ARCHAEOLOGISTS are hoping to uncover the remains of a 3,000-year-old mound of burnt material before it falls into the sea.

Experts and volunteers have been digging at a site next to the cliff edge at Seatown after local archaeologist Anthony Pasmore alerted the National Trust after spotting a dark band of material eroding out of the cliff face.

Archaeologists are hoping to find remains of pottery and flint after the outline of what appears to be a kiln or oven was found at the excavation site. Experts are also hoping to discover what plants were growing by testing pollen samples.

Martin Papworth, regional archaeologist for the National Trust, said: "West Dorset can be a bit of a dry spot for these types of finds.

"They can be difficult to find. We only saw it when it came out of the cliff face and they are generally quite deep below ground.

"It is likely that the cliffs will eventually fall into the sea, so it's great we have been able to do this before it is too late and we would never have known what it was."

The mound of burnt material is thought to be around 3,000 years old and it is hoped archaeologists will discover pieces of flint, charcoal and pottery to back up the theory that it was used as a kiln or oven.

"There is an Iron Age hillfort at Pilsdon Pen where there is very little evidence that pottery was used," added Mr Papworth.

"So if this was a kiln or an oven, and we can find the remains of pottery, it would be quite an exciting find for this area."

The Seatown dig is part of events celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Neptune Coastline Fundraising campaign, set up in 1965 to protect the coast from the threat of development.

Archaeologist Nancy Grace believes the site would have been about one mile inland at the time the burnt material was produced.

"A burnt mound is quite a rare thing in this area, but you find a lot of them in Hampshire, the midlands and in Scotland," she said.

"We can find charcoal which will help us to carbon date the material and give us an idea of what was produced at the time. So far, we have found flint and bits of pottery. It looks like it is from the Bronze Age or the early Iron Age.

"There is a clear circular outline, which they think might be a big kiln. It is hard to think of this area being in land, and it is only the gradual erosion of the cliff that has exposed it to us."