Watch: Ancient remains of what are believed to be a teenage boy found in Bellaghy bogland

The archaelogical unit within the PSNI say the remains carbon dated as old as 2,000-2,500 years.

Workers carrying out peat extraction found the remains in October last year and immediately alerted police.

One of the workers, who asked not to be named, said the remains were about a metre below the peat surface and he knew they belonged to a human.

Although no official name has been given to the remains, some people are calling them ‘Bellaghy boy.’

Nobel prize winning poet Seamus Heaney, who was born nearby, was intrigued by bodies found in bogland, and penned the famous poem ‘Tollund Man.’

Detective Inspector Nikki Deehan said: “On initial examination, we couldn’t be sure if the remains were ancient or the result of a more recent death.

“Therefore, we proceeded to excavate the body with full forensic considerations in a sensitive and professional manner. This approach also ensures that any DNA evidence could be secured for any potential criminal investigation. Ultimately this wasn’t the case in this instance.”

"The excavations first uncovered a tibia and fibula and a humerus, ulna, and radius bone relating to the lower left leg and right arm respectively.

Further investigation revealed more bones belonging to the same individual. About five metres south of the surface remains, the bones of a lower left arm and a left femur were located protruding from the ground.

“Further examination of the area between the main body and the surface remains located additional finger bones, fingernails, part of the left femur and the breastbone.

“A post mortem was carried out by a certified forensic anthropologist and determined that the individual was possibly a male aged between 13-17 years old at the time of death.

Whilst little is known so far about the individual’s cause of death, unlike some other ‘bog bodies’ the individual’s skeleton was well preserved and also had the presence of partial skin, fingernails of the left hand, toenails and possibly a kidney.”