'Pristine' 200-year-old mine uncovered, plus personal items workers left behind

 

A 200-year-old "pristine" cobalt mine has been discovered in Cheshire, northwest England, revealing a trove of personal objects left behind by workers.

The mine, which would have been in production during the Napoleonic Wars, was found in Alderley Edge village. It is believed to have been abandoned in 1810, according to a press release from UK conservation charity the National Trust on Tuesday.

Leather shoes, clay pipes, a metal button from a jacket and mine machinery were among the items found.

Inscriptions written in candle soot were also uncovered, as well as a clay bowl which superstitious miners may have buried in the wall to show their gratitude for a good quality of mineral.

Other discoveries include physical imprints from mine workers, such as fingerprints in clay used to carry candles and the indentation of corduroy from a worker's clothing where they rested against the wall...MORE