Stepping back to Bronze Age

THE search for a Bronze Age man at a burial site in Sutton has resumed, and the race is on to find the skeleton of one of our ancestors. In December we reported on the work of a group of amateur archaeologists who have unearthed some historically importan

THE search for a Bronze Age man at a burial site in Sutton has resumed, and the race is on to find the skeleton of one of our ancestors.

In December we reported on the work of a group of amateur archaeologists who have unearthed some historically important finds in their excavation of a Bronze Age barrow.

Sutton Archaeological Group hopes to eventually find the remains of a Bronze Age person at the ancient burial site. They have already uncovered tools, animal bones and a wealth of pottery.

The group was formed by three archaeology enthusiasts, Gill Shapland, Alex Tinker and Liz Hawkins. In 2003 they won a £25,000 grant from the Local Heritage Initiative to excavate the barrow.

The project inspired other villagers, and the group quickly gained the assistance of a dozen or so excited volunteers.

The dig closes down for the winter months, and work restarted in earnest at Easter. The group only has the summer months of this year to complete the dig, as their funding runs out in 2008. They will spend next year writing up their findings.

"We have found some flints and some soil features already this year," Miss Hawkins said. "Our biggest hope is that we'll find human bones soon."

The group is keen to find more volunteers. Anyone can help, and there is a job for everyone interested in being part of the project. "We meet every Saturday afternoon, and we'd love to see some new faces", Miss Hawkins said.

If you are interested in helping the Sutton Archaeological Group, contact secretary Alex Tinker on 01353 775256 or Liz Hawkins on 01353 777735.