A BRONZE Age clay urn has been unearthed in a burial mound being excavated on Petersfield Heath.
The complete urn is thought to date from 1,500 to 2,000 BC, believes lead archaeologist Stuart Needham.
He added: “Over the thousands of years it’s been buried, it has become soft.
“Because of this we had to excavate it very slowly and carefully. We left wedges of earth around it, to support it.
“As each wedge is dug out, the pot will be protected.”
It was found in the mound nearest Heath Road East in Petersfield, being excavated by volunteers as part of the People of the Heath project.
Project leader George Anelay said: “Once it is uncovered, it will be delivered to the Hampshire Cultural Trust in Winchester.
“It is very likely the ashes from a Bronze Age cremation will be inside, but we won’t know that until it’s emptied.”
The urn is the biggest find yet in terms of size, roughly 12 to 14 inches high and about 8 to 10 inches across.
Found in sandy soil about half a metre down, it appears to have half round handles – or are they tree roots that have over the millennia have become part of the urn?
“Or they could be clay bowls in the soil alongside it, we won’t know until it is completely out, and the experts at Winchester have worked on it,” said George.