WorldWide Drilling Resource

Neolithic Henge Site Discovered During Excavations Compiled by Caleb Whitaker, Associate Editor, WorldWide Drilling Resource ® A 4000-year-old wooden trackway, which forms the centerpiece of a Neolithic henge has been unearthed by archaeologists along a cable route for the East Anglia ONE wind farm project in Suffolk, England. The henge, which is a circular monument dating back to Neolithic and Bronze Ages, consists of a ditch with an external earthwork, and a burial mound at the center. The large ceremonial complex is being heralded by experts as a discovery of international significance. The 23-mile-long onshore cable route is being constructed through a mix of open-cut methods and horizontal direct ional dri l l ing. Energy company ScottishPower Renewables was excavating a segment of the trench to connect new turbines to the national grid when the henge was discovered. As a result of the find, the company is altering the cable route around the area. Ancient springs surrounding the monument have helped to pre- serve organic material like bone and wood, including the skull of a 6300-year-o ld species of wild cattle, known as aurochs, as well as wooden posts. The skull has been cut in a way which suggests it had potential ly been fixed to a pole as a totem or used as some form of headdress. At the time the trackway was built, the skull was already 2000 years old, suggesting it was a significant item. The henge ditch also had a perfectly preserved walkway. Toolmarks could be seen with such clarity it could be distin- guished whether the marks were made by left-handed or right- handed workers. Experts are not yet sure what the complex was used for, but there are indications it could have been for ceremonies related to death or the living. Initial theories suggest the area's natural springs, which can still be seen today, may have been part of the reason stone age inhabitants saw the area as having special significance. Whatever the reason, the site was venerated and vis- ited for thousands of years. The goal is to make the site visible, giving people somewhere to explore the prehistoric landscape of Suffolk. Around 70 archaeologists have been working near the si te since February, carefully unearthing the 100- foot-long wooden track. The first turbines are expected to be installed in 2019 and the wind farm is planned to become operational in 2020. When completed, the 102-turbine proj- ect will provide enough clean energy to power the equivalent of almost 600,000 homes. Editor’s Note: In between our print issues, the WWDR Team prepares an electronic newsletter called E-News Flash . Based on readership, this was the most popular E-News Flash article of the month. Get in on the action and subscribe today at: www.worldwidedrillingresource.com 27 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® SEPTEMBER 2018 Photos courtesy of ScottishPower Renewables. DIR