Iron Age - Glastonbury Lake Village Mound 74

The Glastonbury Lake Village was an iron age settlement on a man made island in the middle of the Somerset Levels. Excavated over a hundred years ago, the watrlogged conditions yealded vast amounds of timbers and artefacts, giving a great insight into iron age life.

This house had the best preserved evidence for the footprint of the building.
This included the first floor surface of wooden planking.

At 6m diameter, it was a comfortable size for habitation.
It is unusual in that the doorway faces West, around 96% of iron age houses face the South East quadrant.

This is the archaeological footprint of the house. Not only does it have a wooden floor, but steps up onto the floor, showing there was an attempt to rais the house abive the damp surface of the man made island.
Preparation of the wall posts and stakes.
Erection of the wall stakes, and the door posts.
The wall was woven up to a height of 1.5m, making a reasonable head height inside the house.
Erection of all the rafters on the top of the wall.
Purlins constructed of multiple willow rods.
Thatch started.
House finished. The outer wall has been painted with a clay wash, coloured with ochre. There is ochre available in the Mendips, on the edge of the Somerset Levels.
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