Cavers discovered a pristine 200 year old mineshaft that had been undisturbed since it was abandoned by miners in the 19th century.
A man who used candle soot to write his initials on the rock wall at the time when the shaft was abandoned can be traced back to the time when the mine was sealed.
The mine is in an exceptional state of preservation because of the lack of oxygen in the two centuries since. Jamie Lund, an Archeologist with the trust, said that the context in which the items were found was really very unusual.
The mine has not been disturbed by later mining and has not been filled with rubbish. It is a time capsule that gives a glimpse into the environment that these miners were in.
The fingerprints of the men are still visible on the walls as they hold the candles. The wooden support struts and windlass are still in good condition.
Intriguingly, the small bowl had been placed on the floor with a rock wall built around it, leading to one interpretation that superstitious miners might have put it there to show gratitude for a rich seam of material, which was prized for adding color to blue and white pottery.
Lund said that he was paid always to be skeptical when someone said that an object had good fortune.
The jokey explanation that appeals to me is that it might have been walled up by the miners so they wouldn't see who brought their breakfast down the mine. Everyone will never know. It's a bowl at the end of the day. Lund said that they are certain of that.
After wage records were lost in a fire, efforts to identify the person have been futile.
Since the bronze age, Alderley Edge has been mined for copper, lead andcobalt. When a dip was spotted in the landscape, it suggested that a collapsing shaft seal had been found. The first to explore and make it safe were the members of the club who manage the subterranean spaces.
It will not be studied for a long time. He said that the significance of the site is the fact that it has a pristine environment. It will be sealed again with the artifacts inside and the policy will be to stay out.
A detailed 3D Scan of the mine can be used to navigate. Lund said that living and working in the 21st century benefits. It feels like we were able to find it.
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