Archaeologists Discover Neolithic Drum Near Yorkshire
That wasn't all they found

The artifacts recently unearthed are comparable to the Folkton Drums, pictured here.
Victoria Jones/PA Images via Getty Images

BY TOBIAS CARROLL

In 1893, archaeologists working near Scarborough, England unearthed a series of drums that were thousands of years old. Known as the Folkton Drums, they are now in the collection of the British Museum — and offer an invaluable look back into England’s history. Recently, archaeologists in the same general location uncovered another drum (technically, a chalk sculpture) that’s even older — making it a rough contemporary of Stonehenge.

If that had been the only thing of note found in the dig in question, it would still be a landmark discovery. But, as a new article in The Washington Post demonstrates, the discovery has another dimension — one that’s sure to puzzle historians for years to come.

The drum was found next to a gravesite containing the remains of three children, their bodies in a position that the archaeologist who discovered them described as “cuddling.” Unsurprisingly, this adds more than a little mystery to the site. The Post‘s article offers a host of possibilities, from the effects of a pandemic to a ritual sacrifice.

According to the article, the drum itself will be on display as part of a larger exhibit at the British Museum. As for where, specifically, the drum and the bodies were found — well, that’s still shrouded in secrecy. Consider it one more mystery to add to a host more that were recently unearthed.