Absolutely incredible: While constructing a pool in his backyard, a father of four finds an 8,000-year-old dolphin
The bones of a dolphin dating back 8,000 years were found by a guy digging a swimming pool in his backyard, which archaeologists have dubbed "the find of a lifetime."
Paul McDonald, 44, uncovered the prehistoric skeleton at his home in Stirling, where it had been preserved in clay at around 80cm below ground level
The prehistoric skeleton was discovered by Paul McDonald, 44, at his Stirling house. It had been kept in clay some 80 cm below ground.
'It's mind-blowing,' said Mr. McDonald, an orthopaedic medical representative who deals with bones every day.
"I've found a few old bottles and coins since we bought the house six years ago, but I've always wanted to find something like this," the homeowner said.
Although the dolphin is believed to have washed up and been eaten by hunter-gatherers when the area was a shoreline sometime after the last Ice Age, his home is kilometers from the water.
Among the bones was a shattered deer antler carving instrument that would have been used to carve the meat.
The father of four, Mr. McDonald, stated: "I recognized it was a dolphin when I saw the roundness of the skull, the nose, and the teeth.
I was certain it had to be old at that point.
National Museums Scotland (NMS) has removed the head so that it may be examined, and the rest of the skeleton will be completely unearthed.
The NMS's head curator of vertebrates, Andrew Kitchener, said: "This is the first time something has come out of the clay like this in my 35 years here. It's a crucial discovery. It appears to be an animal that got stuck there and was preserved for all this time until Paul found it, which is somewhat of a miracle.
Its teeth are worn, indicating that it may be a female, and its size suggests that it is an older animal."
Mr McDonald's home is miles from the sea, but it is believed the dolphin washed up when the area was part of a shoreline some time after the last Ice Age and was eaten by hunter-gatherers (Stock image)
Despite the fact that Mr. McDonald owns the bones, the antler instrument may be designated as treasure, making him eligible for a reward.
Dr. Murray Cook, an archaeologist from Stirling, claimed that the find might be Scotland's first of its kind in more than a century.
There are no recent records of dolphin discoveries, although the last whale bones discovered around Stirling were discovered in 1897.
The 42-year-old wife of Mr. McDonald claimed: "Only Paul could find a dolphin in a half-dug pool."