Archaeologists have made a series of historic discoveries at the A34 Lodge Hill junction.

Oxfordshire County Council and contractors Balfour Beatty started work this summer to create major improvements for drivers.

The junction at Lodge Hill currently only has north-facing slip roads, but the scheme will add new south-facing slip roads, as well as making cycling and walking easier and safer in the area.

READ MORE: Large spiders coming into Oxfordshire homes 

Adding the south-facing slip roads will remove traffic from the town centre as some drivers will no longer have to travel through it to access the A34 southbound at the Marcham interchange.

Archaeologists have been conducting digs at the site before major construction work gets under way.

Abingdon North county councillor Nathan Ley said on Facebook: "The project was more than just preparing for a new interchange; it gives us a glimpse into the hidden layers of our land’s history

"With 16 trial trenches, 12 test pits, and 2 boreholes, the evaluation aimed to explore any potential archaeological remains and better understand the ancient geological formations that lay beneath the surface."

(Image: Ed Nix) Mr Ley said highlights included the discovery of an Ancient Interglacial Channel System.

He added: "One of the most remarkable discoveries was the identification of the Lodge Hill Channel, an ancient river system that traverses the site."

The county councillor said the channel could date back 600,000 years.

He added: "A few important artifacts were found that point to prehistoric human activity in the area.

READ MORE: Oxford to become first all-electric city

"Three worked flints were recovered, hinting at prehistoric occupation of the landscape, possibly during the Neolithic to Bronze Age periods. More significantly, in the deeper test pits, a fragment of a Lower/Middle Palaeolithic hand axe was discovered, showing minimal signs of wear.

"These handaxes were likely used by early human ancestors for a variety of tasks, such as cutting or digging, and their discovery highlights the importance of the area as a potential site of human activity dating back over 300,000 years."

(Image: Oxfordshire County Council) Carl Champness, project manager for Oxford Archaeology, said: “The discovery of a rare lower-middle age handaxe and the interglacial channel deposits at Lodge Hill dating between 600,000-500,000 years ago may provide new insights into a lost landscape.

"This is only the start of the story, and we hope planned further investigation and detailed analysis of these remains, will help enhance our understanding of the early occupation of Britain.” 

Abingdon South county councillor Neil Fawcett said the discoveries were "significant" but were not expected to delay the delivery of the new interchange, which is expected to take two years to complete.

(Image: Ed Nix) He added: "There have been lots of interesting finds but they shouldn't delay the project.

"It's on schedule and following the final testing of ground conditions, construction work should start in the new year."

The county council has entered into a grant funding agreement with Homes England to secure £17.3m of infrastructure funding for the scheme.

Matt Parkes, project director at Balfour Beatty, said earlier: “We are pleased to be working alongside Oxfordshire County Council to bring the A34 Lodge Hill Interchange scheme to life.

"This important transport infrastructure project will support regional economic growth and on completion, will significantly improve connectivity and accessibility for local residents and the travelling public alike.”

Help support trusted local news 

Sign up for a digital subscription now: oxfordmail.co.uk/subscribe 

As a digital subscriber you will get:         

  • Unlimited access to the Oxford Mail website       
  • Advert-light access           
  • Reader rewards          
  • Full access to our app 

About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning. 

You can also read his weekly Traffic and Transport newsletter.