A BRONZE Age settlement containing at least 12 roundhouses is being uncovered beneath dense bracken near Lanyon in west Cornwall.
Excavations have begun at the 3,500-year-old site, which has lain largely undisturbed for centuries, despite being close to monuments such as Men an Tol and Lanyon Quoit.
Previous excavation of two of the roundhouses in the 1980s led to the recovery of Middle Bronze Age and Iron Age artefacts.
Ann Preston-Jones, from English Heritage, said: "Sites of this sort are rare and important, even in West Penwith.
"It will be extremely interesting to see the site cleared of bracken and dug in a way that also reveals the effects that bracken roots can have on buried archaeological layers."
She added that if work went well, it could join other sites in the area, such as the Nine Maidens and Men an Tol, which are protected as Scheduled Ancient Monuments.
"It may then be targeted for management to help reduce the levels of bracken growth in the future," she added.
Adrian Rodda of the Cornwall Archaeological Society said he was looking forward to discovering what was buried underground.
"The excavation of this site will provide an exciting opportunity to provide training in archaeological techniques for members of the society and to obtain further information about the occupation of the settlement, as well as looking at the impact of bracken on sensitive archaeological remains."
Julian German, Cornwall Council cabinet member for Historic Environment, said he was looking forward to seeing the results.
"West Penwith is rightly famous for its archaeological remains, which attract visitors from all over the world.
"This excavation will be a wonderful opportunity to see the remains of this ancient settlement uncovered by archaeologists. Sadly, even though it is close to well-known monuments like the Men an Tol and Lanyon Quoit, the site is little known as it is usually hidden from view by a dense blanket of bracken."
The project is being funded jointly by English Heritage, Cornwall Archaeological Society, Cornwall Heritage Trust, and Cornwall Council.
An open day will be held on Saturday for members of the public to visit the excavations.
Source: This is Cornwall [September 08, 2011]
Excavations have begun at the 3,500-year-old site, which has lain largely undisturbed for centuries, despite being close to monuments such as Men an Tol and Lanyon Quoit.
Previous excavation of two of the roundhouses in the 1980s led to the recovery of Middle Bronze Age and Iron Age artefacts.
Ann Preston-Jones, from English Heritage, said: "Sites of this sort are rare and important, even in West Penwith.
"It will be extremely interesting to see the site cleared of bracken and dug in a way that also reveals the effects that bracken roots can have on buried archaeological layers."
She added that if work went well, it could join other sites in the area, such as the Nine Maidens and Men an Tol, which are protected as Scheduled Ancient Monuments.
"It may then be targeted for management to help reduce the levels of bracken growth in the future," she added.
Adrian Rodda of the Cornwall Archaeological Society said he was looking forward to discovering what was buried underground.
"The excavation of this site will provide an exciting opportunity to provide training in archaeological techniques for members of the society and to obtain further information about the occupation of the settlement, as well as looking at the impact of bracken on sensitive archaeological remains."
Julian German, Cornwall Council cabinet member for Historic Environment, said he was looking forward to seeing the results.
"West Penwith is rightly famous for its archaeological remains, which attract visitors from all over the world.
"This excavation will be a wonderful opportunity to see the remains of this ancient settlement uncovered by archaeologists. Sadly, even though it is close to well-known monuments like the Men an Tol and Lanyon Quoit, the site is little known as it is usually hidden from view by a dense blanket of bracken."
The project is being funded jointly by English Heritage, Cornwall Archaeological Society, Cornwall Heritage Trust, and Cornwall Council.
An open day will be held on Saturday for members of the public to visit the excavations.
Source: This is Cornwall [September 08, 2011]