Somerset Levels

Low-lying wetland region of Somerset in southwest England, famous for the preservation of remains in peat. Ancient trackways have been revealed and, with techniques such as pollen analysis and radiocarbon dating, it has been possible to establish the sequence of human and climatic development in the area. Permanent settlement occurred only on small 'islands' raised above the level of the marsh (e.g. the Iron Age villages of Glastonbury and Meare), but wooden tracks crossed the wet areas. The earliest discovered is the Sweet track dated to the Neolithic c 3600/2800 BC; after that tracks continued to be built at various times in the 3rd millennium BC. There was a long hiatus in track construction, perhaps because drier conditions made them unnecessary, but with climatic deterioration in the Late Bronze Age there was a new phase of track construction c 900-450 BC (alternatively, c 1100-500 BC).

The low-lying areas of Somerset in southwest England where marshy conditions led to the formation of peat, which has grown over a period of more than 4000 years. In the process it has preserved remains of human activity, as well as environmental evidence. Peat-cutting exposed remains of ancient trackways in a number of places and in the 1970s a Somerset Levels project was established to investigate the remains preserved by the peat. With the help of techniques such as and dating it has been possible to establish the sequence of development, both climatic and in terms of human usage, in this area. Permanent settlement occurred only on small ‘islands’ raised above the level of the marsh (e.g. Glastonbury and Meare), but wooden tracks crossed the wet areas. The earliest discovered is the Sweet track (named after the peat-cutter who found it) dated to c2800 be (c3600 bc); after that tracks continued to be built at various times in the 3rd millennium bc. Subsequently there was a long hiatus in track construction, perhaps because drier conditions made them unnecessary, but with climatic deterioration in the Late Bronze Age there was a new phase of track construction c900-450 bc (cl 100-500 bc).