We’re excited to share new free KS2 resources for teachers. Covering Must Farm and the Bronze Age, the resources include videos, reconstruction illustrations, presentations and more! We’re hoping they’ll help teachers bring the Bronze Age to life historicengland.org.uk/education/sc...
The West Cambourne log ladder, found towards the base of a large watering hole, has well preserved tool marks on its lower steps, showing the way in which the axe was used to chip out the wood between two faces of the notch.
The watering hole at West Cambourne produced the longest log ladder currently known from Britain, with its full surviving length measuring over 3m. Contextual information suggests the ladder dates to the late Iron Age.
West Cambourne’s watering hole produced lots of interesting waterlogged wood. These included a mixture of planks and part of a modified tree trunk, which may have been used to help haul water from the feature.
The watering hole from West Cambourne contained some dark organic deposits which we encounter less often in this geology. These have been sampled to examine the potential for environmental evidence and provide more context for this Late Iron Age archaeology.
At a depth of approximately 1.5m in the large later prehistoric watering hole found at West Cambourne conditions allowed for the preservation of waterlogged wood. Carefully uncovering these timbers in the wet, clayey conditions was not easy!
One of the largest archaeological features at West Cambourne was this watering hole, measuring 25m long by 14m wide and likely dating to the Late Iron Age. It contained two well shafts, approximately 3m deep, showing it was recut at least once.
A slot in a ditch at West Cambourne produced 782 sherds of early Roman pottery. This seems to have resulted from a “dumping event” where mostly complete pots were shattered as they were thrown into the ditch. The rest of the feature contained few finds suggesting this was an isolated event.
At West Cambourne a series of Iron Age boundary ditches were discovered that probably formed the edge of a prehistoric settlement. The features produced finds that are typical of Iron Age domestic activity including pottery, animal bone and burnt stone.
One of the Iron Age discoveries at West Cambourne was this circular enclosure, approximately 24m in diameter. Its ditch was up to 2.5m wide and 1.4m deep and was most likely used for managing livestock.
Recent archaeological investigations at West Cambourne have revealed the remains of Iron Age and early Roman activity in a 5-hectare excavation. During the dig, 150 archaeological features were discovered revealing information about communities living at Cambourne 2,000 years ago.
Fen to Fire brings to life the Must Farm pile-dwelling settlement, showing activity from construction to destruction. Each run-through is different with varied activities, events, weather and camera angles while the seasons change over time. The cause of the site’s fiery demise can also vary.
We are excited to announce the launch of Fen to Fire, a living reconstruction of the Late Bronze Age Must Farm pile-dwelling settlement that we’ve worked to create with digital artist Guy Schofield and pupils from Cromwell Community College in Chatteris.
@cambridgearch.bsky.social Head of Finds Dr Emily Banfield has published a chapter "And Say the Animal Responded?" in the new edited volume "Beast and Human: Case Studies for Northern Europe from Prehistoric to Early Modern Times" Read more: www.arch.cam.ac.uk/news/and-say...
Excavations at Needingworth Quarry, Cambridgeshire discovered this probable Neolithic house. Measuring roughly 10m by 7m and composed of both narrow beam-slots and postholes, its architecture broadly matches other known structures from the UK.
This photograph of the section from a slot through the archaeology of a Middle Bronze Age enclosure from Needingworth Quarry shows the fascinating sequence that has built up over its lifetime. A sharp 6H pencil was required for its drawing!
It’s always satisfying to work with good stratigraphy as this section of deposits, representing a sequence where the landscape is dipping into a hollow, from Needingworth Quarry highlights. Understanding this profile provides vital information that helps to unpick the story of a site and landscape.
This cask cant, a part of a multi-board cask head, was discovered at Needingworth Quarry, Cambridgeshire and featured incised merchant’s marks and a burnt/branded probable cooper’s mark. The cant was made from a slow grown local oak that was felled after AD 1606.
Excavations at Needingworth Quarry, Cambridgeshire have revealed areas of prehistoric hoofprints. Identifiable as the hoofprints were pressed through a dark organic silt into the pale deposit underneath they date to between the Late Bronze Age and Late Iron Age and are thought to be bovid.
This corner of a ditch was tied into the Middle Bronze Age field systems at Needingworth Quarry, Cambridgeshire. Bounding a field this ditch marked the edge of the system with unenclosed land, potentially used as pasture during prehistory, opening up beyond.
A Middle Bronze Age dirk/rapier was discovered during test-pitting at Needingworth Quarry, Cambridgeshire. Found at the edge of a field system where the landscape was dropping off into a wet and marshy area, its location is consistent with Bronze Age deposition practices.
This prehistoric watering hole contained a large deposit of animal bone, consisting of 530 pieces weighing over 20kg. Discovered at Needingworth Quarry, Cambridgeshire evidence suggests the feature had been associated with the processing of animal products, a process that required standing water.
This cluster of pits from Needingworth Quarry, Cambridgeshire produced no finds, meaning they couldn’t be easily dated during the excavation. Likely prehistoric, based on the surrounding archaeology, the pits highlight how challenging interpreting sites can be in the field.
Excavations at the Brice Aggregates Needingworth Quarry, Cambridgeshire uncovered this prehistoric pit well that contained a log ladder. At one end of the ladder a length of side branch had been left intact and placed downwards with the branch acting as a strut to support the foot of the ladder.
If you’re interested in archaeology a lot of our publications are available free to download from the University of Cambridge’s Apollo Repository, including the Must Farm pile-dwelling settlement volumes. Volume I has nearly reached 18,000 downloads! doi.org/10.17863/CAM...
One of our most exciting discoveries was the amazing Trumpington Cross. Made from gold and garnets it dates to the late 7th century AD and was found with the skeleton of a female buried on top of a bed. Find out more in the free book Riversides available online: doi.org/10.17863/CAM...
It’s that time of year when archaeological sites are haunted by a terrifying spectre. If you head visit a site, be sure to keep an eye out for a ghostly sheet that can appear to provide shade for photos.
This complete antler or bone artefact was discovered in a ditch forming part of a Middle to Late Anglo-Saxon enclosure system at Trumpington Meadows. It is decorated on both broad faces and is likely to have been used as a pendant. More in Riversides: buff.ly/cGoGcBf
This Anglo-Saxon sunken-featured building, SFB 4, found at Trumpington Meadows contained several dumps of material after it had been abandoned. These contained almost 17.5kg of animal bone, metal knives, a comb and a loomweight. More info in Riversides buff.ly/cGoGcBf
Excavations at Trumpington Meadows discovered an Anglo-Saxon settlement with several sunken-featured buildings (SFBs). SFB 2 contained fragments from at least three glass vessels and fine copper alloy dress pins. More info in Riversides buff.ly/cGoGcBf
