We finally know why so many ancient human bones are pulled from the River Thames

Scientists and historians finally know why hundreds of human bones are still being pulled from the bottom of the River Thames in a 300-year-old mystery. Researchers examined 30 skeletons found in London’s famous river to find out why an unusually large proportion keep being found there. Nicola Arthur, curator at the Natural History Museum, said: ‘Most people – including Londoners! – are quite taken aback to hear that hundreds of human bones have come from the River Thames.

‘They have been encountered fairly regularly in the water places of northwest Europe, but the Thames’ human bones represent a uniquely large assemblage. ‘The big question for these human bones is how they came to be in the river.’. Early theories from the 19th century included the corpses coming from a battle between Celts and Romans. Others in the 20th century put forward that the bodies have reappeared as the riverbank has eroded and revealed mass burials and drowning victims.

But modern technology has been able to reveal the bodies have come all the way back from the Bronze and Iron ages – from 4,000 BC to 1,800 AD. Ms Arthur told Live Science: ‘We can now say with confidence that these don’t appear to just be bones that have steadily accumulated in the river through time. ‘There really was something significant going on in the Bronze and Iron Ages.’. Closer examination of the bones revealed evidence of trauma, suggesting the cause of death were injuries sustained in acts of violence.

To get the latest news from the capital visit Metro's London news hub. ‘Violence is a particularly common theme for later prehistoric human remains from watery places. ‘We have found patterns of skeletal trauma on the bones of the Thames human remains.’. In 2022, a rower came across a 5,000 year old human bone dating bac to the Stone Age along the banks of the Thames. Graphic designer Simon Hunt was rowing along the river when he noticed the ‘very old’ human femur lying on the riverbank.

Mr. Hunt said he collected the bone up in a plastic bag and took it home to show his wife. He soon passed it over to the police who sent the bone to a lab to be tested. Expert analysis revealed it is around 5,000 years old – belonging to a person living in Neolithic Britain between 3516 and 3365BC. ‘It looked very old, but part of me was thinking what if it isn’t?’ Mr. Hunt told the BBC. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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