A reconstructed Iron Age loom at the Peat Moors Centre, Westhay. The fabric is kepttaut by weights made of baked clay. Courtesy Wessex Archaeology
Archaeologists have discovered a prehistoric farm in Somerset, under the site of a new dairy and cattle market.
The farm, which included two houses, compounds and fields, dates back 2,500 years to the Iron Age. Excavations were carried out in advance of building work on a new agricultural centre, close to the village of Huntworth by junction 24 on the M5.
“As a farming family it is fascinating to think that over 2,000 years, farmers could have been taking their cows down to lush low-lying pastures,” said Katherine Wetherall, Director of Mead Realisations, the company building the centre. “Some things don’t change!”
The month-long excavation by Wessex Archaeology was completed at the end of June 2006.
Reconstruction of an Iron Age house at the Peat Moors Centre. The house isbased on one found at Glastonbury Lake Village. Courtesy Wessex Archaeology
“This is an important find for the history of Somerset,” said Steve Membury of Somerset County Council’s archaeology team. “An Iron Age farm is an exciting discovery.”
“It shows just how important it is to check sites before new developments,” he said. “The first clue about the site came from aerial photographs. A geophysical survey and trial trenches helped us decide where excavations were needed.”
Iron Age pottery was found in subsequent digs, as well as a fragment of a baked clay weight, probably from a loom. A replica of such a loom can be seen at the Peat Moors Centre, Westhay.
The Peat Moors Centre, not far from the site, also has reconstructed Iron Age houses that give a good impression of what those at the farm might have looked like. They are round, with conical thatched roofs and large porches.
Excavation at the Huntworth site. Courtesy Wessex Archaeology
All the finds from Huntworth have not yet been cleaned and assessed, but it is thought that they may well include medieval items, too.
“Somerset has some well-preserved Iron Age hillforts and the famous Glastonbury Lake Village, but only two farms have been excavated before,” said archaeologist Dr Andrew Fitzpatrick. “One was at Christon, near Winscombe. It was found in 1970 as the M5 was being built.”
Somerset boasts the largest Iron Age hillfort in Britain at Ham Hill, near Montacute. Glastonbury Lake Village was built on an artificial island in a swamp and was only accessible by boat. The village, eventually abandoned due to rising water levels, has been well preserved because of waterlogging.
Another Iron Age farm was excavated by Wessex Archaeology at Canards Grave, Shepton Mallet, where the remains of four circular houses were found.
