LOWER TOWNSHIP, N.J. - Police say a New Jersey man unearthed a live cannonball while digging in his yard Saturday.

He immediately called the Lower Township Police, who say the device had a circumference of about five inches, and a brass cap. It was stamped, "4k, 85mm," according to police.

A bomb squad traveled about 50 miles from Atlantic City and took an x-ray of the cannonball. They determined that it was in fact explosive.

The cannonball was moved to a remote location, where the bomb squad detonated it, according to police.

The Lower Township Police Department said that while cannonballs are a rare find, the discovery of artillery shells is not uncommon. The department advises residents to never touch artillery.