The Sweet Track is a Neolithic wooden causeway dating back 5,830 years, located in England. It was accidentally discovered in 1970 during peat excavation, when workers stumbled upon the ancient structure. Despite its name, there’s nothing “sweet” or sugar-related about the site—the trail was actually named after its discoverer, Ray Sweet.

This wooden path was part of a larger prehistoric road network, built by ancient people to provide a stable route across the marshy wetlands. Ironically, it was the waterlogged environment that preserved the track so remarkably well over thousands of years.

The construction involved crossbeams made from ash, oak, and lime (linden) wood, laid across each other and embedded into the ground. On top of these beams, oak planks were placed to create the walking surface. The Sweet Track stands today as one of the oldest known engineered roads in the world.