New books tell story of Peterborough’s ‘Pompeii’

New books that have just been published tell the remarkable story of Must Farm – the incredible Bronze Age site found in Whittlesey that shed light on life thousands of years ago.

The discovery of the nationally significant site dubbed “Peterborough’s Pompeii”, has given an extraordinary insight into everyday life almost 3,000 years ago.

Now new books published by the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, document the extensive archaeological excavation work, analysis and research that was carried out, and detail the discoveries made.

The two new Open Access publications uncovering the remarkable Must Farm archaeological investigation - Must Farm pile-dwelling settlement Volumes 1 and 2 - are the culmination and completion of the Must Farm project supported by Historic England and Forterra.

Duncan Wilson, Historic England chief executive, said: “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.”

Dr Tamsin O’Connell, head of the department of archaeology, University of Cambridge, added: “We are delighted to have been involved with the work at Must

Farm. The insight it has given us into daily life in the Late Bronze Age is extraordinary.

“This project, on a site of international significance, is an outstanding example of the Cambridge Archaeological Unit’s consistently excellent work over more than three decades.”

The Must Farm settlement dates to the end of the Bronze Age (850 BC) and was made from trees taken from local woodland where its inhabitants also hunted wild boar and red deer. It is now known that the site was only occupied for between nine months and a year before a catastrophic fire destroyed it.

The fire spread quickly and as the buildings burned, their flexible floors collapsed, causing their contents to drop into the muddy river beneath, where they were remarkably preserved.

Environmental analysis has shown that the vegetation in the river helped to cushion the material falling from the structures, preventing damage.

The items landed directly underneath where they had been stored in the houses, giving archaeologists a direct insight into how the roundhouses were used.

The combination of charring and waterlogging caused thousands of objects to survive, including almost 200 wooden artefacts, more than 150 fibre and textile items, 128 pottery vessels and more than 90 pieces of

An artist’s impression of the site

Excavation work on site

metalwork. The circular wooden houses are believed to be the best-preserved Bronze Age dwellings ever found in Britain. An astonishing 18,216 pieces of structural wood were recorded. The excellent survival of the settlement’s timber provides archaeologists with an extraordinary degree of insight into the buildings’ architecture. This time capsule contained rare personal items including decorated textiles – some of the finest produced in Europe at that time - pots and jars complete with meals and utensils, and exotic glass beads – some of which were manufactured in the Middle East - revealing a sophistication not normally associated with the Bronze Age. The footprints of people who once lived in the settlement were also found. For more information about the books visit the website www. pen-and-sword.co.uk/ Must-Farm-pile-dwellingsettlement/p/50476 For the full story visit

The discovery was described as a nationally significant find which helped historians tell the story of Bronze Age life

Refitting pottery