History Forum / General / Archaeology / October 2007

A little problem with nomenclature but the farming methods of a hunter-
gatherer culture in Lincolnshire has been uncovered.

FARMING FROM 6,000 YEARS AGO
Date : 27.10.07

Evidence of the farming methods of hunter-gatherers from more than
6,000 years ago have surfaced in Washingborough.

Rare criss-crossed ploughing tracks were uncovered before the
construction of new business units on Smile Lane.

The feint lines were uncovered during four weeks of painstakingly
removing layers of soil by hand.

And they were made by a rudimentary tool called an ard - a form of
early plough.

And flint tools buried in the soil have been bagged and tagged for
proper identification.

The find is significant because it shows how our ancestors farmed in
the Witham Valley.

Mark Allen, of Allen Archaeological Associates, was leading the
investigation.

He said the marks had been so well preserved because of a soil bank
built by Romans.

The material that was thrown up during its construction had gradually
covered the field and protecting it from drainage water.

"This dates from the Neolithic period and it is very rare," he said.

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