Have you ever considered that the bike shed at work could be a site of major historical interest, or that lump of stone you’re resting your pedals on could be a priceless Egyptian statue over 2,700 years old?

No, neither had workers at Southampton Archaeological Museum (though you’d have thought the location might have been a clue) who have been using an ancient Egyptian statue of King Taharqa as a bike stand.

The new – slightly disrespectful – use for the ancient ruler’s effigy was discovered by experts searching the basement for objects to be included in a forthcoming exhibition at the British Museum.

British Museum curator Derek Welsby told ananova.com: “This statue is priceless. It’s a very fine piece and it’s amazing the way it’s been stored for years…Thankfully it seems to have suffered no damage from having bikes and the like leaning on it,” he added.