Barrows Excavation No 2 - June 2015
The People of the Heath project recommenced in June with excavations of Barrows 18 and 21. Once again, members of the Society joined the team led by Project Directors Stuart Needham and George Anelay.
Barrow 18 with its low altitude and position close to the lake offered the prospect of encountering waterlogged deposits. In the event, no features were found but in the base of the buried soil was a scattering of flint work, which is currently being examined and there is little doubt that these flints have remained undisturbed since they were dropped, probably in Mesolithic times.
Barrow 21 was more of a surprise as it was discovered that it was not a manmade mound and consequently has now been removed from the inventory of barrows for future management of archaeology of the Heath. It is believed the deception was probably due to natural processes in the sandy environments. Disappointing but perhaps one of the joys of archaeology is the unpredictable outcomes!
The Excavation No 3 takes place from 8–26 September 2015. If you would like to be involved, find out more from www.peopleoftheheath.com.