The Lea Valley

Artist's impression of Mesolithic life Innova Park lies on the west of the river Lea, beside what may have been one of its former channels. The present industrial and urban character of the lower Lea Valley marks only the latest stage in a constantly evolving landscape. Occasional finds, such as flint tools and a mammoth tusk from nearby Enfield Lock, indicate at least an occasional human presence during the warmer parts of the last Ice Age.

Since then the major feature in the landscape has been the River Lea and its associated wetland, pasture, marsh, and tributary streams. For much of that period, people have exploited the valley for raw materials, food and grazing land.

The Bronze Age (2400-700 BC)

Photograph of Bronze Age copper 'fitting' and pin found on siteThe first period of intensive activity on site dates to the middle Bronze Age (1500-1100 BC). (A scatter of pits and a gully sealed beneath a Bronze Age layer must be earlier, but cannot be dated accurately.)

A concentration of pits, post-holes and ditches indicates activity over a long period of time. However, a lack of houses suggests this may just have been seasonal encampments. Adjacent to the stream was an unusual area where soil had gradually accumulated, containing quantities of pottery, human bone, animal bone, bone tools and flint tools of Middle and Late Bronze Age types. Ongoing analyses will determine if this is a midden.

Artists impression of what Bronze Age life might have been likeSome pits from this period were within the base of the palaeochannel, indicating episodes of reduced water flow, perhaps drought. Of great interest were several phases of revetment made of thick, well-worked timber stakes. These appeared to have been placed to stop erosion of the channel bank or facilitate access to the watercourse. These were originally thought to date from the Romano-British period. Surprisingly, however, radiocarbon dates from the surviving timbers told a different story. They have enabled us to identify at least three different phases of revetment, dating from the Early to Late Bronze Age, spanning up to 700 years (1750 – 1050 BC) and giving us strong evidence for the continued use of the area.

Two Late Bronze Age ditches defined a droveway for leading livestock towards the stream, hinting at the importance of the local water resource. Plant remains found in soil samples indicate the use of other wet-land resources, as well as evidence for grain processing and the collection of fruits and nuts from wild plants.

It is possible that there was a more permanent settlement to the west of the excavated site.

The Iron Age (700 BC – AD43)

Artists impression of what Iron Age life might have been likeReconstruction of Medieval fishtraps - thought to look very similar to the Iron Age fishtraps found on siteDuring the Iron Age the area was still used, although perhaps by fewer people, indicated by a small number of pits and gullies as well as an area of lazy beds. Most importantly, it is in the late Iron Age that the first evidence of a permanent settlement is found, a round house.

Pits and post-holes within the building suggest internal storage areas and possible divisions of space. Occupation may have continued into the early Roman period.

Within the palaeochannel, at least five small circular 'hoops' built from crudely worked twigs and branches probably functioned as fish traps. Although on-site dating was not possible, radiocarbon dating of the wood (170 BC – AD 10) places these in the middle to late Iron Age, not as previously thought in the Roman period.

 
Map showing location of Roundhouse

The Romans (AD 43-410)

Map of the Roman boundary ditches and pits.Whilst this period of history is described as Roman we must always remember that although the Romans did invade, life for most people carried on in much the same way as before. Most of the features were ditches for drainage, land division and stock control. The plan (left) shows just such uses with ditch (10681), which was used as a boundary and for drainage. Then to the east of this are 7 post-pits (10691) and another ditch (4009) that may have been a fence for stock control.