A Bronze Age burial site is to be excavated in a couple of months, thanks to a pair of metal detector buffs.
David Kierzek and Matthew Hepworth unearthed various ancient artifacts in a site near Morecambe Bay in Lancashire. The burial site is believed to date back from 2,500 BC.
"This site is untouched which makes it very, very rare. It wouldn't have been discovered if we hadn't found those artifacts," said Hepworth, a nurse and one of the pair who discovered the ancient burrow.
"I've been on the site five times before over 20 years, but metal items do move in the ground. It was just a lucky find on the day," he added.
A dagger and chisel are among the ancient relics they found, leading to a burrow that has been undiscovered for thousands of years. Hepworth, then, alerted archeologists of their discovery.
When he alerted authorities upon the discovery, Hepworth followed the correct procedure. This is because it is not his first time to discover an ancient relic. He previously discovered a pile of Viking silver in the same area which is now on display at Lancaster City Museum.
An excavation will be done on July and the goods expected to be recovered could include rare objects like ceramic vessels, jewelry, textiles and materials such as gold, jet and amber.
"The potential is huge because untouched, undiscovered sites are very rare indeed. What's really special about our site is that no one knew about it before... The burrow appears to be intact and it's pretty substantial," said Ben Roberts, a lecturer on prehistory at Durham University.
Hepworth and his buddy, Kierzek, will work alongside experts in archeology in an excavation funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Most Bronze Age burial sites have been destroyed by either historical looting, but the new discovery is more significant because it is way bigger with an expected size of about 35 by 25 meters.
A crowd funding project, DigVentures, is inviting the public to join the planned excavation. This will help address the problem on severe cuts of archeology research funding by universities and the local government.
