Archaeological Sites Destroyed By Agriculture

Archaeological digs in the Somerset Levels of Britain have provided researchers with rare views into how Bronze Age man dealt with life in a wetland five thousand years ago. When the sites were first opened up around a century ago, organic items had been remarkably well preserved under the flooded land. A recent scientific survey of the wetlands, found that many of the organic artifacts had completely disintegrated. The culprit, it seems, is agriculture. In the past century land in the wetland has been drained for agriculture. Preserved organic artifacts decomposed quickly when water levels were lowered, exposing them to air.

Scientists are encouraging a return to traditional lower impact farming methods in the area to preserve the remaining artifacts.

Link: Britain's ancient sites destroyed by agriculture from the Guardian Unlimited

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 2:31 PM on November 16, 2005

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