Archaeologists Discover Neolithic Drum Near Yorkshire

That wasn't all they found

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

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.

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Tobias Carroll

Tobias Carroll

Tobias Carroll lives and writes in New York City, and has been covering a wide variety of subjects — including (but not limited to) books, soccer and drinks — for many years. His writing has been published by the likes of the Los Angeles Times, Pitchfork, Literary Hub, Vulture, Punch, the New York Times and Men’s Journal. At InsideHook, he has…
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