Cambridgeshire's Pompeii

Bronze Age houses uncovered in Cambridgeshire are Britain’s “Pompeii”.

21:18 13 January 2016

Archaeologists have claimed that they have unearthed the “best-preserved Bronze age dwellings ever found” in the country and described their discovery as Britain’s “Pompeii.”

 

The circular wooden houses, which were built on stilts, were part of a settlement at Must Farm quarry in Cambridgeshire. Archaeologists believe that they are about 1000-800 BC.

 

The stilts were apparently destroyed by a fire, causing the houses to fall into a river where silt helped preserve the contents.

 

Other than the wooden houses, the site also revealed pots with meals still inside as well as small cups, bowls and jars. In addition, an “exotic” glass beads that was apparently part of a necklace was also found. Archaeologists said that it “hinted at a sophistication not usually associated with the Bronze Age.” Other things that were unearthed include textiles made from plant fibres.

 

Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England, has described the settlements 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."