Bronze Age Roundhouse (reconstruction) - Flag Fen Archaeology Park - Peterborough, Cambridgeshire - UK Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

An information board near to a reconstruction of a Bronze Age roundhouse, Flag Fen Archaeology Park.

'This landscape was recreated from an example excavated at Fengate between 1974 and 1976. It was first built around 4,500 years ago and occupied until people were driven further back. The actual site is at the junction of Fourth Drove and Fengate.
The roundhouse to your left was not in the original landscape but has been constructed to show you how people lived over 3000 years ago. The roundhouse to your right is based on the one excavated in 1976. Postholes and an eaves originally provided evidence of a substantial ring of roof supports needed for a heavy turf roof. The walls are woven sticks (wattle) coated with a mixture of clay, straw and cow dung (daub).Timber has been split with wedges. Untreated native woods such as ash, oak and hazel are used in the roof and wattle work. The roof angle of 35° is based on surviving turf roofs in Scotlandd. A 10-20 cm layer of reed is laid beneath the thick cover of turf. The roof is capped with a sedge thatch.When wet, the roof weighs approximately 8 tonnes!

Imagine grandpa showing his grandson how to whittle stick, grandma showing ber grandchildren how to spin wool, mum stirring a cauldron of sheep broth and dad bringing more wood for the fire.Another child might be exercising the sheepdog and collecting berries, while another grandparent checks the flock. Uncle and the eldest son are busy fishing forr eels. During the winter, a proportion of the farm animals were probaby housed near to the community. In beter weather the sheep would have been herded into the fieds or drven down the drove road to the communal water meadows. This would have been one family's farm. There were many other similar farms scattered around the edge of the Flag Fen basin.'

Website - (visit link)
There is a fee to enter the archaeology site. Check the website above for current entrance fees.

Type of Historic Marker: Information board Related Website: [Web Link] Give your Rating: Historical Marker Issuing Authority: Not listed Age/Event Date: Not listed

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