IN the second year of a two-part project, Breaking Ground Heritage and Wessex Archaeology have been excavating the Bronze Age site at Barrow Clump of Salisbury Plain.

Veterans from all over the UK are spending three weeks excavating the site as part of their recovery process.

“The site has been ploughed over hundreds of years ago leaving just a series of ring ditches,” said MOD archaeologist Richard Osgood. “We have opened four ditches this year and the fourth trench has revealed a lot of archaeology, what we were hoping for.”

“Right in the middle of the trench, we have found this crouch burial, with the remains in a foetal position and this has gone through an earlier burial and we believe that we have discovered a beaker burial, that dates about 2000-3000 BC with a pot as its feet with grave goods.”

“Right in the middle of this little field on the training area we have got a piece of pre-history which is really remarkable as it has not been affected by military training, so for me, as the MOD archaeologist, this is perfect so that I can demonstrate to Wiltshire Council and Historic England that the military training does no damage at all.”

Earlier in the week, Richard, accompanied by Dickie Bennett from Breaking Ground Heritage and Giles Woodhouse, chief statuary officer for Wessex Archaeology, went to Westminster to talk to the All Party Parliamentary Group about wellbeing and the value of archaeology to wounded and injured veterans as a part of their rehabilitation process.

Fusilier news

1 FUSILIERS Battlegroup have now hit the halfway point of Ex PRAIRIE STORM 2, and are now a well oiled Battlegroup conducting integrated live fire with the artillery, tanks, engineers and of course with Warriors and dismounts.

This week has seen the fruits of the last few weeks’ labours come to fruition as the Battlegroup conducts live attacks by day and night, building up to the commanding officers own training against a free thinking enemy and finally the final test exercise where we’ll be fighting hard for that battle ready accreditation.

The Rear Operations Group back in Tidworth has been busy as well. Having a maintenance day in the Memorial Garden for Fallen Fusiliers. After some verdant spring growth and some unexpected green fingers, the garden is back to its pristine self.