Britain's 'Pompeii'

[space otter]

2nd attempt..computer acting up this morning

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-35280290

12 January 2016
From the section Cambridgeshire

images - Cambridge Archaeological Unit

Bronze Age houses uncovered in Cambridgeshire are Britain's 'Pompeii'

vid at link

Archaeologists say they have uncovered Britain's "Pompeii" after discovering the "best-preserved Bronze Age dwellings ever found" in the country.

The circular wooden houses, built on stilts, form part of a settlement at Must Farm quarry, in Cambridgeshire, and date to about 1000-800 BC.

A fire destroyed the posts, causing the houses to fall into a river where silt helped preserve the contents.

Pots with meals still inside have been found at the site.

Live updates about the dig and more stories from Cambridgeshire




An earlier test trench at the site, near Whittlesey, revealed small cups, bowls and jars.

In addition, archaeologists said "exotic" glass beads that formed part of a necklace "hinted at a sophistication not usually associated with the Bronze Age".

Textiles made from plant fibres such as lime tree bark have also been unearthed.

What did Bronze Age Britons eat and other things the site tells us

However, the roundhouses themselves are now being excavated.

Archaeologists think they have found about five houses but are not yet certain.

The work to uncover the settlement is necessary because there are concerns the water level at the site could fall some time in the future, meaning the remains of the houses cannot be preserved in situ.


The stilts that held the houses can be seen, together with collapsed roof timbers


These preserved Bronze Age textiles were made from plant fibres



A middle to late Bronze Age dagger was recovered from the site in 1969

Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England, which is jointly funding the excavation with land owner Forterra, described the settlement and contents as "an extraordinary time capsule".

He added: "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.

"This site is of international significance and its excavation really will transform our understanding of the period."


After analysing pots found at the site, archaeologists found some contained food





Historic England said the site showed a "frozen moment in time"

'Unsurpassed finds'

David Gibson, from Cambridge Archaeological Unit, which is leading the excavation, said: "So much 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."




Glass beads found during excavation are thought to have been from a necklace

Well-preserved charred roof timbers of one of the roundhouses are clearly visible, together with timbers showing tool marks and a perimeter of wooden posts known as a palisade, which once enclosed the site.

While a number of Bronze Age settlements have been found in the UK, Mr Gibson said none had been as well-preserved as the Must Farm site.

"Most don't have any timber remaining, just post-holes and marks where posts would have been," he said.

"So far this is unique as we have the roof structure as well."

He said there were some well-preserved similar dwellings at Loch Tay in Perthshire, but these were about 500 years later than those in Cambridgeshire, dating from the early Iron Age.


Charred timbers can be seen lying over a collapsed wall

Archaeologists digging two metres (6ft) below the modern surface at the quarry also found preserved footprints, believed to be from people who once lived there.

Once all the retrieved items have been cleaned and documented they are expected to be put on public display.




More on this story
Bronze Age houses: What the finds tell us 
12 January 2016

How do Britain's Bronze Age buildings compare? 
12 January 2016

Latest updates about the dig on Cambridgeshire Live 
11 January 2016


Shifting sand dunes reveal large Bronze Age settlement 
9 December 2015

Flag Fen Bronze Age boats older than was first thought 
8 September 2013

Norfolk Broads: Bronze Age evidence 'everywhere' 
19 April 2013

Related Internet links
Cambridge Archaeological Unit


Historic England
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites

Cambridgeshire


...............................


Bronze Age Europe and Britain


British Museum Trustees
Gold cape discovered in Mold, north Wales - a supreme example of Bronze Age art


Mold Gold CapeImage copyright British Museum Trustees
Image caption
Gold cape discovered in Mold, north Wales - a supreme example of Bronze Age art
?The Bronze Age in Britain lasted from between 2500 and 2000BC until the use of iron became common, between 800-650BC
?It came after metalworkers discovered that adding tin to copper produced bronze, used for tools and weaponry which were much more hard-wearing
?The Greek poems of Homer - though composed later - look back to a time when bronze weapons were used
?In Britain, the Bronze Age lasted until about 800BC. Use of bronze seems to have coincided with fresh migration of people from the continent.
?Classic Bronze Age remains include sophisticated axes, precious gold objects, and round burial mounds or "barrows" of which many can still be seen in Britain

BBC History - Bronze Age Britain

BBC Bitesize - What was Bronze Age life like?


........................................

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/environment/archaeology/12093895/Bronze-Age-settlement-dubbed-Peterborough-Pompeii-due-to-amazing-preservation.html

Bronze Age settlement dubbed 'Peterborough Pompeii' due to amazing preservation

nice map of location here

.....................................

http://news.sky.com/story/1621113/archaeologists-unearth-britains-pompeii

Archaeologists have discovered wooden roundhouses dating back thousands of years, with some calling it 'Britain's Pompeii'.


The dig at Must Farm quarry in Cambridgeshire has also unearthed a human skull, ceramics, jewels and weapons.

The finds provide a unique insight into the lives of families in Bronze Age Britain.
The houses, which were built on stilts, were apparently damaged in a fire which caused them to fall into a river.

................................

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jan/12/britains-pompeii-bronze-age
To be fair, it's an extraordinary find and will shed new light on the way humans lived on these islands a thousand years before the birth of Christ. There are wooden pots, glass beads and preserved textiles showing fibres woven by hand in patterns that would be familiar to us today. Archaeologists are right to be excited