- 0191 2730777
- Ethnoarchaeology, Western Balkans, Archaeology, Ethnographic fieldwork, Ottoman Balkans, 3) Petrography and Manufacturing Technology of Ancient Ceramics, and 9 moreAncient Ceramic Technology, Ceramic Analysis (Archaeology), Pottery (Archaeology), Ceramic Ethnoarchaeology, Ceramics, Pottery Ethnoarchaeology, Bosnia, Church Archaeology, and Cultural Heritageedit
This chapter examines the continued use of calcite as a component of pottery fabrics currently produced by potters in the western and central Balkans. It uses observations made during repeated visits to potters and invokes explanations... more
This chapter examines the continued use of calcite as a component of pottery fabrics currently produced by potters in the western and central Balkans. It uses observations made during repeated visits to potters and invokes explanations given by the potters themselves to explore the nature of ‘tradition’ and how perceived behavioural or cultural distinctions in pottery-making contexts might be recognised archaeologically through corresponding material patterning. It suggests that while adherence to tradition need not always be determined by functional or material constraints, the use of calcite acts as a particularly powerful technological constraint in the dynamic equilibrium of successful pottery-making.
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http://interpretingceramics.com/issue010/articles/04.htm This paper focuses upon the role of women in the various modes of pottery-making recorded in the Western Balkans, particularly the area of the former-Yugoslavia. Traditionally,... more
http://interpretingceramics.com/issue010/articles/04.htm
This paper focuses upon the role of women in the various modes of pottery-making recorded in the Western Balkans, particularly the area of the former-Yugoslavia. Traditionally, women potters in this region have been largely confined to domestic production, producing for the household rather than for sale, although a number of exceptions are provided from the ethnographic record. Various suggestions are made to account for this, particularly given the diversity of pottery-making in the region and the existence of female potters in commercial industries elsewhere around the Mediterranean. Whilst no secure conclusions are made, it is noted that women in the study region do indeed participate in commercial pottery-making, by preparing clay, firing and selling; activities which are as integral to the production process as forming, but which can be practiced more flexibly around the domestic responsibilities to which women in rural environments tend to be bound.
This paper focuses upon the role of women in the various modes of pottery-making recorded in the Western Balkans, particularly the area of the former-Yugoslavia. Traditionally, women potters in this region have been largely confined to domestic production, producing for the household rather than for sale, although a number of exceptions are provided from the ethnographic record. Various suggestions are made to account for this, particularly given the diversity of pottery-making in the region and the existence of female potters in commercial industries elsewhere around the Mediterranean. Whilst no secure conclusions are made, it is noted that women in the study region do indeed participate in commercial pottery-making, by preparing clay, firing and selling; activities which are as integral to the production process as forming, but which can be practiced more flexibly around the domestic responsibilities to which women in rural environments tend to be bound.
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"THE STUDIO POTTER Volume 27, Number 1 December, 1998 Alternative Perspectives on Bernard Leach • Bernard Leach: Catalyst by Gary C. Hatcher • Young Bernard Leach by Emmanuel Cooper • The Marriage of East and West by Brian... more
"THE STUDIO POTTER
Volume 27, Number 1
December, 1998
Alternative Perspectives on Bernard Leach
• Bernard Leach: Catalyst by Gary C. Hatcher
• Young Bernard Leach by Emmanuel Cooper
• The Marriage of East and West by Brian Moeran
• Lafcadio Hearn by Scott Bessho
• A Visit From Bernard Leach by John P. McElroy
• Leach Letters from Austria by Stefan Emmelmann
• That Leach Thing by Kevin Crowe
Celadon - Historical information, technical information, and recipes:
• Longquan Celadon by Zhang Fukang
• Using Celadons by Peter Pinnell
• Glazes from Local Raw Materials by Ben Richardson
• Hide and Seek With Light by Pascal Lacroix
• Blue Celadons by Robert Tichane
• Adding Iron To Porcelain by Jean Girel
• Glazing Reliefs by Valerie Hermans
• Working With Celadons by Beryl Sutcliffe
• My Celadons by Jean-Francois Fouilhoux
Also: Potters of Southern Florida - visits with ten potters; The Hawthorn Vase: A Chinese Fantasy - a short play by Charles F. Binns (1857-1934), with introductory and background essay by Margaret Carney; The Painted Garden - a 1998 interview with Betty Woodman; Letter from Mexico by Michael Boylen; The Past and Future of Traditional Pottery-Making in Bosnia by Richard Carlton; Sarawak Pottery by Bruce Dehnert.
"
Volume 27, Number 1
December, 1998
Alternative Perspectives on Bernard Leach
• Bernard Leach: Catalyst by Gary C. Hatcher
• Young Bernard Leach by Emmanuel Cooper
• The Marriage of East and West by Brian Moeran
• Lafcadio Hearn by Scott Bessho
• A Visit From Bernard Leach by John P. McElroy
• Leach Letters from Austria by Stefan Emmelmann
• That Leach Thing by Kevin Crowe
Celadon - Historical information, technical information, and recipes:
• Longquan Celadon by Zhang Fukang
• Using Celadons by Peter Pinnell
• Glazes from Local Raw Materials by Ben Richardson
• Hide and Seek With Light by Pascal Lacroix
• Blue Celadons by Robert Tichane
• Adding Iron To Porcelain by Jean Girel
• Glazing Reliefs by Valerie Hermans
• Working With Celadons by Beryl Sutcliffe
• My Celadons by Jean-Francois Fouilhoux
Also: Potters of Southern Florida - visits with ten potters; The Hawthorn Vase: A Chinese Fantasy - a short play by Charles F. Binns (1857-1934), with introductory and background essay by Margaret Carney; The Painted Garden - a 1998 interview with Betty Woodman; Letter from Mexico by Michael Boylen; The Past and Future of Traditional Pottery-Making in Bosnia by Richard Carlton; Sarawak Pottery by Bruce Dehnert.
"
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https://youtu.be/eYZiwlRPw1E Films made in 1993 during a visit to southern Tunisia with members of Newcastle University's Archaeology Department. Most of the footage is of potters on the island of Djerba, all of whom use similar working... more
https://youtu.be/eYZiwlRPw1E
Films made in 1993 during a visit to southern Tunisia with members of Newcastle University's Archaeology Department. Most of the footage is of potters on the island of Djerba, all of whom use similar working practices to those seen amongst full-time professional potters elsewhere around the Mediterranean, with fine, well-levigated clays used to throw pots on kick-wheels and firing done in large, two or three-chamber updraught kilns. Products included items as varied as water containers, candle-holders, live rat-traps and octopus pots.
During the same period of fieldwork, women potters in the nearby southern Jebel, were also visited.
Films made in 1993 during a visit to southern Tunisia with members of Newcastle University's Archaeology Department. Most of the footage is of potters on the island of Djerba, all of whom use similar working practices to those seen amongst full-time professional potters elsewhere around the Mediterranean, with fine, well-levigated clays used to throw pots on kick-wheels and firing done in large, two or three-chamber updraught kilns. Products included items as varied as water containers, candle-holders, live rat-traps and octopus pots.
During the same period of fieldwork, women potters in the nearby southern Jebel, were also visited.
Research Interests: Ethnoarchaeology, Ethnography, Pottery (Archaeology), Ceramic Technology, Ethnographic Fieldwork (Anthropology), and 15 moreVirtual Ethnography, Ceramic Analysis (Archaeology), Medieval Pottery, Ethnographic Film, Roman Pottery, Ceramics (Archaeology), Ethnographic Methods, Islamic pottery, Post medieval pottery, Pottery, Ceramics, Late Roman and Early Byzantine Pottery, Pottery technology and function, Pottery studies, and Ceramic Ethnoarchaeology
https://youtu.be/HKmCtsimU8w Thrapsano is a large village in the central part of Crete some 32 km south of Iraklion and 28 km from Knossos. Pottery-making is known to have been practiced there since at least Ottoman times and is now... more
https://youtu.be/HKmCtsimU8w
Thrapsano is a large village in the central part of Crete some 32 km south of Iraklion and 28 km from Knossos. Pottery-making is known to have been practiced there since at least Ottoman times and is now thriving, being focussed on the production of large storage jars known as 'pitharia'. During filming in 1994 a batch of 10 pitharia was being made by Anastasios Moytsakis and Αγγελακης Μανωλης in the open air, one of whom formed the pot while the other supplied him with clay and turned the wheel when required. A visit was also made to another pottery-making village, Margarites, in the west part of Crete some 26 km southeast of Rethimno, where similar techniques were used. Abandoned workshops on the fringe ofthe village were also investigated and filmed.
Thrapsano is a large village in the central part of Crete some 32 km south of Iraklion and 28 km from Knossos. Pottery-making is known to have been practiced there since at least Ottoman times and is now thriving, being focussed on the production of large storage jars known as 'pitharia'. During filming in 1994 a batch of 10 pitharia was being made by Anastasios Moytsakis and Αγγελακης Μανωλης in the open air, one of whom formed the pot while the other supplied him with clay and turned the wheel when required. A visit was also made to another pottery-making village, Margarites, in the west part of Crete some 26 km southeast of Rethimno, where similar techniques were used. Abandoned workshops on the fringe ofthe village were also investigated and filmed.
Research Interests: Ethnoarchaeology, Ethnographic Fieldwork (Anthropology), Ceramics (Art History), Medieval Pottery, Greek Archaeology, and 14 moreEthnographic Film, Roman Pottery, Greek Pottery, Minoan Archaeology, Post medieval pottery, Archaeology of Crete, Ancient Greek Pottery, Near Eastern Archaeology, Bronze Age Aegean, Classical Archaeology, Infant burials, Mycenaean pottery, Anthropology, Immigration theory, Sea Peoples, Mythology, Creation Myths, Aegean Archaeology, Mediterranean Archeology, the island of Crete, archaic Greek Pottery, archaeology ceramics potters ethnography technology islands Aegean Cyclades Chalkidike Early Iron Age, Ceramic Ethnoarchaeology, Postmedieval Pottery, and Medieval and Post Medieval Pottery In the Mediterranean
https://youtu.be/OF2Nx6JPFU4 This is a film made on a visit to Zlakusa, a pottery-making village in western Serbia, in the late Summer of 1994. Although it had been in decline, at the time of filming, pottery-making was on the increase... more
https://youtu.be/OF2Nx6JPFU4
This is a film made on a visit to Zlakusa, a pottery-making village in western Serbia, in the late Summer of 1994. Although it had been in decline, at the time of filming, pottery-making was on the increase and working practices were beginning to change, although forming methods have remained constant, using ring/coil-building followed by internal scraping and use of shaping tools externally, and use of a wooden knife externally for final shaping. Even in 1994 some potters had abandoned the use of wooden wheels for metal ones, and subsequently kilns have been adopted by all of the current potters. Other changes towards professionalism include the use of designated workshops and changes in the preparation of raw materials, including the crushing of calcite by machine. Since the mid-1990s the efforts of several individuals in studying pottery-making from an ethno-archaeological perspective, initiating an annual Potters' Colony, developing ethno-tourism and protecting its brand through the Zlakusa Potters Association formed in 2006, have led to both increased professionalism and numbers of potters, which now include a growing number of women. Pots from Zlakusa are well-known throughout Serbia and are exported (and sometimes imitated) throughout the country and into eastern Bosnia.
This is a film made on a visit to Zlakusa, a pottery-making village in western Serbia, in the late Summer of 1994. Although it had been in decline, at the time of filming, pottery-making was on the increase and working practices were beginning to change, although forming methods have remained constant, using ring/coil-building followed by internal scraping and use of shaping tools externally, and use of a wooden knife externally for final shaping. Even in 1994 some potters had abandoned the use of wooden wheels for metal ones, and subsequently kilns have been adopted by all of the current potters. Other changes towards professionalism include the use of designated workshops and changes in the preparation of raw materials, including the crushing of calcite by machine. Since the mid-1990s the efforts of several individuals in studying pottery-making from an ethno-archaeological perspective, initiating an annual Potters' Colony, developing ethno-tourism and protecting its brand through the Zlakusa Potters Association formed in 2006, have led to both increased professionalism and numbers of potters, which now include a growing number of women. Pots from Zlakusa are well-known throughout Serbia and are exported (and sometimes imitated) throughout the country and into eastern Bosnia.
Research Interests: Ethnoarchaeology, Ethnography, Pottery (Archaeology), Ceramics (Ceramics), Ceramics (Art History), and 9 moreCeramic Analysis (Archaeology), Medieval Pottery, Roman Pottery, Ceramics (Archaeology), Pottery, Pottery technology and function, Ceramic Ethnoarchaeology, Pottery Firing Techniques, and Ethnographic films
https://youtu.be/_ILw8nPSop8 ----------This film shows traditional potters on the island of Iž, near the city of Zadar in North Dalmatia, where there were still six active, resident potters working in the late 1980s and early '90s, all... more
https://youtu.be/_ILw8nPSop8
----------This film shows traditional potters on the island of Iž, near the city of Zadar in North Dalmatia, where there were still six active, resident potters working in the late 1980s and early '90s, all using calcite-tempered clays to form bread-ovens and cooking pots on wooden hand-wheels for sale along the coasts of North and Central Dalmatia.
----------This film shows traditional potters on the island of Iž, near the city of Zadar in North Dalmatia, where there were still six active, resident potters working in the late 1980s and early '90s, all using calcite-tempered clays to form bread-ovens and cooking pots on wooden hand-wheels for sale along the coasts of North and Central Dalmatia.
Research Interests: Pottery (Archaeology), Ceramic Technology, Ceramic Analysis (Archaeology), Medieval Pottery, Ethnographic Film, and 9 moreRoman Pottery, Ceramics (Archaeology), Maritime Trade Ceramics (Archaeology), Post medieval pottery, Pottery, Pottery technology and function, Ancient Pottery Analysis, Ceramic Ethnoarchaeology, and Pottery Firing Techniques
https://youtu.be/1Q2AM2xc64I ----------Ularice is a dispersed village close to the city of Doboj on the southern edge of the Posavina region in northern Bosnia, where pottery-making is still practiced by Stjepan Bejić in the hamlet of... more
https://youtu.be/1Q2AM2xc64I
----------Ularice is a dispersed village close to the city of Doboj on the southern edge of the Posavina region in northern Bosnia, where pottery-making is still practiced by Stjepan Bejić in the hamlet of Bejići and Pero Gavran. Pots are made using a local light-firing clay tempered with river sand, formed on hand-wheels by ring-building and throwing, then fired in open fires fuelled with beach wood. The pots, darkened by 'quenching' immediately after firing, are sold at the local markets and fairs in a part of northern Bosnia where demand for traditional cooking pots continues to be high, but is now threatened by depopulation.
----------Ularice is a dispersed village close to the city of Doboj on the southern edge of the Posavina region in northern Bosnia, where pottery-making is still practiced by Stjepan Bejić in the hamlet of Bejići and Pero Gavran. Pots are made using a local light-firing clay tempered with river sand, formed on hand-wheels by ring-building and throwing, then fired in open fires fuelled with beach wood. The pots, darkened by 'quenching' immediately after firing, are sold at the local markets and fairs in a part of northern Bosnia where demand for traditional cooking pots continues to be high, but is now threatened by depopulation.
Research Interests:
https://youtu.be/Hr5FKs52_q8 ---------- Potravlje lies on the edge of a seasonally dry valley, or polje, just north-west of Sinj and about forty minutes’ drive from Split on the central Dalmatian plateau. The potters Jure and Dušan... more
https://youtu.be/Hr5FKs52_q8
---------- Potravlje lies on the edge of a seasonally dry valley, or polje, just north-west of Sinj and about forty minutes’ drive from Split on the central Dalmatian plateau. The potters Jure and Dušan Knezević, from the small hamlet of Knezevići, were filmed there in 1990 and 1994, when a total of five potters worked there. The tradition of manufacture has remained broadly constant since the potters here were first filmed by Gavazzi in the 1930s, with hand-wheels used to form pots made from local clays tempered with a mixture of calcite and fine sand and fired on open fires.
---------- Potravlje lies on the edge of a seasonally dry valley, or polje, just north-west of Sinj and about forty minutes’ drive from Split on the central Dalmatian plateau. The potters Jure and Dušan Knezević, from the small hamlet of Knezevići, were filmed there in 1990 and 1994, when a total of five potters worked there. The tradition of manufacture has remained broadly constant since the potters here were first filmed by Gavazzi in the 1930s, with hand-wheels used to form pots made from local clays tempered with a mixture of calcite and fine sand and fired on open fires.
Research Interests:
https://youtu.be/p-NPZh1Q6XU ---------- This film was made in the year 1990, just before the wars of 1991-5, when Franjo Arbanas of Kaluđerovac was the last practicing potter in a region where scores, or even hundreds of potters had... more
https://youtu.be/p-NPZh1Q6XU
---------- This film was made in the year 1990, just before the wars of 1991-5, when Franjo Arbanas of Kaluđerovac was the last practicing potter in a region where scores, or even hundreds of potters had been active a century earlier.
---------- This film was made in the year 1990, just before the wars of 1991-5, when Franjo Arbanas of Kaluđerovac was the last practicing potter in a region where scores, or even hundreds of potters had been active a century earlier.
Research Interests:
https://youtu.be/6VLrqdn2NNU ---------- The pottery-making village of Malešići is a large village set in the hills above the northern Bosnian town of Gračanica, where pottery-making is practiced by Đevad Delić and his nephew,... more
https://youtu.be/6VLrqdn2NNU
---------- The pottery-making village of Malešići is a large village set in the hills above the northern Bosnian town of Gračanica, where pottery-making is practiced by Đevad Delić and his nephew, Mirsad, respectively brother and son of Ibrahim who ran the pottery from the 1970s until around the turn of the century. This is probably the last pottery-making centre in Europe to produce purely calcite-tempered fabrics in the traditional way, involving a complex process of clay preparation and carefully controlled, low temperature firing to produce highly-durable cooking pots.
---------- The pottery-making village of Malešići is a large village set in the hills above the northern Bosnian town of Gračanica, where pottery-making is practiced by Đevad Delić and his nephew, Mirsad, respectively brother and son of Ibrahim who ran the pottery from the 1970s until around the turn of the century. This is probably the last pottery-making centre in Europe to produce purely calcite-tempered fabrics in the traditional way, involving a complex process of clay preparation and carefully controlled, low temperature firing to produce highly-durable cooking pots.
Research Interests:
https://youtu.be/2M0Z2vm6oOE ---------- This is a film about Liješeva and Višnjica, pottery-making villages in the heart of central Bosnia which are the only ones known to have produced decorative wares in addition to high volumes of... more
https://youtu.be/2M0Z2vm6oOE
---------- This is a film about Liješeva and Višnjica, pottery-making villages in the heart of central Bosnia which are the only ones known to have produced decorative wares in addition to high volumes of utilitarian, mainly cooking wares in relatively lightly-tempered, light-firing fabrics.
---------- This is a film about Liješeva and Višnjica, pottery-making villages in the heart of central Bosnia which are the only ones known to have produced decorative wares in addition to high volumes of utilitarian, mainly cooking wares in relatively lightly-tempered, light-firing fabrics.
Research Interests: Ethnoarchaeology, Pottery (Archaeology), Ceramic Technology, Ceramic Analysis (Archaeology), Medieval Pottery, and 9 moreEthnographic Film, Minoan Pottery (Ceramic Analysis), Ceramics (Archaeology), Late Roman Pottery, Post medieval pottery, Pottery, Pottery technology and function, Ancient Pottery Analysis, and Ceramic Ethnoarchaeology
https://youtu.be/uZk1nyC_arE ---------- Pulac is a small village high above the valley of the river Lašva in central Bosnia, some 7 km south-west of Travnik. The pottery made there is fairly lightly-tempered with calcite and formed... more
https://youtu.be/uZk1nyC_arE
---------- Pulac is a small village high above the valley of the river Lašva in central Bosnia, some 7 km south-west of Travnik. The pottery made there is fairly lightly-tempered with calcite and formed on ahand-wheel using ring-building and throwing. After drying over a low fire the pots are bonfire-fire and darkened by 'quenching'.
---------- Pulac is a small village high above the valley of the river Lašva in central Bosnia, some 7 km south-west of Travnik. The pottery made there is fairly lightly-tempered with calcite and formed on ahand-wheel using ring-building and throwing. After drying over a low fire the pots are bonfire-fire and darkened by 'quenching'.
Research Interests:
The West and Central Balkans host some of the oldest and most diverse ceramic traditions in Europe, amongst which the use of calcite as a component of pottery fabrics finds its roots in early prehistory. This paper attempts to highlight... more
The West and Central Balkans host some of the oldest and most diverse ceramic traditions in Europe, amongst which the use of calcite as a component of pottery fabrics finds its roots in early prehistory. This paper attempts to highlight the complexity and diversity of recent pottery-making in the region by investigating possible reasons for the continued use of calcite, using a materials science approach combined with observations made during repeated visits to potters. It also invokes explanations given by the potters themselves to explore the nature of 'tradition' and how perceived behavioural or cultural distinctions in pottery-making contexts might be recognised archaeologically through corresponding material patterning. It suggests that while adherence to tradition need not always be determined by functional or material constraints, the use of calcite acts as a particularly powerful technological constraint in the dynamic equilibrium of successful pottery-making, considered in the context of appropriate technology. Finally, a plea is made for the recognition and preservation of this non-tangible heritage asset before it is entirely lost to the region.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
TRADITIONAL POTTERY MAKING FROM THE ETHNOARCHAEOLOGICAL POINT OF VIEW: Scientific Research and Safeguarding of Intangible Heritage 10th to 12th June 2011, National Museum, Belgrade. The status and potential of traditional... more
TRADITIONAL POTTERY MAKING FROM THE ETHNOARCHAEOLOGICAL POINT OF VIEW: Scientific Research and Safeguarding of Intangible Heritage
10th to 12th June 2011, National Museum, Belgrade.
The status and potential of traditional pottery-making in Bosnia-Hercegovina, by R J Carlton
The recorded modern pottery-making traditions of the western Balkans are amongst the most diverse in Europe, having developed by various cultural processes into a proliferation of traditions fully reflective of the long and complex history, not to mention present range of ethnic, national and other identities in the region. Pottery-making in Bosnia-Hercegovina reflects the diversity of the wider region, although the almost-universal use of the hand-wheel has tended to obscure the variations apparent in other aspects of production. The present paper will discuss the historical diversity of pottery-making in the country, focusing on potters currently or recently active, including those at Malesici, Ularica, Pulac, Lijesevo, Visnjica & Skokovi, including the potential for further ethnographic study and continuity of tradition. A number of significant findings of archaeological relevance derived from a combination of historical studies and more recent fieldwork will be summarised. Notably, comment will be made on how cultural distinctiveness is reflected by pottery; a great deal is made of supposed cultural differences between different identity groups in Bosnia; but beneath the differences highlighted in times of conflict is a deeper common heritage well exemplified by traditions of pottery-making and use.
Comment will also be made on the results, questions and perceived opportunities suggested by the author’s long-term study of pottery-making in the Western Balkans. Particularly it will attempt to address the potential of ethnoarchaeological research as a research tool in archaeological interpretation, and the extent to which it has been applied.
A short video compilation of film clips taken by the author in Bosnia-Hercegovina, Croatia and Serbia, mainly between 1989 and 1995, will be used to illustrate the talk, along with still images.
10th to 12th June 2011, National Museum, Belgrade.
The status and potential of traditional pottery-making in Bosnia-Hercegovina, by R J Carlton
The recorded modern pottery-making traditions of the western Balkans are amongst the most diverse in Europe, having developed by various cultural processes into a proliferation of traditions fully reflective of the long and complex history, not to mention present range of ethnic, national and other identities in the region. Pottery-making in Bosnia-Hercegovina reflects the diversity of the wider region, although the almost-universal use of the hand-wheel has tended to obscure the variations apparent in other aspects of production. The present paper will discuss the historical diversity of pottery-making in the country, focusing on potters currently or recently active, including those at Malesici, Ularica, Pulac, Lijesevo, Visnjica & Skokovi, including the potential for further ethnographic study and continuity of tradition. A number of significant findings of archaeological relevance derived from a combination of historical studies and more recent fieldwork will be summarised. Notably, comment will be made on how cultural distinctiveness is reflected by pottery; a great deal is made of supposed cultural differences between different identity groups in Bosnia; but beneath the differences highlighted in times of conflict is a deeper common heritage well exemplified by traditions of pottery-making and use.
Comment will also be made on the results, questions and perceived opportunities suggested by the author’s long-term study of pottery-making in the Western Balkans. Particularly it will attempt to address the potential of ethnoarchaeological research as a research tool in archaeological interpretation, and the extent to which it has been applied.
A short video compilation of film clips taken by the author in Bosnia-Hercegovina, Croatia and Serbia, mainly between 1989 and 1995, will be used to illustrate the talk, along with still images.
Research Interests:
Experiments carried out by the author and reported elsewhere (Carlton 2001 & 2003) confirm that the post-firing decomposition of calcite-tempered ceramics proceeds more rapidly when the ceramics in question contain a higher proportion of... more
Experiments carried out by the author and reported elsewhere (Carlton 2001 & 2003) confirm that the post-firing decomposition of calcite-tempered ceramics proceeds more rapidly when the ceramics in question contain a higher proportion of calcite and are fired to higher temperatures.It is also apparent that the strategy most likely to protect ceramics containing a high percentage of calcite fired to high temperatures within the critical range (for open firings) of 750-900C is quenching. It is also clear, however, that much further experimental work and field observation needs to take place before the reasons for the prevalence of calcareous fabrics in the archaeological record, and stated preference of potters and consumers in the western Balkans are understood. The improved theremal shock resistence of such ceramics appears proven, but the chemical and mechanical reasons for it remain obscure. Particular areas of enquiry for future experimentation include the behaviour of different clays with different forms of calcium carbonate and, especially, with different particle sizes. Potters at Malesici in northern Bosnia have recentlyl suggested that they prefer not to use fine (dust-like) particle sizes for cooking pottery because they experience a greater risk of cracking. However, smaller particle sizes may also be considered to present less of a risk through spalling, and offer more potential for strengthening the vessel fabric through concretisation. Only a concerted programme of experimentation, including the manufacture of uniform vessels using consistent pastes, followed by repeated use cycles and testing of degradation will elucidate some of these areas of uncertainty. Calcite-tempered faabrics [email protected] The pottery-making traditions of the West Balkan region have changed little in overall pattern since Roman times, notwithstanding various periodic and local disruptions, usually the result of invasion. Most of the pottery produced locally since pre-Roman times has been rather coarse, intended for domestic, culinary use on the open hearths which have only recently gone out of use. In most parts of the region two kinds of this coarse pottery have always been available; one tempered with river sand, the other with large amounts of calcite, a crystalline form of calcium carbonate found in association with its more common form, limestone. The broad pattern emerging from both modern and archaeological studies is that the proportion of calcite-tempered pottery available to domestic consumers increases towards the remote highland zone, while sand-tempered and finer wares become increasingly prevalent towards the lowlands and urban centres. Running broadly in parallel with differences in pottery fabric are related differences in the manufacturing techniques used by potters. Around the periphery of the region, particularly in and around the large river valleys and associated lowland zones of Slovenia, Serbia and north Croatia, pottery-making traditions conform to what is generally taken as the European norm, with kick-wheels and up-draught kilns prevalent. In Croatia, simple through-draft kilns have also survived into the modern era in association with foot-driven kick-wheels, mainly for the production of glazed fine-wares and plant-pots. In the highland and coastal zone centred upon Bosnia, however, the norm is to use simple hand-wheels and bonfire-firing technology in association with calcite pastes, though this simplification masks considerable diversity. Further to the south in Montenegro, central and south Serbia and Kosovo, coarse-ware production using techniques of hand-building are still known, though rarely practised. In Bosnia-Hercegovina four traditional, hand-wheel pottery-making villages remain active. Three of these, Malesici near Tuzla, Pulac near Travnik, and Ularica near Doboj produce coarse cooking wares in calcite-, crystalline limestone-and sand-tempered fabrics, respectively. The fourth, Lijesevo, near Sarajevo, specialises in relatively fine, kiln-fired table wares decorated with complex designs in red ochre paint. Three other villages, all producing exclusively calcite-tempered pottery, remain active in Croatian Dalmatia and its hinterland, the most important being Veli Iz and Potravlje, with the village of Zlakusa, near Uzice, being the single survival in west Serbia. These villages, totalling less than 20 active, one or two-man pottery-making concerns, are the last representatives of a tradition which until earlier this century stretched from south Slovenia to Kosovo and probably involved over 1000 individual potters.
Research Interests:
Whilst most commonly found in Bronze Age cairns and interpreted as ceremonial or symbolic, it is important to acknowledge that cup-marked stones have also been found in Iron Age and medieval contexts where they are more likely to be... more
Whilst most commonly found in Bronze Age cairns and
interpreted as ceremonial or symbolic, it is important
to acknowledge that cup-marked stones have also been
found in Iron Age and medieval contexts where they are
more likely to be assigned utilitarian functions such as
mortars and door or window sockets. That said, by far
the greatest concentrations of such finds in the northern
uplands have been made in Bronze Age funerary or other
presumed ritual-ceremonial contexts, a phenomenon
Stan Beckensall himself was one of the first to explore in
his investigations at Fowberry Moor, Northumberland.
These investigations, along with his wider descriptive
and interpretive work on rock art in general, provide
inspiration for the following descriptions and discussion
which focus on cup-marked stones found in the context
of a Bronze Age cairn in Redesdale, undertaken as part of
the Revitalising Redesdale landscape partnership scheme,
funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and hosted
by the Northumberland National Park Authority.
interpreted as ceremonial or symbolic, it is important
to acknowledge that cup-marked stones have also been
found in Iron Age and medieval contexts where they are
more likely to be assigned utilitarian functions such as
mortars and door or window sockets. That said, by far
the greatest concentrations of such finds in the northern
uplands have been made in Bronze Age funerary or other
presumed ritual-ceremonial contexts, a phenomenon
Stan Beckensall himself was one of the first to explore in
his investigations at Fowberry Moor, Northumberland.
These investigations, along with his wider descriptive
and interpretive work on rock art in general, provide
inspiration for the following descriptions and discussion
which focus on cup-marked stones found in the context
of a Bronze Age cairn in Redesdale, undertaken as part of
the Revitalising Redesdale landscape partnership scheme,
funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and hosted
by the Northumberland National Park Authority.
Research Interests:
The former Premonstratensian Abbey at Blanchland (centred at NGR NZ 095 515) is remotely located in the south-west corner of Northumberland. This paper provides a report on six phases of archaeological work, comprising an appraisal of the... more
The former Premonstratensian Abbey at Blanchland (centred at NGR NZ 095 515) is remotely located in the south-west corner of Northumberland. This paper provides a report on six phases of archaeological work, comprising an appraisal of the archaeological potential of the site in November 2012, geophysical survey, various phases of invasive archaeological work and, in addition, records made of the surviving built fabric of the former claustral buildings. The majority of the fieldwork described here focused on the western part of the lawn
behind the Lord Crewe Hotel which represents the extent of the abbey’s
cloister garth, the square court at the centre of monastic community life.
behind the Lord Crewe Hotel which represents the extent of the abbey’s
cloister garth, the square court at the centre of monastic community life.
Research Interests:
A significant, but relatively under-reported feature of the 1992-1995Bosnian War has been the destruction caused to national cultural heritage. Reporting has tended to focus on the loss of buildings of high symbolic stature, notably... more
A significant, but relatively under-reported feature of the 1992-1995Bosnian War has been the destruction caused to national cultural heritage. Reporting has tended to focus on the loss of buildings of high symbolic stature, notably sacral buildings such as churches and mosques, but also public buildings such as the National Library in Sarajevo. This distracts attention from buildings perceived to be of lower value and interest which may, nevertheless, be important. This paper draws attention to the destruction and reconstruction of lesser-known forms of cultural heritage, including uncontested classes of buildings which have suffered collateral damage or incidental harm, and have been neglected by the diversion of attention and funds towards symbolic markers.
Research Interests: Cultural Heritage, Cultural Heritage Conservation, Bosnia, Heritage Conservation, Intangible cultural heritage, and 7 moreCultural Heritage Management, Architectural Conservation, World Cultural Heritage, Intangible Cultural Heritage (Culture), War in Bosnia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Western Balkans
Report on archaeological and buildings recording work carried out during a programme of development at Hexham Abbey in 2012–14
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Intermittent recording of the impressive historic entrances to Tyne Dock at South Shields was carried out between 1999 and 2013. Opened in 1859 by the North Eastern Railway, Tyne Dock was built to accommodate and ship the great and... more
Intermittent recording of the impressive historic entrances to Tyne Dock at South Shields was carried out between 1999 and 2013. Opened in 1859 by the North Eastern Railway, Tyne Dock was built to accommodate and ship the great and increasing quantities of coal brought to South Shields on the company's rail lines, with which the riverside staiths had been unable to cope. It was for a time the United Kingdom's busiest coaling facility. The paper briefly sets out the physical and historic context of Tyne Dock within the tidal Jarrow Slake and the River Tyne, notes the extent of the complex as built and updated, and describes recording work carried out on the entrance structures, providing a description of their development and eventual redundancy as the demand for NorthEast coal grew and then declined.
Research Interests:
SUMMARY This paper presents the results of investigations carried out on the site of a medieval mill in Upper Coquetdale, Northumberland. Excavation uncovered the masonry of a wheel pit for a low breast-shot configuration. Downstream was... more
SUMMARY This paper presents the results of investigations carried out on the site of a medieval mill in Upper Coquetdale, Northumberland. Excavation uncovered the masonry of a wheel pit for a low breast-shot configuration. Downstream was a timber structure with the remains of an underwater planked floor, and immediately upstream were the probable remains of a sluice. On the bank, a paved area was the source of two medieval coins and a medieval key; thirteenth-and fourteenth-century pottery was found across the site. Further upstream from the wheel pit, a large timber structure was uncovered on the riverbed. The remains are likely to be those of a fulling mill associated with Newminster Abbey, an early example of its kind. Only a handful of medieval mills have been excavated in Britain. Very few incorporate the remains of wheel pits, of which this may be the best-preserved masonry-lined example found, as well as one of the earliest to hold a wheel with a low breast-shot configuration.
Research Interests:
A fulling mill on the River Coquet between the Rowhope Burn and the Hepden Burn is the subject of a single reference in the Newminster Chartulary, the only surviving document detailing the activities of the Cistercian abbey near... more
A fulling mill on the River Coquet between the Rowhope Burn and the Hepden Burn is the subject of
a single reference in the Newminster Chartulary, the only surviving document detailing the activities
of the Cistercian abbey near Morpeth. This paper explores the implications of that reference, which can be dated to AD 1226 to 1245, discusses why a mill might have been built there, and suggests what may have happened to it in the context of other activities in the area.
a single reference in the Newminster Chartulary, the only surviving document detailing the activities
of the Cistercian abbey near Morpeth. This paper explores the implications of that reference, which can be dated to AD 1226 to 1245, discusses why a mill might have been built there, and suggests what may have happened to it in the context of other activities in the area.
Research Interests:
Four phases of archaeological and structural investigations carried out between June 2008 and July 2009 at St Lawrence’s Church, Warkworth, have enhanced its status as one of the most important medieval parish churches in... more
Four phases of archaeological and structural investigations carried out between June 2008 and July
2009 at St Lawrence’s Church, Warkworth, have enhanced its status as one of the most important
medieval parish churches in Northumberland. The greater part of the archaeological work was associ -
ated with a scheme to strengthen the leaning north wall of the nave, but additional monitoring work
was carried out during drainage works within and outside the tower, and in the roof of the south aisle.
The most notable result of this work was the discovery of the substantial footings of what is considered
likely to be part of the porticus of a pre-Conquest church surviving outside the present twelfth-century
north wall of the nave. It is concluded that whilst the overall structural history of the standing building is relatively easy to read, surviving underground remains within and outside it potentially hold the key to unravelling continuing areas of uncertainty regarding the origins and early history of the building.
2009 at St Lawrence’s Church, Warkworth, have enhanced its status as one of the most important
medieval parish churches in Northumberland. The greater part of the archaeological work was associ -
ated with a scheme to strengthen the leaning north wall of the nave, but additional monitoring work
was carried out during drainage works within and outside the tower, and in the roof of the south aisle.
The most notable result of this work was the discovery of the substantial footings of what is considered
likely to be part of the porticus of a pre-Conquest church surviving outside the present twelfth-century
north wall of the nave. It is concluded that whilst the overall structural history of the standing building is relatively easy to read, surviving underground remains within and outside it potentially hold the key to unravelling continuing areas of uncertainty regarding the origins and early history of the building.
Research Interests:
This paper is largely based on interviews collected or overseen in Northumberland by the authors since 2003. It summarizes the way in which oral history has been used by British historians and describes an evolving approach to... more
This paper is largely based on interviews collected or overseen
in Northumberland by the authors since 2003. It summarizes
the way in which oral history has been used by British
historians and describes an evolving approach to researching
the interaction between landscape and community. Focusing
on stock management, the authors discuss how insight into
activities carried out beyond living memory can be gained
using descriptions and interpretations of landscape features
provided by current farmers and shepherds. A case study
exemplifies how the combining of oral testimony, historical
map research, and archaeological fieldwork has made possible
the verification of an historic drover’s route in Northumberland.
It is concluded that archaeology can be used to identify the
surviving physical correlates of activities recorded in oral
accounts, while oral history can enhance the dynamic interpretation of archaeological finds, interpretations that might
otherwise only be assumed.
in Northumberland by the authors since 2003. It summarizes
the way in which oral history has been used by British
historians and describes an evolving approach to researching
the interaction between landscape and community. Focusing
on stock management, the authors discuss how insight into
activities carried out beyond living memory can be gained
using descriptions and interpretations of landscape features
provided by current farmers and shepherds. A case study
exemplifies how the combining of oral testimony, historical
map research, and archaeological fieldwork has made possible
the verification of an historic drover’s route in Northumberland.
It is concluded that archaeology can be used to identify the
surviving physical correlates of activities recorded in oral
accounts, while oral history can enhance the dynamic interpretation of archaeological finds, interpretations that might
otherwise only be assumed.
Research Interests:
A programme of archaeological fieldwork was undertaken at the church of St Michael and All Angels, Houghton-le-Spring (Figure 1 and 2) between January and June, 2008 in advance of the installation of a new underfloor heating system, which... more
A programme of archaeological fieldwork was undertaken at the church of St Michael and All Angels, Houghton-le-Spring (Figure 1 and 2) between January and June, 2008 in advance of the installation of a new underfloor heating system, which principally involved the excavation of the floors in the nave, crossing and north transept. Subsequent to the main phase of groundworks, parts of the nave wall were recorded when the plaster was stripped to reveal cracked masonry, and a basement space underneath the organ was examined when it, too, became available for inspection. The findings of this work suggest that the structural history of St Michael’s may be considerably older and more complex than hitherto believed, since it now appears likely that Roman building stones were used in the construction of the medieval church and features of pre-Norman and Norman provenance were also evidenced
Research Interests:
Excavations at Harehaugh hillfort in Coquetdale, Northumberland, were carried out in 2002 as part of a wider project to determine the rate at which the monument was being damaged by erosion and how this was impacting upon significant... more
Excavations at Harehaugh hillfort in Coquetdale, Northumberland, were carried out in 2002 as part of
a wider project to determine the rate at which the monument was being damaged by erosion and how
this was impacting upon significant archaeological remains. The results of the excavations and an
associated, 10-year programme of erosion-scar monitoring indicate that erosion is having a very
significant impact upon archaeological remains, some of which remain well preserved with the potential
to reveal important information. Although the overall picture remains rather patchy and nothing
approaching a complete chronological sequence for the site can yet be attempted, the 2002 excavations
have provided significant new insights into the character and phasing of the site. The defences are
shown to be of varied construction, possibly in part resulting from episodes of ad hoc repair, but include
earthen and stone construction elements with at least one section of well-built stone revetment. Work
in the interior revealed evidence for ephemeral structures as well as activities such as metalworking and
cook ing. In terms of chronology, radiocarbon dates in the middle and later Iron Age were procured from
wood charcoal, but there was insufficient evidence either to support or to challenge accepted notions on
the phasing of Northumbrian hillforts. However, it was determined that an interior earthwork, prob -
ably part of the earliest enclosure on the site and shown to be much more substantial then previously
recognised, probably holds the key to the broad phasing of the site. Finally, some comments are offered
on the significance and potential of the hillfort and its environs, and an attempt is made to place it in
the context of regional Iron Age studies, particularly in the light of recent contextual surveys of hill -
forts in upland Northumberland and discoveries of large lowland sites to the south.
a wider project to determine the rate at which the monument was being damaged by erosion and how
this was impacting upon significant archaeological remains. The results of the excavations and an
associated, 10-year programme of erosion-scar monitoring indicate that erosion is having a very
significant impact upon archaeological remains, some of which remain well preserved with the potential
to reveal important information. Although the overall picture remains rather patchy and nothing
approaching a complete chronological sequence for the site can yet be attempted, the 2002 excavations
have provided significant new insights into the character and phasing of the site. The defences are
shown to be of varied construction, possibly in part resulting from episodes of ad hoc repair, but include
earthen and stone construction elements with at least one section of well-built stone revetment. Work
in the interior revealed evidence for ephemeral structures as well as activities such as metalworking and
cook ing. In terms of chronology, radiocarbon dates in the middle and later Iron Age were procured from
wood charcoal, but there was insufficient evidence either to support or to challenge accepted notions on
the phasing of Northumbrian hillforts. However, it was determined that an interior earthwork, prob -
ably part of the earliest enclosure on the site and shown to be much more substantial then previously
recognised, probably holds the key to the broad phasing of the site. Finally, some comments are offered
on the significance and potential of the hillfort and its environs, and an attempt is made to place it in
the context of regional Iron Age studies, particularly in the light of recent contextual surveys of hill -
forts in upland Northumberland and discoveries of large lowland sites to the south.
Research Interests:
Two seasons of archaeological excavation have investigated the archaeological remains of an enclosed farmstead of Iron Age date west of Rattenraw Farm, Redesdale, Northumberland (centred on NGR NY 8437 9559) attempting to answer... more
Two seasons of archaeological excavation have
investigated the archaeological remains of an
enclosed farmstead of Iron Age date west of
Rattenraw Farm, Redesdale, Northumberland
(centred on NGR NY 8437 9559) attempting to
answer long-standing questions about native-
Roman interactions in Redesdale. The settlement is
situated on the south bank of the river Rede
c.0.5km of the Dere Street crossing and some 2km
south-east of Bremenium Roman fort at High
Rochester. It sits within a landscape of enclosed
fields containing contemporary ‘cord rig’ cultivation
features, adjacent to several other Iron Age
farmsteads on the north-facing slopes of the Rede
valley.
investigated the archaeological remains of an
enclosed farmstead of Iron Age date west of
Rattenraw Farm, Redesdale, Northumberland
(centred on NGR NY 8437 9559) attempting to
answer long-standing questions about native-
Roman interactions in Redesdale. The settlement is
situated on the south bank of the river Rede
c.0.5km of the Dere Street crossing and some 2km
south-east of Bremenium Roman fort at High
Rochester. It sits within a landscape of enclosed
fields containing contemporary ‘cord rig’ cultivation
features, adjacent to several other Iron Age
farmsteads on the north-facing slopes of the Rede
valley.
Research Interests:
Investigations in the summer of 2021 by The Archaeological Practice, Newcastle, and volunteers from the Revitalising Redesdale NLHF Project focused on Gallows Knowe, a field west of the fort at High Rochester previously investigated by... more
Investigations in the summer of 2021 by
The Archaeological Practice, Newcastle, and
volunteers from the Revitalising Redesdale NLHF
Project focused on Gallows Knowe, a field west of
the fort at High Rochester previously investigated
by Newcastle University in the mid-1990s, and in
the neighbouring field to the south.
The Archaeological Practice, Newcastle, and
volunteers from the Revitalising Redesdale NLHF
Project focused on Gallows Knowe, a field west of
the fort at High Rochester previously investigated
by Newcastle University in the mid-1990s, and in
the neighbouring field to the south.
Research Interests:
Notes on two previously unreported panels of rock art found above Clennel in Coquetdale.
Research Interests:
Lindisfarne has been subject to the intensive attention of archaeologists since the later nineteenth century, revealing a rich range of sites and artefacts attesting to settlement and other activity from early prehistory through to recent... more
Lindisfarne has been subject to the intensive attention of archaeologists since the later nineteenth century, revealing a rich range of sites and artefacts attesting to settlement and other activity from early prehistory through to recent times. It is most well-known, however, for its early medieval monastery, founded by St Aidan for King Oswald in AD 635. The links with St Cuthbert, abbot in the late 600s, and the Lindisfarne Gospels, produced there in the early 700s are particularly well known. However, very little is securely known about the actual form of the early medieval monastery, though it is assumed to have occupied the same site as the medieval priory, founded in, or shortly before, AD 1122, the remains of which survive. Little is known for sure of the form of the early medieval establishment, but that some authorities have speculated that some slight, earthwork remains on the Heugh may have been part of it. Some of these were first observed in the late nineteenth century by Blackwell and at least two were partially-excavated by Hope-Taylor in 1963. More recently, O'Sullivan and Young (1995) who surveyed all the visible features as part of the Lindisfarne Research Project in 1984-5, when a resistivity survey was also carried out. Three of these sites investigated on the Heugh in 2016-17 have provided significant results with respect to the interpretation of the position of sacral remains associated with the early monastery.
Research Interests:
The head of an early cross was found some years ago, reportedly in the late 19th century farm buildings at Spindlestone and, having been kept outside on an outside wall for many years is now under shelter in the safe possession of the... more
The head of an early cross was found some years ago, reportedly in the late 19th century farm buildings at Spindlestone and, having been kept outside on an outside wall for many years is now under shelter in the safe possession of the landowner. This paper discusses its date and likely origins.
Research Interests:
Hunting and gathering from the sea and seashore have played an important role in the rural economy of north Northumberland since early prehistory, with the collection of shellfish, hunting of birds and seals, trapping of crab & lobster,... more
Hunting and gathering from the sea and seashore have played an important role in the rural economy of north Northumberland since early prehistory, with the collection of shellfish, hunting of birds and seals, trapping of crab & lobster, netting of salmon & herring and line fishing for cod & mackerel all important at various times. Today, the remaining fishing industry between Spittal and Bamburgh is focused almost exclusively on crab and lobster fishing from Lindisfarne, complemented by a modern oyster farm at Ross Point and the continuing, ad hoc collection of shellfish from the shore. Observations made amongst (and by) the fishermen of Lindisfarne have shown that the manufacture and use of creels for trapping crabs and lobster has changed gradually, through improvement, adaption to new materials and changing regulations since their introduction in the mid-19th century right up to the present. Particularly revealing have been the detailed recollections, humorous and analytical, of ex-fisherman Ralph Wilson, who began learning and working with his father in the early 1960s, a time of some change in the manufacture and use of crab and lobster creels. Ralph's father was a full-time fisherman who made all his own creels, as did all fishermen at that time and, indeed, until relatively recently when commercially made creels became popular.
Research Interests:
Introduction Today Cocklawburn beach is a popular dog-walking destination and picnic spot, but in the 19th century it was a hive of activity with salmon fishing, quarrying, lime-burning, brick-making and coal mining, as well as farming... more
Introduction Today Cocklawburn beach is a popular dog-walking destination and picnic spot, but in the 19th century it was a hive of activity with salmon fishing, quarrying, lime-burning, brick-making and coal mining, as well as farming and gardening, providing employment and sustenance, as well as much noise and pollution, to a population housed in several thriving communities.
Research Interests:
Two phases of excavation were carried out on the coast opposite Lindisfarne on Fenham Moor Farm c. 400 m south of Fenham, the grange of Lindisfarne's medieval monastery. The excavations were carried out above the tidal mud flats on a... more
Two phases of excavation were carried out on the coast opposite Lindisfarne on Fenham Moor Farm c. 400 m south of Fenham, the grange of Lindisfarne's medieval monastery. The excavations were carried out above the tidal mud flats on a cliff-top where aerial photographs revealed the remains of a presumed multivallate hillfort. The aerial views appear to show two narrow outer ditches forming concentric arcs running from the southeast to the west, partially enclosing an area 100 metres across, but no internal features are visible and no earthworks apparent at ground level. In an attempt to enhance the record of this site prior to investigative excavation a geophysical survey of the site was carried out in September 2016, revealing a number of anomalies within the site as well as part of its external ditches. With the agreement of landowners, David and Frazer Burn, in October 2016 a single, long trench was cut from the west edge of the outer ditch towards the centre, in order to investigate the position of several geophysical anomalies as well as the outer ditches themselves. A further, exploratory trench was cut los to the intersection of the ditch at its southern extent with the cliff line, where geophysical anomalies seemed most intense. The first, long trench through the interior revealed a silty clay subsoil at shallow depth below the thin topsoil, but no finds or features of archaeological interest, suggesting that these had been removed by years of ploughing this rich agricultural land. At its west end, however, were revealed a narrow, stone-filled gulley up to 0.45 m deep and 0,40 m wide, set inside a wider, deeper V-shaped ditch some two metres wide and a metre deep below the bottom of topsoil. Overlying the upper part of the ditch fill and forming a deposit 0.40 m deep was a deposit of large cobbles containing oyster shells and some animal bone, but no artefacts of any kind. The second trench, cut across the southern ditch, proved less productive.
Research Interests:
Introduction Community-based archaeological work, carried out as part of the Peregrini Lindisfarne Project between early 2016 and October 2017, comprised a number of elements and liaised closely with archivists and geologists. The... more
Introduction Community-based archaeological work, carried out as part of the Peregrini Lindisfarne Project between early 2016 and October 2017, comprised a number of elements and liaised closely with archivists and geologists. The geographical scope of the project encompassed the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, which is roughly 2½ miles long and 9 miles around, as well as its shoreside hinterland, to which it is connected by a causeway, from the south end of Spital in the north to Budle Bay, near Bamburgh in the south, extending inland to the east coast main railway line in its northern section and widening almost to the A1 in the south. Both the island and mainland areas contain low-lying predominantly arable farmland, with pasture in more marginal areas, although Lindisfarne itself and much of the coastal margin of the mainland also contains extensive areas of salt marsh, dunes and rough pasture. Prior to the commencement of this work, much was already known about the cultural heritage of the island and associated mainland area. Holy Island is perhaps best known as a Cradle of Christianity, associated with 'The Golden Age of Northumbria' and the Lindisfarne Gospels. It is documented by Bede that St Aidan was invited by King Oswald of Northumbria to found a see and a monastery around AD 635 which subsequently thrived, becoming a place of pilgrimage following the death of St Cuthbert in AD 687. However, following decades of Viking raids it was abandoned, albeit temporarily, in the mid-ninth century, following which a Viking phase of Christian settlement was soon re-established. Monastic life was re-established by Durham in 1083, partly to commemorate (or exploit) the cult of St Cuthbert, and later medieval monastic infrastructure is known to have included commercial activities such as salt pans, lime-burning, fishing and farming-activities which also form part of the modern history of the area. Less well known (and barely registering at all amongst visitors to the area) is that Lindisfarne and its associated hinterland are also rich in remains from earlier periods, notably scatters of flint tools from the mesolithic to Bronze Age. More modern features are also increasingly recognised as significant, notably the 20th century coastal defences which are present along all stretches of the mainland coast and build on several earlier phases of military presence in the area. Other aspects of its more recent history include agricultural enclosure, lime-burning, quarrying, fishing, transport, pilgrimage and tourism. The landscape is also rich in wildlife habitats and is of high geological interest, both of which have been integral to the development of its cultural heritage. The work carried out by volunteers working with The Archaeological Practice initially involved a re-examination of known records in order to establish a baseline of knowledge before fieldwork commenced, followed by walkover surveys of all known sites of interest and the entire coastline within the project area. This was followed up with more detailed work on the standing buildings of the survey area with historic buildings specialist Peter Ryder.
Research Interests:
Historic Maps The townships of Branxton and Crookham (the latter incorporating Pallinsburn) are relatively well-covered by historic maps, with a number dating back to the mid to late 18th century. Crookham was surveyed and mapped in the... more
Historic Maps The townships of Branxton and Crookham (the latter incorporating Pallinsburn) are relatively well-covered by historic maps, with a number dating back to the mid to late 18th century. Crookham was surveyed and mapped in the 1760s (Northumberland Record Office ZMD 85, 2DE/15/1-2), whilst Branxton was covered by a series of maps produced c. 1780 (NRO 740 P98/1-2, 2DE 17/01), when the common waste of the township was finally enclosed. Altogether these include detailed maps of the two villages showing their layout before the common green was enclosed in each case. The Crookham maps also include the eastern end of the township next to the River Till, and the southern tongue extending towards Flodden Hill as well as the western and northwestern parts of neighbouring Heatherslaw township, almost all of which are now included in Crookham Civil Parish. Civil Parishes replaced townships as the smallest unit of local government and administration in the late 19th century. Initially their boundaries were usually the same as their predecessors, at least in rural areas, but over time these have been subject to alteration, with Heatherslaw effectively having been suppressed and its territory being divided amongst the neighbouring civil parishes, and Crookham having absorbed the northwestern quarter. However it is clear that the pattern of post-medieval landownership had already anticipated this change to a substantial degree. In the case of Branxton, as well as the village and its immediate environs, the 1780 enclosure map (NRO: 2 DE 17/01) shows a strip of common land extending along the eastern edge of the township right down to its southeast corner. Some parts of this strip were ultimately assigned to the two neighbouring townships of Crookham and Heatherslaw & Flodden, as is made clear by the map surveyed in 1837 showing all the townships of Ford Parish in outline, and it is likely that the inhabitants of these townships all had intercommoning rights on parts of Branxton Moor dating back to the Middle Ages which were recognised by this allocation. A second corridor of common land, extending directly southward from the centre of Branxton village towards the moor, figures on another of the plans associated with the inclosure award (NRO: 740, P98, plan 2) showing how a broad corridor was reduced to a narrow road, doubtless hedged on either side. There are certain parts of both townships, however, that do not feature on detailed maps before the appearance of the respective tithe maps for the two townships, which were surveyed in Part of the 1842 Branxton Tithe plan-NRO: DT 66S
Research Interests:
Fieldwork carried out at Ladykirk with the aim of deducing whether the Scottish army of James IV besieged Norham castle from the north side of the Tweed, or crossed the river to besiege it from the English side, has proved inconclusive.... more
Fieldwork carried out at Ladykirk with the aim of deducing whether the Scottish army of James IV besieged Norham castle from the north side of the Tweed, or crossed the river to besiege it from the English side, has proved inconclusive. Although fieldwalking recovered good quantities of medieval pottery from a field south-east of Ladykirk church - itself reputedly built as a defensible structure by James IV at the turn of the 16th century – no indication of 16th century military activity was found during fieldwork, which included excavations, within and close to
Ladykirk village itself. And while some ordnance of the late medieval period was found by metal detecting in fields almost opposite the castle on New Ladykirk grounds, geophysical anomalies explored by excavation there in September 2015 proved to be natural in origin. While inconclusive, the process of carrying out fieldwork at Ladykirk has helped to narrow down options for further enquiry and prompted discussion about the sort of (probably quite ephemeral) remains that would be expected to survive following use of 16th century artillery in the field. In particular, the site of an earthwork of presumed medieval date, overlooking the Tweed just over a kilometre from Norham
Castle, is now thought a likely point from which the siege of the castle may have begun, while fording points for the army have been identified at the present bridge and close to the castle itself.
Excavations carried out following geophysical survey on the south side of Norham Castle uncovered signs of later medieval and post-medieval activity there, suggesting that all or most of the current large pasture field there functioned, from as early as the 12th or 13th century, as a kind
of outer ward of the castle, perhaps brought into use during periods of intense military activity or preparation. Areas of metal-working and, potentially, temporary settlement were identified in the central part of this site while in the west, where a complex of earthworks is visible, a number of military and domestic structures were dated to the 16th century and later, suggesting that the earliest remains were contemporary with the post-Flodden remodelling of the castle as an artillery fortress. The results of excavation at Norham suggest that the reordering of the castle in the wake of Flodden anticipated attack from the west (village) side and support the idea that the large area between the south side of the castle and the Mill burn was used, at various times, as an area for temporary billeting of troops and associated small-scale domestic and industrial activities. Its putative earlier origins as an iron age promontory fort remain unproven.
Ladykirk village itself. And while some ordnance of the late medieval period was found by metal detecting in fields almost opposite the castle on New Ladykirk grounds, geophysical anomalies explored by excavation there in September 2015 proved to be natural in origin. While inconclusive, the process of carrying out fieldwork at Ladykirk has helped to narrow down options for further enquiry and prompted discussion about the sort of (probably quite ephemeral) remains that would be expected to survive following use of 16th century artillery in the field. In particular, the site of an earthwork of presumed medieval date, overlooking the Tweed just over a kilometre from Norham
Castle, is now thought a likely point from which the siege of the castle may have begun, while fording points for the army have been identified at the present bridge and close to the castle itself.
Excavations carried out following geophysical survey on the south side of Norham Castle uncovered signs of later medieval and post-medieval activity there, suggesting that all or most of the current large pasture field there functioned, from as early as the 12th or 13th century, as a kind
of outer ward of the castle, perhaps brought into use during periods of intense military activity or preparation. Areas of metal-working and, potentially, temporary settlement were identified in the central part of this site while in the west, where a complex of earthworks is visible, a number of military and domestic structures were dated to the 16th century and later, suggesting that the earliest remains were contemporary with the post-Flodden remodelling of the castle as an artillery fortress. The results of excavation at Norham suggest that the reordering of the castle in the wake of Flodden anticipated attack from the west (village) side and support the idea that the large area between the south side of the castle and the Mill burn was used, at various times, as an area for temporary billeting of troops and associated small-scale domestic and industrial activities. Its putative earlier origins as an iron age promontory fort remain unproven.
Research Interests:
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Introduction On 24th July, 1513, in anticipation of what became the Battle of Flodden, James IV of Scotland sent out four messengers to different parts of his realm with instructions to muster at Ellem in Berwickshire, which Caldwell... more
Introduction On 24th July, 1513, in anticipation of what became the Battle of Flodden, James IV of Scotland sent out four messengers to different parts of his realm with instructions to muster at Ellem in Berwickshire, which Caldwell (this publication) argues should be understood as the final muster point for the Scottish army following a series of local and regional muster points. Although there is no direct evidence that the muster at Ellem actually took place (Edinburgh's Burghmuir has been cited as an alternative, but is in fact more likely to have been a regional gathering point), 1 it must be regarded as highly likely on the grounds of the above instruction and on the basis of precedent-Ellem having been designated as the muster point for the Scottish invasion in September 1496-and because it is strategically well positioned as a point from which to launch attacks on the East March, including the castles of Norham and Wark. In 1496 the church is specifically mentioned, but a likely camping place for a large body of men is on the haughs close to the river.
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The castle of Wark on Tweed, the defensive Work (hence, Wark) of Carham, lies at the west end of the modern village of Wark on the south side of the River Tweed, which at this point forms the border between England and Scotland, where it... more
The castle of Wark on Tweed, the defensive Work (hence, Wark) of Carham, lies at the west end of the modern village of Wark on the south side of the River Tweed, which at this point forms the border between England and Scotland, where it occupies part of an elongated glacial mound or 'kaim', a mini-escarpment rising abruptly from the south and extending east and west for some 300 metres each side of the motte. The greater part of the castle and modern village are located on the north side of the kaim, where the land dips gently away to the north before rising slightly to the riverbank, ending in a cliff up to 15 metres high. Sitting opposite Wark on the north flood plain of the river Tweed is the farmstead and hamlet of Fireburn Mill, bounded on its north side by the Kelso-Coldstream road which forms a junction here with the A697, an ancient route to Edinburgh. Fyreburne Mylne forde is, with Saynte Gillyforde on its west side, one of two fords mentioned on the immediate west side of Wark castle-one of 10 between Cornhill and Carham-in a Border Commissioners report of 1541. Wark Castle was, with Norham and Berwick, one of three English castles on the banks of the Tweed and, with Norham, one of the two to be taken by James IV in September 1513. Unlike Norham, however, there is no known documentary information available on James IV's conquest of Wark Castle, leaving archaeological methods as the only means by which to approach questions about the layout of English defences at the time and the direction of the Scottish attack, which is thought most likely to have been from Fireburn Mill on the north side of the Tweed or, alternatively, from west of the castle on the south side.
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Introduction While the focus of much study represented in this publication has concentrated upon the activities of the English and Scottish armies in England between the 22nd August and 9th September 1513, very little is known about how... more
Introduction While the focus of much study represented in this publication has concentrated upon the activities of the English and Scottish armies in England between the 22nd August and 9th September 1513, very little is known about how the extensive Scottish force, its artillery train and camp followers travelled through the Scottish Borders, what route it took and where it camped. Indeed, prior to the current investigations initiated through the Flodden 500 Project, all that was known with any degree of certainty was that James IV of Scotland departed Edinburgh on 17th August 1513 and crossed the English Border on 22nd August 1513. In order to elucidate these questions, David Caldwell (this publication) has reported on his extensive documentary research into size, character and make-up of the Scottish fighting force and what can be deduced about the routes it took to the English border. While much remains in doubt, he has arrived at a number of conclusions based upon direct and comparative evidence, some of which merit additional work to test and authenticate them. The current paper, therefore, reports on additional fieldwork and map-based research carried out in order to finesse and extend the results of the documentary research on the likely routes taken by James IV and his army to Flodden. One of the principal conclusions of the documentary work is that the assembling of the Scottish army at Flodden involved contingents meeting at several different muster points and traversing several different routes before meeting up at Ellem and heading across the English Border. Several of the main roads that were in use in 1513 are known, but there is still work to be done in understanding the nature of these roads. As a result of this study it is possible to identify several sites, river crossings and roads that are particularly deserving of archaeological examination.
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Interim report on excavations carried out in the vicus of Benwell Roman fort in 2017
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Interim report, following post-excavation analysis, on the results of fieldwork carried out in 2017-18 within the vicus of Benwell Roman fort on Hadrian's Wall.
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Archaeological excavations on medieval Newgate Street, Newcastle upon Tyne in 2016-17
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This document provides a report on archaeological fieldwork carried out in 2016 and 2017 prior to and during a programme of conservation works carried out at Lennel Kirk, near Coldstream for Coldstream’s Heritage Ltd – Community Interest... more
This document provides a report on archaeological fieldwork carried out in 2016 and 2017 prior to and during a programme of conservation works carried out at Lennel Kirk, near Coldstream for Coldstream’s
Heritage Ltd – Community Interest Company (CIC). The two principal archaeological activities carried out by volunteers associated with Coldstream's Heritage CIC, Till Valley Archaeological Society and Borders Archaeological Society, supervised by staff of the Archaeological Practice Ltd., namely, the inspection of
above-ground masonry following the removal of ivy covering and the excavation of overburden from the kirk interior, revealed an unexpectedly large number of features of interest and added considerably to the
known history of the site, allowing its phasing to be reconstructed in some detail.
Particular features of note uncovered during the archaeological investigations include the north wall of the chancel, now seen to be 12th century in origin with the hint of a contemporary or later vault in its surviving masonry and the remains of a chancel arch respond at its west end. Corresponding remains at the west end of the south chancel wall together with the discovery, reused in the base of the south-east corner of the extended chancel, of the base of a large respond base, also early 12th century in character, indicate the former presence of a chancel
arch removed in the Reformation. Surviving masonry stubs in the inner faces of the north and south walls of the chancel show that the east wall had been rebuilt further east using original masonry, probably in the 16th or 17th century, and a headstone or grave marker decorated with a simple saltire cross found re-used in the re-built plinth course is also indicative of a 12th century date. Other features of medieval origin is the newly-discovered priest’s door in the south wall of the chancel, which is probably of 13th or 14th century construction, as were the lower jambs of the opposed north and south doors of the nave.
Heritage Ltd – Community Interest Company (CIC). The two principal archaeological activities carried out by volunteers associated with Coldstream's Heritage CIC, Till Valley Archaeological Society and Borders Archaeological Society, supervised by staff of the Archaeological Practice Ltd., namely, the inspection of
above-ground masonry following the removal of ivy covering and the excavation of overburden from the kirk interior, revealed an unexpectedly large number of features of interest and added considerably to the
known history of the site, allowing its phasing to be reconstructed in some detail.
Particular features of note uncovered during the archaeological investigations include the north wall of the chancel, now seen to be 12th century in origin with the hint of a contemporary or later vault in its surviving masonry and the remains of a chancel arch respond at its west end. Corresponding remains at the west end of the south chancel wall together with the discovery, reused in the base of the south-east corner of the extended chancel, of the base of a large respond base, also early 12th century in character, indicate the former presence of a chancel
arch removed in the Reformation. Surviving masonry stubs in the inner faces of the north and south walls of the chancel show that the east wall had been rebuilt further east using original masonry, probably in the 16th or 17th century, and a headstone or grave marker decorated with a simple saltire cross found re-used in the re-built plinth course is also indicative of a 12th century date. Other features of medieval origin is the newly-discovered priest’s door in the south wall of the chancel, which is probably of 13th or 14th century construction, as were the lower jambs of the opposed north and south doors of the nave.
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In April 2016 further investigations were carried out on the site of Holystone’s medieval Priory, which is known to have functioned as an Augustinian nunnery from the 12th century until its dissolution by Henry VIII in 1539.
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A programme of archaeological investigation was undertaken by the Holystone History & Archaeology Group (HHAG) on the site of a mediaeval Priory which is known to have functioned as an Augustinian nunnery from the... more
A programme of archaeological investigation was undertaken by the Holystone History & Archaeology Group (HHAG) on the site of a mediaeval Priory which is known to have functioned as an Augustinian nunnery from the 12th century until its dissolution by Henry VIII in 1539. It has never been established exactly where the priory was situated, although it is assumed that the current parish church, parts of which date to the medieval period, formed part of the monastic complex The Holystone community archaeology group has been researching the location of the priory for a number of years, carrying out two phases of geophysical survey with Durham University (ASUD 2005 & 2007) and, more recently, a ground penetrating radar survey with Andrew Wilson of Deepscan AR Ltd. (2015). The radar survey in particular provided evidence for possible Priory remains on the south side of the existing church building.
It was in order to determine the nature of these remains and provide dating evidence for them that a small-scale excavation was carried out in this area. Additional research objectives and community benefits of the investigation were to enhance the future protection of the site by establishing, as far as possible, the character, depth and extent of the church and priory remains, so that they can be more fully interpreted and better conserved.
Permission for the work was granted by the church, through the agency of vicar Michael Boag, and the owner of the land bounding the church to the south, Mrs Clark, with the kind assistance of the residents of the attached cottage, Frank & Nancy Moscrop.
Coquetdale Community Archaeology Group assisted with volunteers and equipment, while the project was also supported by Chris Jones, the Northumberland National Park Archaeology Officer, who wrote the SMC application and liaised with Rob Young of English Heritage on that issue. The excavation and reporting work was led by
archaeologist Richard Carlton of the archaeological Practice and carried out by Jan
Frazer, who instigated the project and arranged funding for it, Dave Robinson, Ian
Glendinning, Linda Glendinning, Peter Fielding, Jeanette Fielding, Kevin Milburn, Alec
Plater, Tony Williams, John Kendall, Gail Kendall, Janice Henney, Janet Fenwicke-Clennell, Graham Jones, Andrew Wilson, Bob Jackson, Steve Kerry, Mike Hodgson, John Casken, David Jones, Chris Jones, David Allan, Mike Jones, Anne Jones, Michael Morton, Jane Watkins and John Steele. Marc Johnston, Jeanette Fielding and
Peter Ryder carried out additional site drawing and illustrative work, with Peter Ryder also contributing his interpretive thoughts and a reconstruction drawing of the site as it may have appeared in the 13th or 14th century.
It was in order to determine the nature of these remains and provide dating evidence for them that a small-scale excavation was carried out in this area. Additional research objectives and community benefits of the investigation were to enhance the future protection of the site by establishing, as far as possible, the character, depth and extent of the church and priory remains, so that they can be more fully interpreted and better conserved.
Permission for the work was granted by the church, through the agency of vicar Michael Boag, and the owner of the land bounding the church to the south, Mrs Clark, with the kind assistance of the residents of the attached cottage, Frank & Nancy Moscrop.
Coquetdale Community Archaeology Group assisted with volunteers and equipment, while the project was also supported by Chris Jones, the Northumberland National Park Archaeology Officer, who wrote the SMC application and liaised with Rob Young of English Heritage on that issue. The excavation and reporting work was led by
archaeologist Richard Carlton of the archaeological Practice and carried out by Jan
Frazer, who instigated the project and arranged funding for it, Dave Robinson, Ian
Glendinning, Linda Glendinning, Peter Fielding, Jeanette Fielding, Kevin Milburn, Alec
Plater, Tony Williams, John Kendall, Gail Kendall, Janice Henney, Janet Fenwicke-Clennell, Graham Jones, Andrew Wilson, Bob Jackson, Steve Kerry, Mike Hodgson, John Casken, David Jones, Chris Jones, David Allan, Mike Jones, Anne Jones, Michael Morton, Jane Watkins and John Steele. Marc Johnston, Jeanette Fielding and
Peter Ryder carried out additional site drawing and illustrative work, with Peter Ryder also contributing his interpretive thoughts and a reconstruction drawing of the site as it may have appeared in the 13th or 14th century.
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Interim report on two seasons of fieldwork carried out by The Village Atlas Group of Till Valley Archaeological Society (TillVAS) with the assistance of The Archaeological Practice Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne in order to investigate a site... more
Interim report on two seasons of fieldwork carried out by The Village Atlas Group of Till Valley Archaeological Society (TillVAS) with the assistance of The Archaeological Practice Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne in order to investigate a site at Mardon Hill where an enclosure and related features were known from crop-marks visible on aerial photographs. Full analysis of the results of excavations is ongoing and will not be completed before a final phase of excavation proposed for 2019, but the first two seasons have provided evidence for domestic occupation in roundhouses and a mixed agricultural regime managed from a defensible enclosure, with activities such as sheep and cattle husbandry, grain cultivation and milling, wool processing and pottery-making. Within the enclosure, round house structures appear to abut, but remain distinct from, a main sunken stock yard partially infilled with rubble, with other smaller stock enclosures and other segregated activity areas also apparent, or suggested. Two small raised stone platforms lying outside the sunken yards may be the remains of occupation floors or perform other functions, such as working surfaces, stack stands or threshing floors, while the function of two series of post-holes remains unknown pending a full plan of their extent and dating evidence from their fills. External to the enclosure ditch to east and west are clusters of other features, those on the east shown by investigation in 2018 to comprise linear and curvilinear ditches which appear to have performed agricultural rather than settlement-related function, although this remains uncertain.
The number of questions originally posed in relation to the origins, function and phasing of the site has increased with the results of the first two seasons of work, although some will be answered by the results of Radiocarbon dating anticipated in early 2019. The final phase of work anticipated in 2019 will explore the agglomeration of features visible as crop marks west of the ditched enclosure as well as attempting to clarify issues concerning the varied distribution of activities within the enclosure.
The number of questions originally posed in relation to the origins, function and phasing of the site has increased with the results of the first two seasons of work, although some will be answered by the results of Radiocarbon dating anticipated in early 2019. The final phase of work anticipated in 2019 will explore the agglomeration of features visible as crop marks west of the ditched enclosure as well as attempting to clarify issues concerning the varied distribution of activities within the enclosure.
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This document reports on the results of an archaeological excavation carried out on an Iron Age enclosure site west of Rattenraw Farm, near Otterburn in Redesdale, Northumberland in July 2019. The project was directed by The... more
This document reports on the results of an archaeological excavation carried out on an Iron Age enclosure site west of Rattenraw Farm, near Otterburn in Redesdale, Northumberland in July 2019. The project was directed by The Archaeological Practice Ltd. (TAP) for the Revitalising Redesdale Landscape Partnership (RRLP).
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Introduction to pottery-making in north-east Northumberland, based on research undertaken during the Peregrini-Lindisfarne Landscape Project in 2017-18 but incorporating results from other recent archaeological work in the same and... more
Introduction to pottery-making in north-east Northumberland, based on research undertaken during the Peregrini-Lindisfarne Landscape Project in 2017-18 but incorporating results from other recent archaeological work in the same and neighboring areas.
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The putative remains of a chapel were excavated on Spindlestone Heugh, in the grounds of Waren Caravan Park, with the aid of Lindisfarne Archaeology volunteers and students from the universities of Newcastle and Derby in June 2018.... more
The putative remains of a chapel were excavated on Spindlestone Heugh, in the grounds of Waren Caravan Park, with the aid of Lindisfarne Archaeology volunteers and students from the universities of Newcastle and Derby in June 2018. Further excavation is planned in 2019.
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Description and brief preliminary analysis of a total of eight trenches excavated on Lindisfarne Heugh in June, 2018 in order to complete the investigation of features previously identified, and in some cases partially excavated, in 2016... more
Description and brief preliminary analysis of a total of eight trenches excavated on Lindisfarne Heugh in June, 2018 in order to complete the investigation of features previously identified, and in some cases partially excavated, in 2016 and 2017.
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... have been examined at Pećigrad, Trac, Stijena, Kajtezi and Lučka, with the most detailed record of carved decoration being made at Lučka. ... Such traditions are characterised by their use of foot-powered wheels and double-chambered... more
... have been examined at Pećigrad, Trac, Stijena, Kajtezi and Lučka, with the most detailed record of carved decoration being made at Lučka. ... Such traditions are characterised by their use of foot-powered wheels and double-chambered up-draught kilns, producing sandy or fine ...
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This collection comprises a report, images and site records from a desk-based cultural heritage assessment and field survey undertaken by The Archaeological Practice Ltd between April and June 2021, with respect to a proposed Woodland... more
This collection comprises a report, images and site records from a desk-based cultural heritage assessment and field survey undertaken by The Archaeological Practice Ltd between April and June 2021, with respect to a proposed Woodland Grant Scheme project on Whitton Farm, south of Rothbury, north-west Northumberland
Excavations at Harehaugh hillfort in Coquetdale, Northumberland, were carried out in 2002 as part of a wider project to determine the rate at which the monument was being damaged by erosion and how this was impacting upon significant... more
Excavations at Harehaugh hillfort in Coquetdale, Northumberland, were carried out in 2002 as part of a wider project to determine the rate at which the monument was being damaged by erosion and how this was impacting upon significant archaeological remains. The results of the excavations and an associated 10-year programme of erosion-scar monitoring indicate that erosion is having a very significant impact upon archaeological remains, some of which remain well preserved with the potential to reveal important information. The excavations are described, and the article finishes with some comments on the significance and potential of the hillfort and its environs, and an attempt is made to place it in the context of regional Iron Age studies, particularly in the light of recent contextual surveys of hillforts in upland Northumberland and discoveries of large lowland sites to the south.
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A programme of building recording was carried out in advance of the proposed conversion for residential use of redundant farm buildings at Breckon Hill, Northumberland. To accompany a written description of the building, photographic... more
A programme of building recording was carried out in advance of the proposed conversion for residential use of redundant farm buildings at Breckon Hill, Northumberland. To accompany a written description of the building, photographic recording was undertaken by colour digital photography using a Panasonic DMCFZ1000. In addition, an attempt was made to research the history of the building through locally available maps and records. It is concluded that the complex of buildings known as Breckon Hill Farm probably has its origins in the mid-18th century, with the lower walls of the main block surviving from the original construction phase in the immediate post-enclosure period, between 1755-1769. The farm buildings themselves are the product of several phases of construction, with the c1840 tithe map showing an L-plan which includes the house as well as the north and the main part of the west ranges. Overall, the buildings provide a reasonable example of a mid-19th century planned farmstead, without presenting any features of especial merit. The relatively early North and West Ranges preserve some reasonable detail, but the Loose Box Range is a later, mid-19th century addition and, along with the later 20th century lean-to and detached barn additions, demonstrate little architectural or aesthetic merit
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Research Interests: Pottery kilns and Kiln
SUMMARY This paper presents the results of investigations carried out on the site of a medieval mill in Upper Coquetdale, Northumberland. Excavation uncovered the masonry of a wheel pit for a low breast-shot configuration. Downstream was... more
SUMMARY This paper presents the results of investigations carried out on the site of a medieval mill in Upper Coquetdale, Northumberland. Excavation uncovered the masonry of a wheel pit for a low breast-shot configuration. Downstream was a timber structure with the remains of an underwater planked floor, and immediately upstream were the probable remains of a sluice. On the bank, a paved area was the source of two medieval coins and a medieval key; thirteenth-and fourteenth-century pottery was found across the site. Further upstream from the wheel pit, a large timber structure was uncovered on the riverbed. The remains are likely to be those of a fulling mill associated with Newminster Abbey, an early example of its kind. Only a handful of medieval mills have been excavated in Britain. Very few incorporate the remains of wheel pits, of which this may be the best-preserved masonry-lined example found, as well as one of the earliest to hold a wheel with a low breast-shot configuration.
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A significant, but relatively under-reported feature of the 1992-1995Bosnian War has been the destruction caused to national cultural heritage. Reporting has tended to focus on the loss of buildings of high symbolic stature, notably... more
A significant, but relatively under-reported feature of the 1992-1995Bosnian War has been the destruction caused to national cultural heritage. Reporting has tended to focus on the loss of buildings of high symbolic stature, notably sacral buildings such as churches and mosques, but also public buildings such as the National Library in Sarajevo. This distracts attention from buildings perceived to be of lower value and interest which may, nevertheless, be important. This paper draws attention to the destruction and reconstruction of lesser-known forms of cultural heritage, including uncontested classes of buildings which have suffered collateral damage or incidental harm, and have been neglected by the diversion of attention and funds towards symbolic markers.
Research Interests: History, Cultural Heritage, Cultural Heritage Conservation, Bosnia, Heritage Conservation, and 8 moreIntangible cultural heritage, Cultural Heritage Management, Architectural Conservation, World Cultural Heritage, Intangible Cultural Heritage (Culture), War in Bosnia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Western Balkans
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The massive intentional destruction of cultural heritage during the 1992-1995 Bosnian War targeting a historically diverse identity provoked global condemnation and became a seminal marker in the discourse on cultural heritage. It... more
The massive intentional destruction of cultural heritage during the 1992-1995 Bosnian War targeting a historically diverse identity provoked global condemnation and became a seminal marker in the discourse on cultural heritage. It prompted an urgent reassessment of how cultural property could be protected in times of conflict and led to a more definitive recognition in international humanitarian law that destruction of a people’s cultural heritage is an aspect of genocide. Yet surprisingly little has been published on the subject. This wide-ranging book provides the first comprehensive overview and critical analysis of the destruction of Bosnia-Herzegovina’s cultural heritage and its far-reaching impact. Scrutinizing the responses of the international community during the war (including bodies like UNESCO and the Council of Europe), the volume also analyzes how, after the conflict ended, external agendas impinged on heritage reconstruction to the detriment of the broader peace process and refugee return. It assesses implementation of Annex 8 of the Dayton Peace Agreement, a unique attempt to address the devastation to Bosnia’s cultural heritage, and examines the treatment of war crimes involving cultural property at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). With numerous case studies and plentiful illustrations, this important volume considers questions which have moved to the foreground with the inclusion of cultural heritage preservation in discussions of the right to culture in human rights discourse and as a vital element of post-conflict and development aid. Contents: Introduction, Helen Walasek; Destruction of the cultural heritage in Bosnia-Herzegovina: an overview, Helen Walasek; Documenting the destruction, Richard Carlton and Helen Walasek; Topography of destruction: post-conflict fieldwork assessing the cultural heritage in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Richard Carlton and Helen Walasek; Cultural heritage protection in post-conflict Bosnia-Herzegovina: Annex 8 of the Dayton Peace Agreement, Valery Perry; Domains of restoration: actors and agendas in post-conflict Bosnia-Herzegovina, Helen Walasek; The built heritage in the post-war reconstruction of Stolac, Amra Hadžimuhamedović; Restoring war-damaged built cultural heritage in Bosnia-Herzegovina: an international perspective, Tina Wik; Cultural heritage, the search for justice and human rights, Helen Walasek; Appendix: a brief introduction to the cultural heritage of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Helen Walasek; Glossary; Bibliography; Index. About the Author: Helen Walasek was an Associate of the Bosnian Institute, London, and was Deputy Director of Bosnia-Herzegovina Heritage Rescue (BHHR) for which she worked 1994-1998. She has a Diploma in Museum Studies from University of Leicester. She made many working visits to Bosnia during and after the 1992-1995 war, including as an Expert Consultant for the Council of Europe reporting on museums in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1995 and 1996. In 2000 and 2001 she carried out two field trips (with Richard Carlton) making the first post-war assessment of destroyed historic monuments across Bosnia-Herzegovina for which there was little accurate information at the time.
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A programme of archaeological fieldwork was undertaken at the church of St Michael and All Angels, Houghton-le-Spring (Figure 1 and 2) between January and June, 2008 in advance of the installation of a new underfloor heating system, which... more
A programme of archaeological fieldwork was undertaken at the church of St Michael and All Angels, Houghton-le-Spring (Figure 1 and 2) between January and June, 2008 in advance of the installation of a new underfloor heating system, which principally involved the excavation of the floors in the nave, crossing and north transept. Subsequent to the main phase of groundworks, parts of the nave wall were recorded when the plaster was stripped to reveal cracked masonry, and a basement space underneath the organ was examined when it, too, became available for inspection. The findings of this work suggest that the structural history of St Michael’s may be considerably older and more complex than hitherto believed, since it now appears likely that Roman building stones were used in the construction of the medieval church and features of pre-Norman and Norman provenance were also evidenced