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Student Finds Something to Chew Over

WHEN archaeology student Sarah Pickin from Stranraer unearthed a white lump while digging in Finland she thought she’d found fossilised animal dung.

But after further examination the object turned out to be Neolithic chewing gum — spat out 5000 years ago.

Sarah said: “When I found it first it was a toss up between chewing gum and dung.

“Although I did have an inkling that it was chewing gum because it had been found on digs in that part of Europe before — if I hadn’t known that I might have just thrown it away.

“But it looked like chewing gum and the teeth marks made me certain that’s what it was.”

Sarah (23), now studying for her Heritage Conservation degree at Derby University, made the amazing discovery while on a dig in north west Finland.