Flag Fen Iron Age roundhouse reconstruction

Flag Fen near Peterborough, England is a Bronze Age site, probably religious. It comprises a large number of poles arranged in five very long rows (around 1 km) connecting Whittlesey Island with Peterborough across the wet fenland. Part way across the structure, a small island was formed which is where it is presumed that the religious ceremonies occurred. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Peterborough /Ë¡piːtəˌbʌɹə/ is a cathedral city and unitary authority in the East of England, with an estimated population of 161,000 as of 2006. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 927 AD  Area  -  Total 130... The Bronze Age is a period in a civilizations development when the most advanced metalworking has developed the techniques of smelting copper from natural outcroppings and alloys it to cast bronze. ... Whittlesey (historically known as Whittlesea - the name of the railway station is still spelt this way - or Witesie) is an ancient Fenland market town around six miles (10 km) east of Peterborough in the county of Cambridgeshire in England. ...

In the 10th century BC the ground level was much lower than today, increasing around 1 mm per year as autumnal debris is added to the surface of the fens. This caused the structure to be covered up and preserved. The anaerobic conditions found in the waterlogged soil prevented the timbers and other wooden objects from rotting away. The site was first discovered in 1982 when a team led by Francis Pryor carried out a survey of dykes in the area funded by English Heritage. (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium) // Overview Events Partition of ancient Israel into the Kingdoms of Judah and Israel (c. ... It has been suggested that Anoxic sea water, Oxygen minimum zone, and Hypoxic zone be merged into this article or section. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... Francis Pryor is a British archaeologist who is famous for his role in the discovery of Flag Fen a Bronze Age archeological site near Peterborough and his frequent appearances on the on the Channel 4 television series Time Team. ... There are several uses of the word survey, relating to two primary meanings: land surveying; and statistical surveys of people or other items, such as animals, organisations, or messages. ... Afsluitdijk, a 32 km dike in the Netherlands. ... English Heritage is a United Kingdom government body with a broad remit of managing the historic environment of England. ...

Due to extensive drainage of the surrounding area, many of the timbers are drying out and are threated with destruction. Archaeologists are studying it and there is a well-organised visitor centre there with museum and exhibitions. In the preservation hall one section of the timbers is preserved in-situ and prevented from drying out by misting with water. Also at the site are reconstructions of 2 Bronze Age roundhouses and one from the Iron Age. There is also an exposed section of the Roman road known as the Fen Causeway which crosses the site and a reconstruction of a Prehistoric droveway. The roundhouse is a type of house with a circular plan, built in western Europe before the Roman occupation. ... Iron Age Axe found on Gotland This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age, for the mythological Iron Age see Iron Age (mythology). ... For the one-off TV Drama, see Roman Road (TV Drama) A Roman road in Pompeii. ... Fen Causeway or the Fen Road is the modern name for a Roman road of England that runs between Denver in the east and Peterborough in the west. ...

One section of the poles is being preserved by replacing the cellulose in the wood with water carried wax impregnating of the wood over the years. This technique is also being used to preserve Seahenge. Another preservation technique used for timbers found at the site is freeze drying. Seahenge or Holme I is a bronze-age timber circle discovered in 1998 just off the coast of the English county of Norfolk at Holme-next-the-Sea. ... Freeze drying (also known as Lyophilization) is a dehydration process typically used to preserve a perishable material, or to make the material more convenient for transport. ...

References

• Pryor, Francis Flag Fen: Life and Death of a Prehistoric Landscape Tempus Publishing Ltd. Stroud, 2005 (ISBN 0-7524-2900-0)

External links

• Flag Fen