Silchester

Medieval houses warrant the same holistic type of study that has been recently applied to medieval castles. Dartington Hall was a leading residence of the late fourteenth century and was subject to an important rebuilding programme nearly a hundred years later. Its construction, purpose and development extend far beyond any local consideration, with vital aspects that relate to the broader political and cultural context of late medieval England.     

The Latest Objects from Silchester,Hants

THIS paper brings together for the first time a selection of medieval glass and pottery distilling-vessels from British sites. A discussion on the technical aspects of distilling by F. Greenaway (Part I) is followed by a report on two important groups of glass and pottery distilling-apparatus from Selborne and Pontefract priories of the middle and late 15th century respectively (Part II). Part III discusses pottery distilling-vessels from other finds in Britain. Two types of pottery alembic are distinguished and their use in association with bases of either furnace or bowl type is suggested; industrial bottles connected with distilling are also briefly considered. The survey has brought much information to light but has also left many problems unanswered. Coordination of documentary research into techniques, archaeological recognition of vessels, and the chemical analysis of residues is necessary before firm decisions can be made about the uses of the vessels and the types of unit required for specific operations. It is hoped that this paper will stimulate further work in this field.     

Excavations at Tilbury Fort,Essex

Tilbury Fort is situated on the N. bank of the Thames 25 miles doumstream from London (TQ 651 754) (FIG. 1). It is the best preserved example of late 17th-century military engineering in England and has been in guardianship since 1950. Plans by the Department of the Environment to alter the visitor access to the site from the riverfront to the landward approach necessitated excavations to establish the original construction of the earthworks, redan and ravelin and to identify the routes and levels of the roadways. Excavations were undertaken in 1973 by Jerry Pratt, concentrating on the ravelin, and in 1980 by the Passmore Edwards Museum. The results of both excavations are presented in this report.     

Excavations at Lochrin Distillery,Edinburgh

Abstract

Lochrin Distillery was founded by John Haig around 1780, at a time when the scale of Scottish distilleries was increasing dramatically and distilling was, briefly, the most significant industry in the land. Nevertheless, frequent increases in excise duty meant that these were challenging times for distillers, and Lochrin was mothballed and re-opened several times before finally closing in 1848. By the end of the century, the distillery buildings had been swept away.

In 2005, Abercorn Archaeology LLP excavated parts of the former distillery prior to redevelopment, concentrating on the still house. Remains of six still bases considered to derive from three phases of construction were recorded, together with the footings of a worm tub and a large basement structure. The excavations have clarified the evolution of the distillery, confirming that large lowland distilleries of the period were dynamic enterprises, frequently adapted in the light of the challenges facing the industry.     

Excavations at Potovens,near Wakefield

Abstract

The excavation of pottery and clay pipe kilns at Potovens has indicated the essentially local character of the wares produced and the limited nature of their market. From the late 15th century until the third quarter of the 18th-century potteries were being worked on the margins of the common land north of Wakefield, and documentary evidence provides the names of the potters and details of their activities.     

Publishing Archaeological Excavations at the Digital Turn

ABSTRACT

This paper engages with repeated calls within archaeology for a re-envisioning of the excavation report, contextualized by the transformation of scholarly communication taking place across the humanities and social sciences. This widespread transformation is rooted in a growing interest in showing data together with synthesis and argument, the importance afforded to public engagement, and the proliferation of digital platforms that enable creative presentations of scholarly work. In this context, we discuss our experience producing an excavation report that attempts to integrate several forms of scholarly and public-facing communication on a digital platform, and aims to engage audiences at multiple levels, while simultaneously facilitating data reuse and laying out the authors’ current interpretations. We consider the benefits and challenges of producing work in this way through the example of producing the Gabii Project’s first volume, A Mid-Republican House from Gabii, developed through a collaboration between the Gabii Project team and the University of Michigan Press. This experience is contextualized within the broader discourse surrounding changing expectations about open access, authorship and credit, and sustainability of digital scholarship in academic publishing.     

Excavations at Lismahon,Co. Down

Abstract

There is a Growing recognition that introduced species are direct records of cultural activity and that studies of their biogeography have the potential to tell us about patterns of human migration, trade and even ideology. In England the fallow deer (Dama dama dama) is one of the earliest and most successful animal introductions, whose establishment has traditionally been attributed to the Normans. However, recent investigations of Old English place names have raised the possibility that the term *pohha/pocca relates to fallow deer, suggesting that the species was widely established in the Anglo-Saxon landscape. This suggestion deserves serious consideration as it has implications for our understanding both of AngloSaxon society and the impact of the Norman Conquest. This paper therefore presents a critical review of the literary, iconographic, place-name and zooarchaeological evidence for fallow deer in early medieval England and beyond.     

Excavations at Stirling Castle 1977-1978

Abstract

An excavation and survey were carried out on the Spur Battery and adjacent areas of Stirling Castle (NS/790940) over three phases of excavation. The subsequent findings conformed with the plans of the 16th-century ‘French Spur’ as illustrated by Slezer and Dury. Further evidence of the 16th-century defences was uncovered in the area adjacent to the Queen Anne Battery.     

Excavations at Balakot,Pakistan, 1973

Abstract

During the winter of 1973–74 preliminary excavations were conducted at the ancient coastal site of Balakot in Sanmiani Bay, Pakistan. Two periods are represented at the site. Period B, capping the mound, represents the Mature Indus (Harappan) period, the earliest urban period of South Asia. Balakot is one of five known coastal sites of the Indus Civilization. It is hoped that evidence will be discovered in subsequent seasons bearing on the question of the assumed sea trade contacts between the Indus and the Persian Gulf and Mesopotamia in the centuries just before and after 2000 B.C.

Period A at Balakot is designated as Early Indus. The more than 6 m. of occupational debris resting on sterile soil represent the developmental stages leading directly into the earliest civilization of South Asia. The Early Indus sequence at Balakot contains ceramic elements related to many of the so-called “painted pottery cultures” of Baluchistan and the southern Indus Valley. The proposed series of extensive excavations at the site should provide a sound chronological and cultural framework within which any of these presently isolated cultural traditions can be studied.

This report describes the location and potential importance of the site. The most significant findings of the first season's work are presented.