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Prehistoric Roads and Tracks in Somerset, England: 3. The Sweet Track1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 May 2014

John M. Coles ,
F. A. Hibbert ,
Bryony J. Orme ,
M. Pettit ,
D. Rushton  and
V. R. Switsur
John M. Coles
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge
F. A. Hibbert
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Liverpool Polytechnic
Bryony J. Orme
Affiliation:
Department of History, University of Exeter
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Summary

The excavation of the Sweet track at two sites in the Somerset Levels has yielded unique material of the late fourth millennium bc. The track was built across a reed marsh, and the builders used a variety of timber obtained from both nearby fen-wood and from the dry land of the Burtle sand and the Poldens. Pollen analyses indicate that certain areas of the Levels were particularly favourable for forest clearance and cultivation, and the debris from the track shows a range of woodwork so far unique to the British Neolithic.

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society , Volume 39 , December 1973 , pp. 256 - 293
Copyright
Copyright © The Prehistoric Society 1973

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References

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