Posted on 12/12/2011 3:54:14 PM PST by SunkenCiv
Engineers have said they were "stunned" to unearth a 17th Century cottage, complete with a cat skeleton, during a construction project in Lancashire.
The cottage was discovered near Lower Black Moss reservoir in the village of Barley, in the shadow of Pendle Hill.
Archaeologists brought in by United Utilities to survey the area found the building under a grass mound.
Historians are now speculating that the well-preserved cottage could have belonged to one of the Pendle witches.
The building contained a sealed room, with the bones of a cat bricked into the wall.
It is believed the cat was buried alive to protect the cottage's inhabitants from evil spirits...
Simon Entwistle, an expert on the Pendle witches, said: "In terms of significance, it's like discovering Tutankhamen's tomb.
"We are just a few months away from the 400th anniversary of the Pendle witch trials, and here we have an incredibly rare find, right in the heart of witching country. This could well be the famous Malkin Tower - which has been a source of speculation and rumour for centuries.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
“The building contained a sealed room, with the bones of a cat bricked into the wall.”
When I moved into this 18th century log house, there was a cat skull hidden under the porch.
When we took out the mud & hair “plaster” walls, we found a mummified rat.
As with all Scots/Irish built log houses, there were no north-facing windows or doors.
The witch was probably transplanted from Handel and Gristle land.
Thanks!
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