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Archaelogy
Somerset has some of the most famous archaeological sites in the world, but hotter drier summers could seriously damage them... |
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Large area of Somerset are a greater risk of flooding because of climate change, but this is not the only threat. Summers in the county are likely to become hotter and drier (up to 30% drier by the middle of the century), which could have serious impacts on some of Somerset’s world famous sites.
Both the Sweet Track and Glastonbury Lake Village are preserved in the water logged peat of the Somerset Levels. The Sweet Track is the world's oldest known engineered road, a raised walkway stretching 2km from the island of Westhay to Polden Ridge. It allowed people in Neolithic times to cross what was then a swamp.
Glastonbury Lake Village, discovered in 1892 is the best preserved prehistoric village ever found in the UK, ranking alongside Stonehenge in terms of archaeological importance.
Richard Brunning, Somerset County Council's Levels and Moors Archaeologist warns that climate change could have a devastating impact on these remains and others like them preserved in the ancient peat.
"The predictions are that climate change will result in less rain in the summer, and that is when the archaeological record in the peat is most at risk of drying and decaying."
"The archaeological remains are fragile and sites like the Sweet Track and Lake Village are irreplaceable and unique. Once they are lost, they are lost forever and that is another good reason to do what we can to stop climate change, or at least reduce it as much as possible." |
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