Archaeologists find prehistoric tools and lost Medieval Hall under Houses of Parliament

"Archaeologists working at the Houses of Parliament have discovered evidence that human activity at the site could be older even than Stonehenge. The discovery, part of a three-year research project, uncovered evidence of human activity dating back nearly 6,000 years - over a millennium older than the earliest earthworks at Stonehenge. The find includes more than 60 struck flint flakes, including one worked tool, likely dating to the late Mesolithic or early Neolithic period (around 4300 BC)."

"The flints were found in undisturbed sand deposits that once formed part of Thorney Island, an area where prehistoric communities are thought to have fished, hunted, and gathered food. The investigation has also revealed a range of later artefacts. A re-purposed Roman altar fragment, more than 2,000 years old, appears to have been incorporated into a subsequent building. Medieval finds include leather footwear and straps in various sizes, dating to around 800 years ago, as well as an ornate lead badge shaped like a flowering heart - a popular 14th-15th century symbol of romance. More recent history surfaced too, in the form of a 19th-century five-pint beer jug."

""The Palace of Westminster has been a central part of our national story for a thousand years; the location of momentous events that have shaped the UK's history. As we plan for the significant restoration and renewal of Parliament, we must tread softly on the history beneath our feet, to protect it, and to learn from it. Last year that process of discovery began with the first trial excavations which have already revealed things we didn't know, as well as confirming things we suspected.""

Archaeologists unearthed evidence of human activity at the Houses of Parliament site dating nearly 6,000 years, earlier than Stonehenge's earliest earthworks. More than 60 struck flint flakes and a worked tool likely date to the late Mesolithic or early Neolithic (around 4300 BC). The flints came from undisturbed sand deposits that formed part of Thorney Island, where prehistoric communities fished, hunted and gathered. Later finds include a re-purposed Roman altar fragment incorporated into a subsequent building, medieval leather footwear and straps, an ornate 14th–15th century lead heart-shaped badge, and a 19th-century five-pint beer jug. Restoration planning will consider protecting these buried remains.

Read at ianVisits