Britain's oldest Cretaceous figure gets a facelift (3 photos + 1 video)

Oxfordshire, England. Archaeologists have restored the original appearance of the legendary Uffington White Horse, the oldest chalk figure in Britain, more than 3,000 years old.





Over time, this huge figure, 111 meters long, carved into the hillside, began to narrow as the grass grew and the top layer of soil slid, hiding the outline of the head and neck of the ancient statue.







But archaeologists from the National Trust and Oxford Archeology have carried out thorough restoration work. They gave the horse a facelift and brought it back to its former glory!



The archaeological team carefully cut away the overgrown turf and redistributed part of the upper chalk layer to restore the original contours of the head and neck.





Soil samples were also taken for more precise radiocarbon dating - previous analyzes had shown it to be the oldest chalk figure in the country, but new methods could clarify its age.



“It was an honor to work on such an iconic landmark,” says project manager Mark Dodd. Now that the hard work is complete, experts are eagerly awaiting research results that could shed new light on the history of this iconic monument.