Pic: EDP24

A tiny decorated horse and an ancient pathway made from seashells are among the discoveries which have given historians an insight into centuries of life in a west Norfolk village. Archaeologists are more than halfway through a four-week dig on the outskirts of Sedgeford which aims to uncover the settlement which accompanied the 1,300-year-old graveyard excavated in previous years.

But Sharp’s (Sedgeford Historical and Archaeological Research Project) Chris Mackie said the inch-tall horse, found with a metal detector in the mounds of excavated earth, could point to a much earlier civilisation buried somewhere beneath the ground. He said:

It is almost certainly Iron Age. We had an expert in and she said it was slightly too crude to be Roman, but it is a beautiful find. It almost looks like a charm bracelet, but could have been part of a children’s toy.

The burial ground, containing 300 skeletons, has been the dig’s focus for much of its 13-year history and last year a nearby ditch was found containing thousands of oyster shells - apparently discarded by the seafood-loving Saxons.

The excavation is open to the public every day until August 1 from 11am to 4pm except Saturdays, with a free open day on Sunday from 10am-4pm. To find the site, follow yellow signs marked Sharp Archaeology.

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