Workmen unearth murder victim – after 4,000 years

A 4,000-YEAR-OLD murder victim has been found beneath a bus stop in Sydney, Australia.

The aboriginal man was killed by spears, after which his body was set alight and left on the crest of a sand dune.

His burnt skeleton was found by workers laying gas mains. Stone spear points were found in and around the bones.

The victim, a tall, well-built man in his mid-thirties, is the earliest example of death by spearing found in Australia. It is thought the killing may have been ritualistic, in which case it predates similar murders in Europe using "death spears".

Archaeologist Peter Veth said: "The find is highly significant for Australian and global archaeology, as it reflects on social practice and customary law."