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Ancient relics unearthed by rabbits

Ancient relics unearthed by rabbits leads to discovery of treasure trove

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In February last year, a family of rabbits won some favour amongst archaeologists in England when they dug up an ancient artifact in Cornwall. Researchers quickly picked up where the busy rabbits had left off and soon unearthed a treasure trove of relics, including Stone Age arrow heads and flint tools dating back at least 8,000 years. Now a new excavation at the prehistoric site has revealed another sixty ancient objects, evidence of an Iron Age hill fort, Bronze Age barrow cemetery, and a Neolithic passage grave, according to a report in The Cornishman.

The discovery was made in a place known as ‘Land’s End’, a headland and small village in western Cornwall, England. It is the most westerly point of the country and is nestled precariously on the inhospitable Atlantic coast.  It is a land imprinted with thousands of years of myth and legend. Its windswept fields are peppered with incredible records of ancient times, including megalithic monuments, Celtic shrines, ancient tin mines, burial sites, and preserved ancient villages.

Although there are a number of important archaeological sites in the local area, the Land's End excavation is certainly the first to be prompted by a family of rabbits. The finding prompted the tourist attraction to commission a thorough archaeological investigation of its land and now the finds discovered and compiled by Big Heritage UK have revealed some further startling results.

In just one day of digging in a one-metre square dig spot, archaeologists unearthed over sixty ancient objects, including Mesolithic stone hammers, arrow heads, scrapers and waste from a flint tool-making factory, raising the question of what else will be found as the excavation continues.

Flint arrow heads unearthed at Land’s End

Flint arrow heads unearthed at Land’s End. Photo source.

 “We've found about 60 flint tools and two stone hammers and they are stunningly beautiful. I'm lost for words - it almost sounds like something out of an Indiana Jones film,’’ said Dean Paton, lead archaeologist for Big Heritage.

The findings span thousands of years from the Mesolithic to the Neolithic, Bronze Age, and Iron Age, demonstrating continuous use of the site for several millennia. Investigations will continue over the next few years to piece together the ancient past of Land’s End.

Featured image: The picturesque Land’s End. Photo source.

By April Holloway

 

Comments

Replace all references to Cornwall with Éireann (Ireland) and you have yourself another true story of the treachery of the controllers of England.

In the article regarding the finding (by rabbits) of ancient artifacts at Land's End
(http://www.ancient-origins.net/.../ancient-relics...),
it refers to Land's End as being in England. I quote: "The discovery was made in a place known as ‘Land’s End’, a headland and small village in western Cornwall, England."
Cornwall is NOT part of England. It is presently (illegally) administered as if it were a County in England, but the true status of Cornwall (Kernow in the Cornish language) is that of a Duchy, and a separate country from England. Laws to this effect have been in place for centuries, and are being ignored by the Westminster government.
Recently, the Cornish people have been recognized as a National Minority within the UK. This means that they are being officially acknowledged as being a different people from the English. It is to be hoped that this will help to lead to a further acknowledgement that Cornwall is as separate from England as are Scotland and Wales. Cornwall, like those countries, is a Celtic nation.
A group with a name like "Ancient origins" ought to be interested in this, and interested in the peril to ancient monuments and other prehistoric sites in Cornwall that is represented by the callous mismanagement of those sites by such groups as "Natural England" and the Natural Trust. Stone circles and ancient dwellings as old as the Pyramids and as holy as Stonehenge are being destroyed by agriculture and grazing. Please have a look at http://www.savepenwithmoors.com/ for more insights.
There is much to be done in Cornwall to preserve "Ancient Origins." England, who has unjustly claimed the stewardship of those origins, is placing profit above preservation, and is engaged in cultural genocide to wipe out all traces of Cornish identity. The Cornish are resisting. It's a good story - I suggest you get on it!

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April

April Holloway is a Co-Owner, Editor and Writer of Ancient Origins. For privacy reasons, she has previously written on Ancient Origins under the pen name April Holloway, but is now choosing to use her real name, Joanna Gillan.

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