In 3807 BC, the Neolithic Britons of the Brue Valley came together to construct an elevated, single-plank walkway over a reed swamp. Stretching nearly two kilometres, it would have provided a vital link for communities on the Somerset Levels, and is the second-oldest timber trackway discovered in the British Isles.
The track was a walkway consisting mainly of planks of oak laid end-to-end, supported by crossed pegs of ash, oak, and lime, driven into the underlying peat; the length, straightness, and lack of forks or branches in the pegs suggest that they were taken from coppiced woodland—one that they appear to have been managing for at least 120 years.
The total timber used in the track’s construction weighed approximately 200,000 kilograms, yet estimates suggest just ten men could have assembled it in just one day. The track was operational for only about ten years before rising water levels likely submerged and rendered it unusable.
This is some extremely cool ancient civil engineering! I did some research and found this article about the Sweet Track.
I'm putting this on a list with the crannogs of Scotland and Ireland, and the chinampas of Tenochtitlan and the Aztec civilization.
















