Fiskerton in Lincolnshire, England, does the name mean anything to you? If you were an archeologist it would, it would mean a lot. It just so happens that this area is the home to some of the best preserved relics of the iron age and before. Not only that but there is a wooden causeway that was build somewhere around 450 B.C. and maintained for hundreds of years. It was estimated that it was repaired about every 18 years until the people just lost interest in it for some unknown reason. This are some special properties that ensure preservation of relics. This is because there is a river flowing over the land that is surrounded by a marsh. This marsh is peat. When something falls into it the peat marsh surrounds it, keeping out oxygen, the element that causes things to rot. This area is a natural preservation factory.

I wonder why the people of that early time felt that they needed a causeway? I guess it was something like the modern boardwalk at the beach. This must have been really advanced technology for that period. Some really great things have been found in and around this area. An object called the Witham Shield is a perfectly preserved metal shield that was very decorative. It has been dated from around 400 B.C. and looks brand new. Its a long shield, about the length of the shields that the Roman infantry used to carry. It has a round hole near the top, I suppose a spear went through there to ward off the cavalry or a charge. The shield was found in 1826. Another item that was found is very unusual because it was so well preserved. It is a spear, a complete spear. It is unusual to find a complete spear and this one may be the only one ever found from that period in England. Archaeologists look upon a chance to dig at this site as the chance of a lifetime.

The site is known as the Fiskerton site and other interesting things have been found there. Something known as a currency bar was found upstream. Its exact purpose is puzzling but it is thought that maybe it could be broken into pieces and each piece would have a certain value. The key find was a log boat, but it was a disappointing find because it was in many pieces. It had been disturbed in its bed of peat many years ago and the oxygen in the air destroyed most of it. Disappointed archeologists were given a lift later on when a second log boat was found that was completely intact. This boat hadn't been disturbed. The funny thing about this boat was the fact that it seemed to have been pegged in place and may never have been used for sailing. Maybe it was used for ceremonial purposes or even as an ad for some primitive boat builder.

A dagger was found and the blade was still sharp. It had the handle broken. It may have been done on purpose for some unknown reason. The boat has been removed and sent to the Mary Rose Trust for careful restoration and preservation. You have to remember that now the air is getting to all the objects that are removed from the bog. The timbers of the ship still show fresh tool marks on them.

It makes you wonder what other objects are in the bog just waiting to reveal themselves to us. You also have to wonder what the causeway connected to? After all wouldn't you think that there might have been something at either end, something like a village? If you are interested in knowing more about the finds in this area you can visit http://flagfen.com/ . The link will take you to Britain's Bronze Age Center.

In Jiroft, an ancient city in Iran, an ancient commercial seal has been found. It is believed to be over 5,000 years old. The image on the seal is that of a goat. It is made of marble and is about 2X2 cm. Previously several seals were found that date back 2,300 years. Apparently this region was an important economic center in ancient times.

In what is referred to as the Burnt City in Iran a pair of 5,200 year old earrings were found. The workmanship was quite good for the times.The earrings were found next to the skeleton of a woman, one earring on each side of the skull. Previously it had been thought that the inhabitants of this city never wore earrings

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