of evidence to be analysed," he said.
"In terms of dates the site could be a lot older than we thought."
Dr Martlew said it was likely that the site had been used for ceremonial purposes for up to 1,000 years.
The remains were found with a hair pin along with pebbles placed deliberately next to the body's head and feet.
"We can only speculate the reasons for them being there. They could have been the children of the local chieftain and there's some evidence of disease in the first skeleton and there may be some connection.
"But we can't rule out sacrifice. I think these burials were made for very significant reasons," he said.
Dr Martlew, who unearthed the skeletons along with a team of students, admitted he had not expected to find the remains of children because it was usual for Bronze Age ring cairns to be ceremonial rather than actual burial sites.
The discoveries come at the end of a two-year project by Dr Martlew and his students which started out as a field survey of the area.
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