Advertisement

Stone mason inspired by Sir David Attenborough discovers giant 190-million-year-old fossil on first ever dig

<em>Archie Faiers discovered a giant ammonite on his first ever dig (SWNS)</em>
Archie Faiers discovered a giant ammonite on his first ever dig (SWNS)

A man who was inspired to take up fossil hunting by his hero Sir David Attenborough made a Jurassic-sized discovery on his first ever dig.

Stone mason Archie Faiers decided to go hunting for prehistoric relics after watching Attenborough and the Sea Dragon.

The 21-year-old took his dogs for a walk along the Jurassic Coast in southern England and within minutes spotted an interesting rock in earth disturbed by a recent cliff fall.

<em>The stone mason was on the Jurassic Coast beach between Seaton and Lyme Regis when he made the discovery (SWNS)</em>
The stone mason was on the Jurassic Coast beach between Seaton and Lyme Regis when he made the discovery (SWNS)

That interesting rock turned out to be a 190-million-year-old Microderoceras Birchi, typical of the ammonites found in that area of the coast.

Archie, named the UK’s top young Architectural Stone Mason, was on the Jurassic Coast beach between Seaton and Lyme Regis when he made the discovery.

He was just yards from where Sir David filmed the recovery of a large Ichthyosaur, or Sea Dragon, which was broadcast on the BBC two weeks ago.

Most popular on Yahoo News UK

Woman banned from taking ’emotional support peacock’ on United Airlines flight
Drivers should ‘stop whingeing and be punished for going 1mph over the speed limit’
Case collapses against autistic man Tasered by police and charged with assault after his mother obtained CCTV footage
Traveller admits attacking pensioner after she stopped them from moving caravans on nature reserve

Archie, from Uplyme, Devon, said “I knew we were close to the spot where the TV fossil was found, there had been an overnight cliff fall and I spotted a rounded rock on the beach.

“I knew that these rocks are the ones that could have a fossil inside.”

Archie heaved the heavy rock back along the beach into his workshop.

<em>The ‘rock’ Archie discovered was a 190-million-year-old Microderoceras Birchi (SWNS)</em>
The ‘rock’ Archie discovered was a 190-million-year-old Microderoceras Birchi (SWNS)
<em>Archie decided to go hunting for prehistoric relics after watching Attenborough and the Sea Dragon (SWNS)</em>
Archie decided to go hunting for prehistoric relics after watching Attenborough and the Sea Dragon (SWNS)

He added: “I started to chip away at the outside off the rock and I soon realised that there was an ammonite inside.

“I’m using my traditional stone mason tools in preparing it but I need much finer tools so things are on hold at the moment.”