David Etheridge

In this paper it is proposed to examine the forms and distribution of the various rectangular grave surround features that occur in western and northern Britain during the 5th to 7th centuries AD.  Two forms in particular have dominated the literature on this subject over the last ten to fifteen years: the square cairn, and the rectangular ditch grave surround. 

While square cairns are considered a feature of northern Scotland, where they have clear associations with Pictish culture, rectangular ditch grave surrounds have been identified from excavations in northern and southern Scotland, Wales, and the southwest of England.  These grave surrounds have been a cause of controversy, with proponents arguing for or against their interpretation as square barrows.  Differences in interpretation appear to have a geographical basis.  Does this reflect real differences in the archaeology?  What of the other rectangular structures associated with burials?

Finally, it is proposed to examine the question: What can these burial structures tell us about the architectural abilities of their builders?

The Lewis Chessmen are among the most iconic images of both the Isle of Lewis
itself and the Norse heritage of the whole of the British Isles. The Chessmen are highlights of the collections of both the British Museum and the National Museum of Scotland, where they are seen by millions of visitors every year. Soon visitors to the Isle of Lewis will also be able to see them on the island where they were found, in the new premises of the Museum nan Eilean at Lews Castle.

This extraordinary find of ivory chess pieces provides a glimpse into a fascinating
period in the history of Lewis, and vividly illustrates its place within the Scandinavian
world of the medieval period. Vikings first reached Scotland’s shores in the late eighth
century, and their presence as raiders, settlers and traders is part of a history that
culminated in four centuries of Norwegian rule in western Scotland (to 1266).

This booklet will follow three main strands of evidence to illuminate the cultural
context in which the Chessmen came to be on Lewis, and their legacy into the present:
archaeological finds from the Scandinavian settlements on Lewis; the influence of the
Old Norse language on place names; and material from Old Norse sagas and poetry that makes mention of Lewis, the Hebrides or Hebrideans.

Long cist cemeteries are one of the most recognisable field monuments of western and northern Britain in the 5th to the 9th centuries AD.  Typically they are found in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man and Cornwall.  They have been mapped with varying degrees of interest, but always with a regional bias, often the result of contextualising a cemetery for publication.  The authors naturally look for geographically close parallels to their material, and focus on the more detailed aspects of their excavation.  Never before has an attempt been made to map the entire corpus from northern and western Britain.  This endeavour is now underway using a relational database and GIS, with surprising results.

The long cist cemetery offers a central place to study past communities, when we have little information regarding contemporary settlement.  The choice of location is a surprisingly common thread, hinting at more than a rational actor explanation.  There was a strong preference for particular locations and particular environments. 

Yet the distribution of these cemeteries is far from satisfactory; their presence has distracted us from the gaps in our knowledge.  What kinds of communities would practice the same burial rite in both southwest Cornwall and northeast Scotland? 

This is an uneasy burial rite that tells us less than we once thought, yet challenges our traditional narratives of the period.

A review of the archaeological evidence has found that with the exception of the kiln site and the chapel there are no other known heritage assets within the study area. The course of the former Roman road from Bath to Sea Mills is thought to have run along the crest of the northern slopes of the Avon valley, but no Roman remains are known from the vicinity. During the later Middle Ages the study area was part of the Royal Forest of Kingswood. This was partitioned in the later 17th century and subject to piecemeal development. The documentary evidence is by no means complete and does not preclude within the study area the presence of buried archaeological remains dating from the prehistoric, Roman, medieval and early post-medieval periods. It is possible the buried remains of 18th century structures are preserved within the study area, while the presence of structural remains relating to an early 19th century pottery and house are likely to be preserved. Buried archaeological features relating to the former Wesleyan Methodist chapel may also be preserved.

An inspection of the study area has shown that while the majority of the study area is occupied by buildings that are entirely or mostly of later 20th century date, there is one building that is likely to date from the 19th century, while at least two other buildings incorporate walls of 19th century date.

In the earlier part of the 19th century the bulk of the study area was agricultural land. The study area adjoined land occupied by Rennison’s Baths, an 18th century bathing pool, the earliest public baths in Bristol. There is documentary evidence for industrial use of the study area from 1855 until the present day, but there is little evidence to indicate the archaeological potential of the study area.

During this monitoring exercise features and deposits of archaeological significance were identified prompting an intensive phase of excavation and recording over an area of c.
160m2. A stone-lined rectangular pit, possibly a former ice-house, measuring 2.8m long, by 2.27m wide and over 1.6m deep, was exposed in plan. The fills of the pit yielded an important assemblage of pottery and clay tobacco pipe, dated to the early 18th century. Associated with this structure was a smaller rectangular structure c. 1.4m square by 1.4m deep formed of dry-stone masonry that exhibited the remains of what appeared to be a corbelled roof of pennant sandstone slabs. In the floor of this structure a circular pit was revealed, interpreted as a well shaft, the upper fill of which yielded a complete glass onion bottle, made no later than AD 1710, together with a complete slipware chamber pot, also dated to the 18th century. These two masonry features have been backfilled and will now be preserved in-situ.

To the north of these features an area of medieval activity was defined by a series of intercutting and re-cut boundary ditches aligned both north-south and east-west. Within this area the surviving medieval soil cut features, though heavily truncated, appeared to represent the remains of two or more timber structures. This activity appears to have been domestic in nature, though no hearths were identified. At least one of the structures had several parallel east-west aligned bays, possibly indicating stalls for animals.

Medieval pottery from the excavation indicated there had been activity on or near the site since the mid 12th century AD, though the structural remains are more likely to date from the late 15th or early 16th centuries.

In line with current government guidelines and national legislation, the Senior Archaeological Officer of Bristol City Council has asked for a Standing Building Recording report of a c. 2,400 m2 strip of land (the study area), known as Mortimer House, located in Clifton, Bristol, on the west side of Clifton Down Road (centred NGR ST 5710 7317). 

The Standing Building Recording was requested as part of planning and listed building consent for the conversion of the Grade II* listed mid-18th century Mortimer House to residential accommodation.  This work includes the partial demolition and refurbishment of 19th and 20th century additions and extensions to the house, and it is in these areas that this building survey was specifically instructed to focus. 

The main areas of focus were therefore a building known as the Servant’s House, an early 19th century three-storey town house adjoining the south side of Mortimer House.  A 20th century corridor with side rooms linking the Servant’s House with the Dining Hall.  The Dining Hall itself a c. 1900 refectory built to the rear of the Servant’s House and the Conservatory, a c. 1900 glass house joined to the Dining Hall via the Matron’s House (excluded from this survey).

An Archaeological desk-based assessment of a parcel of land and adjoining trackway at Holman Clavel, Otterford, Somerset (centred NGR ST 21920 16050), produced the following results.
The study area comprises: A sub-rectangular parcel of land, now mostly overgrown; A gravel surfaced track connecting this with the minor road that serves Holman Clavel, passing through the Holly Bush Park, a touring caravan site; One former dual-purpose bath/shower house that could also act as a gas decontamination centre, built in 1941 for members of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, who were stationed at nearby RAF Culmhead during the Second World War; A parallel women’s ablutions block, built at the same time, which functioned as a washroom, laundry, drying room and WC; Two well-preserved WW2 air raid shelters; Several rectangular concrete plinths, thought to be the surviving floors of demolished WW2 Nissen Huts.

During this exercise a sub-rectangular pit cut was revealed in sloping section, measuring c. 3.7 m by 2.2 m by 1 m deep. The primary fill of the pit produced an exceptional assemblage of
pottery, glass and clay tobacco pipe, together with other artefacts of the period, dated to the mid 18th century. This important collection of 18th century artefacts, many of which were complete on deposition, was probably disposed of in a single event, in what was most likely a freshly dug rubbish pit located in the rear yard of a tenement fronting East Street.

An Archaeological Watching Brief was undertaken on the site of 79 Sea Mills Lane, Sea Mills, Bristol, between 28th November and 12th December 2001.  The project was undertaken to monitor residential development of the grounds as a Condition of the Planning Consent (Bristol City Council reference 00/00304/P). 
During the excavation of foundation trenches for two new houses, a cobbled surface was excavated and recorded.  This feature appears to represent part of a Roman road or street and dates from the 1st century AD.  It was buried and untraceable by the time of the 1888 Ordnance Survey Map.

The road surface contained early Romano-British pottery and rotary quern fragments in its make-up. Immediately above the road surface were found brooch fragments and a silver coin of the 3rd century AD, together with pottery dating from the 1st to 3rd centuries AD. 

Two human cremation burials were located and recorded in a foundation trench.  These burials probably date from the 1st century AD.  They had already been disturbed by construction work.

This thesis explores the evidence for Early Medieval burial practice in southern Scotland, excluding that for Viking burials. I.e. the period which roughly falls between 400-1100 AD, in the area now defined by the regions of Borders, Lothian, Dumfries and Galloway, Strathclyde south of the Clyde, and part of Central Region. The main forms of burial rite are described and catalogued, and the differing circumstances under which they occur are examined. These fall under three main headings: cemetery burials, isolated burials, and barrow and cairn burials. The relationship between burials and associated features, including grave goods and Early Christian Monuments, is then explored. Finally, the evidence for Early Medieval settlement and society is examined in the light of the burial evidence.