The necklace was intact and extremely rare, experts say

A rare amber necklace believed to be about 4,000 years old has been uncovered in Greater Manchester.

Archaeologists made the find while excavating a cist - a type of stone-lined grave - in Mellor, Stockport.

It is the first time a necklace of this kind from the early Bronze Age has been found in north-west England.

Experts from the University of Manchester Archaeological Unit said an amber necklace was one of the ultimate status symbols of the period.

The necklace consists of dozens of pierced amber beads of various sizes, linked together on a length of fibre.

It was discovered in the cist by experts from the university and local Mellor Archaeological Trust, who said the mystery was now how the material got to the north west.

"Amber is very significant," said Vicky Nash, of the Mellor Archaeological Trust, who found the ancient item.

"It's associated with burials in the prehistoric period but it's not readily available, the nearest source is in the Baltic [region].

"So to find that [necklace] in conjunction with a cist, it shows it was a burial of somebody particularly important at that time."



