MACKINAW CITY, MI - A 250-year-old lock was discovered at Colonial Michilimackinac earlier this week.

Staff at the historic fort and trading post in Mackinaw City discovered the intact, 2.75-inch long and 2.25-inch wide brass artifact while excavating a fur trader's home on the site.

Lynn Evans, curator of archaeology at Mackinac State Historic Parks, said the piece was likely used to lock a small trunk or chest sometime between 1760 and 1770. The lock is a rare find, even for a place full of hidden treasures like Fort Michilimackinac.

"We don't find a lot of complete things," Evans said. "Most of what we find is really small. When they (colonists) left Fort Michilimackinac for the island, they did so over a two-year period, so they took what was whole and useful. We find things on a daily basis like bones, beads and other stuff that falls through the cracks, but to find a larger, intact thing is more of an unusual find."

Park staff found a rare, 250-year-old rosary at the 18th-century site in 2016.

"That was really cool," Evans said. "This is another item like that. Maybe not quite that awesome, but it's a pretty special find."

The lock was uncovered in the root cellar of the house, which is being excavated as part of a long-term project. Built around 1730 and demolished in 1781, the house was an essential part of the fur trading village.

Evans said the next step is to have the lock cleaned. It will then go on display for the public to see up-close. The excavation site is also available for the public to see.

"We are there to be talked to and be observed," Evans said.