A Scottish Iron Age burial about 2,000 years old has been found inside a stone-lined structure that archaeologists say may have served as a ritual well.
Highland Archaeology Services uncovered the adult skeleton during a quarry expansion in the Scottish Highlands, according to the archaeological team.
The structure measures about 3 metres long and 1 metre deep. Stone slabs line its base, while clay fills gaps that may have helped it retain water.
Animal bones were placed above the human remains. Archaeologists also found a fragment of a shale bangle and a broken steatite bowl nearby.
Lachlan McKeggie, co-director of Highland Archaeology Services, said Iron Age burials are relatively rare in northern Scotland.
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Researchers suspect the burial may have formed part of a closing ritual when the well was abandoned. A charcoal-rich layer covered the skeleton, while the entrance steps appeared deliberately blocked.
The site lies about 1.6 kilometres from Camore Wood, where archaeologists previously identified at least 20 hut circles. However, no direct link between the settlement and burial has been established.
Further analysis will examine the skeleton’s sex, age, pathology and date over the coming months.
