This Guy With A Metal Detector Found An Old Buried Chain, But Then He Kept Digging…
There are people in this world who just love using metal detectors. Mike Smith of Pembrokeshire, Wales is one of them. Mike has been playing with metal detectors since he was twelve years old. He liked the idea of being able to locate buried treasure. He found various odds and ends throughout the years, but he always wanted to find something extraordinary.
He never expected to find an ancient chain buried a few feet under where he stood. He decided to follow his gut and keep digging...
Mike Was Your Average Metal-Detecting Enthusiast
Meet Mike Smith. He's a metal detecting enthusiast from Pembrokeshire, Wales. One day, he got a metal detector as a birthday present, and he hasn't stopped looking for buried treasure since.
One rainy day, Mike was out with his metal detector when he heard a familiar beeping sound. He could feel the adrenaline pumping through his body as he swiveled his detector back and forth over the wet soil. The beeping sound got louder, and Mike got more excited.
The Scope Of The Object
After Mike heard that first beep, he had to figure out how big this metal object really was. Mike started sweeping the rest of the field with his metal detector. Typically when a person walks away from a find, the beeping will grow fainter and fainter until it stops altogether. That wasn't what was happening in this case.
The further he walked away from his original "beep location," the louder his detector sounded. Either his detector was malfunctioning, or this was a really big find.
Mike Started Digging
Mike had no idea what was lurking under the soil, but he knew there was only one way to find out. He got out his shovel and started to dig. Mike set to work on the damp soil, starting with a hole about a foot wide and two feet deep.
He kept digging until he saw the light bounce off of something small and round. Maybe Mike was going to find some buried treasure after all.
An Engraved Coin
This wasn't the first time Mike used his metal detector in this particular field. He had been to this spot before, and previously he had only found old pennies that weren't worth very much. This time, he dug up a coin that didn't look like a typical penny.
He picked up the small round object and saw that it was indeed a coin of some kind. After he rubbed the dirt off of it, he noticed that there was something engraved on the coin's surface.
Another Piece Of Metal
Mike looked at the coin for a few moments, running his fingers over the engraving. He thought about where this coin could possibly have come from. There seemed to be a figure etched into the other side of the disk. There was also a ring attached to the top of the object. It looked like it had been attached to some kind of chain.
As Mike was inspecting his find, he noticed another shiny metal object in the dirt.
Stuck In The Ground
Mike bent down to pick up the object. He grabbed ahold of it, but when he tried to pull it out of the soil, it wouldn't budge. Mike decided to put down his shovel and start digging with his hands, hoping that his fingers would be able to pry the object loose.
Mike pulled as hard as he could and even got down on his hands and knees to gain some leverage, but the item really was stuck.
A Fight With The Soil
This item wasn't going anywhere, which confused mike because it didn't seem to be that heavy. Mike realized that brute force wasn't going to win the war in this case.
He got back down on his knees and moved the soil around the artifact. Jiggling the earth this way at that, hypothetically, should loosen the object enough for Mike to be able to pull it out of the ground. That plan didn't work out as well as he hoped.
The Item Was Attached To Something
Mike kept tugging at the object until he noticed that it was actually attached to something. He didn't know what it was attached to, but he knew something was keeping it in the ground. Mike was very curious about what this object could be.
With more questions than answers, he continued to dig. What else could possibly be down there? And why was this particular object so heavy? Mike was on a hunt for the truth.
Links Buried In The Ground
Mike kept digging (as any good digger would) until he found another object like the one he had discovered. Then he found another and another. He quickly realized that the object he was pulling on was part of a long chain. It was a link, which explains why it was so hard to pick up. He hadn't uncovered the whole chain yet.
Goosebumps crept up his body as he came to terms with what he just discovered. What on earth could these chains have been used for?
The Links Were Neverending
As Mike dug up more and more of the mysterious links, he realized that they seemed to go on forever. That is until he came to the end of the ancient chain. But coming to an end begged the question, what did this chain used to be attached to?
As the afternoon sun began to set, Mike began to pack up. Whatever was buried beneath him was going to have to wait until sunrise.
Pembrokeshire Burial Chambers
As Mike lay in bed that night, his mind wandered. What if he had just uncovered something truly terrible, and there was a reason the links were buried? He had recently read about old burial sites underneath Pembrokeshire. Not a comforting thought while lying in a dark room.
Could his discovery be one of those ancient burial chambers? As frightening as that thought was, Mike was eager to get back to the farm and uncover more of the mystery.
Mike Got Up Early The Next Morning
As soon as the sun crept above the horizon, Mike was out the door, heading straight for the site he left the previous evening. The mysterious chain was nagging at him the entire night. He needed to find out what was on the other end and why it was so heavy.
What Mike didn't realize was that his find was about to become known to the authorities. And that they would be on his digging site later that day.
The Ground Opened
Thankfully, Mike found the location in the exact shape he left it. So it's safe to say no one had been snooping around his treasure trove. With that peace of mind, he once again began to dig.
As more of the strange links popped out of the ground, Mike noticed something weird. A hole was beneath the chain. Not thinking twice, Mike thrust his shovel into the hole, hoping that it would help with leverage. He never imagined that the ground would open up beneath his feet.
An Underground Cavern
Mike fell straight through the ground, landing a few feet below the surface. Thankfully, he wasn't injured and was still wearing his backpack that held a flashlight!
Turning the light on, Mike came to the conclusion that he hadn't fallen into a typical hole but rather a chamber of some kind. As he took a closer look at the floor, walls, and ceiling, fear began to creep into Mike's chest. What had he accidentally uncovered beneath the farm?
Strange Markings Covering The Walls
As Mike inspected the cavern walls a bit closer, he discovered strange scratches littering almost every surface. But something about the frantically scratched markings felt familiar. Almost as if Mike had seen them somewhere before.
Mike went to the wall with the most vivid markings and ran his fingers over them. As he took in the etchings, he realized that his fingers formed 'VV.' It didn't take long for him to realize the conjoined V's were repeated over and over dozens of times.
Another Hole In The Ground
The haunting 'VV' symbol began to make Mike uneasy, as the etchings were all over the cavern walls. Making the find more terrifying was that the symbols seemed to be scratched into the stone by someone with trembling hands.
Mike had no idea what he had come across. Being the treasure hunter that he is, Mike decided to follow the markings. They led him to yet another hold in the ground. But beside the entrance lay something caked in mud.
Calling In The Authorities
Mike couldn't keep the shock off his face when he finally chalked up the courage to wipe the mud off of the new discovery. Underneath all of the hardened earth was something brown and hard. Mike knew exactly what he was looking at but didn't want to believe it.
As a metal detecting hobbyist, Mike knew the laws that came with discoveries such as this. He had no choice but to call the authorities and let them know what he had found.
Real Human Remains
What started as nothing more than a fun afternoon excursion soon became a frightening discovery of human remains. There were so many possible reasons as to why someone would be buried beneath the farm, and each theory was more terrifying than the last.
Coming out of his own thoughts, Mike finally realized that he was still holding the object. More specifically, a human molar. That's when he finally understood the severity of his situation.
The Authorities Thought It Was A Joke
Mike had to call someone for help. Not only was he down in a dark hole with no way to escape, but he had just stumbled upon human dentures. He dropped everything and scrambled for his cell phone.
He called the officials of the National Museum of Wales, but their response was not what he was expecting. The officials laughed at him, not believing one word he was saying about the discovery!
Who's Laughing Now?
"What the archaeologists said at the time was that because there had never been a find down here before, they didn't believe it," Mike said during an interview. He had to change their minds about the potential burial site, but how?
Then it dawned on him; he forgot to mention that he had found human remains and not just an ancient chain and weird engravings in a cavern. Once he mentioned that detail, the officials at the museum were no longer laughing.
The Authorities Were In Shock
Mike sent them his location and awaited the scientists and rescue party. When the museum officials and archaeologists arrived at the scene, they were in complete awe. In an interview, Mike said, "the look on their faces when they saw it said it all."
Aside from the authorities taking Mike seriously, he was happy that someone was there to rescue him from the hole! Now, it was time to let the excavation process with the professionals begin!
Two Chariot Wheels
The artifact removal process began in June, four months after Mike's February discovery. With the proper game plan and excavation instruments, archaeologists were able to uncover two rusted chariot wheels, confirmation that they were about to discover something huge.
Mike couldn't believe that this all started with him finding what looked like a coin buried underground. He never realized something so monumental could be made out of his find. Treasure hunters usually only dream of this type of discovery!
What Mike Actually Found
Going back to the initial discovery of the rusted chain, Mike thought he would never figure out what it was used for, let alone what it was attached to. That all changed with the help of the museum professionals. In an interview, Mike said, "My first find was a Celtic horse harness junction piece."
"When I found it, my friends said I would never top it, but the next day I went back and found the rest." Talk about proving your friends wrong!
What The 'VV' Means
According to archaeologist Rachel Hall, the connected 'VV' is called a witch mark. These marks were meant to keep witches from entering a building. The specific engravings Mike found are known as Marian marks. Believed to be the initials of the Virgin Mary, the mark is meant to protect the site of the symbols.
The cavern markings were different, though. They were scratched into the wall frantically. Not to mention they were all over the place. Something strange happened in Pembrokeshire long ago.
A Gateway To Hell
Archaeologist Alison Fearn believes that the 14th and 18th-century markings were the townspeople's way of keeping demons from gracing the Earth. Considering they are carved into most of the available surface of the cavern, Mike was inclined to agree.
Townsfolk must have thought the chamber was the entrance to the underworld, a thought that was not taken lightly in 14th century Europe. But that's not everything Alison detected from the Virgin Mary symbols.
Yet Another Theory
Even though the markings tend to symbolize protection against demons and other evil spirits, there was another theory. Some believe that the village of Pembrokeshire was facing an onslaught of famines, disease, or poverty. These are things that very well can be blamed on evil forces.
John Charlesworth, a retired professor of the New Testament Language and Literature, explains that the superstitious nature surrounding the symbols probably engulfed the townspeople. The location of the village, along with the deep cavern, made them fearful of the unknown.
Traditions From The Past
Even though the townspeople believed the cavern to be the home of demons, either a queen or chieftain was definitely buried with their chariot at Mike's site. Mike said," I knew the importance of them straight away….I'd read all about chariot burials and just wished it could have been me, so finding this has been a privilege."
Archaeologists believe the chariot is upwards of 2,500 years old. And contrary to what Mike originally believed, there were no human remains.
The Chariot Was Buried In An Interesting Way
The tooth Mike found actually belonged to one of the horses that was buried alongside the queen or chieftain and the chariot. After further research, it was uncovered that high-ranking officials of the Iron age would typically be buried with their weapons, chariot, and their horses.
Mike explained that in a typical burial, the chariot wheels would be laid flat. Of course, this was not the case with his discovery.
Level Ground
Mike believes that instead of the high-ranking official being buried next to the chariot, they were buried within the chariot, sitting straight up. Of course, there should have been a mound of dirt over the chariot, but that has since leveled out.
After learning more about his discovery, Mike was in disbelief that he, alongside his trusty metal detector, was able to uncover such a rich history. And this was only the beginning!
Bringing In The Big Machines
After museum officials roped off the area to the public, they brought in the big instruments. Considering all of the tiny artifacts Mike has stumbled across, a ground-penetrating radar over the farm was necessary. So, when we say big, we mean something that looks straight out of a National Treasure movie.
If you thought the discoveries Mike found by himself were insane, you'd never guess what geophysical sonar can uncover!
More Than One Ditch Ring
After surveying the land, the archaeologists uncovered what could be described only as a ditch ring! The ring was a 12-meter circle that surrounded the site. The thing is, they found more than one!
Researchers found two more burials, both of which were located in ditch rings. This made them come to the conclusion that Mike had stumbled upon a Celtic settlement that has stayed off of everyone's radar for quite some time.
Next Steps For Mike
Aside from the ditch ring burial sites, Mike was able to dig up around 34 other items, including a brooch, tool handles, and bronze bits, to name a few.
"I still can't believe it," Mike said. “Obviously, I’ve read other people’s finds. I’ve watched them on the telly, and I’ve always thought, I wouldn’t mind finding that, it’s still surreal, and life-changing.” He didn't even know the half of it!
They Needed Money
Adam Gwilt, the principal curator of prehistoric archaeology at the National Museum of Wales, explained that the findings were probably "witness to some great historical events of the time, as Iron Age people defended their ways of life and identity from the expansion of the Roman Empire."
The project is going to take a lot of funding, and Adam and his team have been working with multiple partners to pursue a full investigation of the artifacts.
Mike's Payout
Keeping his eye on the prize, Mike expects at least a six or seven-figure payout for his discovery. Of course, he has to split his earnings with the landowners, too. Still, not too bad for a hobbyist!
Mike explained that "It's the biggest ever metal detecting find, as in there’s never been a chariot ever discovered by a metal detectorist. There have been hoards found, but never anything like this." Here's to more amazing discoveries for you, Mike!
