Key Dates
Milestones in the Flag Fen calendar
Flag Fen is excavated by DigVentures!
For three weeks DigVentures are granted the great privilege of excavating Flag Fen, launching the world's first crowdfunded and crowdsourced excavation.
Francis Pryor discovers Flag Fen
The chance discovery (on the way to the pub!) of some waterlogged timber protruding from the edge of a freshly cut drainage dyke leads to one of the ‘Great Excavations’ of British Archaeology. Seasonal excavations follow, directed by Francis Pryor and ‘The Fenland Archaeology Trust’, and funded by English Heritage.
Drainage Works
Large-scale Flemish drainage works brought inundated land back for agricultural use and ultimately leads to the discovery of Flag Fen.
The Romans
The transition into the Roman period was a smooth one and pottery from Cat’s Water shows a substantial farm near Fengate continued to be used until 3rd Century AD. After that, the area became too wet to sustain agriculture.
The Dry Hinterlands
The attitude to farming practices change to a combined livestock and cereal style in the drier higher grounds away from the post alignment and coincides with the appearance of small nucleated-style farming villages.
Abandon Ship!
The fields at either end of the post alignment are abandoned in 1400BC and there is
