An archeological treasure trove unearthed by a team from the Open University could transform our understanding of Stonehenge. The most significant artifacts uncovered . are two carved ducks, the first of their kind to be found in Britain . and the oldest figurines ever hewn from the UK. The ducks were likely, say the team, to be a . result of the Bronze Age tradition of carving animal figurines which . were then thrown into water as offerings. Quacking find: These two stone carvings in the shape of ducks, dated to around 700BC, were discovered near Stonehenge and are thought to be the oldest ever unearthed in Britain . Amazing find: A trove of artifacts unearthed near Stonehenge suggests there were humans at the site for 3,000 years before the monument was built . But while the ducks date back to 700BC, a ceremonial dagger was also found which originated around 1400BC. However, another item which Jacques . initially believed was a cow's tooth was revealed by radiocarbon dating . to date back to around 6250BC, some 3,000 years before work began on . Stonehenge. It was part of a . tranche of more than 200 animal bones that were buried alongside . evidence of a large fire, suggesting a Mesolithic feast for up to 100 . people. The bones transpired not to be from cows but instead from aurochs, a now extinct animal about the size of a buffalo. 'It's probably one the earliest recorded hot meals in Briton too, with these people likely cooking this huge creature,' Open University tutor David Jacques, who led the field work, told Mail Online. The Mesolithic era is essentially the mid-period of the stone age. It is sandwiched between the other two 'lithics' - Paleolithic (Old Stone Age) and the Neolithic (New Stone Age). In Europe, the Mesolithic period covered the period from around 9660BC to 5000BC. However, given that civilisation developed at different paces on different continents, it took place in Japan between 14,000BC-400BC and in Western Asia between 20,000BC and 9500BC. It is also sometimes referred to as the Epipaleolithic era. Further excavations revealed a hoarde of more than 5,500 worked flints and tools. Given . that only a few Mesolithic items had ever previously been found around . Stonehenge, the discovery is strong evidence of the continuity of human . life at the site. That means Stonehenge could have been . a site of great significance to humans for several thousand years . before the monument was built. Mr Jacques, . who runs a course on Roman History, used his OU students to excavate a site . north east of the Iron Age hill fort known as Vespasian's Camp. Digging down into the bed of a former . spring revealed a trove of artifacts, though the team did not . immediately recognise the significance of their find. Mystical spot: Stonehenge remains a spiritual site attended by pagans for ceremonies such as the solstice in summer and winter, and appears to have been that way for since 6250BC . Two examples of the flint tools uncovered at the site near Stonehenge . Last year the team dug a trench in the . south east corner of the spring and discovered a . late Roman layer, an Iron Age layer and an early Bronze Age layer before uncovering the flint tools. Initially the team believed it was a mixed cache of . early prehistoric tools, contemporary with . Stonehenge. But once the lab work was underway and experts at Cambridge, where Mr Jacques is studying for a PHD, suggested the finds were all Mesolithic, the team realised the magnitude of their find. 'It's not a surprise because we new . there was a Mesolithic monument there somewhere, because of the (totem) posts . that were found during the excavation of the car park some years ago,' said Mr Jacques. 'The massive missing link . between those two things has been that there is no evidence of people using them until now. Excavations: Open University tutor David Jacques, who led the expedition, with part of the pelvis of an auroch and, right, one of the early trenches dug on the site . 'But what is surprising is that a little team like us with a very low budget have discovered it.' The find is now the property of the landowners Sir Edward and Lady Antrobus, who gave Mr Jacques permission to carry out the excavation. However, there are plans for a new museum to be built in the local town of Amesbury, largely on the back of this discovery, and the artifacts could be housed at that museum, when it is completed. In keeping with the Open University tradition, Mr Jacques is keen to have the local community involved, and that approach is ultimately what yielded the historic find. Before commencing the work he consulted the custodian of the site for 33 years, Mike Clarke, and asked where he thought merited exploration. Mr Clarke suggested three sites, of which the spring was most likely to bear archaeological fruit in Mr Jacques' opinion. 'Mike is someone who, if you ask for his advice, he will be very generous, but I don't think anyone else had ever asked his opinion before,' said Mr Jacques.
Duck figurines are oldest ever found in Britain and part of significant archeological haul .
Evidence human gathered at the monument for up to 3,000 years before it was built .
An archeological treasure trove unearthed by a team from the Open University could transform our understanding of Stonehenge. The most significant artifacts uncovered . are two carved ducks, the first of their kind to be found in Britain . and the oldest figurines ever hewn from the UK. The ducks were likely, say the team, to be a . result of the Bronze Age tradition of carving animal figurines which . were then thrown into water as offerings. Quacking find: These two stone carvings in the shape of ducks, dated to around 700BC, were discovered near Stonehenge and are thought to be the oldest ever unearthed in Britain . Amazing find: A trove of artifacts unearthed near Stonehenge suggests there were humans at the site for 3,000 years before the monument was built . But while the ducks date back to 700BC, a ceremonial dagger was also found which originated around 1400BC. However, another item which Jacques . initially believed was a cow's tooth was revealed by radiocarbon dating . to date back to around 6250BC, some 3,000 years before work began on . Stonehenge. It was part of a . tranche of more than 200 animal bones that were buried alongside . evidence of a large fire, suggesting a Mesolithic feast for up to 100 . people. The bones transpired not to be from cows but instead from aurochs, a now extinct animal about the size of a buffalo. 'It's probably one the earliest recorded hot meals in Briton too, with these people likely cooking this huge creature,' Open University tutor David Jacques, who led the field work, told Mail Online. The Mesolithic era is essentially the mid-period of the stone age. It is sandwiched between the other two 'lithics' - Paleolithic (Old Stone Age) and the Neolithic (New Stone Age). In Europe, the Mesolithic period covered the period from around 9660BC to 5000BC. However, given that civilisation developed at different paces on different continents, it took place in Japan between 14,000BC-400BC and in Western Asia between 20,000BC and 9500BC. It is also sometimes referred to as the Epipaleolithic era. Further excavations revealed a hoarde of more than 5,500 worked flints and tools. Given . that only a few Mesolithic items had ever previously been found around . Stonehenge, the discovery is strong evidence of the continuity of human . life at the site. That means Stonehenge could have been . a site of great significance to humans for several thousand years . before the monument was built. Mr Jacques, . who runs a course on Roman History, used his OU students to excavate a site . north east of the Iron Age hill fort known as Vespasian's Camp. Digging down into the bed of a former . spring revealed a trove of artifacts, though the team did not . immediately recognise the significance of their find. Mystical spot: Stonehenge remains a spiritual site attended by pagans for ceremonies such as the solstice in summer and winter, and appears to have been that way for since 6250BC . Two examples of the flint tools uncovered at the site near Stonehenge . Last year the team dug a trench in the . south east corner of the spring and discovered a . late Roman layer, an Iron Age layer and an early Bronze Age layer before uncovering the flint tools. Initially the team believed it was a mixed cache of . early prehistoric tools, contemporary with . Stonehenge. But once the lab work was underway and experts at Cambridge, where Mr Jacques is studying for a PHD, suggested the finds were all Mesolithic, the team realised the magnitude of their find. 'It's not a surprise because we new . there was a Mesolithic monument there somewhere, because of the (totem) posts . that were found during the excavation of the car park some years ago,' said Mr Jacques. 'The massive missing link . between those two things has been that there is no evidence of people using them until now. Excavations: Open University tutor David Jacques, who led the expedition, with part of the pelvis of an auroch and, right, one of the early trenches dug on the site . 'But what is surprising is that a little team like us with a very low budget have discovered it.' The find is now the property of the landowners Sir Edward and Lady Antrobus, who gave Mr Jacques permission to carry out the excavation. However, there are plans for a new museum to be built in the local town of Amesbury, largely on the back of this discovery, and the artifacts could be housed at that museum, when it is completed. In keeping with the Open University tradition, Mr Jacques is keen to have the local community involved, and that approach is ultimately what yielded the historic find. Before commencing the work he consulted the custodian of the site for 33 years, Mike Clarke, and asked where he thought merited exploration. Mr Clarke suggested three sites, of which the spring was most likely to bear archaeological fruit in Mr Jacques' opinion. 'Mike is someone who, if you ask for his advice, he will be very generous, but I don't think anyone else had ever asked his opinion before,' said Mr Jacques.
first of their kind to be found in Britain . and thought to be the oldest ever unearthed in humans at the site for 3,000 years before the thousand years . before the monument was built.