The bone and tile floor was found in a building in Alkmaar's historic center. Municipality of AlkmaarArchaeologists have made a startling discovery in Alkmaar, a Dutch town famous for its cheese market. In a building under construction, they found a mosaiced floor made of tiles and sawed-up cow bones.According to astatement from the municipality of Alkmaar, it appears the floor was originally made completely of tile. When the tile degraded, the gaps were filled in with livestock bones. All of the bones are eithermetacarpals ormetatarsals, which are part of cows lower legs. Researchers think the floor could date to the 15th century.We were very happy to have the opportunity to see this bone floor with our own eyes, says Nancy de Jong, an archaeologist working at the site, in the statement, per a translation from theNL Times. It is always a privilege to uncover something from the distant past and contribute new information to the history of Alkmaar. Archaeologists were invited to examine the floor during the building's renovation. Heritage AlkmaarAlkmaar, located about 25 miles north of Amsterdam, is known for its traditional Dutchcheese market, which is the countrys oldest. The town had a communalcheese scale as far back as1365, and the earliest known record of its cheese market dates to 1408, perLive Sciences Kristina Killgrove. In the 1600s, the Alkmaar market traded millions of pounds of cheese, exporting it throughout Europe and European colonies. Alkmaar became home to theDutch Cheese Museum in 1983.Researchers saw the cow bone floor when they were invited to examine a house under renovation in Achterdam, Alkmaars red-light district. As archaeologists say in aFacebook post, the house was built around 1609, but the tile and bone floor may be older: The standing house might have been built atop an older foundation. As de Jong says in the statement, the floor was significantly worn down from extensive use.Other cow bone floors have been found in Holland. In fact, a strikingly similar example was unearthed in the nearby city of Hoorn, and others were discovered in Enkhuizen and Edam. All three likely date to the 15th century.The researchers say that tiles were a common and inexpensive material in 15th-century Holland, so they dont know why the floors builders used cow bones. The bovine material may have simply been a quicker, slightly cheaper fix for a crumbling tile floor, according to the statement. Alternatively, the bones could have been included because they were connected to the activities that occurred inside the building. The researchers will continue studying the site to learn more about its origins.The discovery of this floor is incredibly interesting, saysAnjo van de Ven, an Alkmaar heritage councilor, in the statement, per the NL Times. In the historical city center of Alkmaar, it is crucial to treat the soil carefully. There are still many hidden stories waiting to be uncovered.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Archaeology, Bones, Cattle, Cool Finds, European History, Food, Food History, History, Netherlands