The bottle was discovered buried in the ground, experts believe it served to ward off witched and evil spirits

Oct 21, 2014 19:03 GMT  ·  By

Not too long ago, workers in the UK came across a fairly odd bottle while busy restoring the Old Magnus Buildings in the town of Newark in England.

Having analyzed the peculiar vessel, a photo of which is available next to this article, experts concluded that, centuries ago, it was most likely used as a so-called witch bottle.

More precisely, they argue that whoever buried it in the ground hoped that it would help keep witches and evil spirits at a distance. Apparently, such bottles were a common sight in the UK until now very long ago.

A rare archaeological find

As mentioned, this so-called witch bottle was pulled from the ground by workers in charge of restoring the site of the Old Magnus Buildings in northern Newark.

Despite being made entirely of glass, the bottle, which stands about 6 inches (15 centimeters) tall, is very well preserved. It is believed that it stayed in such good condition precisely because it was buried in the ground and left undisturbed for centuries.

The site of the Old Magnus Buildings dates back to the 1520s, when a reverend named Thomas Magnus decided to fund the construction of a grammar school in the town of Newark, Daily Mail informs.

Still, specialists say that this recently discovered witch bottle is merely 330 years old. For those not in the mood to do any math today, this means that it was placed in the ground sometime in the 1680s.

Seeing how efforts are now being made to turn the Old Magnus Buildings in Newark into a museum and visitor center, it is expected that, once this project is completed, the bottle will be put on display at the very site where it was found.

So, what's the deal with witch bottles?

Archaeologists say that, until now very long ago, folks in the UK used to put such bottles in the ground either under a fireplace or under the floor of their homes looking to ward off witches and evil spirits. Sometimes, they put them inside walls.

The bottles served to remind witches and evil spirits that there were humans around and that they had no place being there, making spells and casting curses. The bottles were filled with hair, fingernails, and sometimes even urine.

Of the witch bottles thus far discovered by archaeologists in the UK, some were found to contain small bones, thorns, needles, bits and pieces of cloth, and bent iron nails. These items too served to keep curses and spells at bay.

Commenting of the discovery of the 330-year-old witch bottle in Newark, researcher Will Munford said, “We often forget that people were very superstitious - it was part of their everyday lives. They thought that secreting such personal objects would offer protection from malign forces.”