Must Farm Bronze Age settlement Part of a Bronze Age settlement was uncovered at Must Farm quarry, at Whittlesey, near Peterborough, in Cambridgeshire, England.
Full Answer
Is there a Bronze Age settlement at Must Farm?
Thanks to funding from Historic England and Forterra, in August 2015 we were able to continue the work begun in Bronze Age River, and start investigating a settlement at Must Farm. The settlement was built on a platform on piles over a river channel and dates back to the end of the Bronze Age (1000-800 BC).
When were the Timbers at Must Farm discovered?
In 1999 decaying timbers were discovered protruding from the southern face of the brick pit at Must Farm. Investigations in 2004 and 2006 dated the timbers to the Bronze Age and identified them as a succession of large structures spanning an ancient watercourse.
What is the history of Must Farm?
The excavations undertaken by the Cambridge Archaeological Unit have been funded by Forterra and Historic England. The site is within 3 miles of Flag Fen and was constructed towards the later period of the Peterborough to Northsea causeway. In 1999 decaying timbers were discovered protruding from the southern face of the brick pit at Must Farm.
Where is the Must Farm site?
The 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.
What did they find at Must Farm?
The settlement yielded the largest assemblage of domestic metalwork from Britain, including axes, sickles, gouges and razors. Metalwork from the Bronze Age is rarely found associated with settlement, so these artefacts are particularly important in the study of household inventories.
Can you visit must farm?
The Must Farm Timber Platform Project is an excavation running from September 2015 to April 2016. As the site is situated in a working quarry we are unable to accept general visitors, volunteers or host a public open day. There are opportunities for local interest groups to visit the site by appointment.
How old is must farm?
What is Must Farm? At the Must Farm excavation site between Peterborough and Whittlesey archaeologists have uncovered one of the best preserved settlements dating to the Late Bronze Age (1000 – 800BC). Initial excitement was generated by the discovery of log boats, fish traps and a wooden platform.
Where is Britain's Pompeii?
CambridgeshireThe level of preservation at the site, in Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire, has been compared to that seen at Pompeii, a Roman city buried by ash when Vesuvius erupted in AD 79.
When did the Bronze Age begin in Britain?
around 2200 BCBronze Age Britain Initially items were made from copper, then from around 2200 BC bronze (which is harder than copper) was made by mixing copper with tin. Bronze gradually replaced stone as the main material for tools and by 2200 BC the period known as the Early Bronze Age had begun in the Britain.
Why do some archaeologists refer to the Must Farm site as the British Pompeii?
The discovery is also being described as "the British Pompeii" because the site is so perfectly preserved. According to CNN, the settlement was actually destroyed by a fire 3,000 years ago.
How much of Pompeii is original?
But what visitors often don't realize is that only two thirds (44 hectares) of ancient Pompeii have been excavated. The rest -- 22 hectares -- are still covered in debris from the eruption almost 2,000 years ago.
How did they find Pompeii?
The archaeological site was first discovered in 1549, when an Italian named Domenico Fontana dug a water channel through Pompeii, but the dead city was left entombed. Within a century, the age of royal treasure hunting and piracy swept through the ancient city.
Who discovered Pompeii in 1748?
of important objects in three dimensions and making detailed plans of architectural remains laid the foundations for the indispensable procedures of modern archaeology. De Alcubierre shifted his focus to Pompeii, which had just been (re)discovered in 1748.
When was Pompeii found?
Ancient Roman Life Preserved at Pompeii | National Geographic. When Mount Vesuvius erupted cataclysmically in the summer of A.D. 79, the nearby Roman town of Pompeii was buried under several feet of ash and rock. The ruined city remained frozen in time until it was discovered by a surveying engineer in 1748.
What was the cause of the excavation of the Cambridge Archaeological Unit?
The site was exposed as a result of the extraction of clay for brick production by Forterra (formerly London Brick and then Hanson). The excavations undertaken by the Cambridge Archaeological Unit have been funded by Forterra and Historic England.
Where did Must Farm “Fit”?
This was a period of rising sea levels and encroachment of lands which had previously been dry. We are seeing a community which is adapted to life at the fen edge – with access to wood, crops and animals from dry land, but making skilled use of the neighbouring waterways.
How were the delicate objects preserved?
These extremely delicate objects were preserved by the unique combination of charring and water logging resulting from the destruction of the settlement.
When were decaying timbers discovered?
In 1999 decaying timbers were discovered protruding from the southern face of the brick pit at Must Farm. Investigations in 2004 and 2006 dated the timbers to the Bronze Age and identified them as a succession of large structures spanning an ancient watercourse.
Why is Must Farm Important?
It is the depth and waterlogged nature of the site which make Must Farm so important. Objects which would normally have decayed or have been destroyed by agriculture and subsequent development have lain undisturbed.
When was the Must Farm excavation?
The excavation of the Must Farm settlement was carried out between August 2015 and August 2016. Take a look at our diary entries documenting the excavation process. ...read more
When was Must Farm built?
The settlement was built on a platform on piles over a river channel and dates back to the end of the Bronze Age (1000-800 BC). The piles were destroyed by fire, causing the structure to collapse into the river, thereby preserving the contents in situ. As work progresses, we are making extraordinary discoveries and learning more and more about this unique site.
Bronze Age Settlement
Thanks to funding from Historic England and Forterra, in August 2015 we began a new project – Bronze Age Settlement. T his was a 10-month excavation of a settlement at the site that was destroyed by fire, causing it to collapse into a river channel, preserving the contents in situ.
Bronze Age River
In 2011 the Cambridge Archaeological Unit, University of Cambridge, in collaboration with Forterra, began to unearth a series of extraordinary finds. What we found, what we learnt and what we know about the history, geology and archaeology of the area, can be explored in Bronze Age River.
Where is Must Farm?
The Must Farm site is close to modern-day Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire, and sits astri de a prehistoric watercourse inside the Flag Fen basin. The 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.
Where are the bronze wheels from?
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.
How big is the wheel at Must Farm?
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).
What was found in the round house?
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.
Where is the must farm quarry?
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. The Cambridge Archaeological Unit, Division of Archaeology, University 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.
Can the remains of Must Farm be preserved indefinitely?
The 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.
What is the Bronze Age settlement made of?
Although archaeologists knew there was something important at this site, it was not until 2015 that a major excavation revealed the remains of a remarkably intact Bronze Age settlement, made up of timber roundhouses raised on stilts above the marshy ground.
Where was the Iron Age settlement in Cumbria?
Iron Age or Roman Settlement, Killington, Cumbria. This site at Gillsmere Sike was discovered by Historic England's aerial archaeology team in 2012, who photographed the late Iron Age or Roman settlement from a light aircraft.
How many wooden coffins are there in the Anglo-Saxon cemetery?
In 2016, archaeologists uncovered an Anglo-Saxon cemetery containing 81 extremely rare wooden coffins that were preserved in the wet ground. They were discovered during an excavation by the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) funded by Historic England, in advance of a new lake and flood defence system being built.
What did medieval folklore say about the death of the dead?
Medieval folklore held that the dead could rise from their graves, spreading disease and menacing the living. In research published in 2017, experts from Historic England and the University of Southampton found many of the bones had knife-marks consistent with decapitation and dismembering.
What are the most important archaeological finds of the last decade?
The remains of a Shakespearean theatre, 17th Century shipwreck and bones of Britain's first rabbit have been named among the top 10 archaeological finds of the last decade in England. Historic England drew up the list to mark the imminent arrival of 2020. Chief executive Duncan Wilson said: "This has been a truly remarkable decade ...
Where is the graffiti found in the Roman quarry?
New Roman graffiti was discovered in the remains of a quarry near Hadrian's Wall at Gelt Woods in February 2019. Known as The Written Rock of Gelt, the inscriptions were made by the Romans while they were repairing Hadrian's Wall in AD207.
When were tree trunk coffins preserved?
The waterlogged conditions of the river valley led to the preservation of the tree-trunk coffins as well as plank-lined graves that dated from the seventh and ninth centuries AD.