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Council worker stumbles across 3,000-year-old carving
PREHISTORIC art 3,000 years old was discovered by chance in woodland by a council worker while carrying out routine maintenance work.
John Gilpin, a woodlands officer in the Parks and Countryside department, stumbled upon the find in Ecclesall Woods.
He discovered a boulder with a series of markings, lines and cuts - which, after being examined by experts, has been declared a significant archaeological find.
Jim McNeil, of South Yorkshire Archaeological Service, said: "I was called in and recorded the discovery, taking photographs.
"I have taken advice from a specialist who considers this to be an important piece of prehistoric rock art. This is the second example of such rock art from Ecclesall Woods, although other examples are known from the Peak District and further north in the Pennines."
Despite having been examined by experts, the meaning of the carvings is unclear.
"That's the million dollar question," Mr McNeil said.
The previous discovery of prehistoric rock art in Ecclesall Woods was in 1983. The only other example nearby is at Gardom's Edge, north of Baslow in the Peak District.
Mary Bagley, director of parks and countryside at Sheffield Council, said: "This just goes to show what things we have in our parks, woodlands and countryside that we didn't know were there - and to think we were a City of Culture all those years ago."
The find is one of a number of new archaeological discoveries made around South Yorkshire.
Rare Iron Age pottery has been recovered, plus evidence of ditches and historic agricultural practices, after excavations at the site of planned new wind turbines off Hangman Stone Road, Marr, Doncaster.
Elsewhere in the borough, grey and red pottery, dating back to between the second and fourth centuries AD, was recovered from the site of the planned Huggin Lakes holiday complex, Holme Wood Lane, Armthorpe.
The archaeology service said the large volume of items indicated the remains were from a former settlement.
"One ditch even contained the remains of a hearth, which had been pushed into it," an official said.
The remains are being preserved on site pending a further report on their importance - while the holiday development awaits planning permission.
And excavations on Roman Ridge, the earthwork remains of a Roman road between Scawsby and Adwick, Doncaster, have also been fruitful.
Archaeologists said: "One trench was excavated through the road deposits to provide information on the construction techniques. It showed that, far from being a classic of Roman road, it consisted mostly of the up-cast from flanking ditches capped by a thin layer of limestone."
Further searches are planned for sites including a section of the Firth Rixson site at Templeborough, earmarked as part of the site for the proposed biomass power station in the Don Valley.
The land is next to the site of Templeborough Roman Fort - where remains are believed to lie underground.
Excavations to look for medieval remains are also planned at a rectory in Union Street, Harthill, Rotherham, which is set to be demolished and replaced with new houses.
The village dates back to the Middle Ages and is recorded in the Doomsday Book.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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