PENDLE, England – A cottage believed to be linked to a famous group of 17th-century English witches and a mummified cat were unearthed by workmen in Lancashire, northern England.

The site, described by one archaeologist as "Lancashire's Pompeii," was discovered during a construction project, Sky News reported.

Water engineers found the 17th-century cottage during excavations in Pendle, and experts think it could be connected to the famous Pendle Witches, a group of 16 women tried for witchcraft in 1612.

It is thought the mummified cat -- found sealed into one of the walls -- may have been entombed in the wall while still alive, as paranormal protection.

"Cats feature prominently in folklore about witches. Whoever consigned this cat to such a horrible fate was clearly seeking protection from evil spirits," Pendle Witches expert Simon Entwistle said. "We're just a few months away from the 400th anniversary of the Pendle Witch trials, and here we have an incredibly rare find, which could well be the famous Malkin Tower."

Malkin Tower was said to be the site of a notorious meeting between the witches on Good Friday in 1612.
Frank Giecco, who led the team that unearthed the cottage, said, "It's like discovering your own little Pompeii. We rarely get the opportunity to work with something so well preserved. As soon as we started digging, we found the tops of doors and knew we were onto something special."

The cottage is said to be in remarkable condition and contained many 19th-century artifacts such as crockery, a cooking range and a bedstead. The construction project was put on hold while archaeologists investigate the site.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/12/08/.../#ixzz1fyA1v8AA