Flag Fen - WikiHQ

Flag Fen, east of Peterborough, England, is a Bronze Age site which was constructed about 3,500 years ago and consists of more than 60,000 timbers arranged in five very long rows, creating a wooden causeway (around long) across the wet fenland. Part-way across the structure a small island was formed. Items associated with it have led scholars to conclude that the island was of religious significance. Archaeological work began in 1982 at the site, which is located east of Fengate. Flag Fen is now part of the Greater Fens Museum Partnership. A visitor centre has been constructed on site and some areas have been reconstructed, including a typical Iron Age roundhouse dwelling. A section of the original causeway is preserved in wet conditions in the Preservation Hall.

Construction

A Neolithic trackway once ran across what archaeologists have termed the "Flag Fen Basin", from a dry-land area known as Fengate The basin is an embayment of low-lying land on the western margins of the Fens.

Dendrochronological analysis (dating of the posts by studying tree rings) led to an estimated date for the various stages of construction of between 1365 and 967 BC. including swords, spearheads, 'gold earrings, tiny pins and brooches'.

Other finds included small, polished, white stones of a type not known in the area, indicating that they had been intentionally collected and transported to and placed at the site. The amount, type, and placement of deposits, which continued for more than 1,200 years, support the theory that 'at least one facet of the site' was a role as a 'religious monument'. In the 10th century BC the ground level was much lower than today, increasing around 1 mm (0.039 inches) per year as autumnal debris was added to the surface of the fens. By the early Roman period most of the structure was covered and preserved.

In 2012 DigVentures ran the world's first crowdfunded excavation, raising £30,000 to enable a three-week excavation at Flag Fen. The site had experienced a 50% decline in visitors since the large-scale English Heritage-funded excavations had finished in 1995. The project's remit was to help revitalise the heritage attraction whilst providing detailed scientific information on the preservation of the waterlogged timbers. The project involved around 250 members of the public from 11 countries, supported by a specialist team including partners from the British Museum, Durham University, Birmingham University, York Archaeological Trust, University College London and English Heritage to assist in the scientific investigations. 130 members of public received hands-on training in archaeological techniques on site and visitor numbers increased by 29% from the previous year. Francis Pryor was supportive of the initiative and wrote afterwards: "happily, it was an experiment that worked: the participants had a good time, and the archaeology was professionally excavated, to a very high standard."

Preservation

Archaeological work at Flag Fen is ongoing. Pryor has followed this with a third book on the site, published by Tempus in 2005. Entitled Flag Fen: Life and Death of a Prehistoric Landscape, it is what he has described as a "major revision" of his 1991 work, for instance repudiating his earlier "lake village" concept.

Must Farm

Around south of Flag Fen is Must Farm Bronze Age settlement. Log boats recovered there are preserved and displayed at Flag Fen.

Wildlife

Flag Fen is also home to an abundance of wildlife owing to the variety of habitats on the site, which includes extensive grassland, traditionally managed hedgerows and woodland and a freshwater mere and dyke.

'Bronze Age' BioBlitz

On 2 August 2014, a BioBlitz organised by Vivacity found 190 species, including 53 lichens and the endangered European water vole and barn owl. The event also included a talk by the People's Trust for Endangered Species and used a wildlife trail to highlight species that would have been present 3,000 years ago, such as the grey wolf, brown bear and Eurasian beaver.

Meadow proposals

In 2014, Buglife was successful in a bid to create wild-flower meadows across Peterborough, which will include a traditionally managed hay meadow at Flag Fen.

Gallery

File:Flag Fen visitor's entrance.jpg|The visitor centre entrance

File:Flag Fen wooden posts.jpg|Wooden posts marking the position of the Bronze Age trackway

File:Flag Fen Bronze Age Roundhouse.jpg|The reconstructed Bronze Age roundhouse at Flag Fen

File:Flag Fen inside roundhouse.jpg|The interior of the reconstructed Bronze Age roundhouse

File:Flag Ben Iron Age Roundhouse.jpg|The reconstructed Iron Age roundhouse at Flag Fen

File:Flag Fen Droveway.jpg|The reconstructed Bronze-Iron Age droveway at Flag Fen

File:Flag Fen 14th Century Ditch.jpg|The 14th-century Mustdyke constructed across the site, which bisects the Bronze Age trackway

File:Flag Fen Roman Road.jpg|The Roman road running through Flag Fen

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References

Bibliography

External links

Flag Fen Bronze Age Centre and Archaeology Park
Fenland Archaeological Trust registered charity no. 295116
Peterborough Museum