ALSLEBEN, GERMANY—A pit containing the 7,000-year-old remains of at least 12 beavers was discovered in central Germany during an investigation conducted ahead of the construction of an underground power line, according to the Science Information Service (IDW). Researchers from the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt found the pit near a Neolithic settlement site of the Stroke-Ornamented Ware Culture on the Saale River. Study of the well-preserved beaver bones shows that the animals ranged in age from one year old to more than eight years old at the time of death. They are thought to have been hunted, skinned for their fur, and the carcasses left to decompose. The beaver bones were later deposited in the pit. To read in-depth about Neolithic people living in what is today Germany, go to "Pioneers of Lakefront Living."
