Archaeologists said Wednesday they have comprehensively dated the contents of a Bronze Age site in Scotland, probably the first time such a site has been dated in its entirety.

The 29 cremation pits and a number of artifacts were uncovered near Maud in northern Scotland during the installation of a gas pipeline.

The pits include 10 pottery urns containing the ashes of children and adults and two sets of golden eagle talons, considered of particular archaeological importance as they have never before been found in sites from this period.

Archaeologists were called in by gas maintenance company Transco after they made the discovery while constructing the pipeline from St. Fergus to Aberdeen during the summer of 2001.

They have now dated the remains as belonging to a small community living in the area between 2000 B.C. and 1500 B.C.

"This find is extremely important as we have dated every single burial which is not something we can usually do," said Melanie Johnson of CFA Archaeology, a private archaeology firm based in Scotland.

"Some of the artifacts can also give us a good idea about the cultural beliefs of the people during this time."

Johnson added that the fact the eagle talons were found with the remains indicated a belief in the after-life.

Other artifacts excavated include pieces of deer antler which could have been used to fasten clothing, and bone pins.

Johnson said that many of those buried in the pits had medical problems, including arthritis and bad teeth, but this was not an indicator of an unhealthy community as such problems were common at the time.

"This community are likely to have lived in a village of houses with fields around them and have kept livestock," she added.