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Island Storms Reveal 10,000-year-old Trees

By Kamal Nayan | Update Date: Mar 02, 2014 05:29 PM EST

Recent storms that battered the Manx coastline have uncovered the remains of the 10,000-year-old trees planted on a beach in the north of the Isle of Man, BBC reported. 

According to researchers, a chaotic collection of trunks, branches and pine cones were discovered in the cliffs at Cranstal which is situated north of Bride Village. The pine woodland were covered by nearly 16ft of sand and clay. 

"The finding opens a window on an ancient landscape. The epic weather has meant the sea washed away a considerable part of the cliff and knocked it back about 5m," said Andrew Johnson, Manx National Heritage archaeologist, according to BBC

"This has exposed an extensive area of pine woodland, including pine cones, which is part of a landscape that existed about 10,000 years ago. Because the peat has preserved it so well, we are now able to get some samples together and get to work in the laboratory."

Researchers said the ancient pine forest might have existed around at the same time when people began to inhabit the Isle of Man after the Ice Age. 

"At this time, we believe people were starting to move around the island, it wouldn't have been a very warm place at that time but it would have been possible to exist," Mr Johnson said.

"A few thousand years earlier though, it would have been more like Siberia."

Once the permission is secured, researchers will remove samples of the woodland to help identify other part of organic material. 

"I just live a few yards away and I love geology, so this has been amazing for me," said Anne Hamilton a local resident, according to BBC

"One day I just came down here and the whole beach had been washed away, I don't know where it's gone."

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