3,300-year-old cremations discovered in Scotland. They died in a mysterious catastrophe

The five urns contain the remains of eight people and appear to have been placed at the same time. They remained practically intact for millennia.

Archaeologists in Scotland have discovered a rare Bronze Age burial that may indicate a sudden and catastrophic event occurred more than 3000 years ago. The discovery includes the cremated remains of at least eight people, buried together in five urns, compacted inside a tomb mound, or tomb, dating back to around 3,300 years ago.

The discovery was made at Twentyshilling Hill in southwest Scotland, near the site of the Twentyshilling Hill Wind Farm, during archaeological excavations carried out in 2020 and 2021, ahead of road construction. The work was carried out by Guard Archaeology, a company specializing in excavations related to development projects, says the .

The recently published Archeology Reports Online magazine states that the burial stands out from most Bronze Age sites in Scotland. While many tomb mounds from this period were reused over generations, the urns at Twentyshilling Hill appear to have been placed at the same time and left practically intact for millenniawith the exception of damage caused by modern plows.

The urns were found in the center of the tomb, placed inside a burial pit with about a meter wide and surrounded by a ring of stones. Radiocarbon dating of organic materials, including charcoal, places the burial between approximately 1439 and 1287 BC

Analysis revealed that three of the urns contained the remains of an adult and a juvenile, while the other two contained the remains of adults. In total, the remains represent at least eight individuals. The tight grouping of the urns and their similar style suggest that they were made by the same craftsman and deposited as part of a single funeral event.

Archaeologists believe the individuals likely died around the same time, possibly due to a major crisissuch as famine, disease, or violent conflict. At the time, it was common practice to let bodies decompose before cremation, but remains indicate that these individuals still had some flesh on them when they were cremated, pointing to a sense of urgency.

The people buried at the site probably belonged to local farming communities, although no nearby villages have been identified to date. Researchers say the discovery is particularly significant because few archaeological remains from this period have previously been found in the area.