The excavation of two docks at Narrow Quay,Bristol, 1978-9.

Abstract

Part of the structure of Aldworth’s Dock (in use during the 17th century) and probably the 16th-century St. Clement’s Dock were identified by excavation. The feature interpreted as St. Clement’s Dock produced an important collection of late 16th-century pottery. [NCR: ST/586726]     

Excavations at Houndhill,near Barnsley,Yorkshire

Abstract

A ‘cottage’ weaving industry was established at Houndhill, family seat of the Elmhirsts in Worsbrough, near Barnsley, during the mid-16th century. It ceased early in the 17th century but excavation has shown it was revived under new ownership in the late 18th century. During the 19th century the mill became a general farm store and was totally demolished in the 1930s to permit a garden extension. The excavation was planned to retain any remaining features for conservation as part of the historical interest of the residence.¹     

The finds from the cellar of the Old Hall,Temple Balsall,Warwickshire

Abstract

The cellar, excavated in 1981, revealed late 17th and early 18th century material, which is the subject of this report. The pottery included yellow wares, English delftware, blackware, manganese-mottled wares, stonewares, slipware and coarseware. Tobacco pipes, medicine phials, table glass, wine bottles, bones and iron-work were also found. The excavation report will be published separately.¹ Ex inf. Paul Woodfield.     

An 18th-Century Mansion,a Fishpond,and Post-Medieval Finds from St. Neots,Huntingdonshire

Abstract

The remains of Hall Place, St. Neots, a late 17th- or early 18th-century house facing Church Street, were encountered during the excavation of an Anglo-Saxon settlement in 1961. Hall place had been built over the site of a large timber-lined cutting, perhaps a fishpond, which had been filled up with domestic rubbish and demolition debris during the course of the 16th century. The fishpond contained a large group of finds including both local and imported pottery, metalwork and leather objects. Pits, wells and other late and post-medieval structures and features were also found in the garden areas behind Hall Place and other Church Street houses.     

Site conservation during excavation: treatment of masonry,wall plaster and floor mosaic remains of a Byzantine church in Petra,Jordan

Abstract

The conservation treatments carried out between June 1992 and August 1993 on the architectural remains of a Byzantine basilica in Petra, Jordan, during and immediately after the excavation are described. The treatments completed during excavation included: stabilization and consolidation of certain sections of the basilica's sandstone ashlar masonry; cleaning and consolidation of the unpainted lime wall plaster decorating the basilica interior; cleaning and consolidation in situ of the extensive remains of a figurative mosaic pavement in the two side aisles, and the fragmentary remains of the opus sectile pavement in the central aisle. The consolidation treatments included injection grouting using hydraulic mortar mixes produced in Italy, and mortar repairs using slaked lime and hydraulic lime. The existence of the mosaic required preventive conservation measures during the excavation, such as the construction of a temporary shelter over the site during the winter, the use of temporary protective facings over damaged areas of the mosaic, as well as the temporary backfilling of the mosaic with soil over a layer of geotextile in order to protect the mosaic between the initial phase of conservation work and the construction of a permanent shelter for the site in the near future. The importance of having a conservator present on site during the critical phase of excavation, when all materials are most susceptible to damage, is emphasized. The Petra Church Project will hopefully serve as a model for future excavations in that it employed two conservators from the beginning of the excavation: one for small finds, the other responsible for the site and the architectural remains removed from the site during the excavation.     

Temporary site protection for earthen walls and murals at Çata1höyük,Turkey

Abstract

The exposure of earthen architecture at archaeological sites presents tremendous difficulties both during and after excavation. While it is the intent of most reburial programmes to stabilize exposed structures against the long-term effects of loss of pressure and fluctuations in moisture, relative humidity and temperature, reburial does not easily afford practical protection against immediate damage caused during excavation. At the Neolithic site of Çata1höyük in Anatolia, Turkey, a phased programme to integrate the excavation and conservation of the site was developed. This included emergency stabilization and protection of the mud brick walls, plasters, mural paintings and relief sculpture, both during and between excavation seasons. One component of this programme included the development of a temporary perlite-vermiculite protection system.     

Field survey and excavation of two linear wooden features at Hooper’s Ground,Westhay Heath,Somerset, 1992

Abstract

While much is known of prehistoric exploitation of the Somerset Levels and Moors,¹ extensive peat extraction across the Moors since the early post-medieval period has effectively removed most of the historic peats and consequently much the archaeology of the later periods. It is now believed that peat was continuing to form in the area until the end of the first millennium AD,² and though little is known, medieval and post-medieval features will invariably have cut into these and earlier peats. B. Coles and J. Coles, Sweet Track to Glastonbury (London, 1986). M. Cox, ‘Archaeology in the Somerset Levels and Moors 1992’ in M. Bell (ed.), Severn Estuary Levels Research Committee Annual Report 1992, 63-68.

In 1991, two similar linear brushwood features were noted, during routine archaeological monitoring of areas subject to peat extraction, in an area known as ‘Hooper’s Ground’ between the villages of Westhay and Burtle, some three miles west of Glastonbury. Revealed as a consequence of peat extraction, a short programme of survey and excavation undertaken in 1992 demonstrated that they were contemporary structures dating from around 1700. Their function is presently unknown, although it is considered that they may reflect land restoration for agricultural use post-dating earlier efforts at peat extraction.     

Brush-Piling: Eighteenth Century Engineering in an American Wilderness

Abstract

Old Mill was one of a small group of early silk mills established in East Cheshire during the mid-18th century. It was notable for its size, and for the involvement of James Brindley in its construction. The mill was extended and a beam engine added c. 1830, but it was partially demolished in 1939. In 2003 the remaining structures were demolished, which provided the opportunity for a programme of building recording and excavation. James Brindley's role is examined in terms of the application of water power, and the context of the classical architecture and likely geological provenance of Old Mill is discussed.     

Stratigraphic and spatial variability in shell middens: microfacies identification at the ethnohistoric site Tunel VII (Tierra del Fuego,Argentina)

Based on ethnographic accounts from the eighteenth to the twentieth century, functional areas have been identified within Fueginian shell middens. In this context, archaeological microfacies acquire a functional meaning when the microscopic record is compared to information gathered from ethnology, macroscopic observations made during excavation, and experimental modern analogues. All these lines of evidence were combined for the first time at Tunel VII, an eighteenth/nineteenth century shell midden occupied repeatedly by Yamana people, the last hunter–gatherer–fisher groups of the Beagle Channel. The sampling strategy involved three sets of samples: (1) two stratigraphical columns taken from the hut “entrance” and from a portion of the shell midden (i.e., the surrounding refuse shell ring), (2) thin sections from five hearths representing successive phases of frequentation of the hut, and (3) experimental burnt valves of Mytilus edulis, the main malacological component of the site. Comparison of microfacies from groups (1) and (2) provided microscopic indicators to distinguish between shell dumping areas and occupation surfaces. Comparison of microfacies within columns from group (1) allowed recognizing periods of site abandonment and periods of more intense/longer site frequentation. The experimental samples from M. edulis served as a reference to characterize the five central hearths in terms of maximum burning temperatures reached. Different burning structures were correlated to the season of hut frequentation and to their location (and function) within different portions of the hut. The intra-site micromorphological comparison strategy within a well-documented ethnohistorical context provides valuable indicators for the identification of functional areas in archaeological contexts when ethnographical information is not available.     

Excavations on the Titelberg,Luxembourg

Abstract

The center of the hillfort “Titelberg,” near Petange in extreme SW Luxembourg, was investigated in 1972-74 by the University of Missouri at Columbia and the Luxembourg Musées de l'État. The American excavations have revealed a side street which, when considered with evidence unearthed by the Luxembourgers, indicates an insula system for the hillfort in Gallo-Roman times. Habitation lasted until the 4th century A.C., but this part of the site was most heavily used in the time of Augustus, when a coin-flan casting operation was conducted in a provincial Roman-style building. Underneath this building were found 14 successive floor levels in at least two different Celtic-style structures also housing coin-casting operations. Calibrated and adjusted radiocarbon dates support an archaeological dating to ca. 300 B.C. in La Tène Ic or II for the earlier of the latter structures. The late Iron Age hillfort was preceded by two separate Neolithic occupations.     

John Murray: 'a bold and skilful engineer'

Abstract

Between 1832 and 1859 the essential structure of the harbour at Sunderland was completed. A divisive debate over the siting of a dock led to the establishment only of the small and irrelevant Wearmouth Dock in preference to a series of very imaginative schemes. The two piers were further improved and extended and this involved the remarkable feat of the movement of the North Pier lighthouse. The period culminated with the conception and construction of the great South Dock. The dominant figure throughout these events was the resident engineer John Murray.     

'Those Who Survived the Battlefields' Archaeological Investigations in a Prisoner of War Camp Near Quedlinburg (Harz / Germany) from the First World War

Abstract

In 2004, the site of a prisoner of war camp from the First World War was investigated archaeologically during a large rescue excavation project initiated by highway construction works in the municipality of Quedlinburg in the north of the Harz Mountains in Central Germany. During the excavation, numerous structures and finds from the camp were recorded, throwing light on the everyday life of the soldiers imprisoned there. With the addition of previously unknown historical research about the camp, new aspects of an area of modern history that has hitherto received little attention have been revealed.     

GLASS RECIPES AND THE OUTPUT FROM A 19TH-CENTURY GLASS WORKS: EXAMPLES FROM PERCIVAL,VICKERS & CO. LTD,MANCHESTER

Abstract

Excavations by Oxford Archaeology North in 2003 revealed extensive structural remains of the former Percival, Vickers and Co. Ltd glass works, one of the principal 19th-century glass manufactories in Manchester. A detailed account of the excavated remains, focusing on the significant developments in furnace design inherent in the exposed structures, has already been published in volume 29.1 (2007) of the Review. However, an in-depth analysis of the 187kg of glass fragments recovered from the excavation was omitted, and this shortcoming is addressed in the present paper. Scientific analysis of the glass compositions revealed that a variety of recipes were used, and these related closely to the different ways that glass was being worked on site, as evidenced by the various types of waste. A relatively small but nevertheless significant number of vessel fragments were also recovered, allowing the output of the glass works to be characterised for the first time.     

The ruins of the Abbey Disibodenberg near Mainz,Germany: Excavation,conservation and development of the site

Abstract

Disibodenberg, until recently a forgotten monastic ruin in the Rhineland Palatinate, was for 40 years the home of Hildegard of Bingen, the 900th anniversary of whose birth was celebrated in 1998. By a combined programme of excavation, conservation, development and tourist management the site has become a place of greater importance and interest for scientists, visitors and even pilgrims.     

The Excavations at Tel 'Eton (2006–2009): A Preliminary Report

Abstract

Tel 'Eton, commonly identified with biblical 'Eglon, is a large site in the trough valley in the southeastern Shephelah. Since the summer of 2006, Bar-Ilan University has been carrying out a large-scale exploration project at the site and its surroundings. The excavations were preceded by a detailed mapping of the site, which was subsequently divided into 39 sub-units. This was followed by survey and shovel tests in each of those units, and by full-scale excavations in four excavation areas. It appears that the site was first settled in the Early Bronze Age, and again in the Middle Bronze Age to the late Iron Age (8^th century BCE). Following a settlement gap in the 7^th–5^th centuries BCE, the site was resettled for a short period in the late Persian or early Hellenistic period. Among the major finds is a thick Assyrian destruction layer (8^th century BCE), which sealed many houses with their content, including many pottery vessels, metal artifacts, and botanical material (some still within the vessels), and many additional finds. The present article summarizes the results of the explorations of the site in 2006–2009.     

Community Participation and the Enhancement of the Roman Thermae of St Thomas,Mesolongi

Abstract

This paper examines the process of enhancing an archaeological site and rendering it accessible to the wider public within a very tight time schedule, and will contemplate the role of the local community in this process. Focusing on the case study of the Roman Thermae of St Thomas (Agios Thomas) near Mesolongi, Western Greece, the various challenges and problems encountered during the excavation, partial restoration, and enhancement of the site (funded by the INTERREG II cross-border program of the 2nd Community Support Framework) will be addressed. Issues of community participation will be highlighted through the crucial involvement of the local people in the project and with a reflective outlook on the way heritage management is operating in Greece.     

Eighteenth-century Copenhagen viewed from a refuse dump

Abstract

The excavation of a town refuse dump in Copenhagen has recovered a remarkably rich and varied assemblage of artefacts including ceramics, glass, animal bones, feathers, textiles, gloves, woollen socks, silk stockings and shoes. They were deposited c. 1750–65, but include many objects dating from the early years of the 18th century. Because the deposits were waterlogged, various unusual types of organic evidence were preserved. This paper gives an introduction to the site and its material, and outlines some of its research potential.     

Refit and Oxygen Isotope Analysis of Freshwater Mussel Shells from the Tillar Farms Site (3DR30), Southeast Arkansas

ABSTRACT

We investigate the link between the consumption of foodstuffs, excavation of a large pit, and disposal of waste at the Tillar Farms site (3DR30), southeast Arkansas, using refit and oxygen isotope analyses of well-preserved freshwater mussel shells from Feature 1. Only 0.13% of 7,408 valves analyzed were unidentifiable to species.The refit analysis produced 460 refits across 23 species and strongly indicates that the shell midden represents a single episode of shellfish gathering, consumption, and discard. Oxygen isotope analysis of five randomly selected shells are used as a test of the refit results. δ¹⁸O values from the five archaeological shells are compared to modern control samples of live-collected specimens from Bayou Bartholomew in winter of 2011. Refit analysis suggests the accumulation of mussel shells occurred quickly, likely as a result of one collection, consumption, and discard event. δ¹⁸O values suggest this activity took place during a single winter season.     

Ground Penetrating Radar in the Northern Great Lakes: A Trial Survey of a Contact Period Occupation in Marquette County,Michigan

ABSTRACT

Timing, inclement weather, and limited budgets can obstruct archaeological survey efforts. Here, we ameliorate some of these with use of ground penetrating radar (GPR) at the Goose Lake Outlet #3 (GLO#3) site (20MQ140). GPR surveys to guide survey and excavation efforts in these well-drained sandy soils are limited. GPR imagery exhibited false positives; however, shovel probes, subsequent site excavation, and artifact analysis led to numerous discoveries at this protohistoric site—including glass trade beads dating to the 1630s. These discoveries solidify evidence for some of the earliest European-made trade items in the region and provide further confirmation for placement of an Indian trail and ancient travel corridor between Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. Two ¹⁴C samples obtained from moose-bone in features with trade goods fall within the expected occupation range of 1633–1668 and 1615–1647. Several anomolies, possible hearth clusters were seen on the GPR imagery; however, many features remained invisible.     

Polesworth: a north Warwickshire country pottery

Abstract

In 1986 excavations for house foundations at Polesworth in northern Warwickshire (SK 263 980) uncovered a pottery waster dump. Fine wares, lead glazed and unglazed coarsewares, including a number a horticultural vessels, were recovered, together with kiln furniture. An archaeological excavation adjacent to the construction site revealed stratigraphy relating to the backfilling of a clay pit with potting waste early in the 18th century. Documentary and other evidence shows that the pottery was in production from the late 17th to early 19th centuries.