A “groundbreaking” archaeological dig along a highway in Northern England revealed “unique” prehistoric treasures, according to a National Highways (NH) press release
Teams working at the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine Project in Cumbria, England, developed by the NH and Oxford Cotswold’s Archaeology, revealed the discoveries of artefacts and geographical changes dating to as far back as 6,000 years, according to a press release from NH.
“Buried peat layers, ancient sections of rivers and streams (known as paleochannels),” as well as other ancient landscape scars suggest ancient Britons were manipulating the landscape well before the Romans came along and trashed our little archipelago.
One of the sites is believed to be a Late Neolithic or Middle Bronze Age (1,600-1,200 B.C.) settlement, the press release stated. Archaeologists found materials like stone tools and pottery alongside “ditches, postholes, pits, and gullies” which “shed light on the lifestyle and practices of daily life during this period.”
As one half of #OCAArchTeam, we’re up in Cumbria with @OATweet, uncovering Cumbrian history dating back 6,000 years! The #A66 project covers a routeway that’s been in use for nearly 10,000 years, so we’re excited but not surprised. We’re only halfway through the trenching, and… pic.twitter.com/Km925EFaBC
— Cotswold Archaeology (@CotswoldArch) March 11, 2024
“The route followed by the modern A66 through the Eden Valley and Stainmore Pass was ancient even when the Romans formalised it with their own road, nearly 2000 years ago. Significant road and river junctions and crossings are still marked by prehistoric monuments, Roman forts, and medieval castles, whilst the fertile valley has supported communities since the end of the last Ice Age,” Oxford Archaeology project manager Stephen Rowland said in the press release. (RELATED: Pagan ‘Center Of Royalty’ Unearthed In ‘Rare And Remarkable’ Discovery)
“We’re currently half-way through excavating hundreds of trial trenches within the footprint of the proposed project. There’s lots more work to do and finds to be made as we seek to tell the story of 10,000 years of human history along the course of one of Northern England’s most significant routeways,” he added.
One of the strangest findings was a possible “grubenhaus,” according to the press release. These are structures placed atop a rectangular pit, typically associated with Early Medieval developments. But this “grubenhaus” had “unusual dimensions,” prompting researchers to try and figure out its ancient story.