Treasure
Within one trench at the Fengate dig (now an industrial site bordering Flag Fen) over 300 items of metal work were found.
Included in the Treasure from the digs across our site we have:
- The oldest wheel in England
- A rare gold ring – one of only two in the world from this period
- A scabbard with possibly the earliest example of Celtic Art
- One of the finest collections of Bronze Age swords and dirks in the country
- A set of shears in their original wooden case
- Rare survivals of wooden handle (or hafts) that attach to axe heads and the axe heads
- A rare selection of metal workers’ tools
These items indicate the rich and creative life of our prehistoric ancestors. Furthermore, they show how connected these people were with mainland Europe and hint at the lifestyle, beliefs and trading systems at this time. Based on the evidence and artefacts, the site is a ritual one where people came to honour their ancestors and make offerings to the gods.
Questions and Theories
Perhaps people came at special times of the year, from far and wide – after harvest, perhaps for weddings and at times to remember their dead. It is during the life of this monument that Stone Henge falls out of use as a place of mass gathering. Could the focus be moving east to Flag Fen? Could Flag Fen be East Anglia’s Stone Henge?
Less than 10% of the site has been dug. More excavation needs to take place to try to answer these questions.
