For the past 7 months, volunteers have passionately reconstructed a model of the Lindholme Late Neolithic timber trackway and platform. Using traditional stone tools, the group felled and carried over 250 Scot’s pine on to the site.
On Saturday, we celebrated all their efforts and opened the trackway with a special ceremony.
Starting the celebrations, members of the #CommunityOfBuilders and families read out poems and readings.This was followed up by a Stone Age themed poetry and storytelling event with local author, Addy Farmer. The group walked along the reconstruction (for the first time) and finished up on the platform. There, they read their poems to an audience of guests, members of the NNR team, trackway archaeologists and visitors.
Dressed as a Stone Age builder, James Dilley from Ancient Crafts carried various Stone Age items up the track leaving on the platform for photographs. This included a recently knapped jadeite axe and impressive large deer skull. This was a great opportunity for visitors to visualize what the original monument may have looked like nearly 5,000 years ago – although exactly what its use was we are still unsure! James also wowed the visitors with flint knapping and his Stone Age camp display.
Experimental wood worker, Mark Griffiths, displayed the many tools of the trade and conversed with visitors about working with tools from the past. Mark demonstrated how best to use the stone tools and the techniques required to build a reconstruction such as this track and platform.
Chatting on site was trackway archaeologists, Dr Ben Gearey from the University of Cork, Ireland and Professor Henry Chapman from the University of Birmingham. Both Ben and Henry took an active role in building the reconstruction and the #IoAHC would like to thank them immensely for their help and assistance.
M.E Oliver who originally discovered the trackway timbers in the early 2000s was also on hand to talk to visitors.
The Humberhead Peatlands NNR team provided the fun and interactive family craft activities.
We would like to offer our huge thanks goes to the many #CommunityOfBuilders who spent many months felling, carrying and piecing together this amazing reconstruction for all to enjoy!
You can now visit the trackway reconstruction on Hatfield Moors. Take care! You walk across at your own risk!
The trackway reconstruction is located at SE 69028 05035
Follow the link below to the Humberhead Peatlands NNR to find out visiting information. If you need further information please get in touch with the Landscape Partnership or the Humberhead Peatlands NNR teams.
Whilst on site, the trackway can be located by following the yellow route. http://www.humberheadpeatlands.org.uk/index.php?page=access
Ancient Craft – James Dilley Humberhead Peatlands NNR
Ancient Craft – James Dilley Humberhead Peatlands NNR#IoAHC#HLFSupported #VisitDoncaster #VisitNorthLincs Heritage Lottery Fund@NorthLincsCouncil
