Town Marshes, Beccles
River bank refurbishment works uncovered well-preserved upright
posts and associated wooden remains in Beccles Town Marshes in
2006. Excavation of a 20 x 5m area was undertaken by a joint team
of archaeologists from the University of Birmingham and Suffolk
County Council Archaeology Service.
Preliminary results indicate that
the earliest structure was a narrow brushwood trackway
constructed of coppiced rods with associated pegs, orientated
east to west across the site. The depth of this feature (-1.5m
AOD) means that it is located within one of the lower peat
units, which represent a sedge, grass and reed dominated marsh
type environment with evidence for grazing activity. The next
construction was a large causeway or trackway formed from
three parallel rows of posts orientated on a north-west to
south-east alignment. These posts were all of Quercus spp.
(oak), possibly derived from overgrown coppice, and were
sharpened using iron tools prior to use. A number of the
posts had ‘halving lap joints’ at their upper ends. These
notches may have been cut to facilitate transportation, but it
is also thought that that they were designed to support a
superstructure.
However in only one
location, on the eastern edge of the trench, was there a
structural relationship between a vertical post and a
horizontal plank. In addition, a large quantity of worked wood
was situated between the post alignments. Preliminary
tool-mark analysis and radiocarbon dating has indicated an
Iron Age or Roman date, but this is being refined by
dendrochronology (tree ring analysis). Early results suggest
that the construction of the triple post row could be as late
as 75 BC, making this site one of the latest dated Iron Age
trackway structures in Britain. Like the earlier brushwood
trackway, the wood remains were located within a reed swamp or
reed fen environment, but it was apparently somewhat wetter
than the previous peat unit. By the Roman period in situ tree
trunks were recorded suggesting that the surface of the peat
was dry enough to permit tree growth.
A larger version of the trench plan
is available by clicking here:
Beccles plan (.jpg 43kb)
Although brushwood trackways are relatively common in both the
Britain and Ireland timber causeways are less frequent, and other
examples such as Flag Fen, Peterborough or the causeway at
Fiskerton in Lincolnshire do not provide direct structural
parallels. The site does however fall into a general pattern of
prehistoric post alignments and associated walkways from later
prehistory.
For more information on the Suffolk County Council Archaeological
Service Rivers Project click here.
Thanks to:
Beccles Town Council
Broads Authority
Broads Environmental Services Ltd
Beccles Amateur Sailing Club
Beccles Museum
Barsham
In July 2007, a number of upright timbers were discovered in
marshland close to the River Waveney in Barsham, during flood
defence work. The site is defined as a linear post alignment or
causeway, which may have been originally constructed in/or across
part of the
floodplain of the river and has been
preserved where higher water levels caused the site to be
submerged.
Whilst it was similar to the site at Beccles excavated in 2006,
the burial environment was different, and the timbers were not so
well preserved. The alignment may continue for some distance across
the floodplain but its full extent is not known.
Excavation of the area was
undertaken by archaeologists from the University of Birmingham
and Suffolk County Council Archaeology Service in August 2007,
recording and lifting the remains of about 21 upright oak
posts. Whilst the tops of these posts had only
partially survived, the bases were well preserved, each
worked to a pencil point with an iron axe. Early analysis of
these timbers suggests a Roman date.