3,000-Year-Old Bronze Age Artifacts Intact... Discovery of the 'British Pompeii'

Eastern England... Village Burned Down in Fire in an Instant
Leftover Food and More Unearthed Intact

In the UK, artifacts from the Bronze Age nearly 3,000 years ago have been preserved almost intact, leading to the discovery of a site dubbed the "British Pompeii."

On the 21st (local time), The Washington Post (WP) reported that researchers from the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge found exceptionally well-preserved artifacts at a Late Bronze Age site in the Flag Fen Basin, east of Peterborough in eastern England. At the site named "Must Farm," various items revealing daily life at the time were unearthed, including half-eaten porridge, wooden spoons, communal trash bins, and necklaces made of amber and glass beads.

Bronze Age site discovered in eastern England
[Photo courtesy of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, Yonhap News]

WP suggested that the reason the artifacts were so well preserved was that a fire suddenly engulfed the village. The village appeared to have consisted of several wooden roundhouses built on stilts over a slow-moving river. However, the village was destroyed by fire less than a year after it was established. As the fire broke out, the flames caused the houses and their contents to collapse into the muddy river, which acted as a cushion, protecting the burnt objects. The researchers explained that the charring caused by the fire, combined with the wetland environment, led to exceptional preservation.

Mark Knight, the lead archaeologist of the Flag Fen excavation, said, "This could be the best prehistoric site ever found in the UK," describing it as "a very comprehensive and coherent site." The researchers stated that the site was established around 850 BCE, eight centuries before the Romans arrived in Britain. They discovered four wooden roundhouses but estimate the actual village was twice that size. The large building connected by walkways is estimated to have housed up to 60 people, with each roundhouse covering about 50 square meters and containing a hearth and insulated thatched and mud roofs.

Some houses had separate spaces for cooking, sleeping, and working, similar to modern homes. Additionally, similar items such as metal tools, loom weights, sickles for harvesting crops, axes, and razors were found in each household, suggesting that each family lived independently. Among the artifacts were piles of spears believed to have been used for hunting or defense, decorative necklaces made from beads imported from Denmark and Iran, clothing made from fine flax fibers, mementos thought to be keepsakes of loved ones, and a skull believed to belong to an adult woman.

The residents are thought to have consumed a variety of foods, including wild boar, fish such as pike and sea bream, and grains like wheat and barley. The researchers also found pottery with fingerprints of the makers, wooden ladles inside the pots, and porridge made from wheat grains mixed with animal fat. Chemical analysis of the pottery and jars revealed traces of honey along with venison. Archaeologist Chris Wakefield, one of the researchers, explained, "It appears the residents stored meat juices to use as toppings on their porridge."

In addition to human skulls, dog skulls were found, believed to be either pets or hunting companions. Analysis of dog droppings showed evidence that they consumed leftover human food. Several sheep bones were also found indoors; since the sheep were estimated to be about 3 to 6 months old, the fire is thought to have occurred in late summer or early autumn. Duncan Wilson, director of Historic England, the public body responsible for cultural heritage in England, commented on the discovery, saying, "People of that era lived more sophisticated lives than we could have imagined."

Italian Pompeii Artifacts
[Image Source=Pixabay]

Meanwhile, the ancient city of Pompeii, located along the Bay of Naples in southern Italy, was famously destroyed in just 18 hours by the massive eruption of Mount Vesuvius in August 79 CE. Covered by 2 to 3 meters of volcanic ash, the artifacts remained preserved. Pompeii was long forgotten until artifacts were uncovered during the construction of a canal crossing the city in 1592, which led to small-scale excavations. Full-scale excavations began in 1748. Due to its large scale and the need for careful work, excavation and restoration projects continue to this day.

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