London: British archaeologists have discovered some of the best-preserved Bronze Age homes in east England, shedding light on how people lived in the area about 3,000 years ago.
Being dubbed as "Britain's Pompeii" after the ancient Roman town in Italy, the houses are some of the best-preserved Bronze Age homes, according to the archaeologists. The circular wooden houses, built on stilts, form part of
a settlement at Must Farm quarry in Cambridgeshire, east England, and date back to about 1000-800 BC.
A fire destroyed the posts, causing the houses to fall into a river where silt helped preserve the contents. Pots with meals still inside have been found at the site and textiles made from plant fibres such as lime tree bark have also been unearthed.
Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England, which is jointly funding the excavation with land owner Forterra, described the settlement and contents as "an extraordinary time capsule".
"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," he said.
The work to uncover the settlement has been made necessary because there are concerns the water level at the site could fall in the future and the remains of the houses would now be preserved.
"So much has been preserved, we can actually see everyday life during the Bronze Age in the round. It's prehistoric archaeology in 3D, with an unsurpassed finds assemblage both in terms of range and quantity," David Gibson of Cambridge Archaeological Unit which is leading the excavation, said.
Archaeologists digging two metres below the modern surface at the quarry also found preserved footprints, believed to be from people who once lived there.
Once all the retrieved items have been cleaned and documented, they are expected to be put on public display.
