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Trail Head
Base Camp

Arable

The most dramatic change in the history of Mankind was the cultivation of the ground in order to grow domesticated crops. In this country this first agricultural 'revolution' occurred in the New Stone Age about 4500 BC. Gradually the natural forests were cleared, so that by the Iron Age virtually the whole landscape was managed by man.

The Fields

Evidence for prehistoric fields and field systems in Britain is plentiful. Generally found on hillslopes, they are marked by the low banks or lynchets. These were formed by soil creep caused by ploughing and natural erosion which built up on the downhill side of the field. The fields tend to be square in shape which would facilitate cross ploughing. They range in size between 0.16 to 0.25 hectares ( the size of a football field) which broadly represents an agricultural day's work. These field areas represent a study of prehistoric crops which started in 1972. Butser Ancient Farm remains the only place in western Europe where all the varieties of prehistoric wheats, some dating back to 7000 BC, can be seen actually growing.

The Crops

Identification of the types of crops grown in the Iron Age comes from 3 sources of evidence; carbonised seed, pollen grains and impressions of seed fired into pottery. The most celebrated of all the prehistoric cereals is Emmer wheat. This wheat along with barley, has been found on sites, including the Pyramids, all over the near east and Europe from the earliest times. Even today it is grown in remote areas of Turkey and Syria. In fact Emmer wheat was the staple cereal of prehistory, the real reason why early agriculture actually worked. Other cereals include Einkhorn, the very first domestic cereal used by Man as he changed from a gatherer-hunter to a settled farmer. Spelt wheat is a comparatively recent development appearing after 500BC. Along with Emmer wheat it was grown extensively in Britain during the late Iron Age and the Roman period.

In addition to various wheats and barley the Celtic farmers also grew Oats, probably a version of today's wild oats,Rye and Millet. Besides the cereals, a number of legumes were grown including Peas, Vetches and beans. It is very likely that prehistoric farmers knew the value of manuring fields and the benefit of rotating cereal and legume crops.

The abundance of arable weeds (some of which like the sharp leaved fluellen are extremely rare) is typical of an organically cultivated field. In the absence of pesticides and herbicides wild flowers, once common in the downland landscape, often make colourful and suprising appearances.