‘Irregularly shaped cropmark’ turns out to be mysterious ancient site, UK photos show
During excavation work in the United Kingdom, a railroad company uncovered an unusual “cropmark.” Archaeologists suspect the markings are actually a mysterious ancient site.
Excavations crews were doing work in Ravensthorpe as part of a railroad construction project when they found a “large, irregularly shaped cropmark,” according to a Jan. 19 news release from Network Rail.
Oxford archaeologists were brought in to analyze the “cropmark” and tentatively identified it as a “small settlement dating back to Roman times,” the company said.
The main structure had a hexagon shape with some circular features, archaeologists said. Pottery, building materials and animal bones were unearthed nearby. A photo shows the site.
“We have a possible small-scale settlement with round house-like features and boundary ditches which yielded limited finds of a Roman date,” the site supervisor, Catherine O’Doherty, said in the release. “This is interesting as sites such as this are limited in West Yorkshire, making this site an exciting discovery.”
The age of the site and its purpose remain unknown, the company said. Archaeologists are analyzing samples from the site for more information.
Ravensthorpe is near Leeds and about 160 miles northwest of London.
This story was originally published January 19, 2024 at 11:17 AM with the headline "‘Irregularly shaped cropmark’ turns out to be mysterious ancient site, UK photos show."
