A mysterious set of bones was found in a bog in Europe, and they could indicate an ancient ritual

Archeologists inDenmark discovered an ancient and well-preserved skeleton that may be a remnant of a ritual sacrifice practiced over 5,000 years ago.

The site of a planned housing development was being excavated by researchers from the organization that represents 10 museums in the country.

Christian Dedenroth-Schou, one of the team members, found a femur during their survey. After digging further into the dirt, Dedenroth-Schou and his colleagues were able to find a lot of bones.

It was thought to be a "bog body", which means dozens of usually male bodies in Europe. Despite being thousands of years old, the bodies are still in good shape because of the acidic environments of the swamps. The process of forming sphagnum moss is similar to this one.

The Tollund Man is one of the most famous bodies in the world.

Courtesy of ROMU

There are no direct traces of sacrifice and the skeleton is not complete, but archeologists believe that the person was killed for a ritual ceremony.

Between the Neolithic and Iron Ages, the men may have offered offerings to the gods.

Courtesy of ROMU

A Stone Age-era flint ax, remnants of animal bones, and ceramics were found near the site of the skeleton found in Egedal, which led researchers to conclude that the items may have been left as part of a ritual.

The theory that the ax was used as an offering, rather than a murder weapon, is supported by the fact that the ax has never been used.

There is a tradition of ritually burying both objects, people, and animals in the same place. Struve said in a press release that this is most likely a victim of a ritual. It's an area where ritual activity has taken place, according to previous finds.

Sex, where the person lived, and when the person died are not known. The leader of the excavation said that there was evidence that the body was from the Neolithic.

When the ground thaws in the spring, the archaeologists hope to use DNA technology to find the rest of the bones.

"You think about whether that person would be happy to be found, or if they would prefer not to be found," Dedenroth-Schou said in a press release. We don't know much about their religion, so perhaps we are disrupting a notion of the afterlife.