The Biggest dig for Ancient Treasures and Prehistoric Beasts in UK history

HS2 – what to expect: The biggest dig for ancient treasures and prehistoric beasts in UK history

Dotted along the line are several spots where treasures from the past are believed to lie beneath the ground.These include a Roman town in Fleet Marston, medieval villages near Aylesbury and Quainton and a mysterious Iron Age settlement near Wendover.

There’s even the chance that bones belonging to prehistoric beasts could be discovered – fragments from mammoth, woolly rhinoceros, hippopotamus, bear and hyena have already been found near Hartwell. Government agency HS2 Ltd has promised to carry out digs at historic sites prior to construction – something which excites vice-president of Bucks Archaeological Society Mike Farley.

He said: “It is a good opportunity. On the one hand we don’t want it but when and if it does happen there will be this opportunity for the public to learn about their past. “People think Stonehenge and they don’t think Aylesbury Vale – but they should, it is a fascinating place.”

I thought this was a rather interesting story. I wasn't familiar with the route in question did a bit more digging and found this map and link.

HS2 historical impact assessment project

The planned route of the HS2 high-speed train link between London and Birmingham crosses Buckinghamshire from end to end, crossing the historic landscapes of the Chilterns, the Vale of Aylesbury and the North Bucks villages.

If done correctly, this could be an amazing opportunity for archaeological discoveries. Hopefully TPTB there will follow through on allowing the studies to be done unmolested.

Stay tuned

reply to post by SLAYER69


This could be very interesting.. thanks for posting.

It's hard to imagine that wild Rhinos and Hyenas were once roaming England. Looking forward to seeing what else they find!

I'd be surprised if there was no molestering from TPTB though.

I'll be keeping an eye on this one.

i agree that it is important to do exploration to ensure that before ultra long term foundations are laid, we at least verify that important information isn't covered under concrete.

That said....it sure is an expense to take on. While citizens are asked to take on various austerity measures.

reply to post by SLAYER69


Lets hope they preserve as much as possible. It's a shame that a lot will probably be lost to build this high speed railway. They say its an opportunity, however once the railway is built will there be rules on further digging in the area. What if awesome artifacts are found which merit further archaeological investigating and digging? What happens then? Also, would they go digging otherwise to find all the stuff they think is there, or is this project providing funding for the digging and research to happen at all?

I just did some reading on road work being stopped and re-routed in Iceland because the people want to protect the land for the Elves. Isn't it interesting to see the differences between cultures and the reasons they will preserve land in one area as opposed to what they do in another.

leolady