There has been a long association between quarries and archaeology. In the first half of the 19th century, deep sequences from quarries similar to that illustrated for Bradley Fen established the geological time depth of the planet. This eventually overturned the Biblical sequence in which the world was formed only in 4004BC. During the later 19th century, soil stripping within quarries gave the first opportunities for excavating later prehistoric and Roman settlements in Britain. Quarries have therefore been laboratories of time.

Three large landscape projects are presented here. Compared to the illustrated sequence, these projects are only concerned with 'superficial' horizons. That is archaeological remains after and upon the gravel beds, dating from the Mesolithic (from c. 10,000BC) to the present, and not Palaeolithic materials found in the gravels themselves or dinosaurs below. The projects were carried out in Hanson's quarries within the Fenlands of East Anglia, where for almost 15 years the Company has worked in conjunction with the Cambridge Archaeological Unit of the University of Cambridge developing innovative approaches to tackle the region's rich archaeological potential.

Despite the their apparent flatness, the former fen marshlands have a very complex environmental history. The fens formed as a result of rising sea levels, which laid down marine clay and silt, and caused freshwater marshes to form along its shores. The Fens are dotted with raised islands (Ely, March, Chatteris, Thorney and Whittlesey) whose crests have remained above water level, and have therefore seen uninterrupted human occupation. However, over the course of later prehistory many of the region's smaller islands were inundated and the fen-edges gradually became wetter. The modern fen-edge essentially marks the lower limits of Iron Age settlement (c. 700BC-50AD), while earlier Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments and settlements can be found buried beneath the peat beds left by the marshes. The detection of this buried archaeology is one of the greatest challenges of working in the region.

Environmental change in prehistory is one of the main themes of the first site, the Needingworth Quarry. The site straddles both sides of the lower reaches of the River Great Ouse just above its junction with the fens at Over. The river has been straightened and 'regularised' during fenland drainage in post-Medieval times. However, in later prehistory the landscape would have looked very different. Research has shown that this was a delta-like landscape, pocketed with islands and the many former courses of the river. There was not one river but many. This site's emphasis on environment is appropriate given that, working with the RSPB, the quarry land is being restored to a wetland bird reserve - the largest of its kind in Europe.

With the Needingworth prehistoric landscape sealed by thick deposits of alluvial clay and peat, a wide range of techniques have had to be devised to cope with its archaeology. This has resulted in the discovery of Bronze Age fieldsystems (c. 1500-1000BC) extending for hundreds of hectares on both sides of the river. Contemporary settlement has been found in association, as well as many small, less robust occupation sites of Neolithic date (c. 4000-2000BC). Rarely discovered, these Neolithic sites are of importance as they indicate what life was like in this landscape when it was still heavily wooded.

Another major theme of the project is the status of the river through later prehistory - was it a communication corridor, or a territorial divide, or both? The placing of monuments in the landscape offers insight into this issue, as this length of the riverside includes some of the best-preserved groups of round barrows in southern England, burial mounds dating to c. 1800-1500BC. Today all except one lie on the eastern bank in Over parish, but environmental research shows that in their time they were probably sited on large mid-stream islands. This suggests that the river united the communities on either side, rather than acting as a divide. As well as the round barrow cemeteries, the investigations have also revealed a number of smaller ring-ditch monuments without mounds - one going on to become the site of a major cremation cemetery - and also a large circular enclosure, again seemingly of Bronze Age date (c. 2000-1000BC). Moreover, work on the western Barleycroft parish shore came upon an extraordinary series of long, screen-like post settings. Of later Bronze Age date (c. 1000-800BC), these may related to ceremonial gatherings, their main purpose being to frame the viewer's perspective towards the earlier barrow cemetery on the opposite side of the river. In short, the Bronze Age Over/Barleycroft monuments were part of a major ceremonial complex, one in some ways comparable to Flag Fen at Peterborough.

The second site is the quarry at Bradley Fen, Whittlesey. It lies on the edge of the next island over from the renowned Fengate/Flag Fen complex. Excavations here have provided a remarkable picture of later Bronze Age fen-edge settlement, with round houses, granaries, pits and working hollows. Other finds included waterlogged remains (a dug-out canoe), rich metalwork finds (spears and swords) and ritual deposits (e.g. a complete, skinned aurochs burial). This was amongst the most important settlements of the period excavated in Britain during the 1990s.

The third site at Colne Fen, Earith has a quite different focus and relates to the Roman occupation of the area. Two large settlements were found, one an 'official' farmstead, the other a trade and market centre approaching the scale of a small town. This allows consideration of what the Roman conquest meant for the local population. Themes raised include the army, the rise of literacy, trade, industry and transport (the sites border the main Roman canal system in the area - the Car Dyke).

This web-site is support by other related initiatives. There are two Schools Boxes concerned with the Romans at Colne Fen, Earith, relating to the Key Stage 2 educational curriculum. In conjunction with this are sets of Exhibition Posters outlining the archaeology of the three sites. Appropriate for library, school and parish hall displays, like the School Boxes these are available for loan. Finally, at their Needingworth Quarry (The Over Monuments Group) Hanson have created an archaeological park. Not only has this involved saving the Bronze Age round barrow cemetery for the future (taking them out from plough-cultivation and the further damage that would otherwise incur), but also restoring the circuit of a great later Neolithic/Early Bronze circular enclosure. Having an explanatory signboard, together these sites are amongst the most dramatically upstanding early prehistoric monuments groups in Eastern England, and visitors to the site are welcome.