Archaeological excavations in Somerset by Wessex Archaeology have revealed evidence of a nearly 6000-year-old wooden trackway, which would have been used by our early Neolithic ancestors to cross the area’s watery marshes.  

The dig, carried out on behalf of Somerset Wildlife Trust and Species Survival Fund, discovered the ancient trackway preserved under layers of peat at Honeygar – Somerset Wildlife Trust’s first ‘wilded’ site.

The archaeologists were originally called in to investigate the condition of a prehistoric trackway and Historic England scheduled monument believed to be around 4,600 years old when they discovered another one roughly 1,000 years older. Made of birchwood poles and brushwood, it has now been radiocarbon dated to between 3,770 and 3,640 BC. 

Thanks to the peatlands at Honeygar, this nearly 6000-year-old structure has been preserved for millennia, along with the remains of the flora and fauna that once thrived here. 

With increasingly frequent droughts due to the climate crisis, our peat-rich landscapes and the heritage contained within them are at risk. Somerset Wildlife Trust’s conservation efforts at Honeygar include sustainably managing water levels to stop peat disappearing, whilst simultaneously protecting the historic environment. 

Bruce Eaton, Senior Project Manager leading the excavation said: “Having grown up locally, I have always viewed the Moors as a very special place. To be involved in a project which not only aims to restore valuable habitat but will also protect vulnerable archaeology has been a privilege. This discovery further adds to our knowledge of Somerset’s complex ancient landscape.” 

From (and to see many more images) 6,000-year-old Prehistoric Trackway Discovered in Somerset | Wessex Archaeology

Main Image: Field archaeologists working on a prehistoric wooden track at the Honeygar site in Somerset © Wessex Archaeology