A group of wild rabbits has uncovered priceless prehistoric artifacts on an island off the coast of Wales in the United Kingdom.
SHANGHAI, CHINA - OCTOBER 31: A rabbit burrows into the side of the practice bunker during the first round of the WGC - HSBC Champions at the Sheshan International Golf Club on October 31, 2013, in Shanghai, China.
According to the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, which manages Skokholm Island, the burrowing bunnies discovered two artifacts: a 9,000-year-old Stone Age tool and a 3,750-year-old pottery item, possibly from a broken Bronze Age urn.
Wildlife Trust added that experts found similar objects have on the mainland of the United Kingdom. Still, these are the first of their kind on Skokholm Island, suggesting that humans visited or lived there thousands of years ago.
The island, which is located about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) off the coast of Pembrokeshire in southwest Wales, is famous for the tens of thousands of seabirds that breed there during the spring and summer months. Live Science said it was called "Dream Island" because of its natural beauty and wildlife.
A Mesolithic Beveled Pebble?
Andrew David, a prehistoric stone tool specialist, reported that the artifact found in Wales was a Mesolithic "beveled pebble" from the Middle Stone Age.
According to the press release, hunter-gatherers used this method between 6,000 and 9,000 years ago to prepare seal hides for "skin-clad watercraft" or process food like shellfish.
"Although these types of tools are well known on coastal sites on mainland Pembrokeshire and Cornwall, as well as into Scotland and northern France, this is the first example from Skokholm, and the first firm evidence for late Mesolithic occupation on the island," David added.
The discoveries on Skokholm Island, however, did not stop there.
Brown and Eagle discovered a second Mesolithic stone tool, as well as large pieces of coarse pottery, from the same rabbit hole's entrance the day after discovering the "beveled pebble."
Experts identified pottery pieces as belonging to a 3,750-year-old burial urn from the Early Bronze Age by Jody Deacon, a curator of prehistoric archeology at the National Museum Wales.
The press release said one of the large fragments was decorated with incised lines and was possibly part of the rim of a thick-walled pot, which is typically associated with cremation burials.
Are These Ancient Urns Common in Wales?
Although ancient burial urns are common in Wales, this is the first of its kind to be discovered on Skokholm Island, or any of the western Pembrokeshire islands, according to Deacon.
The neighboring Skomer Island is well known for its well-preserved prehistoric archaeology, while Skokholm Island is well known as a habitat for tens of thousands of nesting seabirds.
Experts, on the other hand, assume that these latest results change that.
The Royal Commission of Wales has performed surveys on Skomer, Grassholm, and Ramsey's surrounding islands and plans to visit Skokholm later this year once COVID-19 restrictions permit.
Previous aerial surveys and airborne laser scanning have shown the remnants of some prehistoric fields and settlements on Skokholm, but none have ever been excavated, according to Royal Commission archeologist Toby Driver.
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