RELICS unearthed about 70 years ago which provide an insight into the habits and customs of Bronze Age people are to be displayed for the first time.

The collection of 4,000-year-old ceramics, jet, tools and part of a scabbard, were found close to Dalby Forest, near Pickering, by local history enthusiasts William Lamplough , his son David, and John Lidster.

Most of the archive items were found around Bronze Age burial mounds in forests like Langdale and Broxa.

They feared the artefacts would be lost as ancient barrows were destroyed by the expansion of forestry.

The collection was donated to the Yorkshire Museum two years ago and much of it will be displayed until May next year in the 3,440 hectare forest’s visitor centre.

Katie Thorn, of the Forestry Commission, said: “We have never had this kind of material on show at Dalby before, but it's absolutely fitting as the forest contains no less than 83 scheduled ancient monuments, spanning thousands of years.

“Little is known about this period as it was nearly 1,000 years before the Romans came and we have no written records, but these artefacts do give us a precious and fascinating insight into life of our ancestors.”