Archaeologists within the Police Service of Northern Ireland, have uncovered ancient human remains carbon dated as old as 2,000-2,500 years. The Archaeological Unit within the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Body Recovery Team made the discovery during excavations, after being alerted to human bones on the surface of peatland in Bellaghy in October 2023.
Detective Inspector Nikki Deehan said: “On initial examination, we couldn’t be sure if the remains were ancient or the result of a more recent death. “Therefore, we proceeded to excavate the body with full forensic considerations in a sensitive and professional manner. This approach also ensures that any DNA evidence could be secured for any potential criminal investigation. Ultimately this wasn’t the case in this instance.”
A post mortem was carried out by a certified forensic anthropologist and determined that the individual was possibly a male aged between 13-17 years old at the time of death. Whilst little is known so far about the individual’s cause of death, unlike some other ‘bog bodies’ the individual’s skeleton was well preserved and also had the presence of partial skin, fingernails of the left hand, toenails and possibly a kidney.
