The official opening of the new Iron Age Roundhouse will take place at Avalon Archaeology on Saturday, March 21. Visitors will be able explore the latest replica building and learn more about Somerset’s prehistory with themed activities taking place.
The new reconstruction building is based on evidence from the Glastonbury Lake Village, where Iron Age communities built homes and canoes to thrive in the flooded environment of the Somerset Levels. Glastonbury Lake Village was occupied for about 150 years at the end of the Iron Age, with a maximum of 20 houses at any one time. It could only be reached by water. 
Built on wet peat, these waterlogged conditions has allowed the remarkable preservation of wooden structures and objects that do not normally survive, making it the most well-preserved Iron Age settlement yet discovered in the UK.
A team of experimental archaeologists at the South West Heritage Trust have worked alongside volunteers to complete the project over 12 months. Members of the public also contributed to the interior decoration at a prehistoric painting workshop. The building also features an authentic bread oven.
Dr Richard Brunning, an archaeologist with the South West Heritage Trust, who led the project, explained: “The roundhouse is built with very small roundwood and relies on its woven structure to give it strength, rather like a large upturned basket.
“The walls are covered in daub, a mixture of clay subsoil, hay and a little horse poo. It is thatched with reed and has a clay floor, central hearth and small bread oven. The walls are decorated with impressions of ammonite shells and painted with natural earth colours using milk curds as a binding agent. The patterns are taken from pottery designs from Glastonbury Lake Village.”
On Saturday and Sunday, March 21 – 22 visitors can enjoy themed activities that explore prehistoric Somerset, showcasing the skills and technologies that shaped daily life on the Somerset Levels. This includes a chance to recreate part of the Sweet Track using Neolithic tools. Children have the opportunity to dress up in Iron Age costume. Visitors will also see ancient woodwork demonstrations, and a reconstruction of a dugout canoe.
Dr Brunning added: “This new structure helps bring to life how ancient communities built, travelled, and lived within the landscape of the Levels. We hope visitors gain a vivid sense of early society through the reconstructed domestic architecture, alongside the seasonal rituals and traditional crafts on offer.”
Avalon Archaeology is open every Sunday 10am – 4pm and Saturdays during the school holidays.
To find out more visit avalonarchaeology.org.uk
Join Somerset Chamber of Commerce to give your business a stronger voice both locally, regionally and nationally. Combined with local town chambers, we represent over 2,000 businesses across Somerset with a direct line to policy-makers at all levels.
