BEDFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND—The Guardian reports that as many as 25 monumental round pits dated to the Mesolithic period have been discovered at Linmere, which is located in the East of England. Radiocarbon dating indicates that the pits were dug between 7,700 and 8,500 years ago. The largest measures more than 16 feet wide and six feet deep. Researchers from the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) explained that there are very few Mesolithic sites in the United Kingdom of this size, adding that the pits are arranged in straight lines and had been clustered around stream channels. Animal bones, including aurochs remains, were found in some of the pits. The bones may be evidence of feasts or food storage, or they may have been used in hunting. Continuing analysis of pollen samples from the site indicates that oak, hazel, and pine trees grew in the area. “This work will reveal the environment these people lived in, and hopefully answer the question, ‘what were these pits for?’” concluded Yvonne Wolframm-Murray of MOLA. To read in-depth about the Mesolithic period in northern Europe, go to "Letter From Doggerland: Mapping a Vanished Landscape."
