Cross-Section Shows England Road Over 4,000 Years

A stratified cross-section of a highway in the UK reveals its fascinating transformation over time and provides a glimpse into the history of the country.

The image shows millennia of material from a Bronze Age trackway to modern asphalt. All the more interesting is the fact that the road represented is the A303, which runs through the Stonehenge World Heritage Site.

Starting with a chalk foundation, the cross-section slowly builds up, creating a visual representation of England's history. Following the Bronze Age, the ancient Romans, whose territory extended throughout England, are represented by a signature stone-paved road. There are then several more layers of rocky materials as we pass from the medieval period to modern times, as engineering and road use evolved.

As technology and transportation changed, so did the roads that transported people and goods. The cross-section is also a reminder that history is not erased, but often simply buried, and that we are walking on a palimpsest that is waiting to be discovered.

We know that the highway, now called the A303 (which modern day Brits will tell you can get hideously snarled up around Stonehenge) has been in use for thousands of years. One portion of the road even followed the Harrow Way, an ancient trackway that is one of the UK's oldest roads, estimated to be in use from 3,000 BCE. Another area matches the Fosse Way, a Roman road dating back to 49 CE.

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