The archaeologists were left stunned when they discovered dozens of graves of children, which belonged to the Bronze and Iron Ages,&nbsp;in southern Norway.

Each of the burials&nbsp;was&nbsp;marked with circles of meticulously placed stones&nbsp;and are said to be hundreds of years old. The discovery was made by a team from Norway's Museum of Cultural History,&nbsp;last year, nearly 50 miles (80 kilometres) south of Oslo, close to the Swedish border.

"They've lain here as a secret until we found them," said museum archaeologist Guro Fossum, while speaking to Science Norway. "We uncovered one after another and ended up with 41 round stone formations," he added.

The circles of stones, each of which measured up to six&nbsp;feet (two&nbsp;metres) across, were kept together. These circles were placed around a huge, central zone.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/archaeologists-discover-ruins-of-4000-year-old-temple-738555">Archaeologists discover ruins of 4,000-year-old ceremonial temple</a>

The archaeologists, after carrying out further investigations, found pottery shards and burned bones beneath those stones.

<h2>Children buried were infants or 3 to 6 years old</h2>

In a new analysis, it was discovered that nearly all the burials were graves of children who were killed between 800 and 200 BC.&nbsp;

Among them, many were infants and others were between three&nbsp;to six&nbsp;years old.

"The dating shows that the burial site was used over a long period, so they couldn't all have died in the same natural disaster or outbreak of disease or epidemic," said Fossum.

The museum, in a statement, said that such a concentration of the ancient graves of children is very unique in Europe.

The statement added that the area around the burial ground is filled with rock carvings which represent Sun worship and voyages.

Archaeologists have decided to analyse the artefacts recovered from the site, which include a metal brooch and pieces of pottery.

Watch:&nbsp;Greece: Athens Acropolis closes due to heatwave

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"Analyses of the pottery fragments can tell us a lot. It doesn't appear that all the vessels were containers for burnt bones; some were placed between the graves, and we are very curious about what was inside them," Fossum said.

He added that the burial ground was discovered by the archaeologists after they investigated a Stone Age settlement nearby.

However, Fossum said that the burial site at Fredrikstad was rather unusual.&nbsp;

"The graves are very close together. They must have been in an open landscape, with thoroughfares nearby, so everyone would have known about them. Cooking pits and fireplaces around the site suggest that gatherings and ceremonies were held in connection with burials," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

The archaeologists were left stunned when they discovered dozens of graves of children, which belonged to the Bronze and Iron Ages, in southern Norway. Each of the burials was marked with circles of meticulously placed stones and are said to be hundreds of years old.

The archaeologists were left stunned when they discovered dozens of graves of children, which belonged to the Bronze and Iron Ages, in southern Norway. Each of the burials was marked with circles of meticulously placed stones and are said to be hundreds of years old. The discovery was made by a team from Norway's Museum of Cultural History, last year, nearly 50 miles (80 kilometres) south of Oslo, close to the Swedish border. "They've lain here as a secret until we found them," said museum archaeologist Guro Fossum, while speaking to Science Norway. "We uncovered one after another and ended up with 41 round stone formations," he added. The circles of stones, each of which measured up to six feet (two metres) across, were kept together. These circles were placed around a huge, central zone. Also Read: Archaeologists discover ruins of 4,000-year-old ceremonial temple The archaeologists, after carrying out further investigations, found pottery shards and burned bones beneath those stones. Children buried were infants or 3 to 6 years old In a new analysis, it was discovered that nearly all the burials were graves of children who were killed between 800 and 200 BC. Among them, many were infants and others were between three to six years old. "The dating shows that the burial site was used over a long period, so they couldn't all have died in the same natural disaster or outbreak of disease or epidemic," said Fossum. The museum, in a statement, said that such a concentration of the ancient graves of children is very unique in Europe. The statement added that the area around the burial ground is filled with rock carvings which represent Sun worship and voyages. Archaeologists have decided to analyse the artefacts recovered from the site, which include a metal brooch and pieces of pottery. Watch: Greece: Athens Acropolis closes due to heatwave "Analyses of the pottery fragments can tell us a lot. It doesn't appear that all the vessels were containers for burnt bones; some were placed between the graves, and we are very curious about what was inside them," Fossum said. He added that the burial ground was discovered by the archaeologists after they investigated a Stone Age settlement nearby. However, Fossum said that the burial site at Fredrikstad was rather unusual. "The graves are very close together. They must have been in an open landscape, with thoroughfares nearby, so everyone would have known about them. Cooking pits and fireplaces around the site suggest that gatherings and ceremonies were held in connection with burials," he said. (With inputs from agencies)

Norway unearths graves of children buried for 600 years beneath ancient stone circles

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Norway unearths graves of children buried for 600 years beneath ancient stone circles