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The remarkable find was carved 2,000 years before Stonehenge was built and 4,500 years before the Romans came to Britain.

The large, well-preserved piece of wood was discovered last year, by chance, in a peat layer during the construction of a workshop in Boxford, Berkshire.

Historic England identified it as being more than 6,000 years old, making it the oldest decoratively carved wood ever found in Britain.

Data gathered by experts shows there is a 95 per cent probability that this piece of wood dates to around 4640 to 4605 BC.

That means it is 500 years older than the only other known decoratively carved timber in Britain discovered in Wales, which dates to the Late Mesolithic/Early Neolithic period (around 4270 to 4000 BC).

Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England, said: “It’s remarkable that by doing routine building work, a piece of modest-looking decorative wood turns out to be the oldest ever found in Britain.

”This exciting find has helped to shine new light on our distant past and we’re grateful to the landowner for recognising its significance.

”Amazing discoveries like these remind us of the power of archaeology to uncover the hidden narratives that connect us to our roots.”

The waterlogged piece of carved oak, measuring 1 metre in length, 0.42 metres in width, and 0.2 metres in thickness, was discovered by landowner Derek Fawcett during excavation work for a workshop.

The timber was found about 1.5 metres beneath the surface, near the current path of the River Lambourn, within a peat layer.

Peat, known for its ability to preserve organic materials like wood for thousands of years, helps prevent decay by limiting oxygen exposure.

Once removed, the timber was cleaned, revealing markings that didn’t appear to be natural.

Though the exact purpose of these markings remains unknown, they resemble decorations found on early Neolithic pottery and share similarities with body markings on the Shigir Idol, a 12,000-year-old wooden sculpture discovered in the Ural Mountains of Russia, considered the oldest example of carved wood.

During the Neolithic period, which began around 10,000 BCE, humans transitioned from nomadic hunter-gatherers to settled agricultural communities.

This shift in lifestyle also saw the development of more complex social structures, and with it, the creation of various forms of art and decoration.

Neolithic decorations can be found in a variety of forms, from pottery to architecture, and are often symbolic or serve practical purposes.

Neolithic people often decorated their tools and weapons, especially ceremonial items.

Some flint tools, like axes, were polished to a fine finish and sometimes engraved with simple patterns.

These items were not only practical but also carried social and ritual significance, possibly symbolising power or status.

During the late Neolithic, meanwhile, people began constructing large stone monuments, many of which featured carvings and decorations.

Sites like Stonehenge, in England, and Newgrange, in Ireland, are famous examples of megalithic architecture that display intricate carvings.

These decorations could include spirals, sun motifs, and symbolic imagery that connected these structures to celestial events or religious beliefs.

These carvings may have served to align the structures with solar and lunar movements, indicating an early form of astronomical observation.

In some parts of the world, Neolithic people also engaged in cave art and figurine creation.

Though cave art is more commonly associated with earlier periods, some Neolithic sites contain painted or carved images of animals, human figures, and abstract symbols.

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