Archaeologists from Somerset County Council, working with Wessex Water, have unearthed an iron age village in west Somerset.

Investigations are being carried out on the site at Maundown Water Treatment Works near Wiveliscombe, on what is expected to be a village of about six round houses dating back to as far as 100BC.

What makes this discovery even more fascinating is that early examinations show that Iron Age villagers at the Wiveliscombe settlement may have been living in round houses much longer than is commonly recorded.

Archaeologists believe a site of this age should show signs of square, Roman houses, but the existence of only round houses shows our Somerset ancestors may have been behind the times in terms of their property style.

The fascinating discovery was made by an archaeologist from Context One Archaeological Services which is observing the construction of a new pumping station for Wessex Water.

The first find was a pottery funerary urn – now commonly referred to as a cremation urn – dating back 4,000 years.

They immediately contacted Somerset County Council, which sent archaeologists to the site alongside the experts from archaeological company Context One, who then began uncovering pottery and metal work.

Further digging revealed two round houses - one with its floor still preserved, which is very rare in a house of this age - and the remains of an iron hanging bowl, which had probably fallen from a rafter and has lain on the floor for about 2,000 years.

There is also evidence of metal working taking place on-site, including a furnace structure and pieces of metal slag, which suggests that this site has close links to a large Roman iron working settlement which was discovered at nearby Clatworthy Reservoir.

Steven Membery, Somerset County Council’s Development Control Archaeologist, said:

"This is a completely unexpected discovery of a Romano-British village and it is fascinating to catch this glimpse into Somerset's ancient past."

Cllr Justin Robinson, Somerset County Council's Portfolio Holder for Adult and Community Services, said:

"This find shows the importance of Somerset County Council’s archaeological department and how it can play a vital role during investigations on development sites. It also highlights the rich rural heritage of the county, which the County Council is proud to promote. Our partnership with Wessex Water on this project means that these remains will be properly recorded and available for study by future generations."