Preserved causeway. Courtesy Vivacity.
Posted on 03/17/2012 12:45:08 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
They had stumbled upon an archaeologist's gold mine. Dated to 1365-967 BC and now known as Flag Fen, excavations and research uncovered a monumental site which included a causeway composed of thousands of timber posts arranged in five 1-meter-long rows, and a small timber platform partway across the structure. Between the posts of the causeway, timbers had been built up horizontally in ancient times, providing a "bridge" or dry surface for transportation across the wet lowland upon which the timber structures were built, connecting a higher level land area on its east with a higher level area on its west. During the period between about 2,000 B.P. and 900 B.P., the climate in the area became increasingly wet, creating conditions that made it increasingly difficult for the early farmers. The low-lying land where Flag Fen was located became a peat-like, waterlogged environment. Over time, this watery environment created conditions perfect for the preservation of the wooden timbers, including many other organic materials excavated at the site, such as leather and food items. The water had replaced the cellulose structure in the wood and other organic materials and also created an anaerobic (oxygen-less) environment, preventing the growth and activity of organisms and other processes from decaying the material. Excavations have recovered a rich array of finds, including items of shale, stone, metal, jewelry, horse bone, daggers broken in half and placed on top of each other, and England's oldest known wheel. Small white beach pebbles found at the site were made of stone that suggested that they had been transported to the site from a distance. According to some archaeologists, the nature and volume of the finds meant that the site was perhaps a ceremonial or religious center. Little is known about the inhabitants or builders of the site.
(Excerpt) Read more at popular-archaeology.com ...
Preserved causeway. Courtesy Vivacity.
|
|
|
| GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach | |
|
|
We've actually had two earlier topics: To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. |
|
|
|
|
As much rain as we have been getting here in Ohio I may have to build causeways in my yard soon.
Looks like it is some kind of cavern.
So when was “the period between about 2,000 B.P. and 900 B.P.?”
B.C. & A.D. have been destroyed by anti-Christian political correctness and was replaced by “BCE” and “CE” Now do we have a new time, and when is the base year? I figure some one will declare it is the number of years before today, thus having an ever shifting date for things in the past.
British Petroleum bought out the rights to “ago”...
Yeah, this "Before Present" dating bugs me, too.
Picture taken on 6th August 2006 at Flag Fen, Cambridgeshire.
Roman Mosaic at Flag Fen
It is in fact thanks to the presence of the later Roman road that the earlier Bronze Age site was discovered at all. During the 1980s the area around what is now Flag Fen was developed, and whilst clearing the Mustdyke to look for the known Roman road a timber was found, and this led to the discovery of further timbers and of Flag Fen itself. Today the Roman and Bronze Age worlds come together in events such as the living history weekends.
Great picture - those bronze sheep shears caught my eye, because that same exact design is still much in use, although they are made of steel now...
http://tanyahighet.blogspot.com.au/2011/11/ancient-homemakingat-british-museum.html
Scroll down to 2000 year old shears in the British Museum. There are apparently some tools that cannot be improved upon...
“Yeah, this “Before Present” dating bugs me, too.”
Maybe if enough people refused to use it...
LOL!
Thanks Fred Nerks!
B.P. is short for “before present”, and is usually used in reference to radiocarbon dating. And just to be a bit confusing, “present” is 1950, when the RC technique was pioneeered.
Thanks for the great rant, even though I have heard it a lot of times.
BC and AD are still in common use; BCE and CE are used in countries which are not predominantly Christian, like India which has roughly one-seventh of the population of the Earth, and like tiny Israel, which publishes more scholarly papers per capita than any other country (I’m guessing).
early in the article:
“During the period between about 2,000 B.P. and 900 B.P., the climate in the area became increasingly wet, creating conditions that made it increasingly difficult for the early farmers”
later.....:
“Says Pryor, “its drying out, partly because of climate change and partly because of modern development. “
Somehow it was lost that climate change caused the causeway (no pun intended) to be built in the first place. It was ok that conditions changed back when, but now, the term “climate change” has these sinister overtones. Exhausting.
Yeah, I think they get an extra ten bucks if they mention the phrase in interview.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
