@MustFarm

Excavations at Must Farm by the Cambridge Archaeological Unit. Project funded by Historic England and Forterra. Supported by the University of Cambridge.

 Whittlesey, near Peterborough
mustfarm.com
Joined May 2012
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282Media
The Must Farm pile-dwelling settlement is published!
Cambridge Archaeological Unit@CambridgeUnit20 Mar 2024
We are delighted to announce the release of the Must Farm pile-dwelling settlement publications! Volume I is covers the landscape, architecture and occupation of the site and is available Open Access here: doi.org/10.17863/CAM.106697
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Between 2015-16 archaeologists from @CambridgeUnit excavated the remains of one of the best-preserved #BronzeAge settlements ever discovered in the UK. Join Chris Wakefield to take a journey back almost 3,000 years ago: bit.ly/3Ox8RaU #History #Archaeology
Archaeologists from the Cambridge Archaeological Unit carry out a dig at Must Farm.

ALT Archaeologists from the Cambridge Archaeological Unit carry out a dig at Must Farm.

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We're looking at bobbins in the latest Making Must Farm video!
Cambridge Archaeological Unit@CambridgeUnit2 May 2023
Must Farm’s textiles are one of the site’s most exciting discoveries, so we had to feature them in the Making Must Farm videos. This episode sees Mark Knight and @ancientcraftUK discussing some of Must Farm’s bobbins and the fibres associated with them.
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One of our favourite finds, a small wooden box, is the focus of this week's Making Must Farm episode.
Cambridge Archaeological Unit@CambridgeUnit24 Apr 2023
The latest Making Must Farm episode focuses on one of our most intriguing finds from the site, a small wooden box. Mark Knight chats about the potential for the box to have been made by a specialist woodworker and @ancientcraftUK discusses recreating this amazing artefact.
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Our sixth Making Must Farm episode discusses the site's fascinating bronze chisels.
Cambridge Archaeological Unit@CambridgeUnit11 Apr 2023
This week we’re examining chisels in the sixth episode of our Making Must Farm series. Chisels are a key component of the site’s woodworking toolkit and the fantastic @ancientcraftUK describes their creation and use while Mark Knight discusses their presence in the assemblage.
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Razors are the focus of the fifth Making Must Farm video. Such a fascinating artefact!
Cambridge Archaeological Unit@CambridgeUnit3 Apr 2023
In the fifth Making Must Farm video we focus on one of the settlement’s most fascinating metal finds, bronze razors. Mark Knight describes the importance of discovering these artefacts in a domestic environment and @ancientcraftUK discusses the context of these curious tools.
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We're looking at gouges in our fourth Making Must Farm video!
Cambridge Archaeological Unit@CambridgeUnit28 Mar 2023
We’re taking a look at the importance of the gouge in the fourth part of our Making Must Farm series. Mark Knight and @ancientcraftUK discuss how evidence of this tool’s use can be seen on everything from bowls to structural mortise joints.
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Spears are the latest artefact to receive the Making Must Farm treatment!
Cambridge Archaeological Unit@CambridgeUnit20 Mar 2023
The third Making Must Farm video concentrates on the spears found at the site. Mark Knight discusses the artefact’s significance in the settlement and @ancientcraftuk describes the process of recreating these impressive finds. Filmed and produced by @emmalouwynjones
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The second Making Must Farm video concentrates on the site's sickles.
Cambridge Archaeological Unit@CambridgeUnit13 Mar 2023
In our second Making Must Farm video we’re focusing on the site’s sickles. These fantastic finds were a key part of the @MustFarm metalwork assemblage and @ancientcraftuk discusses the challenges of casting these remarkable artefacts.
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During the latest phase of work we've found the remains of an aurochs!
Cambridge Archaeological Unit@CambridgeUnit7 Mar 2023
We’ve discovered the remains of an aurochs at Must Farm! Found in the same layer as the preserved trees, this cache of bone is similar to examples we’ve uncovered in previous phases. An initial examination of the remains has revealed evidence of butchery on several of the bones.
A photo showing a cluster of large bones belonging to an aurochs. There is a large, dense cluster of bone at the back of the image and in the foreground two ribs next to a section of jaw. The bones and the mottled grey sediment they are resting on is glistening with water and two red and white scale bars highlight the size of the bones.

ALT A photo showing a cluster of large bones belonging to an aurochs. There is a large, dense cluster of bone at the back of the image and in the foreground two ribs next to a section of jaw. The bones and the mottled grey sediment they are resting on is glistening with water and two red and white scale bars highlight the size of the bones.

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We've got some fantastic samples from our recent excavations!
Cambridge Archaeological Unit@CambridgeUnit1 Mar 2023
We’ve taken samples from the preserved trees found in the upper parts of the deep zone at Must Farm. Samples have so far included slow-grown oak and ash. We’ll also be using dendrochronology and C14 dating to narrow down the date environmental conditions changed.
A photograph of an archaeologist wearing orange hi-vis and a hard hat holding a large circular section of a preserved tree, that has been removed from a fallen trunk. The sample of the tree is a mixture of black and brown though the bark is faintly visible at its very edges.

ALT A photograph of an archaeologist wearing orange hi-vis and a hard hat holding a large circular section of a preserved tree, that has been removed from a fallen trunk. The sample of the tree is a mixture of black and brown though the bark is faintly visible at its very edges.

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Another update on recent excavations at Must Farm
Cambridge Archaeological Unit@CambridgeUnit28 Feb 2023
The section of Must Farm contained dozens of large preserved fallen trees that died when the landscape transitioned from dry to waterlogged as sea levels changed. By analysing the wood, we hope to date this change more accurately and understand the environmental shift.
A photograph showing a section of quarry at Must Farm where the excavation is taking place. Beneath a grey cloudy sky, with a large piece of machinery in the background, archaeologists are excavating a very dark brown layer of peat. In the foreground is a very large black tree trunk, lying horizontally.

ALT A photograph showing a section of quarry at Must Farm where the excavation is taking place. Beneath a grey cloudy sky, with a large piece of machinery in the background, archaeologists are excavating a very dark brown layer of peat. In the foreground is a very large black tree trunk, lying horizontally.

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More from our work looking at the sequence of peat and clay in Must Farm's landscape zones @CambridgeUnit
Cambridge Archaeological Unit@CambridgeUnit22 Feb 2023
One of the aims of the recent excavation at Must Farm is to date the sequence of peat and clay in the landscape zones. Some of the earlier elements date back to the Neolithic and using organic materials present in the layers for dating will help us build a better chronology.
A photograph showing the different layers of archaeology visible in the edge of the excavation area at Must Farm. The layers vary in colour and texture, from dark grey clay to orangey gravels. At the base of the image is a flat pool of water showing the waterlogged character of the landscape.

ALT A photograph showing the different layers of archaeology visible in the edge of the excavation area at Must Farm. The layers vary in colour and texture, from dark grey clay to orangey gravels. At the base of the image is a flat pool of water showing the waterlogged character of the landscape.

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We've recently explored some more archaeology at Must Farm. We're really excited to share updates on the work @CambridgeUnit
Cambridge Archaeological Unit@CambridgeUnit21 Feb 2023
We’re excited to have been working on some new archaeology at Must Farm! These new investigations explored two side-by-side landscape zones in a new area, one contained these two barrows. You can read about the latest work in our blog here: ow.ly/7Eze50MX0rG
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We’re very excited to have been working with the fantastic @ancientcraftUK & @emmalouwynjones on some Must Farm replicas. We’re just finishing a video series exploring the artefacts, placing them in their context at Must Farm and explaining their importance in the assemblage.
A selection of replica artefacts from Must Farm laid on a dark grey background. The artefacts include a hafted axe, gouge, sickle, chisel and spear alongside a box and razor. The pale brown wood used stands out brightly against the dark background.

ALT A selection of replica artefacts from Must Farm laid on a dark grey background. The artefacts include a hafted axe, gouge, sickle, chisel and spear alongside a box and razor. The pale brown wood used stands out brightly against the dark background.

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We're excited to share some of our latest post-excavation updates on Digging for Britain. The episode is on BBC Two this Sunday or available on iPlayer now.
Cambridge Archaeological Unit@CambridgeUnit2 Feb 2023
We were really happy to chat about @MustFarm post-excavation work on the latest series of Digging for Britain. We’re featured in Season 10 Episode 5 where we share some recent findings about the site’s pottery. This Sunday at 8pm or available on iPlayer ow.ly/aHkt50MHvSL
Archaeologists from the Cambridge Archaeological Unit stand next to presenter Alice Roberts while filming for an episode of Digging for Britain. They are in a large marquee with a wooden table in front, upon which are arranged Bronze Age pots of different sizes, from an enormous storage jar to tiny drinking cups.

ALT Archaeologists from the Cambridge Archaeological Unit stand next to presenter Alice Roberts while filming for an episode of Digging for Britain. They are in a large marquee with a wooden table in front, upon which are arranged Bronze Age pots of different sizes, from an enormous storage jar to tiny drinking cups.

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We had a great day speaking to #DiggingForBritain about the site's pottery assemblage and post-excavation work
Matt Brudenell@brudenell_matt21 Sep 2022
Pots are awesome! Great morning discussing the amazing @MustFarm pottery assemblage with @ArchaeoOutreach and @theAliceRoberts for #DiggingForBritain. Thanks to all the crew for looking after us and making us feel welcome. @CambridgeUnit
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This was definitely one of the most exciting finds from the palaeochannel excavations!
Cambridge Archaeological Unit@CambridgeUnit23 Aug 2022
When excavating a palaeochannel at Must Farm we found this stunning Iron Age sword. Dating to the 1st century BC/1st century AD, the sword’s blade had been bent back on itself and has a well-preserved decorative stamp inlaid with three bronze or brass crescents. #archaeology
An image showing multiple views of an Iron Age sword. The image on the left shows the full sword, complete with preserved wooden handle. The end section of the blade has been bent backwards and broken into two pieces. The top right has a closer image of the handle, where the wood is still bright and fresh-looking. The bottom right has a close up of a decorative stamp on the blade, made of three crescents in a circle.

ALT An image showing multiple views of an Iron Age sword. The image on the left shows the full sword, complete with preserved wooden handle. The end section of the blade has been bent backwards and broken into two pieces. The top right has a closer image of the handle, where the wood is still bright and fresh-looking. The bottom right has a close up of a decorative stamp on the blade, made of three crescents in a circle.

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Thousands of Must Farm's pottery sherds were part of the refit, giving us a total of 128 different vessels. It felt like a prehistoric jigsaw where we didn't have all the pieces!
Cambridge Archaeological Unit@CambridgeUnit25 Jul 2022
Thousands of @MustFarm sherds were refitted to reassemble complete & partial vessels. 74% of the sherds refit, a total of 1791 pieces of pottery. In total 128 different vessels were identified! Thanks to @roseferraby for this fantastic timelapse video.
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These animal hoofprints are similar to the ones we found around the settlement at Must Farm. They're great to find, though difficult to clean up!
Cambridge Archaeological Unit@CambridgeUnit14 Jul 2022
These images show different areas of hoofprints of cows, pigs and deer that were left in the clayey sediments around a prehistoric watering hole discovered at Bradley Fen, Whittlesey. It was even possible to spot patterns where animals had walked down to drink before leaving.
A technical drawing showing a plan of different animal hoofprints. Some are indicated in red, with arrows showing the direction that the hoofprints were travelling in.

ALT A technical drawing showing a plan of different animal hoofprints. Some are indicated in red, with arrows showing the direction that the hoofprints were travelling in.

A photograph showing hoofprint impressions in the ground. These have been carefully excavated to show the outlines and the impressions the hooves made in the ground. In the background a 2m scale shows the size of the area.

ALT A photograph showing hoofprint impressions in the ground. These have been carefully excavated to show the outlines and the impressions the hooves made in the ground. In the background a 2m scale shows the size of the area.

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