6,000-Year-Old Artifacts Found Beneath UK Parliament

"As part of a three-year investigation that will inform upcoming restoration work, archaeologists discovered 60 flint flakes they believe were used as tools around 4,300 BCE during the Mesolithic or early Neolithic period. The archaeologists also uncovered additional items, including 800-year-old footwear and a 19th-century beer jug. The group noted that the flint artifacts predate Stonehenge's earliest earthworks by 1,000 years."

"The flint artifacts, said the Restoration and Renewal Delivery Authority in a press release, originated from the now-gone Thorney Island, formed by the once intersecting Thames and River Tyburn. Prehistoric people, archaeologists said, used that island stretch for fishing, hunting, and food gathering. The objects were discovered in the Cromwell Green section of the property. The discovery comes as parliament weighs costly options for the much-needed restoration of the building."

Archaeologists excavating beneath the 19th-century Palace of Westminster uncovered scores of artifacts dating back about 6,000 years during a three-year investigation to inform restoration work. Sixty flint flakes believed to be tools from around 4,300 BCE date to the Mesolithic or early Neolithic period and predate Stonehenge's earliest earthworks by about 1,000 years. Additional finds include 800-year-old footwear and a 19th-century beer jug. The flint artifacts originated from the former Thorney Island where the Thames and River Tyburn once intersected and were used for fishing, hunting, and food gathering. The discovery coincides with ongoing debates over costly palace restoration and fire risks.

Read at Hyperallergic