̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge - David Gibson

Research reveals ‘cosy domesticity’ of prehistoric stilt-house dwellers in England’s ancient marshland

fpjl2 — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 08:57:27 +0000

Detailed reports on thousands of artefacts pulled from “Britain’s Pompeii” reveals the surprisingly sophisticated domestic lives of Bronze Age Fen folk, from home interiors to recipes, clothing, kitchenware and pets.

Most complete Bronze Age wheel to date found at Must Farm near Peterborough

amb206 — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 08:39:12 +0000

Archaeologists working at Must Farm, a Bronze Age site near Peterborough, have uncovered a 3,000-year-old wheel, the first and largest complete example ever to be discovered in Britain.

̽��ֱ��find, which will broaden our understanding of Late Bronze Age life, is the latest from a settlement described as Peterborough’s Pompeii. ̽��ֱ��large wooden round houses, built on stilts, plunged into a river after a dramatic fire 3,000 years ago.

Thought to date from 1100-800 BC, the ancient wooden wheel is one metre in diameter and has been so well preserved by the silt that it still contains its hub. An incomplete Bronze Age wheel was found nearby at Flag Fen in the 1990s but the Must Farm find is unprecedented in terms of size and completeness.

̽��ֱ��discovery poses challenges to what is known about the Late Bronze Age in terms of the technology available 3,000 years ago.

Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England, said: “This remarkable but fragile wooden wheel is the earliest complete example ever found in Britain. ̽��ֱ��existence of this wheel expands our understanding of Late Bronze Age technology and the level of sophistication of the lives of people living on the edge of the Fens 3,000 years ago.”

̽��ֱ��find is the latest in a series of discoveries at the Must Farm site which is providing an extraordinary insight into domestic life 3,000 years ago. Excavation has already revealed circular wooden houses believed to be the best–preserved Bronze Age dwellings ever found in Britain.

̽��ֱ��large wheel was unearthed just a few metres away from the biggest round house on the site. Other exciting finds include a wooden platter, small wooden box and rare small bowls and jars with food remains inside, as well as exceptional textiles and Bronze Age tools. After a catastrophic fire, the houses collapsed into a slow-moving and silty river, which preserved their contents in amazing detail.

David Gibson, Archaeological Manager at the Cambridge Archaeological Unit, Division of Archaeology, ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, said: “ ̽��ֱ��discovery of the wheel demonstrates that the inhabitants of this watery landscape had links to the dry land beyond the river.”

̽��ֱ��Must Farm site is located at a quarry run by Forterra. Brian Chapman, Head of Land and Mineral Resources, said: “This is an incredible project which we are delighted to be part of. We understand that the discovery of the wheel is of national importance. We are committed to helping uncover the remaining secrets of this unique site at Must Farm and look forward to working with our partners over the coming months.”

Kasia Gdaniec, Senior Archaeologist for Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “Among the wealth of other fabulous artefacts and the new structural remains of round houses built over this river channel, this site continues to amaze and astonish us with its insight into prehistoric life, the latest being the discovery of this wooden wheel. Believed to be the most complete example yet found from this period, this wheel poses a challenge to our understanding of both Late Bronze Age technological skill and, together with the eight boats recovered from the same river in 2011, transportation.”

Historic England (formerly known as English Heritage) and building products supplier Forterra are funding a major £1.1 million project to excavate 1,100 square metres of the Must Farm quarry site in Cambridgeshire. ̽��ֱ��Cambridge Archaeological Unit, Division of Archaeology, ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge is over half way through the excavation which is taking place because of concerns about the location and future preservation of the site.

̽��ֱ��remains cannot be preserved indefinitely in situ and need to be recorded and analysed so that the unique site of Must Farm can expand our knowledge of the Bronze Age.

Once the excavation is finished, the team will take the finds for further analysis and conservation. Eventually, the objects will be displayed at Peterborough Museum, Flag Fen and at other local venues. ̽��ֱ��end of the four-year project will see a major publication about Must Farm and an online resource detailing the finds.

̽��ֱ��oldest Bronze Age wheel in Britain is the Flag Fen wheel which dates to c1300 BC but is incomplete and is smaller at 0.8m in diameter. Part of a Late Bronze Age wooden wheel is also known from Lingwood Fen near Cottenham in Cambridgeshire. In Europe, the earliest wheels date to at least 2,500 BC, in the Copper Age.

̽��ֱ��Must Farm site is close to modern-day Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire, and sits astride a prehistoric watercourse inside the Flag Fen basin. ̽��ֱ��site has produced large quantities of Bronze Age metalwork, including a rapier and sword in 1969, and more recently the discovery of eight well-preserved log boats in 2011.

These finds place Must Farm alongside similar European Prehistoric Wetland sites: the ancient loch-side dwellings known as crannogs in Scotland and Ireland; stilt houses, also known as pile dwellings, around the Alpine Lakes; and the terps of Friesland, man-made hill dwellings in the Netherlands.

Adapted from a press release by Historic England.

Inset images: Excavation of Bronze Age Wheel at Must Farm one metre in diameter, with hub clearly visible (Copyright Cambridge Archaeological Unit, photo by Dave Webb).

̽��ֱ��largest and best-preserved Bronze Age wheel in Britain has been uncovered at Must Farm, a site described as Peterborough’s Pompeii. ̽��ֱ��wheel will extend our understanding of early technologies and transport systems.

̽��ֱ��discovery of the wheel demonstrates that the inhabitants of this watery landscapes had links to the dry land beyond the river.

David Gibson

Excavation of Bronze Age Wheel at Must Farm one metre in diameter, with hub clearly visible.

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. For image use please see separate credits above.

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Bronze Age stilt houses unearthed in East Anglian Fens

fpjl2 — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 10:04:05 +0000

Archaeologists have revealed exceptionally well-preserved Bronze Age dwellings during an excavation at Must Farm quarry in the East Anglian fens that is providing an extraordinary insight into domestic life 3,000 years ago. ̽��ֱ��settlement, dating to the end of the Bronze Age (1200-800 BC), would have been home to several families who lived in a number of wooden houses on stilts above water.

̽��ֱ��settlement was destroyed by fire that caused the dwellings to collapse into the river, preserving the contents in situ. ̽��ֱ��result is an extraordinary time capsule containing exceptional textiles made from plant fibres such as lime tree bark, rare small cups, bowls and jars complete with past meals still inside. Also found are exotic glass beads forming part of an elaborate necklace, hinting at a sophistication not usually associated with the British Bronze Age.

̽��ֱ��exposed structures are believed to be the best-preserved Bronze Age dwellings ever found in Britain and the finds, taken together, provide a fuller picture of prehistoric life than we have ever had before.

̽��ֱ��major excavation is happening because of concern about the long-term preservation of this unique Bronze Age site with its extraordinary remains. ̽��ֱ��Cambridge Archaeological Unit (CAU) is carrying out the excavation of 1,100 square metres of the Must Farm site in Cambridgeshire, and is now half way through the project.

̽��ֱ��excavation site is two metres below the modern ground surface, as levels have risen over thousands of years and archaeologists have now reached the river bed as it was in 1000-800BC. Clearly visible are the well-preserved charred roof timbers of one of the roundhouses, timbers with tool marks and a perimeter of wooden posts known as a palisade which once enclosed the site.

It is possible that those living in the settlement were forced to leave everything behind when it caught on fire. Such is the level of preservation due to the deep waterlogged sediments of the Fens, the footprints of those who once lived there were also found. ̽��ֱ��finds suggest there is much more to be discovered in the rest of the settlement as the excavation continues over the coming months.

CAU’s Mark Knight, Site Director of the excavation, said: “Must Farm is the first large-scale investigation of the deeply buried sediments of the fens and we uncover the perfectly preserved remains of prehistoric settlement. Everything suggests the site is not a one-off but in fact presents a template of an undiscovered community that thrived 3,000 years ago ‘beneath’ Britain’s largest wetland.”

̽��ֱ��£1.1 million four-year project has been funded by heritage organisation Historic England and the building firm Forterra. Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England, said: “A dramatic fire 3,000 years ago combined with subsequent waterlogged preservation has left to us a frozen moment in time, which gives us a graphic picture of life in the Bronze Age.”

After the excavation is complete, the team will take all the finds for further analysis and conservation. Eventually they will be displayed at Peterborough Museum and at other local venues. ̽��ֱ��end of the four year project will see a major publication about Must Farm and an online resource detailing the finds.

̽��ֱ��site, now a clay quarry owned by Forterra, is close to Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire and sits astride a prehistoric watercourse inside the Flag Fen basin. ̽��ֱ��site has produced large quantities of Bronze Age metalwork, including a rapier and sword in 1969, and more recently the discovery of nine pristinely preserved log boats in 2011.

Archaeologists say these discoveries place Must Farm alongside similar European Prehistoric Wetland sites; the ancient loch-side dwellings known as crannogs in Scotland and Ireland; stilt houses, also known as pile dwellings, around the Alpine Lakes; and the terps of Friesland, manmade hill dwellings in the Netherlands.

David Gibson, Archaeological Manager at CAU, added: “Usually at a Later Bronze Age period site you get pits, post-holes and maybe one or two really exciting metal finds. Convincing people that such places were once thriving settlements takes some imagination.

“But this time so much more has been preserved – we can actually see everyday life during the Bronze Age in the round. It’s prehistoric archaeology in 3D with an unsurpassed finds assemblage both in terms of range and quantity,” he said.

For a more detailed summary of the Must Farm discoveries, visit the project archive here: http://www.mustfarm.com/bronze-age-timber-platform/progress/archive/

Large circular wooden houses built on stilts collapsed in a dramatic fire 3,000 years ago and plunged into a river, preserving their contents in astonishing detail. Archaeologists say the excavations have revealed the best-preserved Bronze Age dwellings ever found in Britain.

It’s prehistoric archaeology in 3D with an unsurpassed finds assemblage both in terms of range and quantity

David Gibson

Cambridge Archaeological Unit

Archaeologists at Must Farm have uncovered the charred wooden roof structure of a 3,000 year old round house.

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. For image use please see separate credits above.

Yes

̽��ֱ��Bronze Age – now in 3D

bjb42 — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 13:28:39 +0000

̽��ֱ��world will get its first glimpse of one of the most significant later Bronze Age sites ever recorded in Britain today, yielding a rare and extraordinarily detailed view of life 3,000 years ago.

Wooden boats, spears with their hafts intact, swords still with their scabbards, clothing and even the remains of food have been found at the Must Farm quarry, Whittlesey, in the East Anglian fens. Preserved in silt and peat along the old course of the River Nene, items which would normally have long-since decomposed have been pulled out of the earth by archaeologists in pristine condition.

Cameras will be allowed on to the site, near Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, today, ahead of conservation work which will eventually allow the researchers to put the items on general public display. ̽��ֱ��site is being excavated ahead of the extension of a local brick quarry and its importance means that it is now likely to be further investigated for some years.

“It is giving us a 3-D vision of this community that we only see very rarely anywhere in the world, let alone in this country,” David Gibson, from the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge’s Archaeological Unit, which is carrying out the dig, said.

“Usually at a Later Bronze Age period site you get pits, post-holes and maybe one or two really exciting metal finds. Convincing people that such places were once thriving settlements takes some imagination. But this time so much more has been preserved – we can actually see everyday life during the Bronze Age in the round.”

In all, hundreds of objects have been found. They belonged to what appears to have been a community that lived on the river, fishing for the likes of perch, pike and eels and, according to the remains of a meal found in one wooden bowl on the site, also enjoying the occasional nettle stew.

Researchers have identified the site of the settlement itself to the east of the current excavations, which burned down at some point around 800 BC. All that is missing from this picture of the society are the bodies of the people who lived there. Human remains may be lying in an as-yet unexcavated area of land nearby, or they may have been buried in the river and therefore prove harder to find.

̽��ֱ��Fenland environment has changed through prehistory. In the earlier prehistoric, Mesolithic and Neolithic periods it was dryer. During the Bronze Age, however, the water table rose and by Roman times it had become a swampy marsh, within which Peterborough and Whittlesey became islands. It wasn’t until many centuries later that it became possible to drain the land, revealing the productive farmland of the present day.

Archaeologists have been working closely with Hanson, the brick and cement supplier which owns the quarry and is looking to expand. ̽��ֱ��company’s need for clay which lies at Jurassic age levels in the earth means that the dig team have been able to excavate far deeper than on normal archaeological sites. ̽��ֱ��finds are in places three metres below the modern-day surface. This is a depth which lies far beyond the reach of aerial or radar surveys, so without the quarrying, the artefacts they have discovered would never have been found.

̽��ֱ��dig is already revealing a treasure-trove of evidence for anyone with a passing interest in Britain’s past. ̽��ֱ��most spectacular find is that of six boats, all from the Bronze Age but appearing at different levels in the silted up river. These range from just over two metres to a little more than eight metres in length. Each was hollowed out of the trunk of an oak tree and in some cases decorated with extensive carvings.

Elsewhere, the site has revealed weaponry such as swords and spears still with their handles intact, and everyday items such as wooden spoons, part of a cape, green and blue beads, ropes, buckets and wicker baskets.

̽��ֱ��team have also started to draw parallels between some of these items and artefacts from the continent belonging to roughly the same time. In particular, the sword bears striking similarities to examples found in northern Spain.

Although there were no significant coastal ports during the Bronze Age, this shows how the waterways of this corner of Eastern England were an important channel of communication with the frontiers of Britain and the continent beyond. In addition, it indicates that people were perhaps more mobile than is typically thought. Trade from Europe may not have reached Whittlesey directly, but ideas and designs emanating from distant territories clearly did.

One locally significant discovery is that of eel traps. Remarkably, the 3,000-year-old versions are very similar to those still used in East Anglia today. “A modern-day trapper was able to come in and tell us exactly how these traps were used and why,” Gibson said. “It’s amazing that such an ancient technology has continued right up to the present virtually unchanged.”

One of the most important later Bronze Age sites ever discovered in Britain is being excavated near Peterborough, providing a richly detailed, “3D” view of life around the year 1,000 BC.

This is a 3-D vision of of life during the Bronze Age that we only see very rarely anywhere in the world, let alone in this country.

David Gibson

Cambridge Archaeological Unit.

One of six Bronze Age boats found during the excavation at Must Farm Quarry.

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Yes