Archaeological work in south east Cornwall (England) is uncovering the history of the area. A team from the county council working at Scarcewater near St Stephen-in-Brannel says its finds are significant. Fieldwork has revealed a history of ceremonial and settlement activity at Scarcewater spanning five millennia.
     The finds represent the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron ages, and include hearth pits, pottery, a stock enclosure and roundhouses. The archaeological site is on the site of a china clay tip and the excavations are being funded by Imerys Minerals who are helping with the removal of modern layers on the site.
     These are the largest excavations to be undertaken in Cornwall and the council hopes the continuing work will answer questions about the occupation of the area which are still outstanding. The council says the information from the site gives an important opportunity to study the changing lifestyle of Cornish communities over thousands of years. Senior archaeologist Andy Jones said: "The excavations are providing a fantastic opportunity to investigate the shifting prehistoric settlement patterns over several millennia."  

Source: BBC News (11 October 2004)