dredged up from the past – issue 10 – archaeological finds reporting service newsletter

8/2/2019 Dredged Up from the Past Issue 10 Archaeological Finds Reporting Service Newsletter

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The 2010-2011 Find Award results areannounced on page 2 with a selection of

finds reported since the last issue on page 3.

Discover how Protocol finds help EnglishHeritage (EH) to build a picture of themarine historic environment, throughMarion Pages article on the NationalRecord for the Historic Environment (p8).

Protocol Update

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Welcome to Issue 10 of Dredged Up, thepopular newsletter of the BMAPA/TCE/EHProtocol Implementation Service.

October marked the beginning of the new

Protocol year and the 2010-2011 annualreport was published in December. Youcan download it, and all Protocol annualreports from:

http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/projects/marine/bmapa/docs.html

This years report contains all the wharfreports produced during the 2010-2011Protocol reporting year, as well as twointeresting case studies on other industry

protocols that have developed out of theBMAPA/TCE/EH experience and anotheron faunal remains from the seabed.

This issue discusses how Protocol finds canshed light on archaeologists understandingof submerged prehistoric landscapes aroundthe coast (p4-5). Plus an update on recentarchaeological work in the Area 240exclusion zone (p6).

Reconstruction of the River Arun landscape,now submerged beneath the English Channel

Awareness

Awareness is key toincreasing the numberof finds and ensuringthat the marine historicenvironment is protected.If new wharf staff havejoined your team or youwould just like refreshertraining, then get in touchto book a visit, these arefree, very informativeand fun!

Email us on [email protected] or call 01722 326867 to find out more.

Dredged Upfrom the past

Spring 2012

Issue 10

Archaeology Finds Reporting Service Newsletter

Dredging aggregate from Area 240


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Best Attitude by a Vessel

Best Find.

wasawarded to CEMEXsfor reporting many different typesof finds including fossilised deerbone, ship timber (see right) andmammoth bone. Their diligencein wrapping fragile timber inpolythene and tape to protect andpreserve finds ensured they arrivedsafely at WA for examination.

A Cartwheel Penny discovered bystaff at Bedhampton Wharf after itwas dredged from Licence Area 127was awarded This smallfind was correctly identified by wharfstaff as a coin and they also providedexcellent photos. Large numbers ofCartwheel Pennies were minted during thereign of King George III in 1797 and 1798.The front of the coin bears the profile ofKing George III, with the reverse depicting

Britannia seated and looking to the right.

A special mention goes to HansonAggregates Marine for their collaborativework with a survey company in reporting ananimal bone fragment discovered during atrawl survey (shown on page 3).

Additional mention goes to Hansons workin Area 240 as, following planning with EHand WA, they cautiously dredged the smallareas within the current exclusion zone

with archaeologists on board to examinethe loads for finds. Find out more aboutthis work on page 6.

Sand FalconWe are pleased to announce the resultsof the 2010-2011 Find Awards. The winnerswere nominated by staff at WessexArchaeology (WA) who work closely withaggregates industry staff on both wharvesand vessels. They were approved byIan Oxley of English Heritage andMark Russell of BMAPA.

Yet again, the Protocol has yielded somefascinating finds of varying age and origin.

All aspects of the marine historicenvironment have been illustrated bythis years finds. The 2010-2011 FindAwards go to:

Tarmacs Greenwich Wharf

CEMEXs

Cartwheel Pennydiscovered at Bedhampton Wharf

Tarmacs Greenwich Wharf was awardedfor reporting some

excellent finds over the past year includinga complete barshot. Their fantasticphotography has significantly aided WAsidentification of their reported finds, forexample the detailed close-ups of theserial number on an aircraft undercarriagelocking pin identified it as a part from aWorld War Two Spitfire (see below).

Sand Falcon

Best Attitude by a Wharf

Best Attitude by a Vessel

Best Find

Best Attitude by a Wharf

2010-2011 Find Awards

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Barshot from Greenwich Wharf5 cm

Congratulations to everyone and keepup the good work. For more informationabout finds that have been reportedover the past year, check out our annualreport which can be downloaded fromthe Protocol website.



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N.C. Sait discovered this wooden rudder atTarmacs Burnley Wharf amongst materialdredged from Licence Area 122/3, whichlies off the Isle of Wight. This type ofrudder is known as a pintle-and-gudgeonand would have been stern-mounted on awooden vessel. The rudder is damaged so itis not possible to ascertain the exact size,however it is estimated that it may havebeen used on a vessel with a keel lengthof 8 to 15 metres.

This find was correctly identified by staffat Brett Aggregates Cliffe Wharf as a gasmask. Despite the presence of a serialmark (W.M 231) formal identification isnot possible as a comprehensive list is notavailable. The shape and size of the masksuggests that it was for an adult and issimilar to known World War Two masks in

the Imperial War Museums collection.The origin of the maskis also unknown as itwas discoveredamongst mixedload aggregatefrom bothHumber andEast EnglishChannel regions.

N. Coombs discovered this mammoth toothonboard . It was discoveredamongst aggregate dredged from LicenceArea 447 in the Thames region. There aremany different types of mammoth,however Andy Currant from the NaturalHistory Museum suggested that this toothfragment may belong to

, an early species which livedfrom 2.5 million to 100,000 years ago.Finds like this can aid our understandingof submerged prehistoric landscapes, readmore about this on pages 4-5.

Sand Fulmar

Mammuthus

meridonalis

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Finds from 2010-2011

Finds from 2011-2012 so far

Andy Currant

5 cm

5 cm 5 cm

This animalbone fragment wasdiscovered by a surveycontractor following trawl dredgesampling for Hanson Aggregates Marinein Area 372/1, off the Isle of Wight. It wasidentified as a fragment of the end of acattle long bone. It appears to be unfused,which suggests the animal died at around3 years of age. The age of the bone, aprime age for butchery, suggests it may

be waste from a vessel although therewere no visiblebutchering marks.It could date fromas early as themedieval period.

5 cm

Animal bone fragment


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Over the past six years the Protocol hasuncovered finds which have shed light onBritains submerged prehistory. Finds fromprevious cold periods, when parts of theNorth Sea, English Channel and Irish Seawere dry land, help archaeologistsunderstand the potential for prehistoricarchaeology now covered by water.

Geophysics and geotechnical techniquescan be used to map the seabed and provideinformation on the structure of sedimentsunderneath the seafloor. This informationcan help archaeologists recreate theprehistoric landscape by identifyinglandscape features such as river channelsand assessing environmental evidence fromcore samples. However, areas of humanoccupation can only be identified whenartefacts are located. Geophysical surveys

cannot locate a flint scatter where a

prehistoric man may have sat and madestone tools. This is where the work ofthe marine aggregates industry and theProtocol has provided a fantastic resourceof finds, allowing archaeologists tolearn about the occupants of thislost landscape.

Finds relating to the submerged prehistoricenvironment are frequently reported viathe Protocol. These finds, includingworked flint, animal bones andpeat samples, can revealinformation about pastenvironments, animaloccupation and humanactivities in these areas.

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Populating a hidden landscape

Flint Flake - Tarmac

In 2008, a significantassemblage of flint toolsand faunal remains wasdredged from LicenceArea 240 in the East Coastregion. This led to anALSF-funded project tobetter understand thiscurrently unique area andhow future Licence Areascan be investigated toidentify potential sitesof Palaeolithic interest.Find out about the latestwork on this site on page 6.

Sub-bottom profile of river channel

Hippo bone - CEMEX

Auroch bone - Tarmac


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Populating the PastWorked stone tools, such as flint flakesand handaxes, demonstrate where peoplemay have made tools and hunted in nowsubmerged areas around Britain. Toolsreported through the Protocol may eitherbe found (discovered whereoriginally discarded) or out of context,having been moved around with theseafloor sediments or earlier by rivers.

Animal remains found on the seafloorcan arrive there in one of three ways:

Cargo or waste materials associatedwith a ship;

Deposited when an animal dies neara river and the remains are washeddownstream and out to sea;

Animals living and dying where areasof the seafloor were dry land duringpast cold periods.

in situ

Palaeo-environmental material, such aspollen and seeds found in peat or claydeposits, are of particular interest inreconstructing the landscape. Peat andclay deposits may also preserve organicmaterials such as wood, animal remainsor charcoal, and may reveal areas wherehumans were making tools, butcheringanimals, or lighting fires.

Identifying worked flint amongst a loadof aggregate is a challenge but if you seesomething that looks as if it has beenshaped into a tool, please report it. Formore information on identifying stonetools, download from the BMAPA Protocol pages.

Without the excellent finds reported by themarine aggregate industry via the Protocol,these sites of submerged prehistory wouldremain a mystery. Keep reporting thesefinds, including animal bones, teeth andtusks, so we can continue populating thislost landscape.

Find out more about Seabed Prehistory at:

Identifying Worked Flint


www.wessexarch.co.uk/projects/marine/alsf/seabed_prehistory

Deer bone - CEMEX

Reconstruction of the River Arun landscape, now submergedbeneath the English ChannelMammoth tusk - Hanson

Peat processing

Giant deerantler fragment - Cemex


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In the winter of 2007/08 an assemblageof 88 flint tools were discovered amongstaggregate from Licence Area 240. Thiscomprised 33 handaxes, 47 completeand fragmented flakes and flake tools,and 8 cores, plus over 100 associatedfaunal remains. A 2 year Aggregates LevySustainability Fund (ALSF) project revealedthat the flints were associated with alandscape dating to the Middle PalaeolithicPeriod (200,000-300,000 years ago).

In the Autumn of 2011 venturedinto the exclusion zone with archaeologistsonboard who examined the top of theaggregate following the dredging process.Archaeologists Andrew Bicket and John

McCarthy, tell us more:

Arco Adur

We were onboard to assess the dredge loadsfor prehistoric archaeology, something thathadn't been done before so we weren't surewhat to expect. Working an 18 hour trip meantthat some days we were working in daylight,followed by a shift in the early hours. It took abit of getting used to. Hopefully, we were ableto give the guys enough information so thatthey could identify prehistoric archaeology aswell as other archaeological materials. Thecrew were very supportive and their experiencehelped make the project successful. By the endthey were faster at finding stone tools, woodand bones than we were!

Hanson Aggregates Marine Ltd (HAML) iskeen to work with EH and WA to gain moreknowledge of the environment and contextof the finds within Area 240. Nigel Griffiths,HAMLs principal resources manager, said:

Ed Salter from EH facilitated the project.

Useful discussions with EH and WA have beenheld aimed at allowing us to continue dredging.This means that more finds could be discoveredand further information gathered throughgood observation and a practical methodology

involving all staff, but particularly those onships and on wharves at Flushing and Frindsbury.The finds would not have been made withoutour activities and through WA we have hopefullyfound a way forward that is practical andbenefits everybody.

This project represents further proof ofthe partnership approach and the goodrelations that exist in England between thearchaeological sector and the marine aggregatedredging industry. The HAML funded project is

providing finds that enhance our understandingand improve the management of an area ofclear archaeological significance. The resultsand findings of the project demonstratethe ongoing importance of Area 240 and thewider east coast dredging region forPalaeolithic archaeology.

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Area 240 Update

Archaeologist John McCarthy

Stone tools fromon board Arco Adur

The Area 240 finds are thought to be associatedwith the development of a channel which is anoffshore extension of the Palaeo-Yare River,which was cut around 400,000 ago. BMAPA and TCEhave commissioned WA to conduct an assessmentof the Palaeo-Yare river catchment area to try andestablish the extent of the landscape from whichthe flint and bone remains were dredged fromLicence Area 240. The project involves the

assessment of geophysical and geotechnical data,and synthesising these results to establish thearchaeological potential of the offshorecatchment area.

Archaeologist Andrew Bicket on board Arco Adur


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Worked flint from Area 240

Dredged Up 8 provided hints and tips abouthow to take photographs of discoveriesincluding close up and using a scale. Thesephotos are used to illustrate finds in wharfand Discovery reports. To ensure the bestquality please make sure that photos ofdiscoveries are saved as a jpeg file beforeforwarding them to your NominatedContact. These files can then be uploadedonto the portal.

These photos may also be published onthe Protocol webpages to illustrate recentdiscoveries. You can keep up to date withthe latest finds at:

http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/projects/marine/bmapa/discoveries.php

This webpage only shows a few of the mostrecent reports. To see all previous reportsclick on

where you can search by any criteriaor sort reports by title or date.

Subscribe to the discoveries byRSS

Identifying Stone Tools

This issue of the newsletter has discussed finds of archaeological interest that relateto the submerged prehistoric landscape around Britain, as illustrated flint or stonetools are important finds for identifying areas of human occupation. Here are somethings to look for when trying to identify worked stone:

Reporting Tips and keeping up to date with the latest reports

Distal

Dorsal Side Ventral Know Your Flint

Proximal

Central

1.2.3.4.5.6.

7.8.9.10.

Negative Flake ScarsRidgesCortexBulb ScarButtPoint of Percussion where the stone has been hit

Cone of Percussion where a dent forms after the flint has been struckBulb of Percussion where a raised lump is formed after a flint has been struckConical Ripples formed following impact from working strikesFissures

1

2

9

8

9

10

4

5 6 7

3

2

1


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using informationprovided by theDiscovery report.These recordsinclude the location

both as OrdnanceSurvey GridReference andLatitude andLongitude, theLicence Area, adescription of the find including its ageand material, the source, the date whenthe find was reported, a reference number,the event name, the date of dredging andthe marine aggregate producer. All recordsare also indexed using appropriate EH

thesauri terms such as those for objecttype (e.g. cannonball) and material type(e.g. metal), for ease of retrieval.

All NHRE data is spatially representedin GIS (Geographic Information System),enabling distribution maps to be produced.A possible scenario for example would beto produce a distribution map of thefindspots of all post-medieval cannonballs. This is an easy way of assessing theevidence for cluster findspots and thereforefor potential wrecksites, for example.When used in combination with the existingdata on wrecks in the NRHE, finds can beattributed to wrecksites that have alreadybeen identified.

The Heritage Data Management teamis responsible for the development andmanagement of heritage datasets for EH.These include the National Record of theHistoric Environment (NRHE) whichcomprises records of all the archaeologicalsites and historic buildings in England andits territorial waters. The NRHE contains

nearly 400,000 monument records with awide coverage of heritage themes, fromprehistoric sites to recent heritage of theCold War. The NRHE also includes maritimearchaeology, predominantly wrecks ofvessels and aircraft. It is the only nationalmaritime dataset in England that isregularly updated. Linked to the monumentrecords are nearly 190,000 records ofinvestigations like excavations, surveys etc.This information is made freely availableto the public via the PastScape website(http://www.pastscape.org.uk/).

Details of Protocol finds are recorded inthe Discovery Report produced by WessexArchaeology. One of the main objectives ofthe BMAPA/TCE/EH Protocol is to facilitatethe transfer of these details to EH and theappropriate local Historic EnvironmentRecords. All finds reported through theProtocol are then entered onto the NRHE.

Since the introduction of the Protocol inAugust 2005, 206 records of findspots formaterial dredged and reported under theProtocol have been created on the NRHE

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Monument Records For BMAPA/TCE/EH Protocol Finds

Marion Page is Data TeamOfficer at English Heritage (EH).Protocol Discovery Reports aresent to her for inclusion in EHs

national database.

Crown copyright and database right 2012.All rightsreserved. Ordnance Survey Licence No. 100024900.

So, keep reporting discoveriesand remember to provide the mostaccurate location information

possible for dredged finds so thatwe can build a better picture of oursubmerged heritage.

dredged up from the past – issue 10 – archaeological finds reporting service newsletter

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