Once upon a time, in the River Thames, many human bones were found. These bones are very old, some from the Bronze Age and Iron Age, which means they are about 4,000 to 2,000 years old! Scientists and researchers want to know how these bones ended up in the river. A long time ago, a man named H.S. Cuming found lots of skulls and weapons in the Thames while building a bridge. He thought these bones were from warriors who fought in a big battle. Many years later, researchers are still curious if he was right. Nichola Arthur, a smart researcher from the Natural History Museum in London, studied these bones. She tested 30 of them to learn more about them. What did she find? Most of the bones are from the Bronze and Iron Ages! But what happened during those times? Some think the bones might be from something like a special ritual. Others believe they could be from real fights between armies. The Thames is an important river. It provided water and food for London. Many people think that the river was so valuable that armies might have fought over it. Experts like Christopher Knüsel believe that finding skulls and weapons together means there might have been battles near the river, and that’s how the bones got there. Now, Nichola Arthur will check if the bones show signs of injuries from fights. This may help us understand if these bones were just part of a burial or if they tell the story of battles long ago. The mystery of why so many bones are in the River Thames continues, and maybe one day, we will know for sure!