Skeletons found from 3000 years ago in Yorkshire

The remains were found during work between Burstwick and Rimswell in Holderness, buried in a corner of what was likely to be a cemetery dating from the Iron Age.

The deeper of the two graves contained the remains of a male who was buried with a sword, shield and spear.

The sword had been deliberately bent, indicating a ceremonial event in which the weapon is “killed” by bending it, as a form of religious offering.

Both skeletons were also buried with ox-tails, which are thought to be offerings.

Evidence of numerous Iron Age round houses was also discovered in the pipeline corridor along with a large scatter of tools, spoons and pottery.

Little of the structures survived because of intensive ploughing, but archeologists uncovered the remains of circular gullies as well as beam slots for timber structures.

They even found some of the “daub” used as cladding on the walls, including some which was burnt, suggesting that the houses burned down at some stage.

The work was carried out by Northern Archaeological Associates ahead of the installation of a new water main by Yorkshire Water and Morrison Utility Services.

Yorkshire Water project manager Dave Standish said: “We often work with NAA who monitor our projects for any archaeological findings, but it’s not often you get to see such exciting pieces of history being found.”

The work will replace a water main laid in 1977, and which has burst 15 times in recent years.