Long-lost ancient village with mysterious past unearthed amid wind farm dig: ‘Exciting discovery’

Archaeologists recently uncovered the remains of along-lost medieval village,thanks to pre-construction excavations for an offshore wind farm project.

On Dec.9, Wessex Archaeology announced its team had discovered a previously unknown Anglo-Saxon settlement near Friston, a modern village in East Suffolk, England. 

The digs were carried out in conjunction with the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA).The Anglo-Saxon settlement was a “small community living in wooden longhouses,” according to officials. 

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“These weren’t just living spaces … [They] also acted as social hubs, with a centralhearth for cookingand keeping warm,” the press release said.

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“Although the wooden buildings have long rotted away, the remains of post holes show they were substantial structures, up to 19 meters [62 feet] long by 6 meters [20 feet] wide.”

Archaeologists in eastern England uncovered evidence of a previously unknown Anglo-Saxon settlement during wind farm construction work.(MOLA-Wessex Archaeology)

Pictures from the excavation show archaeologists holding some of theancient artifactsthat were uncovered, including flint tools and pottery fragments.

Some of the finds date before the Anglo-Saxons, including an arrowhead made between 4,000 and 6,000 years ago.

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“Designed to coverlong distances for hunting, [the arrowhead’s] sharpened edges and point are incredibly fragile and usually break in the ground, making this a rare find,” Wessex Archaeology said.

A rare arrowhead dating back between 4,000 and 6,000 years was uncovered during the dig.(MOLA-Wessex Archaeology)

“An exciting discovery for the team once the settlement began to emerge was that a modern public right of way is perfectly aligned with theearly medieval buildings, suggesting the footpath has been in use since the Anglo-Saxon period — and possibly before,” Ginnever added.

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“Our team will be exploring [reasons for the village’s abandonment] during the post-excavation analysis phase of their work, and we hope to share more in the future,” an official said.(MOLA-Wessex Archaeology)

“Our team will be exploring this during the post-excavation analysis phase of [the] work, and we hope to share more in the future.”

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Researchers are slated to share more findings in a webinar on Jan.23.

The latest discovery isn’t the first time that modern construction projects have yielded historical treasures in Europe.

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Officials believe the settlement was abandoned in the 1300s, though the exact reason remains unknown.(MOLA-Wessex Archaeology)

Last year, archaeologists unearthed1,000-year-old treasureat a construction site for a nuclear power plant in Suffolk.

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More recently, Czech excavators foundmultiple military gravesduring highway construction, both linked to Austro-Prussian wars.