Oldest carved piece of wood to be found in Britain dates back 6,000 years

Metre-long piece of timber was found in trench dug for workshop at property in Boxford, Berkshire

It could easily have gone on to the bonfire or into the skip. But Derek Fawcett decided to take a closer look at the blackened, waterlogged piece of wood found at the bottom of a trench dug for foundations for a new workshop.

It turned out to be the oldest carved piece of wood to be discovered in Britain, dating back more than 6,000 years. The markings on the wood were made by the people of the late Mesolithic era, 2,000 years before Stonehenge was built and 4,500 years before the Romans came to Britain.