Archaeologists embarking on a “unique” excavation project along a stretch of the A66 in Northern England have come across rare historic remains, some dating as far back as 6,000 years.
Of all of the items found by the scientists, evidence for an entire ancient settlement has roused the most excitement.
Experts also believe they have found an early medieval building and scores of Roman-era artefacts.
The A66 runs west to east across a stretch of the north that traverses the counties of North Yorkshire and Cumbria.
The modern-day road follows the ancient Roman road which previously ran from Scotch Corner to Penrith.
The lands around the roads have an even older history and are thought to span back a staggering 10,000 years.
“The route followed by the modern A66 through the Eden Valley and Stainmore Pass was ancient even when the Romans formalized it with their own road, nearly 2,000 years ago,” said Stephen Rowland, project manager at Oxford Cotswold Archaeology, in a statement.
“Significant road and river junctions and crossings are still marked by prehistoric monuments, Roman forts, and medieval castles, whilst the fertile valley has supported communities since the end of the last Ice Age.”
The excavations were triggered ahead of planned upgrades to the stretch of road part of the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine Project, which will see parts of the road widened to cater to more traffic.
Mr Rowland explained: “We’re currently halfway through excavating hundreds of trial trenches within the footprint of the proposed project.”
He added: “There’s lots more work to do and finds to be made as we seek to tell the story of 10,000 years of human history along the course of one of Northern England’s most significant routeways.”
Peat layers have been found along the route, as have ancient waterways. The environmental features are of particular interest because they reveal how prehistoric Cumbrians worked the land.
Archaeologists have also turned up many individual relics, of which some date back to 6,000 years.
The remains of a settlement from somewhere around the Late Neolithic or Middle Bronze Age (1600 to 1200 B.C.) were similarly unearthed, given away by ditches, remnants of postholes, pits, and gullies.
Artefacts indicative of a community were similarly found at the proposed site, things like stone tools and more pottery fragments.
In a separate area along the road, archaeologists found a potential early medieval grubenhaus, a building built above a large rectangular pit.
Several Roman-era farmsteads and small villages have also been found, each with remains from the time including tableware thought to have been imported from the region that makes up present-day France, as well as a copper alloy broach.
Stewart Jones, National Highways A66 Northern Trans-Pennine Project director, said: “We are excited about the findings from the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine Project, as they provide a unique window into the ancient history of Cumbria.
“These discoveries will contribute significantly to our understanding of how people in the past adapted to changing environmental conditions, and we look forward to further insights as the project progresses.”
Tyler Mitchell