Cambridgeshire Bronze Age artefacts to go on display

Bronze Age artefacts are to open to the public in Cambridgeshire.

The Bronze Age settlement of Must Farm, in Whittlesey, has been dubbed "Peterborough's Pompeii".

The site has given an extraordinary insight into everyday life almost 3,000 years ago, with many of the artefacts amazingly preserved.

Now, new books are telling the remarkable story of the Must Farm pile-dwelling settlement and the archaeologists who found it.

Chris Wakefield from the Department of Archaeology at Cambridge University spoke to Star:

Photo: Historic England, illustration of Must Farm

About Must Farm

Must Farm dates to the end of the Bronze Age (850 BC) and was made from trees taken from local woodland where its inhabitants hunted.

It is now known that the site was only occupied for around a year before a catastrophic fire destroyed it.

As the buildings burned, their floors collapsed, causing their contents to drop into the muddy river beneath, where they were remarkably preserved.

The combination of charring and waterlogging caused thousands of objects to survive.

These include almost 200 wooden artefacts, over 150 fibre and textile items, 128 pottery vessels and more than 90 pieces of metalwork.

Over 18,000 pieces of wood from the circular wooden homes were also preserved

This time capsule contained rare personal items including textiles, pots and jars complete with meals and utensils, and exotic glass beads.

The footprints of people who once lived there were also found.

Duncan Wilson, Historic England Chief Executive:

"The discoveries made at Must Farm are truly astonishing. 

"They have helped to broaden our understanding of life in the Bronze Age, connecting us directly with communities from the past and helping us to understand a way of life that was more sophisticated than we could have imagined.

"I’m so proud of this partnership project and look forward to seeing the results and analysis of this amazing excavation laid out in these beautifully produced volumes."

Photo: Historic England, Must Farm dig

Introducing Must Farm, a Bronze Age Settlement

From April, there will be an opportunity to see some of the preserved artefacts that have been uncovered by the Cambridge Archaeological Unit.

Introducing Must Farm, a Bronze Age Settlement will open at Peterborough Museum & Art Gallery on Saturday 27 April 2024.

It will be in residence until the end of September.