Britain's answer to the ruins of Pompeii have
been found in Cambridgeshire.
Archaeologists have discovered what's thought
to be the best preserved Bronze Age homes
ever found in Britain.
The dig on the edge of a brick quarry in Whittlesey
shows how people lived thousands of years
ago and is expected to reveal insights details
into the daily lives for our forefathers.
Because the site remains so intact, it acts
as a time capsule, offering a glimpse into
Bronze Age life.
And inviting comparison to the preserved Roman
city of Pompeii, which was buried under volcanic
ash in 79AD.
Here we are in the UK digging a structure
that seems to be preserved almost in tact,
with it's roof still there, floors and all
of its contents. As someone working in pre-history
Britain, that's not something I though would
ever say, so that's particularly why it's
important, but also their misfortune of
it falling down is our fortune it the sense
that it's a sort of Pompeii effect. It's allowed
us to see their contents, their goods basically
preserved in situ.
The dwellings were built on stilts on a river
and destroyed in a fire 3,000 years ago, plunging
the remains into water and silt, which acted
as a preservative.
And its more than just utensils that have
been unearthed.
There's actually preserved food remains within
here, and this food is basically the remains of
the meal that was being eaten at the time
this settlement was destroyed by a fire, which is
something that is phenomenally rare to find,
not just in Britain but in Europe.
The unearthed relics may not seem like treasure
at first, but each object digs up information
of our history and how we came to be today.
