Upper Palaeolithic Mesolithic Neolithic-Beaker Culture Bronze Age Iron Age - Romano-British Conclusions
Two sites are known that are clearly dated in the Bronze Age, and it is interesting that neither are in the gorge itself, but in Hope Wood. Attributed to the Middle Bronze Age is the cinerary urn found at Cook�s Hill Hole, while the Deverel-Rimbury ware from the same cave was assigned to the Late Bronze Age (Mason, D. 1952). Also belonging to the Late Bronze Age is the gold bracelet found at the cave of the same name. This type of bracelet, with expanded terminals, is known with variations at many sites, such as at Breiddin hillfort (Powys, Wales), Potterne (Wiltshire) and in a hoard at Milton Keynes dated circa 1150-800 BC.
The surroundings of Ebbor were changing during this time. Consider that nowadays, from the viewpoint in the gorge one can look over the Somerset levels, with Glastonbury Tor standing out in the distance. In the Neolithic, rising sea levels following the end of the glacial period had flooded all this area; by 4,500 BC a reed swamp existed in the area, leading to the building of wooden trackways across the Levels. Over the next thousand years this gradually dried out and was replaced by fen wood. However, well before 3000 BC, increased flooding had drowned the trees. In the Iron Age, lake villages were built at Glastonbury and Mere.
