It looked like your average everyday old wine bottle.

It was stout at the bottom with the stubby neck, and amazingly it was still corked and sealed.

But there was no label on it, which is why the owner had brought it to a local filming

of the Antiques Roadshow.

Back in 2016, the owner set it down in front of a glass expert, hoping to get an idea as

to what might be inside.

The easy conclusion was that it dated from the 1800s, making it at least 150 years old.

But the contents were anyone's guess.

So eager to learn more, this glass expert took a syringe and drew out a small sample

of the liquid.

After placing it in a glass and tasting it, the expert wrestled with his experience.

It could be an old bottle of port, but there was something else.

He swore he could taste rust, but without opening the bottle, it was impossible to say.

Fast forward three years, and that bottle has been studied by scientists, revealing an

answer to the mystery that was entirely unexpected.

It was a collection of old brass pins, human hair, a small amount of alcohol, and urine.

And when the ingredients of the solution were lined up with the date they were made and

the location the bottle was found, the true answer suddenly floated to the surface.

It was a witch bottle.

Now honestly, witch bottles aren't a thing of legend.

They represented an acceptable form of magic known as counter spells, used by fearful

townfolk to ward off the evil influence of the witches who threatened their existence.

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