A rare carved wooden artifact has been found in Boxford, England. During the construction work, the 6,000-year-old artifact was discovered. It will then be transferred to the West Berkshire Museum.
At a construction site in the county of Berkshire, they mined a unique piece of wood decorated with mysterious carvings. Ancient Origins writes that this remarkable wooden artifact attracted attention for its resemblance to the famous Shigir idol, considered the oldest carved wooden object in existence.
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For comparison, the oldest wooden work in England was previously considered the “Sweet Way”, an old road located in Somerset Hill. Dating back to 3807 BC. e., in the Neolithic period, exceeded an impressive age of 5,000 years. However, a recent find in Berkshire eclipsed that record by revealing an important piece of oak that was surprisingly well preserved in peat. Experts date it to the European Mesolithic period, 6,000 years ago.
The origins of this intriguing story can be traced back four years, when landowner Derek Fawcett undertook the construction of a new annex. Fawcett noticed the presence of timber while digging a trench for the foundation of an outbuilding and immediately reported it to county archaeologist Sarah Orr. Upon inspection, Orr determined that the wooden object was about 1.5 meters below the ground and showed excellent protection in the surrounding peat.
Fawcett and Orr thoroughly washed the wood and found unusual markings that Orr described as potentially man-made rather than naturally occurring. Later, Fawcett and Orr enlisted the support of a multidisciplinary team of archaeologists from Historic England, in collaboration with scientists from the Nottingham Tree-Ring Dating Laboratory and the University of Groningen Isotope Research Centre.
The team carefully measured the wood and found that it was one meter long, 42 centimeters wide, and 20 centimeters thick. By radiocarbon dating the wood and analyzing tree rings, the researchers determined its age to be between 4640 BC and 4640 BC. to. and 4605 BC. e. Up to 95% accuracy.
Archaeologists from historic England have compared the stylistic elements of carved wooden symbols with decorative motifs found on early Neolithic pottery. It is noteworthy that they also draw parallels with the intricate markings on the extremely ancient Shigir idol.
While the exact meaning of the symbolism found in both the Shigir idol and the tree recently found in England remains a historical mystery, their age, complexity and innate artistic skill provide valuable insight into the development of artistic and spiritual practices in early human societies. Neolithic..
Fawcett plans to donate this rare artifact to the West Berkshire Museum after completing the scientific study of the wood.
Previously Focus He wrote that cartography is already thousands of years old: the earliest maps were found in Ukraine, Turkey and the Alps.
We also talked about the oldest painting on the rock: Millennial drawings that a person could not “find” were discovered.
Source: Focus
Ashley Fitzgerald is an accomplished journalist in the field of technology. She currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker. With a deep understanding of the latest technology developments, Ashley’s writing provides readers with insightful analysis and unique perspectives on the industry.