Post Track

The Post Track is an ancient causeway in the valley of the River Brue on the Somerset Levels, England. It dates from around 3838 BCE,[1] making it some 30 years older than the Sweet Track from the same area.[2] Various sections have been scheduled as ancient monuments.[3][4][5][6]

The timber trackway was constructed of long ash planks, with lime and hazel posts spaced along three-metre intervals.[7] The track follows closely in line with the Sweet Track and, before the planks were dated, it was posited that it served as a construction platform for the Sweet Track.[8][9] It is speculated that it led to places of spiritual significance. It is likely that the route was intended to be a permanent fixture, with the track being updated, maintained, and eventually replaced as it succumbed to the elements.[10] Some of the wood planks also were reused in the Sweet Track when it was built making the specific dating more complex.[11]

References

  1. ↑ "Sweet Track". Severn Estuary Levers Research Committee. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  2. ↑ Brunning, Richard (2006). "A window on the past - The prehistoric archaeology of the Somerset Moors". In Hill-Cottingham, Pat; Briggs, Derek; Brunning, Richard; King, Andy; Rix, Graham. The Somerset Wetlands: An ever changing environment. Wellington, Somerset: Somerset Books. pp. 40–41. ISBN 978 0 86183 432 7.
  3. ↑ "Sections of the Sweet Track, the Post Track and associated remains 500m north east of Moorgate Farm". National Heritage List for England. Historic England. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  4. ↑ "Sections of the Sweet Track and Post Track, 240m south west of Sunnyside Farm". National Heritage List for England. Historic England. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  5. ↑ "Sections of the Sweet Track and Post Track, 250m ESE of Station House". National Heritage List for England. Historic England. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  6. ↑ "Sections of the Sweet Track and Post Track, 650m east of Canada Farm". National Heritage List for England. Historic England. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  7. ↑ Novel Guide - Trackways and Boats
  8. ↑ Brunning, Richard - Neolithic and bronze-age Somerset: a wetland perspective
  9. ↑ "10740: Post Track, Shapwick Heath". South West Heritage Trust. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  10. ↑ A. W. R. Whittle Europe in the Neolithic: the creation of new worlds; pg. 236
  11. ↑ Coles, J.M.; Coles, B.J. (1990). "Dendrochronology of the English Neolithic : Part 11: the Sweet Track date" (PDF). Antiquity. 64 (243): 216–.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.