When excavating the floor of a building, archaeologists often discover ancient clay tiles or a beautiful Roman mosaic.
But a team from the Netherlands has discovered a much stranger find: a floor of bones.
The meticulously arranged bones were found inside a building in Achterdam, a red-light district in the Dutch city of Alkmaar.
The bones, taken from dead cattle, could have been deposited about 500 years ago during the construction of the building, according to experts.
However, the bones were laid centuries before Achterdam became famous as a red light district.
The municipality of Alkmaar, Gemeente Alkmaar, said in a statement: “The question is, of course, why bones were used to fill the tiled floor.
‘The tiles were not particularly expensive and were used frequently. It is possible that the bones were placed there for some special reason.
‘Perhaps because it fit well with the craft that was probably practiced here. It could also have been a cheap way to fill it.
The careful arrangement of the bones could have been done without the necessary amount of tiles or to fill a hole created by damage.
Achterdam is a red light district in the Dutch city of Alkmaar, about 18 miles (30 kilometers) north of the capital, Amsterdam. In the photo, the building where the bone floor was found.
Experts from the city’s Heritage Service were renovating the house built in 1609 when they found the bones.
The bones were covered with a thin layer of loam (soil that is a mixture of sand, silt and clay) which was then covered with a floor of new tiles.
The exact time in which the bones were deposited is still being investigated, but experts estimate that it could date back to the 15th century.
“The building itself was built in 1609,” Nancy de Jong, archaeologist from the municipality of Alkmaar, told MailOnline.
“But it is possible that the foundations and the lower level of the ground where the bones were found are much older.
“It is common for houses to be built on older foundations.”
Alkmaar is believed to date back around 1,000 years, with the first mention of the city being in a document from the 10th century.
The bones are metacarpals and metatarsals from the lower limbs of cattle, all cut at the same height, but it is unclear why exactly they were used instead of shingles.
According to experts, the bones will be investigated further to see if there are any clues as to how this soil was used.
During an archaeological investigation in Achterdam, in the center of Alkmaar, archaeologists from the municipality found part of a floor made of animal bones.
The addition of the carefully arranged bones could have been done in the absence of the required number of tiles or to fill a hole created by damage.
“We were very happy to have the opportunity to see this bone floor with our own eyes,” said De Jong.
“It is always a privilege to discover something from a bygone era and add new information to the history of Alkmaar.”
While the historical use of bones in this way is unusual, it is unprecedented in the Netherlands, only in the northern province of North Holland.
In the past, this type of soil was found in the cities of Hoorn, Enkhuizen and Edam, which like Alkmaar are in the north of the Netherlands.
In the Hoorn example, vertically placed bones have also been used in combination with a tiled floor, suggesting that it was a deliberate tactic used by the tilers of North Holland.
According to experts, the bones will be investigated further to see if there are any clues as to how exactly this soil was used.
Anjo van de Ven, heritage councilor for Gemeente Alkmaar, said: ‘Discovering this soil is incredibly interesting.
Achterdam (pictured), a 490-foot street with prostitution storefronts on both sides, is located in the center of Alkmaar’s old town.
“There are still many hidden stories waiting for our team of archaeologists to come and find them.”
Achterdam, a 490-foot street with prostitution storefronts on both sides, is located in the center of Alkmaar’s old town, well known for its traditional cheese market.
Since the Middle Ages, paid sex could be practiced in Alkmaar, although at that time the city’s red light district was Vrouwenstraat (women’s street), a little further south.
The Christian church viewed sex work as objectionable, but also necessary to protect other women from rape and virginity.
In 1973 the first brothel was opened in Achterdam, which at that time was still a street where mainly traditional craftsmen such as coopers, hat makers and rope makers stayed.
This was the starting point of Achterdam as a red light district, the only place in Alkmaar where storefront prostitution is allowed.
Unfortunately, Achterdam has since been the scene of trafficking and even the murder of two prostitutes in 1996, although since the beginning of the century the rooms have only been able to operate with a permit from the municipality.