09/10/2021 21:20
Clarín.com
International
Updated 9/11/2021 12:14 PM
In what has been considered an extraordinary chance find, during maintenance work on a golf course lake in the county of
Lincolnshire
, in the east of the
United Kingdom
, a
"rare" wooden sarcophagus
of the
Bronze Age that contained the remains of a man and a perfectly preserved ax.
The discovery of the coffin and its contents was in 2018, sparking a rescue mission funded by a
70,000-pound
(nearly $ 100,000) grant that was spearheaded by experts from the Department of Archeology at the
University of Sheffield
.
The coffin, which measures three meters long and one meter wide, was specially protected to ensure that the
delicate structure
did not crumble after being exposed to the sun and air.
All the work took three years, and at times it had to be interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The oak trunk found on a Lincolnshire golf course was carved using the "split wood" technique to be hollowed out to create space for the body.
As reported by
the
Archaeological Fund York
during maintenance work then made lake the
golf course Tetney
, workers with
a surprise finding in the background the old coffin three meters long and one meter wide were taken, t
I Allado in the trunk of an oak
about 4,000 years ago.
Inside they found the remains of a man arranged on a layer of juniper leaves and an ax, which is believed to have been more of
a symbol of authority
than a homemade tool.
These elements, as well as the complexity and effort invested in the coffin, make researchers think that the burial belongs to
a person of high social status.
The coffin was carved using the
"split wood" technique
, that is, first cutting the log lengthwise and then hollowing it out to form a half log.
So far, only about
12 axes and 65 sarcophagi
like those found on the golf course
are known in the UK
, a shortage mainly due to the rapid degradation of the wood.
For this reason, experts hope that the burial will shed new light on
burial practices in the Bronze Age.
The ax found in the sarcophagus was a symbol of authority for men of the higher social classes of the Bronze Age in Britain.
Mark Casswell, owner of Tetney Golf Club,
said: “My family cultivated this land for years before we opened the golf course.
I never would have imagined that there was a completely different world buried under the grass.
It is amazing
how well preserved the ax is
.
We will have a beautiful photo to hang on the walls of the Country Club House. "
After carrying out a preservation work 'in situ', the find was transferred to the facilities of the Archaeological Fund of York, where the restoration work on the pieces is carried out.
Once these are completed, the discovery
will be exhibited at the Muiseo in the city of Lincoln.
