I work for Historic England as an archaeological investigator. I am also a research associate at Oxford University's Department for Continuing Education. Previously I worked as a project officer for the East Oxford Community Archaeology Project (www.archeox.net). I have a PhD in Archaeology from the University of Central Lancashire. My doctoral research focused on lithic scatters, monuments and landscape in the Lower Exe valley, Devon. I have an MA in Landscape Archaeology from the University of Sheffield and a BA in Archaeology from the University of Leicester. I also co-direct the Damerham Archaeology Project (www.damerhamarchaeology.org).
The Archaeology of East Oxford: Archeox, the development of a community, 2020
This collection presents the summative output from an Oxford University / Community Archaeology r... more This collection presents the summative output from an Oxford University / Community Archaeology research project based on eastern district of City of Oxford (UK) in the form of an open access monograph. Excerpt from the Introduction:
"This book teaches some important lessons. Field archaeology does not have to be restricted to farmland and gravel quarries, nor are large scale excavations necessarily the only way of working. Archeox has demonstrated how much can be learnt by methods that are better suited to urban areas: test pitting, geophysical survey, archival research, and the study of museum collections. The results have been a revelation and this book delivers on its aim to document the development of a community. While it does present the results of conventional excavations – thoroughly useful ones - it is this combination of methods, along with the skills of the participants, that really breaks new ground. The project asked important questions and it answered them convincingly. The result is a completely fresh understanding of East Oxford".
STONEHENGE FOR THE ANCESTORS PART 1: LANDSCAPE AND MONUMENTS Mike Parker Pearson, Joshua Pollard, Colin Richards, Julian Thomas, Chris Tilley and Kate Welham, 2020
This details our excavations along the Stonehenge Avenue Bend as part of the Stonehenge Riverside... more This details our excavations along the Stonehenge Avenue Bend as part of the Stonehenge Riverside Project in the first volume of Stonehenge for the Ancestors, which can be purchased or read on line for free at https://www.sidestone.com/books/stonehenge-for-the-ancestors-part-1.
In 2014 Oxford Archaeology (funded by Historic England and mineral company Silbelco), undertook t... more In 2014 Oxford Archaeology (funded by Historic England and mineral company Silbelco), undertook the topographic survey and full excavation of Emmets Post barrow in advance of china clay quarry expansion. This was followed by a programme of post-excavation research funded by Historic England.
A Level 3 analytical earthwork survey at Rampier Copse, Silchester, Hampshire was undertaken by H... more A Level 3 analytical earthwork survey at Rampier Copse, Silchester, Hampshire was undertaken by Historic England as part of the Silchester Environs Project in late 2017 and early 2018. The survey covered an area of approximately 14ha immediately outside the south-west corner of the Roman town of Calleva Atrebatum. The earliest recorded feature was a sub-circular enclosure, or small hillfort, of presumed mid to late Iron Age date, abutted by a linear earthwork of presumed late Iron Age date. Elements of the enclosure are massively enhanced and are incorporated into the outer earthwork surrounding the late Iron Age oppidum. Part of the oppidum’s inner earthwork, Roman roads, and quarrying, woodland banks and boundaries of presumed postmedieval date were also recorded.
This report summarises the results of a programme of archaeological and architectural research un... more This report summarises the results of a programme of archaeological and architectural research undertaken by Historic England’s Historic Places Investigation Team (West). Research focused on the development of Stokes Bay’s coastal defences from the late 16th to mid-20th century. This includes the mid-19th century Stokes Bay Lines and associated forts, and structures created in 1943-4 in preparation for D-day.
A Level 3 analytical earthwork survey of Bullsdown Camp; hillfort, Bramley, Hampshire was undert... more A Level 3 analytical earthwork survey of Bullsdown Camp; hillfort, Bramley, Hampshire was undertaken by Historic England as part of the Silchester Environs Project in early 2017. Enclosing an area of 3.4ha, with a total footprint of 7.3ha, and defined by two sets of banks and ditches, Bullsdown Camp is a medium sized, multivallate hillfort. It occupies a slight rise in a locally prominent plateau, and has a broadly level interior. The hillfort’s ramparts have an unusual configuration. It is enclosed by a slight inner bank, substantial inner and outer ditches, and a substantial outer counterscarp bank. The inner and outer ditches are separated by a berm up to 8m wide on which is a slight and intermittent inner counterscarp bank and a more continuous outer bank. The ramparts are well preserved on the eastern and southern sides of the hillfort, have been partially levelled on the western side, and have been flattened on its northern edge. Two possible original entrances were recorded on the hillfort’s north-west and north-east sides. A number of other breaches in the ramparts are considered to be post-medieval in date. No surface traces of Iron Age activity were recorded in the interior of the hillfort. A curving boundary linking the hillfort to Bullsdown Copse 200m to the south may be associated with a medieval deer park. Several woodland banks and boundary ditches of presumed post-medieval date were recorded overlying or cut into the hillfort’s ramparts. Two early 20th century trackways were recorded in hillfort’s interior. Two small brick buildings to the north of the hillfort probably date to the Second World War.
Proceedings Of the Devon Archaeological Society, 2017
Oxford Archaeology carried out an excavation of an early Bronze Age barrow at Emmets Post, Dartmo... more Oxford Archaeology carried out an excavation of an early Bronze Age barrow at Emmets Post, Dartmoor. The barrow comprised a primary turf mound and a central cairn beneath a secondary turf mound with a stone kerb. No human remains were found. A radiocarbon dating programme yielded a wide range of dates. Some derived from older material incidentally incorporated within the turves during construction, but a date of 1750–1560cal BC for the central area of the barrow may represent the true date of construction. Thelandscape had been largely destroyed by modern quarrying, but present-day Lidar data andcontour data from historic maps were used to reconstruct the pre-quarry topography.
A Level 3 analytical earthwork survey of The Frith hillfort (also known as Pond Farm), Mortimer... more A Level 3 analytical earthwork survey of The Frith hillfort (also known as Pond Farm), Mortimer West End, Hampshire was undertaken by Historic England as part of the Silchester Environs Project in March and November 2015. The survey recorded the small univallate hillfort which encloses an area of 1.6ha, and has a total footprint of 2.2ha. A single entrance with a possible external outwork was recorded on the hillfort’s western side. A possible entrance exists on its eastern side. Preservation of the hillfort’s ditch and rampart is good on its northern and western sides, whilst the southern and eastern sides have been substantially levelled probably during the nineteenth century. Two woodland banks of probable post-medieval date were also recorded.
In early 2016 archaeologists from Historic England conducted a detailed analytical earthwork surv... more In early 2016 archaeologists from Historic England conducted a detailed analytical earthwork survey of Chysauster Ancient Village near Penzance, west Cornwall. The earthwork survey formed part of a wider programme of research commissioned by English Heritage, which manages the site, prior to the preparation of a new guidebook, display boards and other interpretative materials. The survey set out to provide accurate and up-to-date mapping of all archaeological features within the guardianship site, to characterise and interpret earthwork features, and to enable the site to be understood in its wider landscape context.
A Level 3 analytical earthwork survey of Chysauster Ancient Village, Gulval, near Penzance, Cornw... more A Level 3 analytical earthwork survey of Chysauster Ancient Village, Gulval, near Penzance, Cornwall was undertaken by Historic England on behalf of the English Heritage Trust in late January and early February 2016. The survey recorded a number of earthwork features predominantly of Iron Age and Romano-British date associated with the fogou and courtyard house settlement. Features included: a possible enclosure associated with the fogou; a series of lynchets of probable Iron Age date underlying the core of the courtyard house settlement; and a eld system associated with the Romano-British courtyard house settlement. Evidence of post- medieval tin prospection, quarrying and agricultural improvement was also recorded, as were spoil heaps from twentieth century archaeological excavations. The survey has situated archaeological features inside the Chysauster Guardianship area within earlier surveys of its environs, enabling them to be discussed in their landscape context.
This report summarises the results of an analysis of lithic artefacts recovered during excavation... more This report summarises the results of an analysis of lithic artefacts recovered during excavations at Donnington Recreation Ground, Oxford in autumn 2013. A total of 338 artefacts with a combined weight 1378.1g were recovered. Analysis suggests the presence of two distinct phases of prehistoric activity. The first dating to the Late Mesolithic or Early Neolithic, and the second dating to between the Mid Neolithic and Early Bronze Age.
Gradiometer, earth resistance and magnetic susceptibility surveys of Robinhood’s Ball causewayed ... more Gradiometer, earth resistance and magnetic susceptibility surveys of Robinhood’s Ball causewayed enclosure and adjacent monuments were carried out by staff and students from Oxford University’s Department for Continuing Education in summer 2015. Key results of the survey included a large number of potential pits of unknown date both inside and outside the Neolithic enclosure circuits, an element of possible Bronze Age field system abutting the enclosure, and a second ring ditch within one of the adjacent Early Bronze Age round barrows.
Damerham Archaeology Project (DAP) has been investigating a complex of prehistoric and Romano-Bri... more Damerham Archaeology Project (DAP) has been investigating a complex of prehistoric and Romano-British sites near Damerham, Hampshire since 2008, using a range of non-intrusive techniques as well as targeted excavation. In August 2013, a particular focus of the project was on the investigation of the ploughzone. This comprised intensive surface collection, test-pitting, and excavation of selected sub-surface features. This report, produced for English Heritage, comprises preliminary analysis and conclusions of the 2013 fieldwork.
Brifely stated, the main conclusions are that:
(a) At Damerham, surface collection offered a poor indication of the location and character of the monuments discovered through remote sensing;
(b) the surface assemblage appears to offer little indication of the likely condition of the archaeological sites at Damerham;
(c) the ploughzone assemblage at Damerham is unlikely to be representative of the sub-surface assemblage contained in undisturbed archaeological features;
(d) intensive surface collection offers the best means of capturing the spatial distribution of artefactual material present on the surface;
(e) sampling strategies offer an increasingly poor representation of the surface distribution of material as the distance between transects and collection points increases;
(e) if sampling rather than intensive collection is to be used, then careful consideration needs to be given to the aims and objectives of surface collection.
The Damerham Archaeology Project focuses on a recently discovered complex of prehistoric and Rom... more The Damerham Archaeology Project focuses on a recently discovered complex of prehistoric and Romano-British sites located on the eastern edge of Cranborne Chase, close to the village of Damerham, Hampshire. It is a voluntary project that engages with the local community and with other volunteers. In August 2013, with funding from English Heritage's National Heritage Protection Plan activity on Ploughzone Archaeology, the project looked in particular at archaeology from the ploughzone of the Damerham site. This included intensive surface collection, test-pitting, and excavation of selected sub-surface features.
The report:
Summarises the methodologies used and results achieved. In particular that surface collection did not give clear evidence for the condition, location and character of the monuments at Damerham. Intensive collection gave a better picture of the assemblage of finds from the surface than less intensive sampling methods.
Outlines the remaining work to be carried out on the 2013 ploughzone assemblage.
Makes recommendations for further targeted surface collection in order to address issues raised during analysis of the 2013 fieldwork and to further refine methodologies.
Evaluates the relative potential of intensive and extensive collection techniques
The East Oxford Archaeology and History Project conducted 1.8 hectares of gradiometer survey and ... more The East Oxford Archaeology and History Project conducted 1.8 hectares of gradiometer survey and smaller areas of detailed gradiometer and earth resistance survey on Donnington Recreation Ground, Iffley in 2012 and 2013. The survey was the most successful of all of the geophysical surveys carried out as part of the ARCHEOX project. Examination of archaeological records as well as cartographic and other geospatial data sets correctly identified the survey area as being both relatively undisturbed and as having a high archaeological potential. The survey identified a possible Neolithic pit circle (feature A), which was later tested by excavation. A large number of other probable and possible archaeological features were also identified in the survey results, several of which may also be prehistoric in date. Two linear features are thought to be removed post-medieval field boundaries.
The MP12 lithic assemblage indicates a human presence on the site, definitely between the Early N... more The MP12 lithic assemblage indicates a human presence on the site, definitely between the Early Neolithic and Early Bronze Age (c. 4000-1500 BC), and potentially as early as the Mesolithic (c. 9000-4000 BC). This fits with wider patterns of inhabitation evidenced by archaeological investigations on neighbouring sites. Beyond the traces of daily life evidenced by the majority of the assemblage, the finely flaked barbed and tanged arrowhead from trench 2 is potentially a non-functional high status artefact used in a ritual or funerary context.
Made by Oxford based anitquarian Alexander James Montgomerie Bell in the early 20th century, the ... more Made by Oxford based anitquarian Alexander James Montgomerie Bell in the early 20th century, the Bell Collection is the largest assemblage of prehistoric stone tools from the ARCHEOX study area. This report is a summary analysis of the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Early Bronze Age elements of the collection
Devon Archaeological Society Newsletter, 111, 2012
Lithic scatters and prehistoric monuments in the lower Exe Valley
By Olaf Bayer (University of... more Lithic scatters and prehistoric monuments in the lower Exe Valley
By Olaf Bayer (University of Central Lancashire)
This article summarises the results of recent research in the lower Exe valley. The parishes of Nether Exe, Rewe and Thoverton contain some of the richest evidence for prehistoric activity in south-west Britain. The area has a long history of archaeological research and offers a window of relative clarity into the prehistoric landscapes of lowland Devon. Collected between the 1930s (Shaw 1990), and 1990s, the John Uglow collection is one of the largest, and best-recorded, surface lithic collections in Devon. It contains more than 19,000 pieces of worked flint and chert from over 190 assemblages, spanning the early Mesolithic until at least the early Bronze Age (Silvester et al. 1987). The lower Exe basin is one of the most productive and intensively studied areas of archaeological cropmarks in the county. From the 1950s onward aerial photography has produced evidence of an extensive Neolithic and early Bronze Age monument complex (Griffith 1988; Griffith 1994; Griffith and Quinnell 1999). There is much more limited earthwork evidence for extant prehistoric monuments (Allden 1981; Fox 1969). The area also contains one of the few published Holocene palaeoenvironmental sequences from lowland Devon (Fyfe et al. 2003).
Lithic scatters and fieldwalking
The Uglow collection has been the main focus for this piece of research. An analysis of the collection’s assemblages has enabled the mapping of areas of intensive Mesolithic, Neolithic and early Bronze Age activity on the valley floor and the higher ground on its immediate western edge. Much lower levels of activity exist in the surrounding area. A single scatter was rewalked in order to compare the results of non-systematic surface collection conducted in the 1980s, with intensive, systematic collection today. Over 500 pieces of flaked flint and chert were recovered from a 90x90m area. Finds included a late Mesolithic microlith and a small early Bronze Age barbed and tanged arrowhead.
Geophysical survey
Beyond analysing their contents, a key aim of the project has been to understand the archaeological and landscape contexts of lithic scatters. To this end extensive areas of gradiometer survey have been conducted to add further detail to monuments previously identified by aerial photography. This has included the survey of part of a Neolithic cursus monument (Griffith 1990), and a large oval enclosure of possible Neolithic date (Griffith 2001). Initially discovered in the early1990s this massive feature measures over 500m by 300m. Although it bears some resemblance to both Early Neolithic causewayed enclosures and Later Neolithic palisaded enclosures, it does not fit readily into any established class of prehistoric monument. Characterising the enclosure and finding a firm date for its construction and use has been an important aim of the project. To date over 95% of the enclosure has been surveyed showing its relationship with a range of prehistoric (Uglow et al. 1985), Romano British (Uglow 2000), Medieval and later features. The survey indicates that the large enclosure is prehistoric, as it is overlain by features associated with a Romano-British enclosure, but has revealed nothing that dates it more precisely.
Excavation
Two trial trenches were excavated across the ditch of the large enclosure. The enclosure ditch had a shallow-sided, v-shaped profile, up to 7m wide by 1.9m deep, with no traces of an internal or external bank. Very little material suitable for radiocarbon dating was recovered. A small piece of charcoal from the secondary fills of the enclosure ditch gave a mid to late Bronze Age date (1301-1046 cal BC). However, due to its position relatively high up in the ditch silts, and given the high potential for intrusive material in these soft deposits, the relationship between this date and the original construction of the enclosure remains uncertain.
It is hoped to return to the Exe valley in the near future for further fieldwork and to finally date this enigmatic enclosure. The full results of the research so far form part of a recently completed PhD thesis (Bayer 2011).
Acknowledgements
Research has depended on the generous financial and practical support of a number of organisations and individuals. The author has been in receipt of a UCLan PhD scholarship during much of this research, and has also benefited from UCLan fieldwork funds. Devon County Council (DCC) funded an initial assessment of the Uglow collection, much of the gradiometer survey and the radiocarbon dates. Exeter Archaeology, Oxford Archaeotechnics, UCLan, University of Bristol and the ACE Archaeology Club have all loaned equipment. Practical assistance in the field has come from UCLan and University of Exeter students, staff from Exeter Archaeology, members of the ACE Archaeology club and others. Particular thanks are due to the following individuals: John and Barbara Uglow; Frances Griffith and Bill Horner (DCC), landowners Mr R. May and Mr S. Smith, Jess Dollimore, Dr Vicki Cummings and Dr Rick Peterson (UCLan), Dr Josh Pollard (University of Southampton), Dr Ralph Fyfe (University of Plymouth), Jon Bedford (English Heritage), Tony Johnson (Oxford Archaeotechnics), Tom Cadbury (RAMM), and to Svend Bayer for housing and feeding lots of tired, muddy archaeologists.
Further reading
Allden, A.1981. ‘A study of some Devon barrows and their diminishing future’. Exeter: Devon Archaeological Society/Devon Committee for Rescue Archaeology.
Bayer, O.J. 2011. Lithic scatters and landscape: the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Early Bronze Age inhabitation of the lower Exe Valley, Devon. Unpublished PhD thesis: University of Central Lancashire. (Copies deposited in the Devon HER and RAMM).
Fox, A. 1969. ‘The Upton Pyne cemetery’. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society, 27, 75-8.
Fyfe, R.M., Brown, A.G. and Coles, B.J. 2003a. ‘Mesolithic to Bronze Age vegetation and human activity in the Exe Valley, Devon’. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 69, 161–181.
Griffith, F.M. 1990. ‘Aerial reconnaissance in mainland Britain in the summer of 1989’, Antiquity 64: 14-33
Griffith, F.M. 1994. ‘Changing perceptions of the context of prehistoric Dartmoor’. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society, 52, 85-100.
Griffith, F.M. 2001. ‘Recent work on Neolithic enclosures in Devon’. In T. Darvill and J. Thomas (eds.). Neolithic enclosures in Atlantic north-west Europe. 66-77. Oxford: Oxbow Books.
Griffith, F.M. and Quinnell, H. (1999b). ‘Barrows and ceremonial sites in the Neolithic and earlier Bronze Age’ in R.J.P. Kain and W. Ravenhill (eds.). Historical atlas of south-west England. 55-61. Exeter: University of Exeter Press.
Shaw, C.T.S. 1990. A personal memoir. In P. Robertshaw (ed). A history of African archaeology. 205-220. Oxford: James Curry.
Silvester, R.J., Berridge, P.J. and Uglow, J. 1987. A fieldwalking exercise on Mesolithic and Neolithic sites at Nether Exe. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society, 45:1-22.
Uglow, J. 2000. Three Romano-British sites in the lower Exe valley. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society 58, 227-247.
Uglow, J., Brown, A. and Silvester, R.J. 1985. The investigation of a crop mark in the lower Exe valley’. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society, 43, 115-6.
The Archaeology of East Oxford: Archeox, the development of a community, 2020
This collection presents the summative output from an Oxford University / Community Archaeology r... more This collection presents the summative output from an Oxford University / Community Archaeology research project based on eastern district of City of Oxford (UK) in the form of an open access monograph. Excerpt from the Introduction:
"This book teaches some important lessons. Field archaeology does not have to be restricted to farmland and gravel quarries, nor are large scale excavations necessarily the only way of working. Archeox has demonstrated how much can be learnt by methods that are better suited to urban areas: test pitting, geophysical survey, archival research, and the study of museum collections. The results have been a revelation and this book delivers on its aim to document the development of a community. While it does present the results of conventional excavations – thoroughly useful ones - it is this combination of methods, along with the skills of the participants, that really breaks new ground. The project asked important questions and it answered them convincingly. The result is a completely fresh understanding of East Oxford".
STONEHENGE FOR THE ANCESTORS PART 1: LANDSCAPE AND MONUMENTS Mike Parker Pearson, Joshua Pollard, Colin Richards, Julian Thomas, Chris Tilley and Kate Welham, 2020
This details our excavations along the Stonehenge Avenue Bend as part of the Stonehenge Riverside... more This details our excavations along the Stonehenge Avenue Bend as part of the Stonehenge Riverside Project in the first volume of Stonehenge for the Ancestors, which can be purchased or read on line for free at https://www.sidestone.com/books/stonehenge-for-the-ancestors-part-1.
In 2014 Oxford Archaeology (funded by Historic England and mineral company Silbelco), undertook t... more In 2014 Oxford Archaeology (funded by Historic England and mineral company Silbelco), undertook the topographic survey and full excavation of Emmets Post barrow in advance of china clay quarry expansion. This was followed by a programme of post-excavation research funded by Historic England.
A Level 3 analytical earthwork survey at Rampier Copse, Silchester, Hampshire was undertaken by H... more A Level 3 analytical earthwork survey at Rampier Copse, Silchester, Hampshire was undertaken by Historic England as part of the Silchester Environs Project in late 2017 and early 2018. The survey covered an area of approximately 14ha immediately outside the south-west corner of the Roman town of Calleva Atrebatum. The earliest recorded feature was a sub-circular enclosure, or small hillfort, of presumed mid to late Iron Age date, abutted by a linear earthwork of presumed late Iron Age date. Elements of the enclosure are massively enhanced and are incorporated into the outer earthwork surrounding the late Iron Age oppidum. Part of the oppidum’s inner earthwork, Roman roads, and quarrying, woodland banks and boundaries of presumed postmedieval date were also recorded.
This report summarises the results of a programme of archaeological and architectural research un... more This report summarises the results of a programme of archaeological and architectural research undertaken by Historic England’s Historic Places Investigation Team (West). Research focused on the development of Stokes Bay’s coastal defences from the late 16th to mid-20th century. This includes the mid-19th century Stokes Bay Lines and associated forts, and structures created in 1943-4 in preparation for D-day.
A Level 3 analytical earthwork survey of Bullsdown Camp; hillfort, Bramley, Hampshire was undert... more A Level 3 analytical earthwork survey of Bullsdown Camp; hillfort, Bramley, Hampshire was undertaken by Historic England as part of the Silchester Environs Project in early 2017. Enclosing an area of 3.4ha, with a total footprint of 7.3ha, and defined by two sets of banks and ditches, Bullsdown Camp is a medium sized, multivallate hillfort. It occupies a slight rise in a locally prominent plateau, and has a broadly level interior. The hillfort’s ramparts have an unusual configuration. It is enclosed by a slight inner bank, substantial inner and outer ditches, and a substantial outer counterscarp bank. The inner and outer ditches are separated by a berm up to 8m wide on which is a slight and intermittent inner counterscarp bank and a more continuous outer bank. The ramparts are well preserved on the eastern and southern sides of the hillfort, have been partially levelled on the western side, and have been flattened on its northern edge. Two possible original entrances were recorded on the hillfort’s north-west and north-east sides. A number of other breaches in the ramparts are considered to be post-medieval in date. No surface traces of Iron Age activity were recorded in the interior of the hillfort. A curving boundary linking the hillfort to Bullsdown Copse 200m to the south may be associated with a medieval deer park. Several woodland banks and boundary ditches of presumed post-medieval date were recorded overlying or cut into the hillfort’s ramparts. Two early 20th century trackways were recorded in hillfort’s interior. Two small brick buildings to the north of the hillfort probably date to the Second World War.
Proceedings Of the Devon Archaeological Society, 2017
Oxford Archaeology carried out an excavation of an early Bronze Age barrow at Emmets Post, Dartmo... more Oxford Archaeology carried out an excavation of an early Bronze Age barrow at Emmets Post, Dartmoor. The barrow comprised a primary turf mound and a central cairn beneath a secondary turf mound with a stone kerb. No human remains were found. A radiocarbon dating programme yielded a wide range of dates. Some derived from older material incidentally incorporated within the turves during construction, but a date of 1750–1560cal BC for the central area of the barrow may represent the true date of construction. Thelandscape had been largely destroyed by modern quarrying, but present-day Lidar data andcontour data from historic maps were used to reconstruct the pre-quarry topography.
A Level 3 analytical earthwork survey of The Frith hillfort (also known as Pond Farm), Mortimer... more A Level 3 analytical earthwork survey of The Frith hillfort (also known as Pond Farm), Mortimer West End, Hampshire was undertaken by Historic England as part of the Silchester Environs Project in March and November 2015. The survey recorded the small univallate hillfort which encloses an area of 1.6ha, and has a total footprint of 2.2ha. A single entrance with a possible external outwork was recorded on the hillfort’s western side. A possible entrance exists on its eastern side. Preservation of the hillfort’s ditch and rampart is good on its northern and western sides, whilst the southern and eastern sides have been substantially levelled probably during the nineteenth century. Two woodland banks of probable post-medieval date were also recorded.
In early 2016 archaeologists from Historic England conducted a detailed analytical earthwork surv... more In early 2016 archaeologists from Historic England conducted a detailed analytical earthwork survey of Chysauster Ancient Village near Penzance, west Cornwall. The earthwork survey formed part of a wider programme of research commissioned by English Heritage, which manages the site, prior to the preparation of a new guidebook, display boards and other interpretative materials. The survey set out to provide accurate and up-to-date mapping of all archaeological features within the guardianship site, to characterise and interpret earthwork features, and to enable the site to be understood in its wider landscape context.
A Level 3 analytical earthwork survey of Chysauster Ancient Village, Gulval, near Penzance, Cornw... more A Level 3 analytical earthwork survey of Chysauster Ancient Village, Gulval, near Penzance, Cornwall was undertaken by Historic England on behalf of the English Heritage Trust in late January and early February 2016. The survey recorded a number of earthwork features predominantly of Iron Age and Romano-British date associated with the fogou and courtyard house settlement. Features included: a possible enclosure associated with the fogou; a series of lynchets of probable Iron Age date underlying the core of the courtyard house settlement; and a eld system associated with the Romano-British courtyard house settlement. Evidence of post- medieval tin prospection, quarrying and agricultural improvement was also recorded, as were spoil heaps from twentieth century archaeological excavations. The survey has situated archaeological features inside the Chysauster Guardianship area within earlier surveys of its environs, enabling them to be discussed in their landscape context.
This report summarises the results of an analysis of lithic artefacts recovered during excavation... more This report summarises the results of an analysis of lithic artefacts recovered during excavations at Donnington Recreation Ground, Oxford in autumn 2013. A total of 338 artefacts with a combined weight 1378.1g were recovered. Analysis suggests the presence of two distinct phases of prehistoric activity. The first dating to the Late Mesolithic or Early Neolithic, and the second dating to between the Mid Neolithic and Early Bronze Age.
Gradiometer, earth resistance and magnetic susceptibility surveys of Robinhood’s Ball causewayed ... more Gradiometer, earth resistance and magnetic susceptibility surveys of Robinhood’s Ball causewayed enclosure and adjacent monuments were carried out by staff and students from Oxford University’s Department for Continuing Education in summer 2015. Key results of the survey included a large number of potential pits of unknown date both inside and outside the Neolithic enclosure circuits, an element of possible Bronze Age field system abutting the enclosure, and a second ring ditch within one of the adjacent Early Bronze Age round barrows.
Damerham Archaeology Project (DAP) has been investigating a complex of prehistoric and Romano-Bri... more Damerham Archaeology Project (DAP) has been investigating a complex of prehistoric and Romano-British sites near Damerham, Hampshire since 2008, using a range of non-intrusive techniques as well as targeted excavation. In August 2013, a particular focus of the project was on the investigation of the ploughzone. This comprised intensive surface collection, test-pitting, and excavation of selected sub-surface features. This report, produced for English Heritage, comprises preliminary analysis and conclusions of the 2013 fieldwork.
Brifely stated, the main conclusions are that:
(a) At Damerham, surface collection offered a poor indication of the location and character of the monuments discovered through remote sensing;
(b) the surface assemblage appears to offer little indication of the likely condition of the archaeological sites at Damerham;
(c) the ploughzone assemblage at Damerham is unlikely to be representative of the sub-surface assemblage contained in undisturbed archaeological features;
(d) intensive surface collection offers the best means of capturing the spatial distribution of artefactual material present on the surface;
(e) sampling strategies offer an increasingly poor representation of the surface distribution of material as the distance between transects and collection points increases;
(e) if sampling rather than intensive collection is to be used, then careful consideration needs to be given to the aims and objectives of surface collection.
The Damerham Archaeology Project focuses on a recently discovered complex of prehistoric and Rom... more The Damerham Archaeology Project focuses on a recently discovered complex of prehistoric and Romano-British sites located on the eastern edge of Cranborne Chase, close to the village of Damerham, Hampshire. It is a voluntary project that engages with the local community and with other volunteers. In August 2013, with funding from English Heritage's National Heritage Protection Plan activity on Ploughzone Archaeology, the project looked in particular at archaeology from the ploughzone of the Damerham site. This included intensive surface collection, test-pitting, and excavation of selected sub-surface features.
The report:
Summarises the methodologies used and results achieved. In particular that surface collection did not give clear evidence for the condition, location and character of the monuments at Damerham. Intensive collection gave a better picture of the assemblage of finds from the surface than less intensive sampling methods.
Outlines the remaining work to be carried out on the 2013 ploughzone assemblage.
Makes recommendations for further targeted surface collection in order to address issues raised during analysis of the 2013 fieldwork and to further refine methodologies.
Evaluates the relative potential of intensive and extensive collection techniques
The East Oxford Archaeology and History Project conducted 1.8 hectares of gradiometer survey and ... more The East Oxford Archaeology and History Project conducted 1.8 hectares of gradiometer survey and smaller areas of detailed gradiometer and earth resistance survey on Donnington Recreation Ground, Iffley in 2012 and 2013. The survey was the most successful of all of the geophysical surveys carried out as part of the ARCHEOX project. Examination of archaeological records as well as cartographic and other geospatial data sets correctly identified the survey area as being both relatively undisturbed and as having a high archaeological potential. The survey identified a possible Neolithic pit circle (feature A), which was later tested by excavation. A large number of other probable and possible archaeological features were also identified in the survey results, several of which may also be prehistoric in date. Two linear features are thought to be removed post-medieval field boundaries.
The MP12 lithic assemblage indicates a human presence on the site, definitely between the Early N... more The MP12 lithic assemblage indicates a human presence on the site, definitely between the Early Neolithic and Early Bronze Age (c. 4000-1500 BC), and potentially as early as the Mesolithic (c. 9000-4000 BC). This fits with wider patterns of inhabitation evidenced by archaeological investigations on neighbouring sites. Beyond the traces of daily life evidenced by the majority of the assemblage, the finely flaked barbed and tanged arrowhead from trench 2 is potentially a non-functional high status artefact used in a ritual or funerary context.
Made by Oxford based anitquarian Alexander James Montgomerie Bell in the early 20th century, the ... more Made by Oxford based anitquarian Alexander James Montgomerie Bell in the early 20th century, the Bell Collection is the largest assemblage of prehistoric stone tools from the ARCHEOX study area. This report is a summary analysis of the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Early Bronze Age elements of the collection
Devon Archaeological Society Newsletter, 111, 2012
Lithic scatters and prehistoric monuments in the lower Exe Valley
By Olaf Bayer (University of... more Lithic scatters and prehistoric monuments in the lower Exe Valley
By Olaf Bayer (University of Central Lancashire)
This article summarises the results of recent research in the lower Exe valley. The parishes of Nether Exe, Rewe and Thoverton contain some of the richest evidence for prehistoric activity in south-west Britain. The area has a long history of archaeological research and offers a window of relative clarity into the prehistoric landscapes of lowland Devon. Collected between the 1930s (Shaw 1990), and 1990s, the John Uglow collection is one of the largest, and best-recorded, surface lithic collections in Devon. It contains more than 19,000 pieces of worked flint and chert from over 190 assemblages, spanning the early Mesolithic until at least the early Bronze Age (Silvester et al. 1987). The lower Exe basin is one of the most productive and intensively studied areas of archaeological cropmarks in the county. From the 1950s onward aerial photography has produced evidence of an extensive Neolithic and early Bronze Age monument complex (Griffith 1988; Griffith 1994; Griffith and Quinnell 1999). There is much more limited earthwork evidence for extant prehistoric monuments (Allden 1981; Fox 1969). The area also contains one of the few published Holocene palaeoenvironmental sequences from lowland Devon (Fyfe et al. 2003).
Lithic scatters and fieldwalking
The Uglow collection has been the main focus for this piece of research. An analysis of the collection’s assemblages has enabled the mapping of areas of intensive Mesolithic, Neolithic and early Bronze Age activity on the valley floor and the higher ground on its immediate western edge. Much lower levels of activity exist in the surrounding area. A single scatter was rewalked in order to compare the results of non-systematic surface collection conducted in the 1980s, with intensive, systematic collection today. Over 500 pieces of flaked flint and chert were recovered from a 90x90m area. Finds included a late Mesolithic microlith and a small early Bronze Age barbed and tanged arrowhead.
Geophysical survey
Beyond analysing their contents, a key aim of the project has been to understand the archaeological and landscape contexts of lithic scatters. To this end extensive areas of gradiometer survey have been conducted to add further detail to monuments previously identified by aerial photography. This has included the survey of part of a Neolithic cursus monument (Griffith 1990), and a large oval enclosure of possible Neolithic date (Griffith 2001). Initially discovered in the early1990s this massive feature measures over 500m by 300m. Although it bears some resemblance to both Early Neolithic causewayed enclosures and Later Neolithic palisaded enclosures, it does not fit readily into any established class of prehistoric monument. Characterising the enclosure and finding a firm date for its construction and use has been an important aim of the project. To date over 95% of the enclosure has been surveyed showing its relationship with a range of prehistoric (Uglow et al. 1985), Romano British (Uglow 2000), Medieval and later features. The survey indicates that the large enclosure is prehistoric, as it is overlain by features associated with a Romano-British enclosure, but has revealed nothing that dates it more precisely.
Excavation
Two trial trenches were excavated across the ditch of the large enclosure. The enclosure ditch had a shallow-sided, v-shaped profile, up to 7m wide by 1.9m deep, with no traces of an internal or external bank. Very little material suitable for radiocarbon dating was recovered. A small piece of charcoal from the secondary fills of the enclosure ditch gave a mid to late Bronze Age date (1301-1046 cal BC). However, due to its position relatively high up in the ditch silts, and given the high potential for intrusive material in these soft deposits, the relationship between this date and the original construction of the enclosure remains uncertain.
It is hoped to return to the Exe valley in the near future for further fieldwork and to finally date this enigmatic enclosure. The full results of the research so far form part of a recently completed PhD thesis (Bayer 2011).
Acknowledgements
Research has depended on the generous financial and practical support of a number of organisations and individuals. The author has been in receipt of a UCLan PhD scholarship during much of this research, and has also benefited from UCLan fieldwork funds. Devon County Council (DCC) funded an initial assessment of the Uglow collection, much of the gradiometer survey and the radiocarbon dates. Exeter Archaeology, Oxford Archaeotechnics, UCLan, University of Bristol and the ACE Archaeology Club have all loaned equipment. Practical assistance in the field has come from UCLan and University of Exeter students, staff from Exeter Archaeology, members of the ACE Archaeology club and others. Particular thanks are due to the following individuals: John and Barbara Uglow; Frances Griffith and Bill Horner (DCC), landowners Mr R. May and Mr S. Smith, Jess Dollimore, Dr Vicki Cummings and Dr Rick Peterson (UCLan), Dr Josh Pollard (University of Southampton), Dr Ralph Fyfe (University of Plymouth), Jon Bedford (English Heritage), Tony Johnson (Oxford Archaeotechnics), Tom Cadbury (RAMM), and to Svend Bayer for housing and feeding lots of tired, muddy archaeologists.
Further reading
Allden, A.1981. ‘A study of some Devon barrows and their diminishing future’. Exeter: Devon Archaeological Society/Devon Committee for Rescue Archaeology.
Bayer, O.J. 2011. Lithic scatters and landscape: the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Early Bronze Age inhabitation of the lower Exe Valley, Devon. Unpublished PhD thesis: University of Central Lancashire. (Copies deposited in the Devon HER and RAMM).
Fox, A. 1969. ‘The Upton Pyne cemetery’. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society, 27, 75-8.
Fyfe, R.M., Brown, A.G. and Coles, B.J. 2003a. ‘Mesolithic to Bronze Age vegetation and human activity in the Exe Valley, Devon’. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 69, 161–181.
Griffith, F.M. 1990. ‘Aerial reconnaissance in mainland Britain in the summer of 1989’, Antiquity 64: 14-33
Griffith, F.M. 1994. ‘Changing perceptions of the context of prehistoric Dartmoor’. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society, 52, 85-100.
Griffith, F.M. 2001. ‘Recent work on Neolithic enclosures in Devon’. In T. Darvill and J. Thomas (eds.). Neolithic enclosures in Atlantic north-west Europe. 66-77. Oxford: Oxbow Books.
Griffith, F.M. and Quinnell, H. (1999b). ‘Barrows and ceremonial sites in the Neolithic and earlier Bronze Age’ in R.J.P. Kain and W. Ravenhill (eds.). Historical atlas of south-west England. 55-61. Exeter: University of Exeter Press.
Shaw, C.T.S. 1990. A personal memoir. In P. Robertshaw (ed). A history of African archaeology. 205-220. Oxford: James Curry.
Silvester, R.J., Berridge, P.J. and Uglow, J. 1987. A fieldwalking exercise on Mesolithic and Neolithic sites at Nether Exe. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society, 45:1-22.
Uglow, J. 2000. Three Romano-British sites in the lower Exe valley. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society 58, 227-247.
Uglow, J., Brown, A. and Silvester, R.J. 1985. The investigation of a crop mark in the lower Exe valley’. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society, 43, 115-6.
Lithic assemblages both from excavated contexts and surface scatters often indicate that certain ... more Lithic assemblages both from excavated contexts and surface scatters often indicate that certain places were a focus for multiple episodes of prehistoric activity, sometimes spanning several millennia. Both ecological (Foley 1981), and social (Edmonds 1999 and Pollard 2000), explanations have been offered for why people return to the same places. Taking a social approach, this paper discusses the possibility that the recognition of already ancient stone tools and debitage in prehistoric landscapes might have played a role in determining the location of subsequent acts of occupation. This idea is discussed in relation to a series of recently studied Mesolithic, Neolithic and Early Bronze Age, surface lithic assemblages from the lower Exe valley, Devon.
The lower Exe valley comprises one of the most significant prehistoric landscapes in lowland sout... more The lower Exe valley comprises one of the most significant prehistoric landscapes in lowland southwest Britain. This paper examines the inhabitation of this landscape, between the Mesolithic and the early Bronze Age, through the study of a series of surface lithic scatters. It draws on the evidence of lithic assemblages from museum collections, cropmarks of monuments shown on aerial photographs, and new fieldwork including extensive geophysical survey and targeted excavation. It proposes that both the contents of lithic scatters (the stone tools and debitage of which they are composed), and their contexts (the locations in which they are found), form inseparable parts of the same whole, and are implicated in the processes through which prehistoric populations came to understand and create their worlds.
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Papers by Olaf Bayer
Excerpt from the Introduction:
"This book teaches some important lessons. Field archaeology does not have to be restricted to farmland and gravel quarries, nor are large scale excavations necessarily the only way of working. Archeox has demonstrated how much can be learnt by methods that are better suited to urban areas: test pitting, geophysical survey, archival research, and the study of museum collections. The results have been a revelation and this book delivers on its aim to document the development of a community. While it does present the results of conventional excavations – thoroughly useful ones - it is this combination of methods, along with the skills of the participants, that really breaks new ground. The project asked important questions and it answered them convincingly. The result is a completely fresh understanding of East Oxford".
Brifely stated, the main conclusions are that:
(a) At Damerham, surface collection offered a poor indication of the location and character of the monuments discovered through remote sensing;
(b) the surface assemblage appears to offer little indication of the likely condition of the archaeological sites at Damerham;
(c) the ploughzone assemblage at Damerham is unlikely to be representative of the sub-surface assemblage contained in undisturbed archaeological features;
(d) intensive surface collection offers the best means of capturing the spatial distribution of artefactual material present on the surface;
(e) sampling strategies offer an increasingly poor representation of the surface distribution of material as the distance between transects and collection points increases;
(e) if sampling rather than intensive collection is to be used, then careful consideration needs to be given to the aims and objectives of surface collection.
The report:
Summarises the methodologies used and results achieved. In particular that surface collection did not give clear evidence for the condition, location and character of the monuments at Damerham. Intensive collection gave a better picture of the assemblage of finds from the surface than less intensive sampling methods.
Outlines the remaining work to be carried out on the 2013 ploughzone assemblage.
Makes recommendations for further targeted surface collection in order to address issues raised during analysis of the 2013 fieldwork and to further refine methodologies.
Evaluates the relative potential of intensive and extensive collection techniques
By Olaf Bayer (University of Central Lancashire)
This article summarises the results of recent research in the lower Exe valley. The parishes of Nether Exe, Rewe and Thoverton contain some of the richest evidence for prehistoric activity in south-west Britain. The area has a long history of archaeological research and offers a window of relative clarity into the prehistoric landscapes of lowland Devon. Collected between the 1930s (Shaw 1990), and 1990s, the John Uglow collection is one of the largest, and best-recorded, surface lithic collections in Devon. It contains more than 19,000 pieces of worked flint and chert from over 190 assemblages, spanning the early Mesolithic until at least the early Bronze Age (Silvester et al. 1987). The lower Exe basin is one of the most productive and intensively studied areas of archaeological cropmarks in the county. From the 1950s onward aerial photography has produced evidence of an extensive Neolithic and early Bronze Age monument complex (Griffith 1988; Griffith 1994; Griffith and Quinnell 1999). There is much more limited earthwork evidence for extant prehistoric monuments (Allden 1981; Fox 1969). The area also contains one of the few published Holocene palaeoenvironmental sequences from lowland Devon (Fyfe et al. 2003).
Lithic scatters and fieldwalking
The Uglow collection has been the main focus for this piece of research. An analysis of the collection’s assemblages has enabled the mapping of areas of intensive Mesolithic, Neolithic and early Bronze Age activity on the valley floor and the higher ground on its immediate western edge. Much lower levels of activity exist in the surrounding area. A single scatter was rewalked in order to compare the results of non-systematic surface collection conducted in the 1980s, with intensive, systematic collection today. Over 500 pieces of flaked flint and chert were recovered from a 90x90m area. Finds included a late Mesolithic microlith and a small early Bronze Age barbed and tanged arrowhead.
Geophysical survey
Beyond analysing their contents, a key aim of the project has been to understand the archaeological and landscape contexts of lithic scatters. To this end extensive areas of gradiometer survey have been conducted to add further detail to monuments previously identified by aerial photography. This has included the survey of part of a Neolithic cursus monument (Griffith 1990), and a large oval enclosure of possible Neolithic date (Griffith 2001). Initially discovered in the early1990s this massive feature measures over 500m by 300m. Although it bears some resemblance to both Early Neolithic causewayed enclosures and Later Neolithic palisaded enclosures, it does not fit readily into any established class of prehistoric monument. Characterising the enclosure and finding a firm date for its construction and use has been an important aim of the project. To date over 95% of the enclosure has been surveyed showing its relationship with a range of prehistoric (Uglow et al. 1985), Romano British (Uglow 2000), Medieval and later features. The survey indicates that the large enclosure is prehistoric, as it is overlain by features associated with a Romano-British enclosure, but has revealed nothing that dates it more precisely.
Excavation
Two trial trenches were excavated across the ditch of the large enclosure. The enclosure ditch had a shallow-sided, v-shaped profile, up to 7m wide by 1.9m deep, with no traces of an internal or external bank. Very little material suitable for radiocarbon dating was recovered. A small piece of charcoal from the secondary fills of the enclosure ditch gave a mid to late Bronze Age date (1301-1046 cal BC). However, due to its position relatively high up in the ditch silts, and given the high potential for intrusive material in these soft deposits, the relationship between this date and the original construction of the enclosure remains uncertain.
It is hoped to return to the Exe valley in the near future for further fieldwork and to finally date this enigmatic enclosure. The full results of the research so far form part of a recently completed PhD thesis (Bayer 2011).
Acknowledgements
Research has depended on the generous financial and practical support of a number of organisations and individuals. The author has been in receipt of a UCLan PhD scholarship during much of this research, and has also benefited from UCLan fieldwork funds. Devon County Council (DCC) funded an initial assessment of the Uglow collection, much of the gradiometer survey and the radiocarbon dates. Exeter Archaeology, Oxford Archaeotechnics, UCLan, University of Bristol and the ACE Archaeology Club have all loaned equipment. Practical assistance in the field has come from UCLan and University of Exeter students, staff from Exeter Archaeology, members of the ACE Archaeology club and others. Particular thanks are due to the following individuals: John and Barbara Uglow; Frances Griffith and Bill Horner (DCC), landowners Mr R. May and Mr S. Smith, Jess Dollimore, Dr Vicki Cummings and Dr Rick Peterson (UCLan), Dr Josh Pollard (University of Southampton), Dr Ralph Fyfe (University of Plymouth), Jon Bedford (English Heritage), Tony Johnson (Oxford Archaeotechnics), Tom Cadbury (RAMM), and to Svend Bayer for housing and feeding lots of tired, muddy archaeologists.
Further reading
Allden, A.1981. ‘A study of some Devon barrows and their diminishing future’. Exeter: Devon Archaeological Society/Devon Committee for Rescue Archaeology.
Bayer, O.J. 2011. Lithic scatters and landscape: the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Early Bronze Age inhabitation of the lower Exe Valley, Devon. Unpublished PhD thesis: University of Central Lancashire. (Copies deposited in the Devon HER and RAMM).
Fox, A. 1969. ‘The Upton Pyne cemetery’. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society, 27, 75-8.
Fyfe, R.M., Brown, A.G. and Coles, B.J. 2003a. ‘Mesolithic to Bronze Age vegetation and human activity in the Exe Valley, Devon’. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 69, 161–181.
Griffith, F.M. 1990. ‘Aerial reconnaissance in mainland Britain in the summer of 1989’, Antiquity 64: 14-33
Griffith, F.M. 1994. ‘Changing perceptions of the context of prehistoric Dartmoor’. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society, 52, 85-100.
Griffith, F.M. 2001. ‘Recent work on Neolithic enclosures in Devon’. In T. Darvill and J. Thomas (eds.). Neolithic enclosures in Atlantic north-west Europe. 66-77. Oxford: Oxbow Books.
Griffith, F.M. and Quinnell, H. (1999b). ‘Barrows and ceremonial sites in the Neolithic and earlier Bronze Age’ in R.J.P. Kain and W. Ravenhill (eds.). Historical atlas of south-west England. 55-61. Exeter: University of Exeter Press.
Shaw, C.T.S. 1990. A personal memoir. In P. Robertshaw (ed). A history of African archaeology. 205-220. Oxford: James Curry.
Silvester, R.J., Berridge, P.J. and Uglow, J. 1987. A fieldwalking exercise on Mesolithic and Neolithic sites at Nether Exe. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society, 45:1-22.
Uglow, J. 2000. Three Romano-British sites in the lower Exe valley. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society 58, 227-247.
Uglow, J., Brown, A. and Silvester, R.J. 1985. The investigation of a crop mark in the lower Exe valley’. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society, 43, 115-6.
Excerpt from the Introduction:
"This book teaches some important lessons. Field archaeology does not have to be restricted to farmland and gravel quarries, nor are large scale excavations necessarily the only way of working. Archeox has demonstrated how much can be learnt by methods that are better suited to urban areas: test pitting, geophysical survey, archival research, and the study of museum collections. The results have been a revelation and this book delivers on its aim to document the development of a community. While it does present the results of conventional excavations – thoroughly useful ones - it is this combination of methods, along with the skills of the participants, that really breaks new ground. The project asked important questions and it answered them convincingly. The result is a completely fresh understanding of East Oxford".
Brifely stated, the main conclusions are that:
(a) At Damerham, surface collection offered a poor indication of the location and character of the monuments discovered through remote sensing;
(b) the surface assemblage appears to offer little indication of the likely condition of the archaeological sites at Damerham;
(c) the ploughzone assemblage at Damerham is unlikely to be representative of the sub-surface assemblage contained in undisturbed archaeological features;
(d) intensive surface collection offers the best means of capturing the spatial distribution of artefactual material present on the surface;
(e) sampling strategies offer an increasingly poor representation of the surface distribution of material as the distance between transects and collection points increases;
(e) if sampling rather than intensive collection is to be used, then careful consideration needs to be given to the aims and objectives of surface collection.
The report:
Summarises the methodologies used and results achieved. In particular that surface collection did not give clear evidence for the condition, location and character of the monuments at Damerham. Intensive collection gave a better picture of the assemblage of finds from the surface than less intensive sampling methods.
Outlines the remaining work to be carried out on the 2013 ploughzone assemblage.
Makes recommendations for further targeted surface collection in order to address issues raised during analysis of the 2013 fieldwork and to further refine methodologies.
Evaluates the relative potential of intensive and extensive collection techniques
By Olaf Bayer (University of Central Lancashire)
This article summarises the results of recent research in the lower Exe valley. The parishes of Nether Exe, Rewe and Thoverton contain some of the richest evidence for prehistoric activity in south-west Britain. The area has a long history of archaeological research and offers a window of relative clarity into the prehistoric landscapes of lowland Devon. Collected between the 1930s (Shaw 1990), and 1990s, the John Uglow collection is one of the largest, and best-recorded, surface lithic collections in Devon. It contains more than 19,000 pieces of worked flint and chert from over 190 assemblages, spanning the early Mesolithic until at least the early Bronze Age (Silvester et al. 1987). The lower Exe basin is one of the most productive and intensively studied areas of archaeological cropmarks in the county. From the 1950s onward aerial photography has produced evidence of an extensive Neolithic and early Bronze Age monument complex (Griffith 1988; Griffith 1994; Griffith and Quinnell 1999). There is much more limited earthwork evidence for extant prehistoric monuments (Allden 1981; Fox 1969). The area also contains one of the few published Holocene palaeoenvironmental sequences from lowland Devon (Fyfe et al. 2003).
Lithic scatters and fieldwalking
The Uglow collection has been the main focus for this piece of research. An analysis of the collection’s assemblages has enabled the mapping of areas of intensive Mesolithic, Neolithic and early Bronze Age activity on the valley floor and the higher ground on its immediate western edge. Much lower levels of activity exist in the surrounding area. A single scatter was rewalked in order to compare the results of non-systematic surface collection conducted in the 1980s, with intensive, systematic collection today. Over 500 pieces of flaked flint and chert were recovered from a 90x90m area. Finds included a late Mesolithic microlith and a small early Bronze Age barbed and tanged arrowhead.
Geophysical survey
Beyond analysing their contents, a key aim of the project has been to understand the archaeological and landscape contexts of lithic scatters. To this end extensive areas of gradiometer survey have been conducted to add further detail to monuments previously identified by aerial photography. This has included the survey of part of a Neolithic cursus monument (Griffith 1990), and a large oval enclosure of possible Neolithic date (Griffith 2001). Initially discovered in the early1990s this massive feature measures over 500m by 300m. Although it bears some resemblance to both Early Neolithic causewayed enclosures and Later Neolithic palisaded enclosures, it does not fit readily into any established class of prehistoric monument. Characterising the enclosure and finding a firm date for its construction and use has been an important aim of the project. To date over 95% of the enclosure has been surveyed showing its relationship with a range of prehistoric (Uglow et al. 1985), Romano British (Uglow 2000), Medieval and later features. The survey indicates that the large enclosure is prehistoric, as it is overlain by features associated with a Romano-British enclosure, but has revealed nothing that dates it more precisely.
Excavation
Two trial trenches were excavated across the ditch of the large enclosure. The enclosure ditch had a shallow-sided, v-shaped profile, up to 7m wide by 1.9m deep, with no traces of an internal or external bank. Very little material suitable for radiocarbon dating was recovered. A small piece of charcoal from the secondary fills of the enclosure ditch gave a mid to late Bronze Age date (1301-1046 cal BC). However, due to its position relatively high up in the ditch silts, and given the high potential for intrusive material in these soft deposits, the relationship between this date and the original construction of the enclosure remains uncertain.
It is hoped to return to the Exe valley in the near future for further fieldwork and to finally date this enigmatic enclosure. The full results of the research so far form part of a recently completed PhD thesis (Bayer 2011).
Acknowledgements
Research has depended on the generous financial and practical support of a number of organisations and individuals. The author has been in receipt of a UCLan PhD scholarship during much of this research, and has also benefited from UCLan fieldwork funds. Devon County Council (DCC) funded an initial assessment of the Uglow collection, much of the gradiometer survey and the radiocarbon dates. Exeter Archaeology, Oxford Archaeotechnics, UCLan, University of Bristol and the ACE Archaeology Club have all loaned equipment. Practical assistance in the field has come from UCLan and University of Exeter students, staff from Exeter Archaeology, members of the ACE Archaeology club and others. Particular thanks are due to the following individuals: John and Barbara Uglow; Frances Griffith and Bill Horner (DCC), landowners Mr R. May and Mr S. Smith, Jess Dollimore, Dr Vicki Cummings and Dr Rick Peterson (UCLan), Dr Josh Pollard (University of Southampton), Dr Ralph Fyfe (University of Plymouth), Jon Bedford (English Heritage), Tony Johnson (Oxford Archaeotechnics), Tom Cadbury (RAMM), and to Svend Bayer for housing and feeding lots of tired, muddy archaeologists.
Further reading
Allden, A.1981. ‘A study of some Devon barrows and their diminishing future’. Exeter: Devon Archaeological Society/Devon Committee for Rescue Archaeology.
Bayer, O.J. 2011. Lithic scatters and landscape: the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Early Bronze Age inhabitation of the lower Exe Valley, Devon. Unpublished PhD thesis: University of Central Lancashire. (Copies deposited in the Devon HER and RAMM).
Fox, A. 1969. ‘The Upton Pyne cemetery’. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society, 27, 75-8.
Fyfe, R.M., Brown, A.G. and Coles, B.J. 2003a. ‘Mesolithic to Bronze Age vegetation and human activity in the Exe Valley, Devon’. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 69, 161–181.
Griffith, F.M. 1990. ‘Aerial reconnaissance in mainland Britain in the summer of 1989’, Antiquity 64: 14-33
Griffith, F.M. 1994. ‘Changing perceptions of the context of prehistoric Dartmoor’. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society, 52, 85-100.
Griffith, F.M. 2001. ‘Recent work on Neolithic enclosures in Devon’. In T. Darvill and J. Thomas (eds.). Neolithic enclosures in Atlantic north-west Europe. 66-77. Oxford: Oxbow Books.
Griffith, F.M. and Quinnell, H. (1999b). ‘Barrows and ceremonial sites in the Neolithic and earlier Bronze Age’ in R.J.P. Kain and W. Ravenhill (eds.). Historical atlas of south-west England. 55-61. Exeter: University of Exeter Press.
Shaw, C.T.S. 1990. A personal memoir. In P. Robertshaw (ed). A history of African archaeology. 205-220. Oxford: James Curry.
Silvester, R.J., Berridge, P.J. and Uglow, J. 1987. A fieldwalking exercise on Mesolithic and Neolithic sites at Nether Exe. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society, 45:1-22.
Uglow, J. 2000. Three Romano-British sites in the lower Exe valley. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society 58, 227-247.
Uglow, J., Brown, A. and Silvester, R.J. 1985. The investigation of a crop mark in the lower Exe valley’. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society, 43, 115-6.