Rare Bronze Age finds unearthed in city dig

Insects and a child burial from the Bronze Age are among "very rare" finds unearthed at an archaeological dig on the edge of a city.

Archaeologists also found pieces of worked timber in the waterhole near Quedgeley, Gloucester, which show axe marks and evidence of wood-splitting.

Cotswold Archaeology said a large number of insects such as water fleas were found which illustrated a number of different ancient habitats.

Paolo Guarino, post-excavation manager at Cotswold Archaeology, told BBC Radio Gloucestershire: "It's quite rare to find all this stuff in one place".

The waterhole - a large hole in the ground where water is naturally collected - contained 150 preserved timber elements built more than 3,500 years ago.

They included a platform, log planks, a log ladder, wattle lining, and a reused wooden trough.

A group of 13 human cremations were also found on the site, along with a child burial.

Guarino said the timber will now be analysed as will any insects and plants that were found.

He said: "It's a nationally significant find.

"It's very, very rare to find timber that's that old in any case."

He added that waterlogged conditions allowed the timber to be preserved.

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