4,000-Year-Old Man Buried With Ax Unearthed Under English Golf Course

A 4,000-year-old man was unearthed from a Lincolnshire, England golf course in 2018 and will now be on display at the Lincoln Collection Museum.

Researches say the man was discovered in a 10-foot long coffin fashioned out of a hollowed-out oak tree. He was buried with a cushion of plants, typically reserved for someone of status in the bronze age.

Alongside the man was a perfectly preserved ax. Researchers believe it was more of a status symbol as opposed to being used as a weapon. The ax is one of 12 known to have been discovered in England.

“The preservation of the ax and handle, and the coffin timbers, is astonishing, and we’re looking forward to being able to share the story of the discovery, and the results of the scientific analysis, with researchers and visitors to the museum when the finds are conserved and ready to come to Lincoln,” said Lindsey Cawery from the Lincolnshire county council.

The coffin was discovered during work at the Tetney golf club. Once it was unearthed, it needed preservation so it didn’t begin to deteriorate. With a £7,000 grant from Historic England, the coffin underwent a two-year restoration.

“I’d never have imagined that there was a whole other world buried under the fields,” club owner Mark Casswell said. “It’s amazing how well preserved the ax is with its handle still there like it was made yesterday. We’ll have a nice photograph of it up on the clubhouse wall.”

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