Butser Ancient Farm
Site Directed by Butser Archaeological Centre Ltd

IRON AGE FARMING
- LAND USE -

Most of the land was under management across the south of Britain, with very few areas left untouched. The land around each farm was under the plough and producing a large range of crops very efficiently. The outer field boundaries were either wattle fencing or live hedges. Where the cultivated area extended up the hillsides, over a period of time the soil in each field slipped down the slope, and at the lower boundary it created a terrace called a lynchet bank. Further out from the farm, the surrounding hills and open land was used to graze a variety of animals. The land alongside any rivers was used for meadows, hay making in the summer and water-meadow grazing in the winter. Any area of woodland within reach was used to produce the timber required by pollarding and coppicing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CULTIVATION
The fields were cultivated by either digging by hand, or ploughing - using cattle as the motive power. All crops were sown by hand, and then raked or harrowed to cover the seed.
This video clip is from a schools programme in the 1980's

If you click through to Google, choose 'from user' for more video on the Ironage.

GRAZING
The open grasslands supported a wide range of animals, both domestic and wild. The domestic stock included cattle, sheep and goats, whilst the wild animals included deer, hares, birds and auroch (a wild cattle).

WATER MEADOW
Water meadows are low-laying land around a river, creating a flood plain. During the summer when the land around the river was dry, the grass was cut to produce hay. This was used as winter feed for the animals. During the winter, the cattle could be grazed on it. The act of the river flooding also fertilised the land with silt from the river.

WOODLAND
The trees in the woods were managed by pollarding and coppicing to maintain an output of timber.
Pollarding is the removal of the branches from the top of the trunk of a tree and then allowing the tree to re-sprout. The tree can be pollarded every 15-20yrs and the timber produced can be used for the construction of buildings,fence posts, charcoal and firewood.
Coppicing is a similar process, but the tree is cut close to the ground. The re-growth is harvested every 5-7yrs, and the wood used for wattle fencing, hurdles, building construction and charcoal.
Both of these methods enabled small areas of woodlands to produce a large and consistent output of timber over a long period of time.

OSIER BEDS
An area of wet land can be planted with willow rods (cuttings) which root easily. The growth of willow can be cut every 1-2yrs, and the withies produced were used for making baskets and fish-traps.