archaeological finds
skeleton (left), Bronze Age barrow ditch (centre), Roman barn (right)

Archaeology

During Dorney Lake's construction Oxford Archaeology, a professional body, was given access for a period of 18 months. Their excavations yielded an amazing wealth of archaeological material. They found one of the most complete rural landscape histories in Britain, dating from the last Ice Age 12,000 years ago. The nearby River Thames changed its course several times and has left behind a type of soil ideal for preservation of many artifacts from this time of occupation.

Changing from mostly woodland to cleared settlements and with 'hunter-gatherers' giving way to settled farming groups, this is a fascinating story, encompassing the New Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages, the Roman and Saxon periods and beyond.

Finds included a series of bridges, a ladder up to a bridge, burial mounds, wooden structures, a Roman farmstead, human and animal skeletons, the oldest scythe found in Britain, other tools, potsherds (broken pots), leaves, seeds, insects and pollen.

Meanwhile a number of local schools have done substantial cross-curricular projects at Dorney Lake, helped initially by Key Stages 2 and 3 archaeology packs. There is a rich vein of landscape development, human and animal settlement, farming practices, decorative arts and overall social history to be tapped. There have also been micro-climate and other studies.

Watch this space!

An isolated burial contained an Anglo-Saxon woman ...

... possibly put separately because she was considered a witch, with several objects including an amethyst pendant. And there's evidence of unusual practices - 'defleshed' bodies left exposed. Could this be just helping the dead on their way or evidence of something darker?!!

Archaeological finds include:

  • A series of bridges
  • A ladder up to a bridge
  • Burial mounds
  • Wooden structures
  • A Roman farmstead
  • Human and animal skeletons
  • The oldest scythe found in Britain
  • Other tools
  • Potsherds (broken pots)
  • Leaves, seeds, insects and pollen