Prehistoric stone tools and pottery fragments have been found in a rabbit hole on the British island of Skoholm, which surprised experts and hinted at a new chapter in the prehistory of the famous island, according to foreign media reports. Nicknamed "Neverland", Skoholm Island is located two miles off the coast of South Pembrokeshire and is owned and managed by the South Wales Wildlife Trust. It is famous for the nesting of thousands of seabirds during the spring and summer months.
Nearby Skomer Island is famous for its well-preserved prehistoric archaeology. But in March 2021, that all changed. At that time, the guards Richard Brown and Giselle Eagle picked up a smooth rectangular stone in a rabbit hole on the island.
Hunter-gatherer tools were discovered for the first time
The photo was emailed to Dr Toby Driver, an archaeologist at the Royal Council of Wales who was part of an archaeological team working on the nearby island of Schomer, who contacted Dr Adnrew David, a prehistoric expert.
Andrew immediately realized the importance of this discovery after seeing the photos:
"Clearly shown in the photograph is a type of 'beveled pebble' from the late Mesolithic period, a tool believed to have been used in hunter-gatherer groups 6,000-9,000 years ago to prepare seal skins to make boats that covered animal skins, or to process food such as shellfish.
Although these types of tools are well known in the coastal sites of Pembrokeshire and Cornwall, as well as in Scotland and northern France, this is the first sample found in Schoolm and the first conclusive evidence of a late Mesolithic occupation of the island. ”
Dr David, who has directed excavations at similar sites in Pembrokeshire, points out: "It's exciting to find samples like this in Skoholm. ”
Bronze Age tombs
And the discovery is much more than that. In addition to picking up a second Mesolithic cobblestone tool the next day, Richard and Giselle noticed that there were chunks of masonry in the same rabbit hole.
This time, Jody Deacon, director of prehistoric archaeology at the National Museum of Wales, recognised their importance. A large fragment of a thick-walled pot decorated with cut lines at the top, which may have been the edge of an early Bronze Age vase urn, usually associated with cremation. Between 2100 and 1750 BC, or 3750 years ago, such urns were not uncommon in West Wales.
However, it was also the first type to be found on Skoholm Or the western Pembrokeshire island.
Plan to explore the archaeology of Skoholm Island
Archaeologists Toby Driver and Louise Barker from the Royal Commission of Wales conducted archaeological surveys of nearby Skomer, Grasholm and Ramsey Islands. Now they plan to visit Skkeholm Island with other experts later in 2021 to explore further, as the coronavirus restrictions allow.