<< News >> Open Day this weekend on Merseyside: M62 J6 Stone Age Settlements
Submitted by Andy B on Thursday, 31 January 2008 Page Views: 4626
Multi-periodCountry: England County: Merseyside Type: Ancient Village or SettlementInternal Links:
Archaeologists working on the Highways Agency's M62 Junction 6 improvement scheme have uncovered 7,000-year-old evidence of Stone Age settlements at Huyton on Merseyside - the earliest signs of human activity ever discovered in the area.
Now the Highways Agency is inviting to people to see some of the rare finds that have been discovered, which include 2000-year-old Roman pottery. Open days will take place on Friday 1 and Saturday 2 February.
The open days will take place between 12.00 and 18.00 on Friday and 09.00 to 13.00 on the Saturday at the site office off Windy Arbour Lane. People will be able to find out about the work that has been undertaken at the site so far and about the Junction 6 improvement scheme itself.
The finds were made by a team carrying out archaeological excavations on behalf of the Highways Agent as part of preparation for the scheme. Flints and burnt hazlenuts are just some of the evidence pointing to hunter-gatherer prehistoric tribes living in the area.
Alongside the archelogical finds will be an exhibition featuring photos and general information about the construction scheme; details of the measures being taken to reduce the impact on the environment; information about the traffic management arrangements during the work; and a computer simulated drive through.
Gary Hilton, Highways Agency project manager, said, "The Highways Agency takes its responsibility for our heritage very seriously and we are delighted to have found this window into the past. Lots of people are very excited by what has been discovered here.
"We are obviously keen to show off these discoveries and this is why we have decided to hold the open days. We will be turning this important construction site into a museum for the day, before the artefacts are handed over to the experts who will be able to preserve them for future generations.
"The event will also give us the opportunity to pass on information about the construction scheme and the future benefits of the new junction once this work is complete."
The archaeological findings date from the Mesolithic to the Bronze Age periods - around 5000 to 2000 BC - and show there were early hunter-gatherer communities in the area at this time.
The team working on the excavations around the new link road have also discovered Roman pottery and tiles that are stamped to show they were made for the 20th Roman Legion based in Chester around 167 AD.
It was already known that the site had some archeological importance. Excavations in 1993 ahead of the construction of the adjacent A5300 uncovered part of a Roman farm. Other finds hinted at prehistoric activity in the area - now that has been confirmed.
Source: TNN / Highways Agency
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