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Excavations south of Gloucester have uncovered a remarkably well preserved Bronze Age watering hole, with many of its wooden structures surviving in situ.
The discovery was made last year during investigations by Cotswold Archaeology. When they first stripped back the topsoil, the team came across a series of Roman field systems – features that they had expected to find based on a ground-penetrating radar survey. More surprising, though, was a large, 6m by 4m (20ft by 13ft), expanse of dark soil, found among these enclosures, which was filled with well-preserved timbers.
Cotswold Archaeology had identified a similar structure during previous excavations nearby, which was interpreted as a Bronze Age watering hole. It only contained a few fragments of timber, however, while this more recent example – which has been radiocarbon dated to c.1300-1100 BC – incorporates a series of structures.
While work to unpick the different phases of this feature is ongoing, some aspects were immediately apparent, including a large wooden platform at the top, covering half of its overall area. This platform was connected to a smaller, lower one by a log-ladder. The upper walls of the well appear to have been lined with wattle and there was also evidence of timbers bracing the walls around the lower platform. The team was able to dig to a depth of 2.5m (8ft), but did not manage to reach the bottom.
Notably, several of the timbers appear to have been reused, with some displaying evidence of joints, tenons, and other workings. It is hoped that analysis of these will provide new information about Bronze Age carpentry techniques, for which we have limited evidence, particularly in this part of Britain. With no Bronze Age settlement known nearby, the watering hole offers one of the only insights into such communities in the immediate area.
Bronze Age watering holes are known from other sites, including in other parts of Gloucestershire as well as in southern Oxfordshire, but this recent discovery is by far one of the best preserved. They are often located not far from streams or rivers, raising the question of why they were needed: climate change may have been a factor, as there was a period of warming at that time. With a lower water table, people may have been forced to dig deeper for water. Further analysis of the watering hole may well provide answers.
Text: Kathryn Krakowka / Image: Cotswold Archaeology
