Archaeologists in Somerset have discovered a series of 3,000-year-old Roman discoveries.
The volunteers in the village of North Petherton, Somerset, have unearthed Bronze Age pottery fragments and Roman-era objects during weekend excavations.
The discoveries include ceramic pieces dating back three millennia, alongside artefacts from the Roman period.
Among the finds was a bronze or copper alloy object that may have served as a stylus for inscribing on wax tablets.
Quantock Heritage Group | Archaeologists believe the discoveries to be 3000 years old
The excavation, conducted as part of an archaeology festival, yielded pottery shards that volunteers believe could be approximately 3,000 years old.
Additional discoveries included fragments of clay pipes and blue and white pottery pieces from various historical periods.
The Quantock Heritage Group coordinated the archaeological project, bringing together 15 volunteers across the Quantocks region.
Participants worked across four different sites within the village over two days, with an additional location having been excavated several weeks earlier.
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Antony Jones, representing the Quantock Heritage Group, reflected on the significance of handling ancient artefacts.
He said: "These are pieces of pot that were thrown away. We're the first people in all that time to pick up that tiny little piece of pot that they never thought would be around in 3,000 years' time."
Amongst the artefacts recovered was a potential fragment of Roman Black-Burnish pottery, while a local resident presented the team with a King Charles II farthing for examination.
The group said in a statement that whilst they hadn't located another Alfred Jewel, the pottery fragment they discovered could potentially predate that famous artefact by approximately two millennia.
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|Archaeologists from Quantock Heritage Group working on another site
Several items remain in storage trays awaiting cleaning and further analysis, with organisers suggesting these could yield equally significant findings.
The excavation team expressed gratitude to North Petherton Town Council for financial support and to property owners who permitted digging on their land.
In other archaeology news, a breakthrough has been made near Hadrian's Wall, leaving scientists feeling "baffled".
Digs at the Roman fort of Magna in Northumberland have yielded an extraordinary collection of leather footwear significantly larger than typical Roman finds.