Cheshire

Thirty years ago, a peat cutter working in the Cheshire countryside spotted what he thought was a piece of wood trundling along a conveyor belt.

Tasked with the job of keeping the belt free of debris, he threw it away, but as it hit the ground, the dirt fell from it and the remains of a human leg lay in the summer sun.

That gruesome discovery on 1 August 1984 led to Rick Turner, the newly-appointed county archaeologist, being called to the site on Lindow Moss.

He says what followed were “the most exciting days of my archaeological career”.

“I was taken out on to the moss and shown where the previous day’s peat had been taken from,” he says.

“Walking the uncut sections, I found a flap of dark, tanned skin projecting from below.

“Reporting my discovery to the police, we agreed I would be given a day to excavate the remains.”

On 6 August, the site was recorded and sampled, the limits of the remains were established and “Lindow Man was lifted – within his block of surrounding peat – on his way to international celebrity”, Mr Turner says.

More:

bbc.com/news/uk-england-28589151

From BBC News:

Archaeologists have published findings of an important Bronze Age settlement at Manchester Airport.

The dig, which was part of the multi-million pound development of Runway 2, uncovered Early Bronze Age artefacts at Oversley Farm in Styal.

The finds – which include flint arrowheads, pottery and tools – will go on display at Chester Museum.

Experts at the dig said they had made a ‘significant discovery’ about pre-historic life in Cheshire.

The site is the first excavated example of Neolithic and Early Bronze Age life in the county and the details have been published in a report by archaeologist Dan Garner.

Pottery pieces
The artefacts were discovered during runway redevelopment works

Speaking about the finds, Mr Garner said: “The building of the second runway at Manchester Airport created a unique opportunity to excavate a 3km long corridor.

“We made some exciting finds such as Bronze Age pottery, a tanged flint arrowhead and other tools and, of course, the footprint of the farmstead.

“We were very pleased to discover a prehistoric site of regional significance.”

The artefacts have been radiocarbon dated to confirm their authenticity.

Manchester Airport supported the archaeological investigations as part of a £17m package of environmental works.

The report is available from British Archaeological Reports (B.A.R).

The Iron Age man (usually found at the British Museum) should be around “between April next year and March 2009 and the museum wants to hear the views of local people on how the remains should be displayed. A museum spokesman said: “We are particularly interested to reflect a range of different points of view in our interpretation of the body, including those of archaeologists, museum curators, and special interest groups as well as members of the public. “We will not be telling one story, but looking at Lindow Man from many different perspectives. We are very interested, for example, in gathering evidence of how Lindow Man is important to the local community.”

The spokesman said: “We would be very interested to hear from members of the public who have particular memories about Lindow Man, either because they live near the site where he was found or because they remember coming to see him on display at the Manchester Museum, or for some other reason.”

Anyone who wants to share thoughts and memories of Lindow Pete should email the museum at: mailto:[email protected] You should get in touch before February 10. ”

From the Manchester Evening News
manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/234/234533_lindow_man_comes_home_to_his_roots.html

By David Holmes, Chester Chronicle

Wiltshire may have Stonehenge but now Cheshire has a wooden henge after archaeologists made the discovery near Chester.

Researchers working at Poulton, on the Duke of Westminster’s land, were amazed to find the Bronze Age burials they had been investigating were preceded by a much earlier ‘ritual’ presence.

A circle of holes indicated the existence of the wooden henge together with a large hole in the centre which was potentially a form of ‘totem pole’.

Now Durham University is to undertake both soil analysis and the dating of wood fragments.

Site director Mike Emery said: ‘This will firmly place the burial ground and the timber circle in their proper historical context, as well as providing valuable environmental evidence, which will help to recreate what life was like thousands of years ago.‘

Mr Emery said examples of such circles were more commonly located in the south, and had been interpreted as ritual monuments that were the precursors of more famous monuments, such as Stonehenge.

He added: ‘The uncovering of the site of a timber circle, possibly a ‘henge’ monument, is of great and rare importance in the north-west.‘

Mr Emery said this earliest phase was currently under excavation and a more detailed report would be given in 2005. ‘What can be stated is that the Poulton site was part of a ritual/religious landscape that was established some 5000 years ago,’ he commented.

Archaeologists have discovered evidence of human activity at the site from several periods of human history. And the 2004 excavations have proved to be the most successful to date.

Work on the Bronze Age Burial Ground (1600-1000BC) is now complete. Cremated human bone has been found along with coarse, hand-made pottery and animal bone fragments.

The causeway into the area is aligned to the position of Orion’s Belt in the summer sky. It also aims, unerringly, for a gap in the Cheshire Sandstone Ridge.

It is now evident that the ring-ditch is one of several, others being located close by.

Mr Emery says the importance of the Poulton Bronze Age ‘barrow’ group cannot be underestimated. ‘The existence of such a burial group opens up the unique and exciting prospect of locating a Bronze Age village, nearby,’ he said. ‘Such settlements are rare.‘

Within the medieval graveyard (1153-1600 AD) 63 complete, or partial, skeletons were excavated to the west of the Chapel Tower. One group of burials was particularly poignant. This consisted almost entirely of children, two of whom had their hands clasped together.

Further evidence of the Romans (90-410AD) was unearthed consisting of a mass of pottery and building material.

Mr Emery said test-trenches suggested the remains of a substantial Roman building lies ‘tantalisingly close by’. A planned programme of more extensive geophysical survey will aim to pinpoint the focus of Roman activity.

From the ic Cheshire online website.