Whittlesey hosts enlightening talk on Bronze age archaeology

At the Manor Leisure Centre on Thursday (8 August), residents enjoyed a fascinating talk led by Mark Knight from the University of Cambridge's Department of Archaeology and Excavation Director of Whittlesey's late Bronze Age settlement, Must Farm.

Mark Knight (centre) with Cllr Alex Miscandlon and Cllr Elisabeth Sennitt-Clough. Photo credit: Robert Windle

Mark shared the story of the prehistoric site and told how it is helping archaeologists to understand how people were living in the Fens almost 3,000 years ago.

Described as 'Britain's Pompeii', the settlement was made up of wooden houses on stilts above the River Nene and was less than a year old when it was destroyed by fire. It collapsed into muddy river silt, preserving thousands of artefacts revealing the surprisingly sophisticated lives of the Bronze Age Fen people.

Their eel traps and fish weirs follow the same design as those made today, and a necklace with beads from as far away as Iran uncover a far-flung trading network.

The talk was organised by Cllr Elisabeth Sennitt-Clough, ward councillor for Whittlesey and Chair of Fenland District Council's Culture, Arts and Heritage (CAH) Committee, and Cllr Alex Miscandlon, a fellow Whittlesey ward councillor and Fenland District Council's Portfolio Holder for Leisure.

It was free for local residents to attend thanks to generous funding from Forterra.

"I'm delighted we were able to get Mark to come to Whittlesey and give this fascinating talk," said Cllr Sennitt-Clough. "It really put the Fens into historical context, at the centre of trade, construction and architecture."

Next free history talk: How Whittlesey Helped Build Britain

Cllr Sennitt-Clough has organised another free history talk taking place this weekend:

Date: Saturday, 17 August

Time: 2pm to 3.30pm

Venue: Whittlesey Town Council, Peel House, 8 Queen Street, Whittlesey, PE7 1AY

London Brick Company archivist and historian, Andrew Mortlock, will be giving a talk entitled 'How Whittlesey Helped Build Britain'.

He will share the story of Whittlesey's local brickyards: the people who worked there, the types of clay used, the buildings constructed from local bricks and the ancient finds that were unearthed through excavation.

It is free to local residents thanks to funding from Forterra.

• Booking closed.

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August 2024