See 4,000 years of history on the edge of Bury

An archeological dig that has revealed more than 4,000 years of human activity on the site of a new housing estate has been given extra time to explore new finds.

Experts from Suffolk Archaeology have been on the Marham Park site between Mildenhall and Bury St Edmunds since April but have recently found what they believe to be a well, so have been given another week to fully excavate it.

But Alex Fisher, outreach officer for Suffolk Archaeology, said the well was the latest in a series of interesting finds on the site, with evidence of occupation going back to about 2,000 years BC and hints of older Neolithic use.

The most spectacular and mysterious feature found is a 25 metre diameter Bronze Age working hollow, which has now been fully excavated to reveal a cobbled area, burnt flints, about 100 flint scrapers and a pit of pottery.

Alex said: “We don’t fully know what the hollows are. They have been found all over the place and there are many theories.”

Experiments have shown they can be used for slow cooking meat, but no bones were found in this hollow near Tut Hill, the road between Fornham All Saints and the A14.

Other theories are that they may have been sheltered working area or a type of sauna.

Other Bronze age finds include a drove way, for moving animals.

The hollow had an Iron Age enclosure above it and the site has also revealed chalk quarries and storage pits from the same period. There have also been Roman and medieval finds.

The public have a last chance to see the dig before it closes at an open day on Sunday between 10am and 4pm, with access from the B1106 Tut Hill,