Stansted: Airport's 3,000-year heritage!

Chris Bell, of Framework Archaeology, which was funded by BAA to carry out the work, said that it was pleased to have the opportunity to excavate before work on the airport's £200 million development began.

"We had an idea there might be something here," he said.

"The latest finds add to the work carried out in the 1980s by Essex County Council archaeologists, who found evidence of large Iron Age and Roman settlements at the airport. We now have evidence of a Bronze Age village dating back just over 3,000 years.

"It is a very important find for the region and puts back the date of settlement in the area. These finds will build up a picture of life in the middle Bronze Age."

He added: "For example, much time would have been spent in decorating the pottery, which may have been used for storage, while the discovery of Neolithic flint tools in a water hole suggests they were collected and used as an offering.

"We have been working down here for about three months now, and we are very pleased that we got the funding from BAA," he said.

The most extraordinary find of the excavation has been that of a large boulder, weighing a tonne, which archaeologists believe could have been a standing stone.

Pits containing large quantities of crudely fired, but elaborately decorated pottery, flint tools and animal bones have also been discovered.

Mr Bell said: "We are still finding more things. Even this week, we found a flint hand axe, which dates back more than 10,000 years.

"The extensive topsoil stripping has also revealed a field system possibly of medieval date, and initially interpreted as ridge and furrow.

''This is a very exciting time for everyone involved."

Ancient find: Site director Chris Bell with the palaeolithic hand axe, which is more than 10,000 years old.

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