An unusual prehistoric burial site has been unearthed in the Yorkshire Dales by a team of archaeologists from the University of Leeds.

The discovery of the 3,000 year old Bronze Age cairn at Kettlewell in Upper Wharfedale follows two years of work by Dr Roger Martlew and his students.

Their discoveries indicate that a range of ancient rituals took place there.

One find is the burial place of an infant carefully laid in a stone-lined hollow with more stones placed on top of the body.

Wider connections

According to Dr Martlew no other site like this has been found in the Dales.

And it shows the Dales may have been more significant in the Bronze Age than previously thought.

Dr Martlew said: "The site is full of features which have not been found together in one place before.

"It could show that the Dales, which had been thought to be a bit of a backwater at the time, actually had wider connections with other parts of the country."