Human remains dating back 2,500 years discovered in Northern Ireland bog

Well-preserved ancient human remains carbon dated as potentially 2,500 years old have been discovered in a bog in Northern Ireland.

Archaeologists from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s body recovery team obtained the remains after human bones were found on the surface of peatland in Bellaghy, Co Londonderry, in October 2023.

They have been carbon dated by experts at Queen’s University in Belfast as being between 2,000 to 2,500 years old.

The skeletal remains are believed to be from a male aged between 13 to 17 years of age at the time of death.