3,000 yr old Stonehenge toy like a light in an aura of gloom
10 Oct 2008, 1534 Hrs

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London, Oct 10 A carved toy hedgehog, estimated to be between 2,500 and 3,000 years old, is being hailed as one of the most important finds ever made at Stonehenge.

According to a report in The Sun, The 21/2 inch long artifact was found in the burial plot of a three-year-old child.

It was resting halfway down the tot's remains, leading archaeologists to believe the youngster may have been buried clutching the toy in its hand.

The "Hengehog", roughly shaped from chalk and complete with four stumpy legs, is the first piece of art depicting a recognisable object ever found at the 5,000-year-old site on Salisbury Plain, Wilts.

Archaeologist Dr Joshua Pollard, from the University of Bristol, said the discovery was "incredibly important".

According to colleague Dennis Price, "It is like a beam of light in the aura of gloom that surrounds Stonehenge - a child's toy lovingly placed with the tiny corpse to keep him or her company through eternity." (ANI)