WORK BEING carried out on the A38 near Upton-upon-Severn has seen an Iron Age settlement from around 2,250 years ago unearthed.
The discovery was made during the planning phase of the improvements being made by Worcestershire County Council to tackle congestion at the A38/A4104 staggered crossroad junction.
The site was first spotted on aerial photos and an initial investigation to find out more was carried out in late 2020.
This revealed pottery which indicated the site was a Middle Iron Age settlement with an unusually large ditched enclosure at its heart.
Coun Matt Dormer, Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Communities, said: “Making discoveries like this gives us a fantastic insight into our past and helps us build a picture of life in years gone by.
“Finding out more about our history is incredibly important and our Archives and Archaeology Team do a great job of bringing our past to life.”
A full excavation was carried out in August and September 2021.
Robin Jackson, Worcestershire Archaeology Team Manager, said: “The excavation revealed that the ditch defining the enclosure was exceptionally large, with a gap on the east side providing an entrance and large posts set to either side, indicative of a substantial gateway.
“We also discovered a waterhole, a small enclosure and field boundaries.
“Pottery confirmed the site dated to the Middle Iron Age, indicating it had been occupied sometime between 300 and 100BC.”
He added the excavation was restricted to the area disturbed to construct the new roundabout but that was only about a third of the enclosure.
It had given a good insight into what life would have been like in the Iron Age.
Further works to analyse the findings will take place into next year, with many theories about how the site would have operated and for what cause still to be investigated.
Visit explorethepast.co.uk for more on the discoveries made.
Back in 2019, during works on the A4440 Southern Link Road, artefacts from the Battle of Worcester were unearthed, including musket balls, horse harness fittings and belt buckles at the site of the 1651 conflict.
Works on the new roundabout to replace the current junction, got under way in July and include the construction of a four-arm roundabout, the realignment of the western A4104 approach from Upton-upon-Severn and improvements to the crossing provision on all arms for pedestrians and cyclists.
Visit worcestershire.gov.uk/uptonimprovements for more on the scheme.
