evidence tells a much different tale.
For example, a finely crafted Anglo-
Saxon bone flute–like musical instru-
ment, one of only about 30 that have
ever been found in Europe, speaks
to a more refined population. “These
weren’t primitive people living here,”
says Sherlock. “They were literate and
had music and art.”D
irectly adjacent to one of the
newly uncovered Anglo-Saxon
sites is the abandoned medieval
village of Houghton. Although the
town’s name appears on old maps, no
physical traces of its existence had previ-ously been found. Since it is not directly
in the path of the roadway, and all other
essential work had been completed,
archaeologists were allowed to investi-
gate the site at a less hurried pace.
The abandonment of towns and vil-
lages in England during the medieval
period was not uncommon, especially
in thelate fourteenth century when
the Black Plague ravaged the country,
killing as much as 60 percent of the
population. Yet Houghton was desert-
ed decades before the plague’s arrival.
“We were particularly excited because
it’s a slightly earlier village, so it’s not
like the deserted medieval villages thatyou find elsewhere,” Jeffery says. She
has learned that the fate of Houghton’s
residents was determined by a particu-
lar set of circumstances. They were
not, in fact, victims of disease but,
instead, of cruel medieval politics.
The village’s only road, which exca-
vators have dubbed “Houghton Lane,”
ran through its center and connected
villagers to a wooded area known as
Brampton Wood. Brampton Wood was
vital to Houghton’s residents. “The vil-
lagers would have used the forest for
food, for fuel, and for other resources,”
says Jeffery. But sometime after Henry
II (r. 1154 – 1189 ) ascended the throne
of England, the king claimed the
whole county of Huntingdonshire, of
which Brampton Wood was part, as
his exclusive hunting grounds. This
essentially prohibited Houghton’s vil-
lagers from accessing and using thearchaeology.org 63This bone flute carved from the leg of a deer is a rare example of an Anglo-Saxon
musical instrument. Only 30 such artifacts have been found in Europe.Nationwide Insurance has made a financial contribution to this organization in return for the opportunity to market products and services to its members or customers. Products underwritten by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and Affiliated Companies. Home Office: Columbus, OH 43215. Subject to
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