Archaeologists seize unique opportunity to discover ancient secrets under Olympic site

Humans have exploited east London ever since hungry Mesolithic fishermen ventured down to the banks of its marshy pools in search of food.

The Romans drove a fast road through the land, only for the rebellious English queen Boudica to exploit it to wreak her violent revenge on the invaders.

In the Middle Ages it was the turn of the Knights Templar. Their water mills established a thriving industrial zone, paving the way for some of the most important technological developments of the Victorian age.

Now, in advance of the arrival of the world's athletes for the London Olympics in 2012, the Lower Lea Valley will finally give up the secrets of its history as it becomes the largest archaeological site ever excavated in Britain. Stretching across an area larger than the neighbouring City of London, experts have begun work to uncover evidence of human occupation dating back to 6000BC. It is a once in a millenia opportunity for the archaeologists who must complete their work before the developers' bulldozers turn this decaying corner of the capital into Europe's largest construction site, complete with an 80,000 seat stadium, a 17,000-bed athlete's village, a velo park and an aquatic centre.

Kieron Tyler, senior archaeologist at the Museum of London, said the Olympic development offered the chance of an unprecedented insight into the past. "This will tell the story of the changing landscape and exactly how human intervention has constantly influenced the environment. It is a unique opportunity to do it on such a huge scale," he said.

The uniqueness of the site results from it being spared the mass housing developments of the 20th century that spread across much of the surrounding terrain. Marginal and prone to flooding, the valley was also preserved because it was so polluted - a fact attested to by archaeologists examining the remains of the famous Yardley soap factory built on Carpenters Road in 1904. There, workers undertaking preliminary investigations have been forced to contend with soil saturated in detergent that lathers in the rain.

One of the key aims will also be to understand the influence of climate change on the valley. Rising sea levels and flooding have had a dramatic effect on the landscape since the River Lea adopted its present course half a million years ago. In pre-historical times, the water provided an invaluable resource for fishing and hunting. Timber structures including trackways to help early man navigate through the wetlands have already been unearthed.

But the story really takes off with the arrival of the Romans, who established Londinium within a decade of reaching Britain but who quickly needed to link the emerging port with their capital at Camulodunum in modern Colchester.

The Roman Road crossed the Lea at Old Ford, and some archaeologists believe it was the route taken by Boudica and her rebel armies in AD 60 as she burnt and sacked her way westwards. Another queen, Matilda, gave her name to a causeway on the river after it was claimed she was doused in water during a trip across the marshes to Barking. It is believed the remains of a mill built by the Knights Templar in the 12th century could still be preserved in the mud there. The mills, used to grind corn, passed to the Knights Hospitaller following the suppression of the Templars and later to the Crown in the wake of the dissolution. A medieval manor house, bought by Thomas de Chobham in 1335, survived until the 1860s. By then this part of eastern London, which formed the rural borders of Middlesex and Essex, was in the throws of a fully-fledged industrial revolution.

A porcelain factory at Bow, called New Canton, had been producing fine pots since the 18th century. A century later Alexander Parkes developed the world's first thermoplastic which he exhibited at the London International Exhibition of 1862. He established his Parkesine Company on Wallis Road on what is now Hackney Wick. Frenchman Achille Serre, who introduced dry cleaning to Britain in 1876 before selling to Sketchley in 1969 was also based there. The enterprising wholesalers Carless, Capel & Leonard registered the word petrol as a trade name for a refined fuel in 1892, sold from premises on White Post Lane. On the same road can still be found the original home of Clarke, Nicolls & Coombs Ltd, (Clarnico), the confectioners and jam makers who counted Fortnum and Mason as their clients. The building will be preserved as a food and beverage court for the Olympic Village.

The recent history of the site may have been characterised by decay, explained Gareth Blacker, director of development at the London Development Agency. But it is crucial to understanding the emergence of the modern capital. "Not only was the Lower Lea Valley the cradle of London's Victorian industrial revolution - it has a fascinating and varied history since prehistoric times," he said.