Ice-Age Artifacts Dated in the Netherlands

LEIDEN, THE NETHERLANDS—A piece of bison bone recovered from the North Sea by a Dutch fishing vessel in 2005 has been radiocarbon dated to 13,500 years ago, according to a report in the International Business Times. The bone had been carved with a zig-zag pattern. An adult human skull fragment, also recovered from the North Sea, has been dated to 13,000 years ago. The bison bone is said to be the oldest piece of art found in the Netherlands, and the skull fragment is said to be the oldest modern human remains found there. Pinprick-sized pits in the skull fragment indicate the person may have suffered from anemia in childhood or have had a vitamin deficiency that caused scurvy or rickets. For more, go to “A Traditional Neanderthal Home.”