Review Article — The Buildings of England Series — the Second Editions

Abstract

An account of the excavation by members of the Somerset Industrial Archaeological Society of a stone built engine house dating from the mid-nineteenth century. Documentary evidence indicated that a portable engine pumped and wound from Smoky Bottom mine. The archaeological and historical evidence has enabled a conjectural restoration of the building and machinery.     

Managing for Effective Archaeological Conservation: The Example of Salisbury Plain Military Training Area,England

Abstract

Salisbury Plain Military Training Area, Wiltshire, England is the major zone of southern Engizsh chalk downland where archaeological field monuments are comparatively well preserved over large areas. The land is currently managed with regard to military considerations, to its secondary use for forming, and to conservation concerns. Following expressions of concern about archaeological damage, a working party was set up to evaluate the present state of archaeological survival and to recommend for the future. A survey of all sites evaluated their condition by means of a scoring system. Recommendations were made about military use, agriculture, and controlling natural agencies of destruction; and a solution was offered that incorporated eight elements of strategy. The Salisbury Plain study is considered in its context—the English national policy that there should be an archaeological stock-taking of what we have, and a scoring system to make possible some rational choice in selecting from it what is most precious and what is in most need of protection.     

Shaping the sacred: light and the experience of worship in middle Byzantine churches

Abstract

Byzantine churches have been extensively studied in terms of their architectural development and in their role as places to display religious art. However there has been less research into one of the most fundamental aspects of the Byzantine ritual experience, illumination. In practical terms, churches had to be illuminated sufficiently for worship to take place. In experiential terms, lighting can be seen as the medium by which the iconographic programmes and liturgical practices were staged and enhanced. This paper considers the archaeological and textual evidence linking physical illumination of buildings with the experience of their sacred function.     

Assessing the later prehistoric environmental archaeology and landscape development of the Cetina Valley,Croatia

Abstract

This paper describes preliminary work on the environmental and archaeological potential of the Cetina River Valley, Croatia. Two seasons of fieldwork and assessment have suggested that the valley contains a preserved landscape, much of which is waterlogged. It is clear that there is the potential to address many local and regional questions concerning land use, subsistence and environmental change in an area where previously only limited environmental archaeology has been undertaken. One pressing issue is how to prospect for both cultural and environmental archaeological deposits within this regional landscape. This is especially true in cases where little 'base-line data' exists. This paper outlines the current practice and suggests a number of new approaches to prospecting for environmental 'hotspots'.     

Excavating the 18th- and 19th-Century Urban Flour Mill: the Example of the Archaeological Investigations at the Former J.A. Symes Factory Site,Highbridge Road,Barking

Abstract

The area occupied by the former J.A. Symes match factory, Highbridge Road, Barking, was once home to a large steam- and water-powered flourmill. The mill was originally driven by the tidal flow of the River Roding, prior to its expansion and gradual conversion to steam. A residential redevelopment, undertaken in spring 2006, provided an opportunity to conduct a developer-funded archaeological investigation, carried out by Pre-Construct Archaeology Ltd. The excavation exposed the partial, multi-phase remains of the mill's below-ground foundations, in particular the evidence for successive power systems. These remains were interpreted with the help of documentary research, demonstrating the complementary nature of these two forms of evidence on an urban industrial site.     

Power Development at the northern end of Quarry Bank Mill,Styal Cheshire

Abstract

This paper presents, in condensed form, the results of an archaeological survey of the northern end of Quarry Bank Mill, Styal, Wilmslow, Cheshire (SJ 834832). Development of the galleries at this popular museum, run by the Quarry Bank Mill Trust Ltd for the National Trust, to include the history of power generation and use, is informed by the survey which has confirmed the dramatic nature of the changes in energy source and transmission in this part of the complex during the period 1784-1906. The survey reviews the physical evidence for the series of water wheels, steam engines, boilers, stacks, coal chutes etc and is able to refine the received history, challenging occasional misunderstandings such as in the dating of the bell tower.     

Draught cattle and the South Scandinavian economies of the 4th millennium BC

Abstract

This paper presents an osteomorphological survey of evidence for draught utilisation of cattle in the South Scandinavian TRB culture. The investigations focus on morphological changes in the lower limb bones of domestic cattle from a large number of archaeological sites and from several individual cattle skeletons found in bogs. The osteological results are discussed in the context of other lines of evidence, both archaeological and environmental, and one of the main themes of this discussion is the relationship between the adoption of animal traction and developments in land use. Furthermore, developments in the economic complex of the South Scandinavian TRB culture are compared with certain trends further south in Europe.     

Eselsohren: the Journal of History of Art,Architecture and Urbanism, 1/1, 2013

Abstract

This article first describes the prime movers surviving in three Irish distilleries, and shows how steam and water power were used in conjunction at two of them. The second section describes surviving stationary steam engines in other industries, and these are described in order of technological development, so giving an indication of the evolution of the stationary steam engine between about 1895 and 1940.     

Protecting a ‘Homeric landscape’: The making of the Butrint National Park,Albania

Abstract

This paper will present research on the vulnerability mapping of coastal archaeological sites currently being undertaken in Northern Ireland. The ultimate aim of this research is improve current predictions of where archaeological sites and landscapes will be at risk in the future from coastal erosion. The initial stage of this approach uses a suite of oblique aerial photographs to construct a baseline of eroding locations and coastal geomorphology. The erosion baseline can then be integrated with existing historic environment records to obtain a coarse first-pass archaeological vulnerability assessment. Subsequent stages can then use this assessment to prioritize future mitigation such as field surveys or monitoring exercises, or conduct further refinements of vulnerability classifications by incorporating information on site type and positioning on a local scale.     

Iron Working in the Vicinity of Weybridge,Surrey

Abstract

The presence of eighteenth-century iron working mills and the coincidental local, but limited, source of iron in the Weybridge area of Surrey, has led a number of authors to suggest that these mills smelted locally extracted iron ore. The present author has described elsewhere the occurrence of the ore and indicated that extraction was in pre-mediaeval times, probably during the Iron Age. In further support of this theory, the original records of Iron Age archaeological sites in the area are shown to reveal positive evidence of iron working. The history of the iron mills throughout their restricted period of iron working is also described, and at each site a close association between the fabrication of iron, and brass and copper products, where the metal is of undoubted extraneous origin, is evident.     

Of grizzlies and landslides: the use of archaeological and anthropological evidence in Canadian aboriginal rights cases

Abstract

This paper discusses some of the most contentious problems raised by the use of archaeological and anthropological evidence in aboriginal rights litigation in Canada. The first part of the paper deals with the general impact of archaeological and anthropological theories on law. The more specific problems related to the use of archaeological and anthropological evidence in aboriginal rights litigation are the subject of the second part. The final section deals with the reverse problem, that is, the question of the law's impact on the disciplines of archaeology and anthropology.     

On the challenges and benefits of indoor archaeology: 15 years at the Archeodome (Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village,South Dakota)

Abstract

Field archaeology is normally associated with outdoor excavation and exposure to the natural environment. Archaeological excavations have adapted to a wide spectrum of these conditions, but the recent prominence of archaeological sites as tourist attractions and educational facilities has occasionally led to dramatically different environments for the archaeological recovery, interpretation, and preservation of evidence, including facilities that permit indoor excavation. This article explores 15 years of experience at the Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village in South Dakota. An “Archeodome” covering part of the site represents a non-traditional excavation and preservation environment that presents considerable benefits and challenges for archaeologists. The structure provides the basis for evaluating the nature of indoor excavation within its archaeological and educational context and provides a cautionary note for archaeologists, heritage groups, tourist boards, and others interested in the preservation of archaeological sites. Though this article focuses on the Mitchell site, the information reported has broad implications for sites where structures cover archaeological deposits.     

Archaeological Investigations of York South Motive Power Depot

ABSTRACT

Results of a study of the southern portion of the railway lands adjacent to York Station are considered. An early straight shed and a rare combination of three roundhouses, variously built by the Great North of England Railway, the York and North Midland Railway and the North Eastern Railway at the York South Motive Power Depot, were investigated and preserved in situ beneath the new rail operating centre, the largest in the country. Originally constructed between 1841 and 1864, these remarkable engine sheds remained in railway use for up to 120 years. Documentary and archaeological evidence is considered and placed within a wider context to explain how these buildings were adapted as their functions evolved. This allows us to understand how the sheds remained in operation after comparable structures at other depots became obsolete.     

On the Identification of Ænon

Abstract

Combined archaeological data from the Central Jordan Valley indicates that small agricultural villages and a few public buildings occupied the area during the first half of the 10^th century BC, all grouped along well-organised irrigation systems. A regional conflagration ended the occupation around 950 BC, after which most of the Central Jordan Valley was deserted for approximately one century. This occupational gap coincided with a period of decreased precipitation. During this arid phase the area was visited by mobile groups who used the summits of the settlement mounds for animal holding and sparse industrial activities. According to the topographical list of Shoshenq I, there were at least four settlements in the Central Jordan Valley: Adamah, Succoth, Penuel and Mahanaim. These places were apparently important enough in c. 925 BC for the Egyptians to neutralise them. But where are the remains of these settlements? This study deals with the intriguing disjunction between archaeological and textual evidence.     

Thirty-Second Annual Meeting,Evesham, 1875

Abstract

This paper considers the sculpted capitals in Wells cathedral. Although integral to the early Gothic fabric, they have hitherto eluded close examination as either a component of the building or as an important cycle of ecclesiastical imagery in their own right. Consideration of the archaeological evidence suggests that the capitals were introduced mid-way through the building campaigns and were likely the products of the cathedral's masons rather than part of an original scheme for the cathedral as a whole. Possible sources for the images are considered. The distribution of the capitals in lay and clerical spaces of the cathedral leads to discussion of how the imagery might have been meaningful to different audiences on either side of the choir screen.     

Archaeological Site Management and Local Involvement: A Case Study from Abu Rawash,Egypt

Abstract

Local involvement is an essential element of successful archaeological site management. Recognition of the role of the local community could make a great contribution in improving the present critical situation of many archaeological sites worldwide. In Egypt, where internationally renowned archaeological sites attract both academic and tourism interests, archaeological sites and monuments are suffering from different issues. Amongst the various causes is the failure to recognize the relationship between the sites and the present society — both the local community and other stakeholders — and this has negatively influenced the sites. Not only have the local communities been given limited access to knowledge, and limited opportunities to become involved in the archaeology, but also their attempts to pursue a better standard of living have been restricted for the sake of protecting the national heritage. In this article I use a case study from Abu Rawash to explore strategies that could encourage local involvement in site management, through capacity building and communication with the government and other stakeholders. Although local involvement may not provide a drastic improvement of an individual site's condition, the principle of local involvement should contribute to a general improvement in Egypt, where conservation efforts largely focus on physical materials and little attention is given to the society surrounding the archaeological remains.     

The Robinson Enterprises at Papplewick,Nottinghamshire: Part Two

Abstract

In Part One (Industrial Archaeology Review Vol IX No 1) the establishment of the Robinsons' water powered cotton spinning mills along the River Leen was described. By 1785 there were four mills working and a fifth was being built, all of them dependent on the same water supply. The operations of these mills were seriously threatened by the activities of a land owner upstream who obstructed the water flow. The Robinsons then resorted to litigation and also immediately sought an alternative source of power. Their approach to Boulton and Watt led to the commissioning in 1785 of the first rotary steam engine to drive cotton spinning machinery. The problems attendant upon its installation and early operation are described through the medium of letters and drawings in the Boulton and Watt Collections. Using these and other sources the author establishes the site location of the first steam engine and also that of the second Watt engine some five years later. She is very much indebted to Peter Neaverson for additional technical information and his interpretation of the Boulton and Watt drawings.     

Redressing the balance — an archaeological evaluation of North Yorkshire's coastal alum industry

Abstract

Recent acquisitions of coastline by the National Trust in North Yorkshire and Cleveland have included important archaeological evidence of North Yorkshire's former alum industry. Owing to its remote marginal location this evidence has been little studied and there has previously been a bias towards the study of documentary sources as a means of understanding the alum industry. The archaeology of the alum industry is seriously threatened by relentless coastal erosion and there is an urgent need to record this evidence and thus redress this imbalance. The Yorkshire Region of the National Trust owns the partial remains of three important alum sites and the results of the detailed archaeological evaluation of these sites are presented. The archaeological implications of the Trust's continuing acquisition of threatened coastline are also considered.     

Designing protective structures at archaeological sites Criteria and environtnental design tnethodology for a proposed structure at Lot's Basilica,Jordan

Abstract

This paper sheds light on the need to assess the efficacy and performance of protective structures at archaeological sites according to design criteria derived from various elements in heritage management processes. The paper also focuses on the use of architectural design methodologies that essentially correspond to physical conservation requirements at archaeological sites. The paper, in effect, introduces climatic approaches to the design of protective structures at archaeological sites. It further illustrates the value of computer-based environmental simulation and modeling tools in the design phase of projects. Despite their limitations, these tools help guide design processes, and generally indicate future conservation effectiveness and performance of protective enclosed structures at archaeological sites.     

Quebrada Tacahuay,Southern Peru: A Late Pleistocene Site Preserved by a Debris Flow

Abstract

Here we describe the properties of a debris flow apparently generated by a warm phase El Niño event that buried an intermittently occupied Late Pleistocene forager site located in the southern coastal desert of Peru. Although the event deposited roughly one meter of sediment over the initial occupation, our analyses of debris flow dynamics and data from large scale archaeological investigations indicate that the earliest anthropogenic deposits at the site of Quebrada Tacahuay were preserved intact as a result of the burial episode; there is no evidence that the debris flow scoured or disturbed the cultural deposits. The event that buried the oldest archaeological contexts at Quebrada Tacahuay differs from other flood events that are characterized by turbulent, fast-moving floodwaters. Our data on debris flow dynamics and our results from excavation have implications for identifying, investigating, and interpreting other deeply buried archaeological sites both in the central Andes and in other geographic regions.