MORE evidence of one of the oldest settlements in Teesdale has been uncovered by archaeologists at a recent excavation on the shores of Cow Green reservoir.
Volunteers, led by Dr Rob Young, of Altogether Archaeology, spent three days at the reservoir carefully unearthing more than 600 examples of Mesolithic remains, including flint and pipes at a site they previously visited three years ago.
In 2015, a rescue dig was organised by Altogether Archaeology and the North Pennines AONB Partnership after quantities of flint were found tumbling from beneath the peat layer where the shoreline of the reservoir was eroding away.
The effort managed to recover more than 2,000 artefacts, but bad weather hampered that dig and Altogether Archaeology always planned to return to the site to finish off the work.
At the most recent dig, assisted and part-funded by Northumbrian Water who own the land, a six metre by four metre trench was opened and Dr Young oversaw the proceedings.
During three days of sunshine, the archaeology team managed to carefully dig and catalogue what was beneath the peat layer.
Martin Green, of Altogether Archaeology, said they are hoping to get the artefacts carbon radio dated later in the year to confirm the age of the specimens, which they believe date to about 6,000 BC.
Mr Green said: “There will have been hundreds of these kinds of settlements but the pit peat has been laid on top and they are not on show.
“It’s only because the shore line has eroded we were able to find so much.”
