Royal tomb found

Aug 14, 2009, 11:00 GMT

A 4,000-year-old royal tomb has been found in Scotland.

The ancient crypt - which is covered in carved symbols - is believed to contain the prehistoric remains of a male early Bronze Age ruler, likely to be a royal ancestor.

The burial place was found hidden beneath a four-ton stone slab and surrounded by personal possessions including a bronze and gold dagger, a bronze knife, a wooden bowl and a leather bag.

Prehistorian Dr Gordon Noble said: "The sheer size of the stone slabs used to construct the tomb, the extremely rare rock engraving, the rare preservation of the leather, wood and bark items and the high status location make this a find of both national and international importance. In terms of preservation, location and scale, this tomb is unparalleled in Britain."

The grave was found in Forteviot, near Perth, and area known to have been the royal base in early medieval times.

Noble and other archaeologists - including Professor Stephen Driscoll and Dr Kenneth Brophy of the University of Glasgow - say the tomb's stone wall was decorated with carvings of two bronze axes, while the roof was covered in older designs of a Neolithic stone battle axe or ceremonial mace head.

White quartz pebbles and white birch bark remnants - which could have been used as bedding for the dead man - were also found.