Archaeologists in the Netherlands recently discovered a creepy, centuries-old floor made of animal bones in an unusual area.
The discovery was announced on December 13 by Heritage Alkmaar, an archaeological organization based in the northern Dutch city of Alkmaar. The floor was discovered in a 16th-century building in Achterdam, Alkmaar's red-light district.
The house was built around 1609, but Heritage Alkmaar said it believed the floors could be even older, with an earlier foundation possibly built in the 15th century. In a Facebook post translated from Dutch to English, the group explained that the bed of bones was a surprise to archaeologists.
”[The old floor is] Less remarkable, but noteworthy, is that in some places the tiles have been lost, and those places have been replaced with floors made of bone,” Heritage Alkmaar wrote. are.
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Dutch archaeologists recently discovered a strange 16th-century floor made of animal bones. (Elfgaard Alkmaar, via Facebook)
Officials said all the bones on the floor belonged to cows. Before this discovery, floors made of animal bones had only been found in the Dutch cities of Hoorn, Enkhuizen, and Edam.
“Floors of this type are rarely found and so far have only been found in the North of the Netherlands,” the archaeological organization said. “So [this is] It's a very special discovery. ”
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Dutch archaeologists believe the floor is 600 years old and made of cow bones. (Elfgaard Alkmaar, via Facebook)
Heritage Alkmaar also noted that the bones in the floor were cut at “exactly the same height.”
“It appears that the bones were simply used to fill holes in the floor, but there appears to be a pattern,” the group added.
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The bed of bones was discovered in a 16th century house in the Red Light District. (Elfgaard Alkmaar, via Facebook)
“One plane has the top surface of the bone, and the other plane has the sawn bottom surface of the bone.”
Archaeologist Nancy de Jong said in a statement that she was “very pleased” to witness the archaeological find.
Officials said the bones on the floor were used as padding. (Elfgaard Alkmaar, via Facebook)
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“It's always an honor to be able to reveal something from the distant past and add new information to Alkmaar's history,” she said.
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