Archaeologists have discovered five remarkably preserved wooden wells in Hampshire, England, including examples dating back around 2,700 years to the Early Iron Age.
The wells were discovered north of Southampton during archaeological excavations ahead of the construction of a new water pipeline between Otterbourne and Southampton.
Archaeologists from UCL Archaeology South-East found that the wells tapped into a natural spring that appears to have provided water to local communities for centuries.
Radiocarbon dating of one of the structures produced a date of between 719 and 396 BC, placing its construction in the Early Iron Age.
Pottery recovered from within and around the wells indicates that people continued using the water source into the later Roman period.
Four of the wells are thought to date from the Iron Age and were constructed using hollowed-out oak trunks inserted vertically into pits. The largest measures approximately 70 centimetres in diameter.
One was reinforced with a ring of wooden stakes, while another showed evidence of repair during its period of use. Archaeologists found that a broken section had been supported using the wooden blade of a shovel.
“It is rare and exciting to find wooden structures from this period,” said excavation lead Rachael Geoghegan of UCL Archaeology South-East.
“The oxygen-starved conditions caused by the wet soil around the spring prevented the wood’s decomposition, preserving the ancient timbers in exquisite detail. We can even see axe marks on some of the timbers.”
The fifth well was constructed during the Roman period using a markedly different technique.
Instead of hollowed tree trunks, Roman builders excavated a shallow rectangular pit and lined it with timber planks and stakes.
Initial examination suggests oak was again the principal material, with both substantial timbers and smaller roundwood stakes showing that wood was sourced from mature trees and saplings.
Some of the larger timbers used in the Roman structure also appear to have been reused.
Because the timbers had survived in waterlogged, oxygen-poor conditions, archaeologists had to carefully stabilise them before removal.
The Iron Age hollowed trunks were lifted as intact as possible, while excavation of the Roman well required detailed recording to distinguish the different phases of its timber construction.
The discoveries provide archaeologists with a rare opportunity to compare water-management technology across several centuries at the same natural spring.
“These wells provide a fascinating window into how technology developed from the Iron Age through to the Roman period, revealing changing approaches to construction and water management,” said waterlogged wood specialist Hannah Street.
The timbers are now being stored in water-filled tanks to prevent deterioration while specialists examine tool marks, joints and other evidence of their construction.
Researchers are also analysing artefacts, soil samples, pollen and preserved plant remains to reconstruct the surrounding environment and determine how the site was used.
Dendrochronological analysis is being attempted on timbers from the Roman well. By comparing surviving tree-ring sequences, researchers hope to establish a more precise construction date.
The discovery shows that the natural spring north of Southampton remained an important water source across major cultural and technological changes, from Iron Age communities through to Roman-period occupation.
Sources : UCL