A dog walker has unearthed a remarkable Bronze Age artefact while strolling through woodland in Gloucestershire.
Unsuspecting John Smith, along with his puppy, stumbled across what experts believe to be an axe head - which could date back more than 3,000 years during a walk in the Forest of Dean.
The discovery was made near Brierley when Mr Smith noticed the ancient tool protruding from the roots of a fallen tree, which had developed a striking green patina over millennia.
This verdigris coating formed as the metal reacted with oxygen and other elements in the surrounding soil.
Mr Smith promptly handed the find over to the Forestry England for documentation and further examination.
"My dog ran off, rooting around, so I went to go and get the dog and, as I looked down in the roots, I saw the axe head - it just sparkled the most beautiful green colour," he told the BBC.
He said: "It was just wedged in one of the holes, so I pulled it out and there it was.
"I knew it was old because of the intensity of the green, so I thought I've got to get it out and hand it in and let everyone else enjoy it."
The discovery was made by Mr Smith while out on a walk
|DEAN HERITAGE CENTRE
Cotswold Archaeology, which is creating a virtual museum record of the axe, has dated it to between 1400 and 1275 BC.
This dating places the artefact at around an incredible 3,400 years' old.
Objects conservator Kayleigh Spring explained: "Known as a Palstave Axe, it is made from a copper alloy most likely bronze, a mix of copper and tin."
Ms Spring explained: "This tool was originally cast in moulds.
LATEST ARCHAEOLOGY BREAKTHROUGHS:
The axe is now housed at The Dean Heritage Centre near Soudley for public viewing
|FORESTRY ENGLAND
"Early Bronze Age moulds were simple hollowed stones, but by the Middle Bronze Age, two-part moulds allowed for more sophisticated designs like this one."
Ms Spring added: "Its side loop was used to secure the blade tightly to a wooden handle with cord, preventing movement during use."
The axe is now housed at The Dean Heritage Centre near Soudley, where it will be preserved and displayed.
Leoni Dawson, a community ranger for Forestry England, said: "It's incredible to think that tools like this have survived for thousands of years, hidden beneath our feet."
Ms Dawson said explained that ad-hoc finds - such as Mr Smith's - help to connect the present-day with those who lived in the area thousands of years ago.
Back in 2019, another artefact from the Bronze Age was discovered, hidden away in the Forest of Dean's woodland.
The monument, a ring caird, dates to around 2,000 BC and was believed to be the only site of its kind known in the county.
Archaeologist Jon Hoyle said it was a "very significant" discovery.