2012 Olympics story goes back to the year 2000BC
A FLINT axe made more than 4,000 years ago is the oldest of discoveries during a two-year archaeological excavation at East London s 2012 Olympics construction site. It was among artefacts on public display at a talk in Hackney last week about the his
A FLINT axe made more than 4,000 years ago is the oldest of discoveries during a two-year archaeological excavation at East London’s 2012 Olympics construction site.
It was among artefacts on public display at a talk in Hackney last week about the history of the Olympics Park.
Experts from the Museum of London believe the unfinished axe was placed in waterlogged ground deliberately.
The site has been Britain’s biggest-ever archaeological investigation with 140 trenches dug over a square mile between Bow and Stratford before construction gets under way.
Archaeological finds include four prehistoric skeletons buried in graves around an Iron Age settlement, Roman river walls along the banks of the Lea, a complete 19th century boat used for hunting wild fowl on the river, medieval and Neolithic pottery and Second World War anti-aircraft gun emplacements.
You may also want to watch:
OLYMPIC PARK TIMELINE
- 3000BC: wetlands which the early Londoners navigated by timber walkways to fish and hunt
Most Read
- 1 Fire breaks out in flat near New Providence Wharf tower block
- 2 Groomed girl speaks out after 'dangerous' Barking dealer who dealt Class A drugs in East End is jailed
- 3 Dog festival gets go-ahead for Isle of Dogs, of all places
- 4 Ex-police officer among group jailed for £850k intercept from rival gangs
- 5 Trains being tested on Crossrail's Elizabeth line up to four an hour
- 6 Pedestrian struck by motorcycle in critical condition following Stepney collision
- 7 'Stop building more towers,' MP at protest after New Providence Wharf fire
- 8 South Africa and Indian Covid variants found in Shoreditch and Dalston
- 9 Kenny Jackett emerges as odds-on favourite for Leyton Orient job
- 10 Battle lost to save historic Whitechapel bell foundry
- 50AD: Roman road Ermine Street’ from London to Colchester crossed marshes
- 9th century: King Alfred dug Channelsea river to divert invading Vikings from Thames on their way to London
- 1110: First stone arch bow’ bridge in Britain, which gave the area its name
- 1135: Cistercian Abbey exploited Lea water power
- 12th century: Knights Templar water mill (Temple Mills)
- 17th century: Britain’s first calico printer and porcelain factory
- 1858: Joseph Bazalgette’s Northern Outfall sewer built
- 1860: Plastic invented
- 1876: Dry cleaning introduced to UK
- 1892: Britain’s first petrol plant
- 1904: William Yardley’s cosmetics & soap factory
