Ancient skeletons found on 2012 site

A computer-generated image released by the London 2012 committee shows an aerial view of London's Olympic Park by night.

LONDON (Reuters) - Archaeologists working at the construction site for London's 2012 Olympic Park have uncovered prehistoric skeletons on the site of the Aquatics Centre.

Four skeletons were found in graves around an area thought to be an Iron Age settlement, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) said on Thursday.

Museum of London archaeologists have carried out extensive investigations at the site in Stratford, east London, which will house the main permanent venues for the Games.

Other finds include Iron Age cooking pots, a Roman coin, Roman river walls, World War II gun emplacements and a complete 19th-century boat used for hunting wild fowl on the River Lea.

The ODA is confident that no artefacts will be found that are important enough to require preservation on site and so hold up construction work, although investigations are continuing on other parts of the 2.5 sq km site.

Construction of the Olympic Stadium will begin in May, three months ahead of schedule.

(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Alastair Sharp)