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Image Credit: Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society
DNA Reveals Northern Britain Oldest Human Remains Belong to a Young Girl
DNA analysis has identified the oldest known human remains in northern Britain as those of a young female child dating to about 11,000 years ago. The bones were discovered in Heaning Wood Bone Cave near Great Urswick, providing rare evidence of Mesolithic burial practices in the region.
Researchers determined that the child was approximately 2.5 to 3.5 years old at the time of death. The burial ranks among the earliest signs of human activity in Britain following the end of the last Ice Age and represents the third oldest Mesolithic burial in northwestern Europe.
Associated finds from the cave include a perforated deer tooth and beads radiocarbon dated to the same period, confirming the burial was intentional. The presence of personal ornaments suggests that early hunter-gatherer communities treated the site as a meaningful funerary location rather than a simple place of disposal.
Further investigation revealed that the cave was used repeatedly over thousands of years. At least eight individuals were interred there across multiple prehistoric phases, including the Early Mesolithic, Early Neolithic, and Early Bronze Age.
The study, published in Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society, highlights the importance of cave sites in early northern European funerary traditions and contributes valuable information about human presence in Britain after glacial retreat.
Published on: 13-02-2026
Edited by: Abdulmnam Samakie
Source: Phys.org