Latest News

From the NorthWest Evening Mail
nwemail.co.uk/viewarticle.asp?id=12123

6,000-YEAR-OLD AXE FOUND IN ULVERSTON

A POLISHED stone axe which may have been made in Langdale 5,000 to 6,000 years ago was one of the most exciting finds unearthed by archaeologists in Ulverston at the weekend.

Excavation of a trench and a Channel 4 Time Team “test dig” at Sir John Barrow’s Cottage in Ulverston, which began the previous weekend, was completed on Sunday.

It was a joint venture between Ulverston Heritage Centre and the Morecambe Bay Archaeological Society and excavation directors were Daniel Elsworth and Jo Dawson.

Among finds in the main trench were a large number of pieces of 19th century pottery, nails, buttons, glass, clay pipes and other items and artefacts.

Among finds of note relating to the period also included pieces of slate writing pencil and the writing slates complete with score lines.

Earlier finds included a possible 16th century silver groat as well as the Bronze Age flint scraper dating to around 1000BC found last weekend.

Heritage Centre director and chairman of Morecambe Bay Archaeological Society Daniel Elsworth said: “In the test pit similar 19th century remains were discovered, although an old animal burrow had disturbed deposits!

“Some further prehistoric remains were found this weekend in the test pit including a burnt piece of a flint blade and a fragment of a stone axe.

“Even more exciting was the discovery of an entire end of a polished stone axe, of a type made in the Langdale area around 5,000 to 6,000 years ago.

“Although these finds do suggest earlier activity on the site, the action of worms and roots in the soil and centuries of digging in the garden have apparently mixed up finds from different periods”.

He said they are now dealing with the finds and compiling an archaeological report about the excavation and it’s intended that the finds will be displayed in the cottage following full cataloguing and conservation

From an article on the thisisDevon Web site, published 27th June 2003:

A prehistoric standing stone – one of the vital features of Cornwall’s Bronze Age landscape – was returned to its original site yesterday after being restored. Gun Rith Menhir, a 12ft granite stone, fell over in January and has since been in the care of archeologists.

Investigations carried out on the stone, and the circumstances surrounding its fall, revealed that it had been loose for more than 30 years and was set less than one foot in the ground.

Read the full article...

This news item was originally flagged up on the TMA Forum by Phil, but I thought it was worthy of a posting on the main site (we don’t get enough good news here, so I thought it might cheers us up a bit).

This Is Malvern.co.uk

ONE of the most prominent man-made features of the Malvern Hills may be a lot older than previously thought. Archaeologists surveying the hills have uncovered evidence that the Shire Ditch, which runs along the hills’ ridgeline, could date back to the late Bronze Age. Until now it was believed the ditch, also known as Red Earl’s Dyke, was built in the 13th Century by Gilbert de Clare, the Red Earl of Gloucester, who had been having a disagreement with Thomas de Cantilupe, Bishop of Hereford, over the boundaries of their hunting grounds.
But a recent archaeological survey shows that part of it at least may be 2,000 years older.

At Midsummer Hill, the prehistoric hill fort seems to be built on top of part of the ditch – which therefore must be older. The Red Earl, say the experts, must have just strengthened or refurbished the existing ditch, rather than making it from scratch. “This discovery really adds to the story of the Malvern Hills,” said Mark Bowden, of English Herit-age, one of the partners in the project. The survey is a collaboration between English Heritage, Malvern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Conservators, Herefordshire and Worcestershire councils and other bodies. It was launched in 1999, but work was interrupted by the foot-and-mouth in 2001, when the Hills were closed to the public. The job has been completed, and results are being written up with a view to publication next summer.

A sponsor is now being sought to help cover the cost of publishing. “It will only be a matter of a couple of thousand pounds,” said Mr Bowden, “But it will help keep the cover price down and make it more affordable.” Anyone interested in sponsoring the book should call David Armitage of the Malvern AONB on 01684 560616.

from This is Devizes Gazette and Herald
thisiswiltshire.co.uk/wiltshire/devizes/news/DEVIZES_NEWS_KENNET7.html

PARISH councillors in Avebury have criticised the National Trust for the “disgraceful” condition of their village, a World Heritage Site.
They agreed to write to the National Trust’s director general Fiona Reynolds to seek her help in getting the village spruced up for the hundreds of thousands of tourists who visit annually.
Much of Avebury and its world famous stone circles comes under the control of the National Trust, which parish councillors say is not doing enough to keep the place tidy.
Clerk Gretchen Rawlins, who is the village’s Kennet district councillor, went as far as to say: “Avebury is looking disgraceful from end to end.”
Chairman Jenny Baldrey said: “On the bulges at the top of the High Street the grass is as high as an elephant’s eye.
“When you live is a World Heritage Site this is quite appalling.”
Coun Baldrey said one resident could hardly see out of her cottage windows because of the long grass.
Coun Peter Latimer-Kerr said there was a lot of National Trust ground in the village where grass had not been cut.
He said: “The trouble is long grass encourages people to throw their rubbish into it.”
Coun Bruce Hinder said that as talks with local National Trust managers achieved little, the council should write to the trust’s “top brass.”
The council agreed to write to the director general to seek her help in getting the village spruced up.

Two stories about the fantastic gold cup:

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts/3019034.stm
From the BBC website:

A rare gold cup from the Bronze Age has been secured for display by the British Museum.
It is only the second example of its type to come from the UK, with just five cups of this type known across the whole of Europe.
Found in Ringlemere, east Kent, in 2001, the cup has helped provide further evidence of the extensive trading networks that covered Europe during the Bronze Age.
It was “virtually reconstructed” using an endoscope, radiography and x-rays following scientific examination of the cup at the British Museum.
The artefact dates from between 1700 and 1500 BC – the same era as Stonehenge – and reveals a higher level of workmanship than was previously thought possible for this time.
A team of archaeologists has been working on the site where the cup was found, and discovered a previously unsuspected funeral site from the early Bronze Age.
This is how the cup is thought to have originally looked
However the assumption that the cup was dislodged by modern ploughing from a grave remains to be proven.
It was acquired for the museum through funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, The National Art Collections Fund and Friends of the British Museum.
The Ringlemere Cup will be on display in the London museum’s Round Reading Room from Thursday and will feature on BBC Two series Hidden Treasures, which is being shown in the autumn.

And the Guardian’s
at education.guardian.co.uk/higher/news/story/0,9830,985303,00.html

British Museum’s cup runs over

Maev Kennedy, arts and heritage correspondent
Thursday June 26, 2003
The Guardian

The Ringlemere Cup, a masterpiece of prehistoric gold found in a Kent field 18 months ago, has been bought by the British Museum for £270,000 and will be the star of a spectacular touring exhibition.
The cup is still crumpled, mangled by ploughing which had flattened the burial mound where it was hidden around 1600BC.
However, a 3D computer reconstruction has revealed its sensuous beauty. It is taller and more shapely than the archaeologists assumed, with a narrow waist.
The Ringlemere Cup is one of only five such artefacts found in Europe. They are believed to have been intended for practical use, beaten from single sheets of gold. The cup was found in 2001 by Cliff Bradshaw, an amateur metal-detector enthusiast. He will share the money paid by the museum with the landowner.
The cup has been described as a find which rewrites history. Yesterday the British Museum’s director, Neil MacGregor, described it as “a remarkable birthday present” for the museum’s 250th anniversary.

From Western Morning News
thisisdevon.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=103354&command=displayContent&sourceNode=103331&contentPK=6169170

Rock musician Nic Potter is selling a Bronze Age burial mound – considered to be of significant national value and one of the largest in Cornwall – on the Internet to the highest bidder.

The four-acre site is the property of London-based Nic, 51, who played bass guitar with top 70s progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator.

For a number of personal reasons and despite his love of the romance and mystery of the site, which has outstanding views of both the north and south coasts, Nic has put it on the market with a guide price of £150,000.

Nic, who plans to move to France and build his own recording studio to record solo material, said: “The site has always been very inspirational to me.

“I would come up here and suddenly start hearing bits of music which I would use in the band. You have the power of music up there – it’s very special.

“But now I live in London and I don’t come up here too often, so it’s time to sell it and move on.”

The barrow itself is made up of two rings of stone. The largest is 11.5 metres and some of the bigger stones are up to 2m wide and 1.22m high. Nic bought the land from his father, Norman Potter, in the mid-1980s for a few thousand pounds.

He said it had been very difficult to put a value on the site as it is unique and although he has set a provisional price, he will consider any offer.

Cornish-based estate agent for Miller Countrywide Nigel Bedford said he had never come across anything like Nic’s barrow during 25 years in the job.

“The closest I have come to this is a fogou (an underground chamber with spiritual and ceremonial significance found only in Cornwall) which was on the land of a house I was asked to value at Lamorna, but I’ve never sold an underground burial chamber,” he said.

Although Nic’s barrow, one of 2,500 in the county, is marked on many ancient maps, its existence had been more or less forgotten and Nic only uncovered the monument two years ago. He said: “I had always noticed the stones peeping out from the undergrowth but had always stayed away from them thinking they could be a mine shaft or something.

“When I finally cleared all the undergrowth away and called in Cornwall County Council’s archaeological unit I was told it was a Grade A monument. The man who came to see it got very excited.”

English Heritage – protector of this country’s national monuments – has expressed grave concern about the future safety of the 4,000-year-old barrow, which sits on a hilltop in West Cornwall. Inspector of Monuments for English Heritage Ian Morrison said he is powerless to make any moves to protect the monument at the moment but would certainly be considering it for protection in the future.

He said: “We understand the current owner is aware of its significant archaeological value. We can only hope that the next owner respects it as an important part of Cornwall’s heritage and that they will not damage it unnecessarily.”

Principal archaeologist for Cornwall County Council Steve Hartgroves said: “It’s a lovely early Bronze Age barrow. It is the resting place of the cremated remains of a local chief and so a site of ceremonial and ritual significance.

“It has been knocked around a bit and has a number of holes and piles of stones where it has been taken apart. There is also a rectangular structure in the middle of the mound, which could possibly have been a pigsty or shelter.

“I’m not aware of any other site in the country that has been sold because it contains an interesting antiquity and I can’t say who would want to buy it. Maybe it will appeal to the American market.”

What is almost certain, however, is that anything of financial value in the barrow will have been stolen long ago; its value is purely archaeological.

And because the site is part of an environmentally sensitive area and of national importance for its landscape, wildlife and historic interest there is no chance of anyone getting permission to build on it.

Nic has vowed he will only sell it to someone who will treat it with the same care and respect he has shown.

Full details of the barrow are available on Nic’s website www.cornish-barrow.co.uk.

[email protected]

THE first analysis of DNA passed from father to son across the UK has shattered the Anglocentric view of early British history, it emerged yesterday.

For decades, historians have believed that successive waves of invaders, such as the Anglo-Saxons, drove out the indigenous population of the British Isles, labelled Celts, pushing them to the fringes of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

However, work by a team of scientists on the Y chromosome, which is passed from father to son, has shown the native tribes left their genetic stamp throughout the UK and not only in the “Celtic fringe”.

theherald.co.uk/news/archive/25-6-19103-23-43-29.html

“brand new panoramic plate” erected by “Cornish Heritage” now totally obliterates the ancient stone that is associated with the barrow on the summit of Caste an Dinas.

To see the stone as it was...
themodernantiquarian.com/image.php?image_id=15532

From This Is Hull.co.uk

The rich abundance of Bronze Age archaeology near one of the city’s poorest housing estates is at risk from controversial plans to build 105 homes. Concern has been raised that developer Persimmon Homes has permission to build the houses on its Castle Grange site, off Noddle Hill Way, without having to carry out a full archaeological survey.

Neighbouring residents, city archaeologists and councillors have reacted with concern at a planning loophole, which could mean Bronze Age relics – including a suspected 4,000-year-old farmstead – being lost forever.

Persimmon Homes, based in Beverley, acquired the Castle Grange site in 1989 when planning conditions did not require an archaeological survey.

These days, builders are legally bound to undertake archaeological surveys before any foundations are dug.

Doreen Cox, 68, of Drummond Court, Bransholme, said any Bronze Age material should be excavated and recorded as part of the city’s cultural heritage.

Mrs Cox said: “It’s a shame the archaeology of this site is likely to be lost.

“At the end of the day it seems that money speaks and is more important than protecting historical artefacts.”

Dave Evans, archaeology manager at Hull-based Humber Archaeology, said the Castle Grange area was “potentially rich” in Bronze Age matter.

But he said his organisation had little power to demand a survey was carried out.

Mr Evans said: “Throughout the planning application we tried to get a condition applied, which would in normal circumstances allow for an archaeological survey to be carried out.

“But there’s nothing we can do as Persimmon acquired the site for building when such conditions did not exist.

“We have had a number of calls from concerned residents about this matter since approval was given for the housing plans.

“There is evidence of Bronze Age living in the area as it stretches out towards the fens as well as what may be an Iron Age farmstead.

“Although nothing can be done, we are pleased residents in the area are aware of archaeology in their area and are concerned for it.”

Bransholme North councillor Anita Harrison said: “Were this to be York, these plans would not have been considered without archaeological consultation.

“But sadly in Hull our imagination only seems to extend to sports stadiums and sleeping policemen.”

Andrew Bowes, deputy managing director of Persimmon Homes, said: “Archaeologists working on behalf of Hull City Council have carried out an investigation at the Castle Grange development and have advised that no such work is necessary.”

Now Cllr Harrison and Bransholme East councillor Nadene Burton are calling on English Heritage to see if it can investigate.

[email protected]

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/norfolk/3011098.stm

A home for the ancient timber circle is planned in King’s Lynn. Proposals to put the ancient Seahenge timber circle on display in Norfolk have been put forward.

The circle, discovered five years ago and at present being conserved at Flag Fen in Cambridgeshire, could form the centrepiece of the redeveloped Lynn Museum in King’s Lynn.

The plan would give Seahenge, discovered off the coast of Norfolk at Holme-next-the-Sea near Hunstanton in 1998, a permanent home. Seahenge sat unnoticed and undisturbed off the coast for almost 4,000 years.

But since the timbers were first discovered they have rarely been far from controversy with some people feeling they should stay put.

They were moved to Flag Fen, near Peterborough, where the archaeologists could ensure they were preserved. That work will take at least two more years.

This will give the Lynn Museum time to apply for lottery funding to allow it to display Seahenge. Even then only about a third of the smaller posts would be displayed – along with the central trunk.

The ancient timbers have brought a new perspective to our knowledge of Bronze Age man. Use of 3D laser scanning has revealed the earliest metal tool marks on wood ever discovered in Britain.

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/3010974.stm

One of the biggest Bronze Age burial chambers in Cornwall has been put on the market for £150,000.
The barrow in West Penwith was built 4,000 years ago and was discovered two years ago by its owner, musician Nick Potter, who bought the land from relatives.
The barrow consists of two rings of stones. The largest is 11.5 metres in diameter and some of the bigger stones are up to 2m wide and 1.22m high.
Experts in archaeology say the site is steeped in ancient history and is considered of national importance for its landscape, wildlife and historic interest.
Steve Hartgroves, an archaeologist at Cornwall County Council, said the monument represented a site of “great archaeological significance”.
However, treasure hunters will be disappointed as the barrow was raided many years ago.
The barrow, one of 2,500 in Cornwall, is being scheduled by English Heritage in a process similar to listing of houses.
That means no one can build on the site, which comes with four acres of moorland, or use the land for farming.

‘More than 30,000 people gathered at Stonehenge in Wiltshire to mark the summer solstice....’ rest of story at –

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/dorset/3008828.stm

That’s a lot of people. I wonder who’ll be first back with fieldnotes and photos.

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/norfolk/2994828.stm

A cluster of rare flint tools unearthed at Norwich City’s football ground could date back 12,000.
Archaeologists have found flint artefacts on the site of a new stand at the club’s Carrow Road ground.

Experts believe the tools could be from the Upper Palaeolithic era.

Archaeologists have found a sand island surrounded by peat which extends under the riverside ground.

David Adams, project manager from Norfolk Archaeological Unit, said the clusters of flint tools found in this area were left by Mesolithic people from around 10,000 years ago, but experts said they could be 12,000 years old, from 10,000 BC.

The tools were left by nomadic hunter-gatherers who would have used them to catch prey in the river valley such as reindeer when this glacial period was cold and harsh.

Mr Adams said the discoveries were rare, adding: “It’s a very exciting find. It’s older than we were hoping to find.

“Within Norfolk it is certainly very important and will probably be of national interest.”

The archaeologists stressed their six-week dig would be finishing two weeks ahead of schedule.

The threat of eviction continues to hang over the Stanton quarry Eco-warriors after planners called for a further report on the legality of the protest camp.
A Peak District National Park (PDNP) planning committee examined the Stanton Moor site on Friday morning at the request of the Stanton Action Group (SAG) and the parish council.
A decision on whether to take enforcement action against the Eco-warriors could be taken by PDNP members in July after the full report is published.
The protesters have been campaigning for three years against proposals to reopen the quarry.
John Bull, chairman of the PDNP planning committee, said: “The real issue on Stanton Moor is whether these quarries should be reopened.
“However, we need to consider all aspects relating to this proposal and that is why we have asked for a further report.”

But the protesters, who have erected at least 47 structures on the site, say Friday´s decision has only increased the anxiety over possible eviction.

Campaigner Ben Hartley said: “Indecision on the part of PDNP has left us to worry for even longer. But at least the report will give more people an informed view.”

With the site occupation approaching four years, planners had feared the protesters could exploit a planning loophole which gives protection to permanent buildings after that time.

More at:
matlocktoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=749&ArticleID=529747

Robin McKie, science editor
Sunday June 15, 2003
The Observer

Archaeologists have discovered 12,000-year-old engravings carved by ancient Britons in a cave in Creswell Crags, Derbyshire. The depiction of the animals – which include a pair of birds – is the first example of prehistoric cave art in Britain.
The discovery – by Paul Bahn and Paul Pettitt, with Spanish colleague Sergio Ripoll – is set to trigger considerable scientific excitement, for it fills a major gap in the country’s archeological record.

‘If this is verified, it represents a wonderful discovery,’ said Professor Chris Stringer, of the Natural History Museum, London. ‘There are fine examples of cave art in Spain and France but none has been found here – until now.‘

Full story at:
observer.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,977770,00.html

theherald.co.uk/news/archive/11-6-19103-23-50-7.html

DULL by name but not by nature.

The sleepy Perthshire hamlet of Dull may be a collection of cottages with an unfortunate name that makes it the butt of many jokes, but an archaeological excavation is uncovering that it was once one of the most important places in Scotland.

The Dull Dig, which will be open to the public from Saturday until June 27, is a rare chance to view an archaeological excavation uncovering aspects of Scotland’s most distant past.

Alan Graham, director of operations at Perthshire Tourist Board, said: “The dig is one of the focal points of Perthshire Archaeology Week, a programme of exhibitions, guided walks, lectures and activities that will highlight the rich and varied history of the heart of Scotland.

“During the week, visitors will be able to sample underwater archaeology, explore one of Europe’s best-preserved Roman forts, walk to Dunsinnan – best known for its association with Macbeth’s castle of Dunsinane – visit a 5000-year-old axe factory, join a landscape survey and much more.”

The area around Dull has been inhabited for at least 5000 years. In the 7th century, it became a place of solitude and retreat for St Adamnan, the biographer of St Columba, who is attributed with halting the plague in the area by the miracle of casting the evil spirits of the disease into a rock.
In the Dark Ages from the 7th century onwards, Dull was the foremost centre of ecclesiastical learning in Scotland with an early Christian monastic complex and a thriving community with paved streets devoted to different trades.

Dull’s influence waned as it was superseded by Dunkeld and St Andrews, but as late as the 12th century it housed a Trionensian priory established by King David I of Scotland.

Now much of the history of Dull is being uncovered through the archaeological dig at Dull parish church, which is thought to occupy the site of the original monastery. Excavations last year uncovered the remains of an earlier building below the church as well as pottery and human remains.

- June 11th 2003

From an article on the BBC News Web site, published 11th June 2003:

Three fossilised skulls unearthed in Ethiopia are said by scientists to be among the most important discoveries ever made in the search for the origin of humans.

Read the BBC News Article | Read the Ananova Article

Currently showing at the museum in Devizes is a small exhibition taken from their amazing library. You can gawp at:

– Stukeley’s actual notebook from 1717-1748 (featuring his small spidery writing)
– R Colt Hoare’s notebook
– Keiller’s foreman, WEV Young’s notebooks
– Crocker’s book containing watercolours (he was surveyor to Hoare and Cunnington)

...plus other photos, notebooks and drawings from the great and the good of the archaeological world.

And of course, their usual exhibitions of artefacts from all over Wessex including those from the Bowl barrow, a wealth of axeheads, pottery and marvellous things in general.

From an article on the BBC News Web site, published 5th June 2003:

Draft plans for a £193m road development around Stonehenge have been published – but there are still divisions over the details.

It is hoped that the re-routing of the A303 road, and a £57m visitor centre, will rescue the World Heritage site from its label as a national disgrace.

Read the BBC News Article | Read the Ananova Article

from Ananova.com

---

Archaeologists have discovered six more bodies near the grave of the so-called King of Stonehenge.

The remains of four adults and two children were found at a site in Amesbury, Wiltshire.

It is about half-a-mile from that of the Amesbury Archer, the Bronze Age man who was buried with the earliest gold found in Britain.

It is thought he might have had a major role in creating Stonehenge. Tests showed he was born in the Alps region in central Europe.

The latest bones discovered are some 4,500 years old – the same age as the Archer, said Salisbury-based Wessex Archaeology – which excavated the site during the digging of a trench this month.

Radiocarbon tests will be done to find out more precise dates for the burials but the people are believed to have lived during the building of Stonehenge. Wessex Archaeology say it is possible the bones are those of people from different generations.

The bones of the earlier burials were mixed up, but those of the later burials, a man and a child, were undisturbed. They said the grave, which is about three miles from Stonehenge, had narrowly missed being damaged by trench digging for electric cables and a water pipe.

The grave contained four pots in the Beaker style that is typical of the period, some flint tools, one flint arrowhead and a bone toggle for fastening clothing.

Dr Andrew Fitzpatrick, of Wessex Archaeology, said: “This new find is really unusual. It is exceptionally rare to find the remains of so many people in one grave like this in southern England.

“The grave is fascinating because we are seeing the moment when Britain was moving from the Stone Age into the Bronze Age, around 2,300BC.”

Now installed in Carnac for the summer I can report that the ‘New Project’ has indeed comenced. As far as I can see so far the abominable Archaeoscope (cheers) has been shut down and there are notices in the window announcing that it will reopen as a visitor centre this summer (although I can see little evidence of anything happing there).
Also work has begun to move the road further away from the Menec Alignements. No sign yet of the fences being removed but at least something is happening.

The National Trust has been criticised for allowing Channel 4 to use an Oxfordshire landmark to promote a TV programme.

A team from Channel 4 spent several hours on Thursday daubing a giant eye -- the logo of the channel’s Big Brother series -- on a field behind the White Horse at Uffington.

Footage to market the next series was then filmed before the logo was removed the following day.

The National Trust, which owns the site, received £2,000 from Channel 4.

But an Oxford archeologist condemned the publicity stunt as cheap and tasteless.

Alan Hardy, senior project manager for Oxford Archaeology, said: “If you’d asked them to spray-paint something on Westminster Abbey they would probably say that would be offensive.

“To a lot of people, the White Horse is a near-sacred site.”

The White Horse warden for the National Trust, Dawn Cunningham-Clayton, said tests had been carried out to make sure the logo could be easily removed.

Alan McLaughlin, for Channel 4, said: “We have great respect for the site, and were sensitive to its cultural value.”

Last summer, the 3,000 year-old Bronze Age hill chalk carving was defaced, with a hunting image, by pro-hunting campaigners.

thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/oxfordshire/news/TOPNEWS2.html

The White Horse has been defaced YET AGAIN....

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/3000243.stm

showbizireland.com/news/may03/01-flatley26.shtml

Lord of the Dance Michael Flatley landed smack-bang in the middle of an important cultural heritage site on the grounds of his new home Castlehyde in Cork on Monday.

Michael Flatley seems to be never far away from controversy and the 6 euro million refurbishment of his mansion in Cork hasn’t been without delays and setbacks.

So when his workmen uncovered a 4,000 year old burial chamber while digging a septic tank on the grounds it might have been less complicated for the billionaire to simply cover it up and say nothing.

But not Michael! The talented dancer and businessman is delighted with the find which uncovered two perfect earthenware jars last Monday.

He told the Evening Herald: “It’s just incredible. It’s possible there is a whole Bronze Age graveyard in this area. There certainly should be a major study done on this site, and what else could be lying undiscovered?”

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/2985083.stm

A Devon farmer has realised his dream by building a Bronze Age burial chamber on his land. He transported four huge pieces of granite from Dartmoor to his estate near Ivybridge to carry out the construction. It is thought to be the first time in 2,000 years that a cromlech – defined as a prehistoric monument made of stones and thought to be a burial tomb – has been built in the UK. Gavin Dollard has been planning the cromlech for four years.

Mr Dollard, 52, who wants to be laid to rest in the chamber, had hoped to have the edifice constructed in time for the Millennium celebrations. However, work was only completed on Tuesday when a huge crane lowered a 14-tonne piece of granite on to three 10-tonne standing stones which had already been erected to create the chamber.

Mr Dollard’s family have farmed on Dartmoor for centuries. But in recent years he has diversified and turned part of his estate at Delamore in Cornwood into an open-air art gallery. He sees the cromlech as another piece of sculpture for his collection. But he admits that, when he dies, it will serve its more traditional purpose as a burial site.

He said: “The idea for this came to us in 1999, but it was impossible to get four stones that size safely off the moor in such a short period of time. But what’s a year here or there when we are taking about 2,000 years?”