HELSINKI, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- British archaeology student Sarah Pickin has found a 5,000-year-old piece of chewing gum in western Finland, local media reported Monday.

Last month, Sarah Pickin, 23, one of five British students taking part in a volunteer program in a Stone Age village at the Kierikki Stone Age Center in western Finland, found a lump of birch resin showing clear tooth imprints.

The piece of Neolithic gum was found among artifacts, like dishes and jewelry. "It's somewhere between 5,500 and 6,000 years old," said Sami Viljamaa, a Finnish archaeologist who led the dig.

"Most likely the lump was used as an antique kind of chewing gum," said Sami Viljamaa, "But its main purpose was to fix things, such as broken arrowheads or clay dishes."