Evidence of Iron Age road-building discovered in Shropshire

[Zorak]

The discovery seems to show that the iron age Britons were better and more imaginative engineers than they are generally given credit for.

It may also give an insight into the relationship between the tribes that lived in the region, as the road was almost certainly created to take heavy traffic, suggesting a thriving trade route.

The road, which is 1.5 metres high and six metres wide, was unearthed at Bayston Hill quarry, near Shrewsbury, which fittingly is owned by modern-day roadbuilders Tarmac.

It was initially assumed that the metalled road found at the site was built after the invasion, but it did not quite fit in with the known Roman road network.

The road was found to include brushwood, a deep clay foundation and cobbles taken from the river Severn. Archaeologists sent off samples of the brushwood and the sediment found in the road and were hugely excited when the results showed it was built in several phases, the latest of which was the century before the Roman invasion of AD43.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/mar/15/britannia-roman-roads-iron-age

"The traditional view currently is that the Romans came over to Britain, built the roads and civilised the people. But we have found that this road was built before the Romans invaded."

 

[Abcinthia]

Ooo wow that is interesting

 

[dkwrtw]

Very interesting.

 

[Dana]

pretty cool

 

[Zorak]

They've discovered another road at the other end of the country, from about 75bc, built by the now rather famous Iceni tribe.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14503302