Derek Fawcett, a retired British surgeon who was looking forward to pursuing his new hobby of wood-turning, stumbled upon a remarkable discovery that changed the direction of his life endeavors. In 2019, while having a workshop built, workers unearthed a blackened piece of wood that turned out to be the oldest carved wood ever found in Britain. The Guardian reports that the artifact dates back over 6,000 years to the late Mesolithic era and predates both the Roman occupation and the erection of Stonehenge. The wood, just over three feet in length, was preserved in almost five feet of peat underground, where the lack of oxygen slowed its decay. This extraordinary discovery surprised the UK’s Historic England agency, which described it as “amazing.” Using radiocarbon dating, Fawcett’s piece was proven to be at least 500 years older than a similar one found in Wales a decade ago, as per the BBC. Experts have confirmed the markings on the artifact to be man-made, but their purpose remains unclear. Fawcett donated the wooden relic to the West Berkshire Museum in Newbury after testing at the Nottingham Tree-ring Dating Laboratory and the Center for Isotope Research at the University of Groningen confirmed its age. Initially, Fawcett was not impressed when the workers showed him the object, dismissing it as a mere “big stump of wood” that he could potentially turn into bowls, as he tells the Guardian. This fascinating discovery has opened up an opportunity for archaeologists to explore the intriguing narratives behind Britain’s ancient past.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
