In the Netherlands, a floor paved with bones was found in the red light district (photo)

Archaeologists in the Netherlands have made an amazing discovery during excavations in the Achterdam red light district in the center of Alkmaar. In an old building, they found a floor made of a combination of tiles and animal bones.

The discovered structure has become a real mystery for researchers and has already attracted the attention of historians and archaeologists. The peculiarity of the discovery is that the gaps between the floor tiles were filled with metacarpal and metatarsal bones of cattle, Streekstad Centraal reports.

These bones were carefully processed, sawn to the same height, and laid out in a pattern, with the upper or lower part up.

Preliminary analysis suggests that the floor dates back to the 15th century. The current building was constructed in 1609, which suggests that the bones could have been used earlier. Archaeologists are currently working on determining the exact age of the materials, as well as on finding out the purpose of such an unusual construction solution.

"This floor could have been created for both practical and symbolic reasons," said archaeologist Nancy De Jong. "The bones were probably used as a cheap building material, or they could have symbolic meaning related to the activities that took place in this room.

The use of bones in construction is rare. Similar examples have been found in other cities in the Netherlands, such as Horn, Enkhuizen, and Edam. In Gorn, as in Alkmaar, bones were also combined with tiles, laid out in a certain pattern.

The floor is currently undergoing additional research. Archaeologists are trying to find out how large this structure is and whether it was used for domestic or commercial purposes.

Cultural Heritage Advisor Anjo van de Ven called the discovery exceptional. "This discovery shows that history hides many secrets that we are just beginning to uncover," he said.

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