Dog walker's routine stroll turns into 'incredible' 3,000-year-old discovery in picturesque forest

The area is known for its ancient trees and dense canopy, and the man spotted the axe "nestled among the roots of a fallen tree in woodland near Brierley," officials said.

The discovery was announced in a recent press release from Forestry England, a government agency that manages publicly owned English forests.

"The find was quickly reported to Forestry England, who manage the woodland," the release said. 

"The object was handed over for recording and investigation."

It's likely at least 3,000 years old.

Kayleigh Spring, an objects conservator at the Wiltshire and Swindon History Center, identified the tool as a palstave axe.

Palstave axes were designed with a side loop to be securely attached to a wooden handle.

"It is made from a copper alloy most likely bronze, a mix of copper and tin," Spring said in a statement.

"This tool was originally cast in molds."

The axe reflects more advanced Bronze Age craftsmanship, and Spring noted that early Bronze Age molds "were simple hollowed stones."

"By the Middle Bronze Age, two-part molds allowed for more sophisticated designs like this one," she said.

After analysis, the axe was sent to the Dean Heritage Center, a museum in Soudley, Gloucestershire.

Leoni Dawson, a community ranger for Forestry England, said that the find "help[s] us connect with the people who lived and worked in these landscapes long before us."

"It's incredible to think that tools like this have survived for thousands of years, hidden beneath our feet," said Dawson.

A spokesperson for Forestry England told Fox News Digital that the find, while spectacular, is not unheard of.

"Finds like this, though rare, do happen."

The footprints were later washed away, though archaeologists successfully made 3D models and physical casts before they were destroyed.