Indiana Jones: Myth, Reality And 21st Century Archaeology

A Mesolithic site in Cornwall provided evidence of human habitation along a marshy streambed in Cornwall. Its spring-fed waters preserved a sustained record of human occupation through the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages. However, the site is best known for a series of animal pits whose contents vary but are characterized by similar shapes and contents for the interval A.D. 1640-1970. The earliest pits were lined with swan feathers and small stones. The latter were imported from a source 15 miles away. Through time, the remains changed and included cats, pigs, and dog teeth, with eggs and the typical small stones as well. The most recent of these pits contained plastic artifacts dated to the 1970's, suggesting that these practices are still in force in Cornwall. Our special guest is Dr. Jacqui Wood who runs an archaeological field school in Cornwall dedicated to uncovering the secrets of the pits and tracking their contemporary analogues.