iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

The model created from the Flag Fen auger survey shows that the basin around the post-alignment has a gentle gradient across its western half, beside a deeper 250-300m wide “valley” across the eastern half. This eastern deeper, wetter zone corresponds to the location of the Flag Fen platform.

The deposit model created during the Flag Fen auger survey, with differing colours indicating the variations in depth across the Flag Fen basin.

1249

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

The deepest point from the Flag Fen auger survey was 3.8m and the shallowest 0.2m with an average depth of 1.46m. The lowest recorded point equalled -1.24m OD while the highest equalled 2.87m OD, a difference of 4.11m. The resulting model established a detailed asymmetrical, bowl-shaped profile.

1131

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

The soft deposits around Flag Fen were well suited to augering. Aside from a dry plough soil and compacted alluvial cover, the deposit sequence was made up of malleable peats, silty peats, organic silts and sandy clays. A buried soil horizon was recorded in most auger holes. Photo: Emma Bothamley

Someone removing the compacted sediment from the head of the auger and placing it into a white plastic drainpipe.

182

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

To gather the information needed to build a model the auger survey used a grid 1100m x 500m spaced at 50m intervals across the Flag Fen post alignment corridor. Starting at Fengate to the West and ending at Northey Island to the east a total of 200 points were hand augered. Photo: Emma Bothamley

A group of archaeologists carrying out an auger survey, removing the auger from the ground.

1124

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Last year’s Flag Fen auger survey was designed to accurately map the pre-Holocene land surface and surviving Holocene sediment sequence in the area around the Flag Fen post-alignment. This week we’ll be exploring the project and some of its findings. Photo: Emma Bothamley.

A group of people examining sediment from the Flag Fen auger survey.

1102

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

The 2020-21 Over Needingworth excavations revealed an area of preserved wooden stakes/posts and stake/postholes, with 58 being fully excavated and recorded. Dating to the Roman period the stakes and posts reflected use of the land when the area had transformed from a prehistoric dry land to fen.

A wooden stake in situ that is in the process of being excavated with a black and white scale bar.

24911

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

This Middle Bronze Age roundhouse from the Over Needingworth quarry has a rather elaborate southeast-facing entranceway, with eight additional postholes in addition to the ring of six that formed the main structure. The postholes produced 25 pottery sherds and small quantities of wood charcoal.

A ring of circular postholes with two rows of postholes in parallel lines coming off from the main ring

1195

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

The first phase of Over Needingworth’s Barrow 20 involved an in-situ cremation event followed by the construction of a turf mound. The cremation took place directly on the buried soil surface and left traces of the pyre remains.

An overhead drone shot showing a round barrow in the process of being excavated. Four slots one in each quadrant are present and the dark ring of the ditch is visible at the edge of the barrow.

77517

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

A dense area of 84 pits and postholes was found in excavations at Over Needingworth quarry in 2020-21. The combined features produced 28 sherds of Grooved Ware pottery, including some Durrington Walls type sherds.

An area containing a dense cluster of half sectioned pits and postholes with dark grey-brown fills cut into pale orange mottled gravels.

172

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Discovered in the 2020-21 Over Needingworth quarry excavations, this Late Neolithic pit well contained some interesting fills. Two distinctive charcoal rich midden deposits contained 123 sherds of Grooved Ware pottery, 604 fragments of animal bone and over 100 pieces of worked flint.

A large pit over three metres wide with many fills indicated by different colours and textures. Preserved wood is visible at the pit’s base.

1123

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

This circular arrangement of 16 postholes/small pits is thought to be a timber circle or a small “hengiform” monument and was found during 2020-21 excavations at Over Needingworth quarry. Its form is characteristic of the later Neolithic and it pre-dated the Middle Bronze Age droveway that cuts it.

A circle of half-sectioned postholes dug into an orange sandy, gravelly natural with a dark brown linear ditch running vertically down the centre of the image.

1142

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

The primary inhumation in the Middle Neolithic round barrow found during 2020-21 excavations at Over Needingworth quarry consisted of two individuals placed in “mirrored” positions. One of the individuals was buried with four large flint blades that had clearly been placed as grave goods.

A round barrow in the process of being excavated with several hand dug slots across its ditch and a section of the mound still in place.

1102

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Excavations at the Over Needingworth quarry in 2020-21 uncovered a Middle Neolithic ditched round barrow. Barrow 22 was a single-phase monument where a primary double burial was interred in a shallow scoop, before a ring-ditch was dug and its excavated material used to raise a mound over the grave

An overhead, drone image of a round barrow during excavation with a section of mound still present and multiple slots dug into the monument’s ditch.

1122

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

At Must Farm the hollow at the edge of the ridge appeared to have been a useful feature in later prehistory. The use of a stake alignment around part of the hollow and the presence of a route demonstrated by animal tracks suggested that there was likely to have been a form of managed access.

The edge of a deeper hollow discovered at the excavation.

073

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Work on the preserved animal tracks along the bottom of the Flag Fen Basin at Must Farm suggested the shape and size are indicative they were created by cattle and are reminiscent of similar ones discovered nearby at Bradley Fen.

Detail of excavated preserved animal hoofprints.

1153

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Running across the middle of this image, above the scale, is a series of animal tracks from Must Farm. Travelling along the bottom of the Flag Fen Basin the tracks went to and from the wet hollow and were probably part of the daily route of small groups of animals moving between pastures.

An overhead view of an area of preserved animal tracks crossing an area of the excavation.

0174

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Stakes from the second alignment at the latest excavation at Must Farm showed that they were simple and functional. Some stakes were with a single chop to create the sharpened tip before they were inserted into the ground. Only a few showed evidence of more working with multi-faceted points.

A close-up of an archaeologist holding a preserved stake so that the cut mark on its tip is visible to the camera.

1134

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Fortunately, the second row of stakes at Must Farm was better preserved. As the stakes were inserted into the edge of a wet hollow, rather than in the harder gravels like the first alignment, more detail can be seen on the wood allowing us to understand how the stakes were created.

An archaeologist lifting a preserved stake out of the ground and holding it in their hands.

091

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

After uncovering the second stake alignment we recorded each in situ before they were lifted, studied further and sampled.

An archaeologist with a drawing board making a scale drawing of an area of stakes with a tape measure and line level set up.

0153

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

At Must Farm we also discovered a second stake alignment! These stakes are positioned around the edge of a what would have been a wet hollow and seem to have been managing access.

An overhead view of a group of five archaeologists working on a row of stakes.

1184

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

The stakes in the row at Must Farm were positioned close to the edge of the floodplain, which sat above the area of lower, waterlogged deposits. In places only the very tips of the stakes survived, like this alder example, limiting the amount of information we were able to get from the wood.

A close-up of the dark, degraded tip of a wooden stake.

0132

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

We discovered the remnants of a stake alignment close to the buried soil at Must Farm. These rows of stakes have been found in other areas of the site and probably date to the early Bronze Age.

An excavated area that has revealed the profiles of a series of stakes, visible as dark vertical lines in the ground.

1172

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

On the ridge in the latest area of excavation at Must Farm the buried soil contained a range of finds including flints, with lots of blades and scrapers, alongside pottery. These artefacts are consistent with the buried soil dating to the late Neolithic or early Bronze Age.

A close-up of an archaeologist holding a worked flint in their fingertips.

0122

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

More Beaker pottery was discovered from the pit cluster at Must Farm, including this nice sherd still in situ.

A close-up of a decorated sherd of pottery in the ground.

1212

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

The cluster of pits in the buried soil at Must Farm contained Beaker pottery including this exciting handled Beaker dating to 2400-1900BC. We’ve been examining the sherds and found that several refit across pits, including the handled Beaker, demonstrating that the features were contemporary.

A close-up of a large, decorated sherd of pottery being held in a hand.

0265

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Above the edge of the floodplain and beside the preserved trees was a well-preserved buried soil. This deposit contained a cluster of pits with assemblages of pottery, flint and animal bone that appear to represent the buried waste of a short-term occupation at Must Farm overlooking the river.

An overhead drone view of two archaeologists cleaning an area of circular pits.

0101

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Unfortunately, despite the preserved trees at Must Farm being in good condition we were only able to date a few of them. Even those with over a hundred rings could not be dated using dendrochronology.

A group of cut, sampled sections of preserved trees resting on the ground next to an archaeologist’s feet.

1124

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Contours are key to unpicking the story of the landscape uncovered at Must Farm. As the Fens became inundated the rising water levels may have been responsible for the death of the trees in this latest area as it became too wet for them to survive.

A sampled tree emerges from a dark, peaty layer that sits below a smooth, blue-grey clay.

1102

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

At Must Farm the presence of preserved trees that had been growing in situ in the wood peat showed us that in this period of prehistory this location would have been a Fen carr environment.

A sampled tree sitting in a cleaned area of stratigraphy.

1255

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

The area of preserved trees at Must Farm gave us an insight into the landscape and its changes over time. The stratigraphy at the site showed us clearly that the trees were growing in an environment wet enough for peat to form. In this image, a tree stump is rooted directly into the wood peat layer.

An archaeologist cleans an area to highlight the stratigraphy around a preserved tree stump.

0185

Vicki Herring @vhillustration.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

I haven't managed to visit yet, but Historic Environment Scotland have very kindly sent me some pictures of my artwork in the Drawn From the Archives Exhibition currently in Fort George until 23rd November, then at Aberdour Castle until April, with more dates and locations to follow.

A large digital pen and ink collage artwork of archaeological illustrations on a large board in a castle room exhibition

110

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Lots of trees popped up in the wood peat deposits at Must Farm. It’s always satisfying uncovering them ready for recording and sampling.

Three archaeologists stand next to an exposed preserved trees with their shovels next to them.

1273

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

The edge of the floodplain in the latest area at Must Farm is the edge of a terrace that contains the remains of preserved trees. This example is an oak tree with two stems growing from the same stool. Well-preserved with its bark and sapwood intact, it seems to have died and fallen quickly.

A fallen oak tree with very dark wood that has been excavated and left on a slightly raised area.

0268

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Our new work at Must Farm focused on an old land surface or buried soil situated at the bottom of the Flag Fen Basin. The adjacent, deeper floodplain also had a buried soil that is more poorly preserved. This lower land surface produced small numbers of Late Mesolithic & early Neolithic worked flint

A drone image showing the long, thin area of excavation at the edge of the quarry that gradually slopes downwards towards the bottom of the basin.

0222

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

The wood-filled deposit in the latest phase of work at Must Farm contained alder and ash trees. It is possible the deposit could be part of another palaeochannel or it may be another step or dip in the earlier floodplain.

An overhead view of an area of a very dark deposit filled with preserved pieces of wood

0142

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Must Farm often produces interesting stratigraphy and some great colours! These colourful layers belong to the deposits in the floodplain of the prehistoric River Nene.

Different layers of sediment in clear bands of colours including a dark brown, blue-grey and a light greenish-yellow.

0194

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

To the south of the latest excavation area at Must Farm we uncovered an interesting organic deposit containing lots of preserved wood, including trees. None of the wood appeared to have been worked, though some had been gnawed by beavers.

An overhead view of a large area of the dark, organic deposit close to the edge of the excavation.

1235

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

The latest phase of work at Must Farm explored the bottom of the Flag Fen Basin (before it was submerged in the Middle Bronze Age) together with the much deeper floodplain of the prehistoric River Nene.

A map showing the location of the area of the current excavation with colour coding highlighting the difference in height between the basin and floodplain of the Flag Fen basin.

0172

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

We’re excited to have been back excavating at Must Farm Quarry where we investigated a new area. Over the next few weeks we’ll share updates of the archaeology we encountered.

A small group of archaeologists working at the edge of a large quarry.

2316

Vicki Herring @vhillustration.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

I’m excited to share my artwork commissioned to accompany Historic Environment Scotland’s Drawn from the Archives Exhibition at Fort George which runs until the 23rd November. The exhibition celebrates the variety of drawings held in the HES archives.

010

Vicki Herring @vhillustration.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

I’m so excited to finally be able to share a project I have loved working on. I was asked by @cambridgearch.bsky.social to create some reconstruction illustrations for a series of KS2 educational materials for teachers, based on the Bronze Age settlement site at Must Farm.

2134

Vicki Herring @vhillustration.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

It's taken a long time, but it's finally out! The Must Farm Educational Materials for Key Stage 2. I loved working on the illustrations for this!

162

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

The West Cambourne log ladder, found towards the base of a large watering hole, has well preserved tool marks on its lower steps, showing the way in which the axe was used to chip out the wood between two faces of the notch.

051

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

The watering hole at West Cambourne produced the longest log ladder currently known from Britain, with its full surviving length measuring over 3m. Contextual information suggests the ladder dates to the late Iron Age.

0154

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

West Cambourne’s watering hole produced lots of interesting waterlogged wood. These included a mixture of planks and part of a modified tree trunk, which may have been used to help haul water from the feature.

053

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

At a depth of approximately 1.5m in the large later prehistoric watering hole found at West Cambourne conditions allowed for the preservation of waterlogged wood. Carefully uncovering these timbers in the wet, clayey conditions was not easy!

061

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

One of the largest archaeological features at West Cambourne was this watering hole, measuring 25m long by 14m wide and likely dating to the Late Iron Age. It contained two well shafts, approximately 3m deep, showing it was recut at least once.

031

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

A slot in a ditch at West Cambourne produced 782 sherds of early Roman pottery. This seems to have resulted from a “dumping event” where mostly complete pots were shattered as they were thrown into the ditch. The rest of the feature contained few finds suggesting this was an isolated event.

072

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

At West Cambourne a series of Iron Age boundary ditches were discovered that probably formed the edge of a prehistoric settlement. The features produced finds that are typical of Iron Age domestic activity including pottery, animal bone and burnt stone.

052

Reposted by Vicki Herring

Cambridge Archaeological Unit @cambridgearch.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

One of the Iron Age discoveries at West Cambourne was this circular enclosure, approximately 24m in diameter. Its ditch was up to 2.5m wide and 1.4m deep and was most likely used for managing livestock.

092