ORKNEY, SCOTLAND—BBC News reports that a human arm bone has been discovered under a stone-slab wall at what may have been a temple at the Ness of Brodgar, a Neolithic complex where very few human remains have been recovered. The bone measures between eight and nine inches long, and may have come from a young woman’s lower arm. A similar arm bone was found in another wall foundation at the site several years ago. “There have also been several large leg bones from cattle,” said site director Nick Card, “and other objects such as a big decorated stone, and some very unusual pottery. So this all seems to have been a kind of votive deposit.” Jo McKenzie of the University of Bradford explained that the temple-like structure was rebuilt multiple times in prehistory, and so the bone may have been part of an offering placed under the wall as part of a rebuilding effort. DNA testing could reveal if the two arm bones belonged to the same person, while additional analysis of the new bone may offer information about the woman's height, age, health, and diet. To read in depth about the Ness of Brodgar, go to "Neolithic Europe's Remote Heart."
