Flag Fen Bronze Age site to undergo major excavation

Archaeologists are set to begin a major excavation at Flag Fen, a significant Bronze Age site in Cambridgeshire, next year. The project has secured £700,000 in grant funding through the Countryside Stewardship Heritage Service, a partnership between Defra and Historic England.

The dig aims to investigate a massive timber causeway that was approximately 1.1 km long and 20 metres wide, consisting of roughly 22,000 posts. This structure likely facilitated trade and communication 3,300 years ago by connecting dry land across a wetland area.

Researchers emphasize the urgency of the excavation due to climate change. The information preserved in the oxygen-free wet peat is at risk of being lost as rising temperatures dry out the ground. Excavation director Mark Knight noted that sections of the causeway closer to the surface are drying quickly, stating that without intervention in the next few years, the data will be lost forever. Concerns have also been raised regarding peatland fires, such as a recent blaze at nearby Holme Fen, which could further threaten the landscape.