Registered Charity No. 105565 NEWSLETTER 140...

Registered Charity No. 105565

Registered Charity No. 1055654

Midsummer Sunset at Lanyon Quoit. Photo copyright James Kitto

THE PRESIDENT’S PIECE – Nick Johnson

This is an extraordinarily busy time for the Society: replacing our Hon Secretary; building a new website; meetings with the Federation of Old Cornwall Societies, Heritage Kernow, and the CITiZAN project as well as the Area Representatives meeting; talks in Truro on the CITiZAN Project, the Royal Cornwall Museum and the Members evening; and in Liskeard about the Tamar Valley, and Restormel Castle; walks at Lizard, in Penwith and St Agnes; last but by no means least our CAS/DAS symposium.

Development of the new CAS website is now complete and went live on 31 October. None of this would have been possible without the hard work of Adrian Rodda, Sheila James, Millie Holman, Emma Trevarthen, Christine Wilson, and Steve Hartgroves. The Website Panel now stands down but would like to record their thanks to our consultants Dominica Williamson(design) and Paula Johnson(software) for their sound advice and imaginative interpretation of our often technologically incoherent requests. The website is being tested over the Christmas period and included with this Newsletter is a slip of paper with the password for 2016 that will allow Members to access the Members Area on the website. Please keep this password confidential. Gradually more information will be added to the Members Area and in line with data protection best practice we shall no longer publish the contact details of our officers in the Journal and the Newsletter. Instead we now have generic CAS e-mail addresses for our officers ([email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] and there will be others added). Our postal address is now: Cornwall Archaeological Society, c/o Royal Cornwall Museum, River St, Truro, Cornwall TR1 2SJ. You will note that an interactive calendar of events appears on each page as does our Facebook and Twitter accounts. Social media is now an important means of communicating archaeological news. Millie Holman, our Web Manager will help us use the new site to our best advantage.

NEWSLETTER 140 FEBRUARY 2016

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]

The CAS/DAS symposium on 31 October at Eagle House, Launceston was packed with c.120 attendees. The lecture programme was exceptionally successful, managing to blend the overview with the particular across the South West. The organization was excellent, and feedback from those attending was very positive indeed. I would like to thank Konstanze, Roger, Adrian, Christine, Jenny Beale, Anna, and Mandy and John Eversett for their hard work, often behind the scenes, but particularly Henrietta and Andy for putting together both an interesting and balanced programme whilst also giving talks themselves. In autumn 2016 our conference will be a round up of Cornish archaeological research with a particular emphasis on West Penwith.

We are delighted to welcome Sophie Meyer on becoming our new Hon Secretary in early November, following Roger’s retirement. We hope very much that she enjoys this role. Trustees voted unanimously to recognise the outstanding work that Roger has carried out for the Society over the last five years by making him an Honorary Life member. We shall all have a chance to show our appreciation of Roger’s contribution at the AGM in April.

The AGM promises to be an important occasion. We shall be addressed by George Eustice, MP for Camborne, Redruth and Hayle and Minister of State at DEFRA. He comes from a well-known local farming family (Trevaskis Farm). He has in the past expressed his support for the careful stewardship of our special historic environment and distinctive landscape, and is a vocal supporter of the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site. We have asked him to reflect on the importance of the historic environment to Cornwall and Scilly and how devolution of responsibilities to Cornwall may encourage the protection of this fragile resource, not only for its own sake but also as a means of strengthening community identity and the local economy. As a Cornishman, a local MP and as a member of the Government he has a unique insight into local sensitivities and pressures as well as Government hopes and intentions. Come along and judge for yourself.

Little Galva Propped Stone and Viewframe. Area rep for Penwith, David Giddings, writes an account of his recent discoveries and the walk he led to view them.

Inspired by the late Tony Blackman, I have been hunting for propped stones and have come up with a fair number. After

seeing the late Roger Farnworth’s photographs of viewing frames on Bodmin Moor I was convinced that such things could be found in the far west as well.

Carn Galva is the most dramatic rocky tor in Penwith, a Roughtor rough equivalent, so its vicinity seemed a promising place for a view frame. I was delighted to find one of these curiosities looking directly towards the highest summit of Carn Galva and then to note that immediately adjacent lay a propped stone. Both features are about 75m north of the tor at Little Galva; follow the ridge path and you probably not miss them.

View frames are more readily explicable then propped stones. To be an archaeological artefact a rock formation has to be created rather than be a chance, natural disposition of rocks. From the photograph the top stone, to the left, which completes the covered triangular opening, appears to have been placed.

The viewframe looking towards Carn Galva.

The propped stone at Little Galva looking towards Carn Galva.

Framing devices direct the eye towards the significant feature but, more than that, the fact that many for generations have knelt and gazed from the same spot, enhances the experience of what is signified. Propped stones, on the other hand, are deeply mysterious. Some are less so than others; the Little Galva one for instance, which directs the eye towards Carn Galva, and Dot Blackman’s discovery on Carn Galva, which gapes towards Watch Croft, the be-cairned highest point of Penwith. Of course it would be interesting to know why this

particular method of indicating was employed, but how can one explain why so many stones now seem to indicate nothing very obvious at all? One monster of the order of magnitude of 100 tonnes sits mute and inscrutable on the Zennor Carn looking to the Atlantic close below.

CAS Penwith Walk, Nov 15 with David Giddings.

Fifteen or so hardy souls gathered near Bosiliack farm and splashed out to Ding Dong sett where the promised Pont du Gard turned out to be a raised leat for powering Greenburrow stamps. From there it was a short squelch to the beginning of a likely ceremonial way: a large cairn with an inner curb. Next, in a slight saddle, the Nine Maidens, a partially restored circle with its three largest stones to the north side, came into view. Another cairn lay just outside the ring and to the NNW the stump of a menhir and then two further cairns along this crowded ridge. Our leader was unable to find much in the way of alignments or solar significance.

Nine Maidens Circle. Photo Kathy Conder.

The view to Carn Galva was very fine but seemed to be detached from the circle and the menhir; the cairns were neither aligned with each other nor with the Carn; the midsummer sunset would be close to the less spectacular Watch Croft to the NW, but had no obvious relationship with the ridge features; the larger stones of the Nine Maidens do not frame Carn Galva or point to any clear solar event. Even the evident alignment from circle to menhir to large cairn at the NNW end of the ridge appeared to have no bearing on the topography. However, what archaeological riches and what a view!

Then we slipped and slid northwards over a path recently opened by grazing belted Galloways to Little Galva where we were introduced to the mystery of the propped stone and the view-frame. (See separate article above.)

From the Little Galva ridge we descended into the Bosporthennis valley with its extraordinary range of farming and

settlement traces from later prehistory. Some round houses and courtyard houses are bisected by walls constructed during the C19th moorland intake but a proto-courtyard house has remained pretty well intact. Adjacent to a mire at the bottom of the valley slope we found the famous beehive hut and close by a more elaborate courtyard house, where we took lunch. Afterwards we crossed both the fossilised and ploughed down traces of the late prehistoric field system to arrive at the stream with its vestiges of tin stream working. Nearby, our leader claimed in a slightly worrying way, lay a stone which always raised his spirits and brought a smile to his face. Imagine our near relief when it turned out to be a merriment stone with multiple drillings linked by grooves.

The merriment stone.

But are we to believe the story that simple tunes could be played by charging the holes with explosive of varying quantity, laying a powder trail between them and igniting the arrangement? After the Pont du Gard who can be sure?

Ten minutes or so downstream we came to another stone, this one with multiple cup marks. It lies beside a track which is the lowest route across the peninsular and on a point very close to the watershed. A very short distance from both track and stone is the Iron Age village of Bodrifty. Its pound wall, an unusual feature in these parts, has suffered near oblivion at the hand of a building contractor in the early C20th. Round houses have, however, survived; one of mixed orthostatic and laid masonry construction which may suggest an earlier period of occupation. Another failed to perfectly cover the base of an earlier house, the foundations of which lie partly exposed outside the later walling. Dilapidation of a third was explained by the use of convenient earthfast boulders, their odd angles providing insecure courses for masonry. Finds from the 1951-5 excavation suggest that a community lived in this place from around the 3rd century BC for about 500 years. They practised mixed husbandry, spun yarn, ground corn and presumably hunted and gathered; these were generations of people pursuing a life in this sheltered

valley with, to them, incredibly ancient monuments such as Mulfra Quoit and the Nine Maidens at the edge of their world.

As an end to an interesting day there was more delight, apart from a very muddy path to regain the moor. At a point on the gentle ascent the three largest stones of the Nine Maidens came into view, improbably tall and black against the uniform greyness of the sky. This must surely have been the direction of approach, from the North East and not the “ceremonial way” from the SSE. Craddock Moor and Leskernick circles on Bodmin Moor had larger stones facing downhill towards settlements but then, as our guide pointed out, there are no settlements with a view up to the Nine Maidens from our direction of travel, neither Bosporthennis nor Bodrifty. So many questions, so few answers.

MAG CITiZAN training day 28th September 2015

Poltesco National Trust Education Room and walk to Trebarveth Romano-

British saltworking site.

James Gossip has kindly allowed us to publish this summary of the MAG training day, which was similar to the one attended by CAS members on 26th Sept at Gwithian.

Eleven MAG members attended the training day held by CITiZAN (Coastal and Intertidal Zone Archaeology Network). CITiZAN is a new national project to record archaeology under threat from coastal erosion, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Crown Estate and National trust and led by the Museum of London Archaeology (MoLA) with the support of the Council for British Archaeology, Nautical Archaeology Society and Historic England. The day started with an introduction to the project from the leaders, Alex Bellisario and Lauren Tidbury, who explained the objectives of the project, including a short film explaining the need for action due to an increase in coastal erosion. The importance of volunteer support was highlighted as the success of the project is dependent on making as many people aware of our coastal heritage as possible. Ultimately all survey and monitoring data gathered by CITiZAN volunteers will be uploaded to the online database and will be available to everyone.

It is intended that the project will bring archaeology professionals, academics and community groups together to share expertise and resources, with regular outreach events taking place such as talks, exhibitions and practical training

sessions, as well as an annual conference. Training sessions will include lectures and workshops, off-site archival research, guided walks and on-site recording. It is hoped that some participants or groups will ‘adopt’ a coastal site and carry out long-term monitoring.

The project plans to look at a different theme for each month from May to September next year:

May – ships – hulks and wrecks June – Defending our Island –

focussing on defensive structures from prehistory to the Cold war

July – taster sessions run for the Festival of Archaeology

August – Coastal Industries September – Lost Landscapes –

walking in Prehistory eg exposed prehistoric environmental remains such as peat deposits and other prehistoric sites.

A summary of the existing records, and their limitations, was also outlined (for example, check www.channelcoast.org for free Lidar data, geological mapping etc, and don’t forget the Heritage Gateway www.heritagegateway.org.uk/gateway).

The project currently has three years of funding, and it is hoped that that will continue. ADS (the Archaeology Data Service hosted by the University of York) has agreed to hold the CITiZAN archive and MoLA will operate the website for at least 10 years.

MAG members were shown the basics of ‘off-set’ or ‘baseline’ site survey, the preferred method for detailed recording of threatened sites, as well as the importance of scales in photographs and annotation on drawings.

Data can be collected by participants on pro forma paper forms and sent directly to CITiZAN - this can include a brief description, annotated sketch, photographs or a detailed measured survey. It is hoped that some users will upload data directly using the CITiZAN app for mobile phones or tablets – this has been delayed but it is hoped to be available for download VERY soon!

The app is basically a digital form with fields for basic description of the site (much the same as the paper form) but will also record GPS position. In time it will be possible to use the app for a ‘see what’s around me’ when you walk along the beach and identify sites which need recording. Eventually CITiZAN hope to hold survey and monitoring data for the entire English coastline, information which will also be shared with county HERs (Historic Environment Records). After

http://www.channelcoast.org/http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/gateway

lunch MAG members walked with Alex and Lauren to the Trebarveth Romano-British salt working site. Everyone was alarmed at the rapid progress of coastal erosion there, with sections of the main roundhouse recently collapsed onto the shore. Several sherds of briquettage and domestic wares were collected from the beach below the site. James will be speaking with Ann Preston-Jones (Historic England and CAU) on how best to tackle the site, as it clearly needs urgent recording. The last time the site was surveyed was in 1969 when the site was excavated by DPS Peacock. Important features are now being exposed and lost

The site in 1969..

MAG (and CAS) members may either like to register themselves as recorders, or do it as a group or both! To find out more and to register as a CITiZAN recorder, visit www.citizan.org.uk

The site today with an eroded cliff.

See http://www.cornisharchaeology.org.uk/index_htm_files/No.8%201969.pdf

St Agnes Tinners and Wreckers Day 20 members and guests gathered near St Agnes Museum to join Roger Radcliffe on a visit to Blue Hills Tin Streams and St Agnes Museum. Here we were greeted by Mark Wills before being given a tour of the business which has become the last working tin mine/refining business in Cornwall. It is situated in a steeply sided valley with small river running down to the sea at Trethallas Porth.

Mark began the tour in the shop/office area by introducing us to various aspects of tin streaming/mining. He showed how likely rock could be ‘assayed’ by using a vanning shovel; after grinding some small part of the rock the sandy sediment could be separated out into tin and residue. It took about a ton of rock to make an ingot; the large amount of waste material could be envisaged from that statement. Earlier efforts were through streaming rather than mining and when tin disappeared from the rivers and from the foreshores of the coves and beaches mining provided the raw material. He said that the original material produced 1% tin, up to 10% on occasions. He led us outside to view the refining process, from the crushing machine operated by water power e.g a water wheel using the water from the river via a leat. The crushing process was fascinating as what appeared to be a random set of rods were in fact working in a pattern which crushed the rock in a set, not random, fashion. The resulting solution was then pumped back into the refining shed. But this is a modern system. We could see the 19thC process set out around us. Balmaidens were the ‘rock crushers’ and they had the skill to see if tin was in part of the rock piece, isolate that piece and reject the rest. The residue of their work could be seen around the site, littering the slopes and heights of the valley. Dry crushing was the earlier form, and ‘quern’ like stones had been found around the site which would have been used for the crushing process. Water as a crushing agent was used from about 1550. There was a machine called a Buddle, working on the same principle of the vanning shovel. Very labour intensive so the modern system using electricity to pump the crushed material was a great improvement.

Members view the buddle. Photo Phil Saban. We then moved to the processing shed, where the liquid flowed onto the vanning tables and then collected to be refined. We all squeezed into the furnace area and he showed the various processes used to extract the impurities, including the reducing oven used to extract sulphur and arsenic. A fascinating experience, and one that was all the more remarkable as it is

not just a mock-up for tourists but a working concern. We then walked down to Trethellas beach and crossed over the rocky foreshore to Trevaunance Cover. At Trevaunance we could see the remains of St Agnes Harbour, now a pile of worked stone but had been a working harbour for 150 years. After lunch we went to Bolster farm to view a section of Bolster Dyke, by kind permission of the owners of the farm. This section is clearly delineated on the ground as a bank and ditch but the Dyke is still a mystery as no dating has yet been made. However, there is a good view of St Agnes Beacon from Bolster Farm and it certainly could have been a linear feature marking out the position of the Beacon, possibly in Bronze or Iron Age period. Who knows? A question still to be answered. We then reached the Museum, where Roger had very kindly laid on tea and cake. The group thoroughly enjoyed the day and our very great thanks to Roger for leading us and Isobel for her staunch work with the tea pot at the Museum. Jenny Beale More work at The Hurlers. Saltash U3A has recently been awarded £33,700 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), for an exciting project called Reading the Hurlers. The community geo-archaeological project focuses on the early Bronze Age site of the Hurlers stone circles, near the village of Minions, Bodmin Moor. As part of the project, volunteers will undertake a geological survey and produce a profile of the area’s granite resources which will aim to identify the sources of granite which the standing stones of the Hurlers were quarried from.

In September 2016, an archaeological excavation of a potential new stone circle, situated very close to the Hurler's complex will be undertaken by Cornwall Archaeological Unit. This excavation is supported by a grant from Cornwall Archaeological Society and members of CAS are invited to take part in the excavation alongside members of Saltash U3A.

Financial support from Cornwall Heritage Trust has meant that Reading the Hurlers will also include a comprehensive programme of school visits and activities. For more information and for schools who would like to take part, please contact the Project Co-ordinator, Emma Stockley.

[email protected]

http://www.citizan.org.uk/http://www.cornisharchaeology.org.uk/index_htm_files/No.8%201969.pdfhttp://www.cornisharchaeology.org.uk/index_htm_files/No.8%201969.pdfmailto:[email protected]

CAS/DAS Symposium Saturday 31st October 2015

IRON AGE HILLFORTS, ENCLOSURES AND LANDUSE IN SOUTH WEST BRITAIN.

Mount Folly and the enclosures in the South Hams.

Unfortunately Dr Eileen Wilkes was ill, so her paper was delivered by Frances Griffith, who had been her colleague in the project.

Aerial reconnaissance over the South Hams showed several hill forts and enclosures in both the uplands and lowlands, thought to belong to the 1st millennium BC. But only excavation could confirm their dates. Bigbury Parish has 7 enclosures and Mount Folly was chosen for closer examination because it was possibly involved in a cross-channel exchange network as well as Mount Batten and Hengisbury Head. In July 1989 Ludgate Field, Mount Folly, was shown to have 2 enclosures and an Iron Age promontory fort (date unconfirmed) nearby. One enclosure was square with rounded corners, while the one to its south was not the same shape. The ditch profiles were different, but the fills were the same; both contained Romano/British pottery. The southern enclosure had a terrace cut into the field with a house altered many times, which was abandoned in the Iron Age and covered with fill from upslope containing 3rd century AD pottery. There were many pits and post holes and a gully which had been recut several times, suggesting stages of occupation. Geophysical survey of a wider area revealed trackways and a third enclosure in a neighbouring field.

Finds included quern stones and spindle whorls and pottery from the Bronze Age through to the Romano/British period, which had been made from both local and imported clays. A broach imported from Iberia confirmed Mount Folly as part of a cross-channel trade complex.

Further exploration included Clanacombe, Thornberry, east of Kingsbridge, Holbury and a hillfort at Burleigh Dolts, where there are no upstanding remains, but a

geophysical survey showed concentric ditches which are thought to be filled with archaeology.

Hillforts in South East Cornwall. Dr Catherine Frieman and Jamie Lewis.

This project was begun in 2012 with cooperation from the geophysical team of Saltash Heritage Group. There was little extant information about this corner of Cornwall, the lowland area between the Tamar and Fowey rivers. The navigable rivers and links with Bodmin Moor suggested possible connections with the wider world. Bronze Age ingots had been found near Looe Island and a 13-11th century BC Aegean sword hilt was recorded from the Pelynt area, so it was decided to concentrate on the Fowey to West Looe area, especially Pelynt. There was a large possible Neolithic enclosure, the Duloe Stone Circle, several barrows and multi-vallate enclosures at Bury Down and Bake Rings.

Bury Down hillfort is on the only land over 200m and has commanding views towards Bodmin Moor and to the south. The outer enclosure may have been a Neolithic causewayed enclosure. Geophysical survey showed the interior to be a single entry site with 2 rectangular features, probably from historic times. The exterior survey showed up trackways and another rectangular feature.

Padderbury Top. The geophysical survey showed well preserved features with a “busy” central area within the hillfort. It seemed better preserved than Bury Down.

Bake Rings, Pelynt is a large circular structure with another smaller enclosure connected to it in a figure 8. The entrance area has been built up and there is a very deep ditch.

Hall Rings is a multivallate hillfort, now almost entirely ploughed out.

The enclosures are not isolated but relate to groups of 3 barrow cemeteries. They are not intervisible, but each overlooks fording places. The roads seem to adhere to the funerary monuments. However, the roads may have come first and the barrows raised near them. The barrows are not visible from the enclosures, but are within the landscape. Hall Rings was

not built to impress outsiders, but is part of an “insider’s” landscape. Dr Frieman said that she had little sense that Cornish people took on any foreign character from external trade, but traded on their own terms and kept their own ideas and traditions.

Small but perfectly formed – 2 enclosures at an Iron Age settlement in Camelford. Dr Andy Jones.

The site included 2 circular enclosures, roundhouses and the remnants of a field system which were all in use during the last century cal BC. This allowed for areas devoted to livestock, to dwelling and to ceremony. A larger, rectangular enclosure was undated. Both enclosures were approximately 17m. in diameter and defined by ditches and both were of unusual form. Enclosure 1 had an outer bank and resembled a hengiform monument. Enclosure 2 had a central cairn surrounded by multiple ring-ditches and resembled a ditched platform cairn. Neither contained any internal structures, but there was an off-centre pit covered by holed slabs within enclosure 1 and enclosure 2 had several tree bowls, some certainly predating the enclosure. They may have been built for livestock or for ceremonial purposes.

There was very little evidence at the site of cereal production and animal bones do not preserve well in Cornish soils, so it is difficult to estimate how many cattle or sheep may have been on the site. However the enclosures were too small to have accommodated many animals and there were no signs of tethering posts or internal byres.

Neolithic period hengiform monuments are accepted as ceremonial sites, set apart for communal use and designed to enhance the theatrical effect of activities within. The practice may have survived or been revived with possibly remodelled sites in the Iron Age. Three Cornish henge-like enclosures with Iron Age associations have been investigated. Hay Close, St Newlyn East, has a diameter of 60m. It had a V shaped ditch and outside bank. An enclosure at Tremough, Penryn, was 50m in diameter and one of its three concentric ditches had an outside bank. Both were much bigger than the enclosures at Camelford, but one at

Scarcewater, St Austell, was less than 10m in diameter.

As well as the dramatic appearance of the enclosures, structured depositions within the Camelford ditches and pits suggest ritual activity. The southern ditch terminal of enclosure 1 contained a dark deposit of pottery, charcoal and burnt animal bone. Similar deposits had been found at Trevelgue and the Rumps cliff castles. Midden material had been deposited in the ditch of enclosure 2. Here also was found a fragment of the upper part of a rotary quern which may have been formally buried there. There was also a large block of quartz with a small piece of iron wedged into it. This assemblage had no obvious function, but merged two materials which may have held magical or symbolic qualities.

The interior of enclosure 2 contained no structures or central pit and the presence of tree bowls reminded the archaeologists of classical references to Iron Age shrines set in sacred groves. The central cairn covered some of the tree bowls and may have been constructed as a platform or stage, or may have sealed the site after the enclosure had fallen out of use.

Enclosure 3 was identified by geophysical survey but not excavated. It was rectilinear in shape, measuring 32m by 28m and parallels a number of excavated Iron Age sites in Cornwall, such as Boden or Tremough, and belongs to the “very small” enclosures identified by cropmarks along the Camel estuary. Like the one at Higher Besore, it lay near an unenclosed Iron Age roundhouse settlement. A large roundhouse within it may have belonged to a high status family since it is built on the highest part of the site.

Structure 4, a ring gulleyed roundhouse to the south of Enclosure 1, was only partly excavated. As a house within its own enclosure, it would have been set within a space of around 14.4m in diameter, making it an imposing building, approximately the same dimensions as enclosures 1 and 2. Structure 5 was conjoined with the eastern side of structure 4 and appears to have been a multi-phase building. It may have been a workshop for small scale iron tool repairs and an ancillary to the large roundhouse dwelling.

Excavation and geophysical survey recorded a field system defined by ditches. People farmed, lived and had a workshop very close to the enclosures used for ritual activities within this small settlement. The material and spiritual were integrated into their lives and not confined to separate areas set at a distance to create more mystery.

The discussion topics included a) the comparative shapes of enclosures in Devon and Cornwall, with a perceived tendency to desert the rectilinear for the round as you go further west.

b) The proximity of small sites to each other which suggested that the areas were not controlled by an overall chieftain, but inhabited by competing family groups.

c) The inter-visibility of sites and what could be seen from the entrances of the enclosure and particularly why some were sited on downslopes. Weather and prevailing winds was offered as a reason for siting and orientation.

Does shape matter? Hillforts and enclosures in Devon. Frances Griffith.

Frances described the aerial photography project over Devon which had identified so many sites from cropmarks. She stressed that shape was no indicator of age or date of use. The sequence of building walls or structures on a site can only be discovered by excavation. The belief that rectilinear meant Roman and round meant British had long been abandoned.

The discoveries at Raddon Hill, Stockleigh Pomeray, published in Proceedings of Devon Archaeological Society 1999, is a good case study. In phase 1 a causewayed enclosure defined by an oval interrupted ditch, dated to 3370-3020 cal BC, occupied the crest of the hill. There was an appended extension to the west, some 30m across. Phase 2 was an Early Iron Age palisaded enclosure dated to 810-410 cal BC. Phase 3 was a single enclosure hillfort whose ditch followed the D shape of the palisade. Phase 4, still dated to the Early Iron Age, created an enclosed area to the west of the D shaped hillfort, which may have filled in the intervening ditch, to create an enclosure almost double in size. (2ha). The infilling of the ditch across the enclosure, which

had once been its western limit, may have occurred during later occupation during the early post-Roman period, (AD 380-610) as Phase 6. Some internal postholes with middle and later Iron Age dates suggest that Phase 5 found the hillfort no longer maintained, but with some occupation. The dating of the ramparts and ditches was made possible only where C14 dates or identifiable pottery could be found in secure contexts, so an excavation over a limited area would not answer all the questions posed by the geophysical and aerial surveys.

The multi-vallate hillfort at Hembury is also built on the site of a Neolithic causewayed enclosure, which became a type site for early Neolithic pottery. Although the Iron Age enclosure is well preserved, there is nothing to be seen of the Neolithic site.

Life in the Landscape: a sheep’s eye view from around Cadbury Castle, Somerset. Clare Randle.

Cadbury Castle had been excavated in the 1960s and published in 2000 revealing Early Neolithic, Middle and Late Bronze Age phases before the Iron Age hillfort. There had been a huge assemblage of animal bones, but these would have been dropped where the animals were slaughtered and eaten, not where they were raised. Cereals would have been processed where people lived, not where they were grown. Heritage Environment records showed nothing in the fields surrounding the hill fort until a planned programme of geophysical survey showed Bronze Age activity and a variety of enclosures for different animal management and arable schemes. The “empty” spaces below the hill were inhabited by sheep and goats, which became popular in the Later Iron Age. Animals need fodder, water and shelter, which can be provided in a choice of ways. Sheep may be left to roam freely vulnerable to wolves and thieves or managed within a confined space. The way the animals behave is crucial to the way in which they can be moved. Gates were put at the corners of rectilinear fields so that the hedges acted as funnels and fewer people were needed to control the flock. Arable land could have a gate anywhere. Over time the field system would develop as the sheep are rotated through grazing areas and some land is left fallow or un-grazed to allow it to

recover and to avoid diseases such as liver fluke. On Dartmoor the curvilinear and rectilinear use of space is not very different.

Pastoralism in later prehistoric south west England: a landscape view. Ralph Fyfe.

Pollen analysis can reconstruct the vegetation of an area, though it must be remembered that pollen can blow in from 5km around. It can signal that a clearing existed, but not exactly where. There was an increase in sheep production in the Iron Age, for meat, possibly for milk and for wool, which may have been traded. Sheep were nutrient pumps, manuring depleted soil. They could be put out by day and folded back by night. Conservation grazing could preserve heathland. But they have to be managed as they eat differently than cattle and can severely degrade the landscape by overgrazing, since they bite the grass closer and can defoliate small bushes. Examples of ruined landscapes were from Iceland which was settled by Norsemen in the 9th century and the forests decreased by grazing from 25% to 1% of the available land. In the 19th century the proliferation of sheep in New Zealand badly affected the soil.

Isotopic signatures could indicate where sheep had grazed and could be evidence for transhumance practice in later prehistory. The presence of particular fungi in dungs can indicate the animal management. A project to analyse cores from Buscombe on Exmoor showed that in the Middle Bronze Age there was a period of intense activity over 60-70 years and then a decline while heath grew, possibly as a result of overgrazing. Climate change may have also played a part in grazing practices.

Reviewing chronological data from old and new work: an emerging picture. Henrietta Quinnell.

As if to further illustrate Frances Griffith’s theme that dates can only be discovered by excavation, Henrietta explained that minds should always be open to new analysis of the finds archive. Agreeing with Barry Cunliffe’s division of the Iron Age into four periods, Henrietta reviewed

pottery from all excavated hillforts in Devon and Cornwall and their contexts to determine when each hillfort was definitely occupied. Earliest Iron Age Raddon, Woodbury Castle and possibly Hembury in Devon and Trevelgue in Cornwall: Early Iron Age Trevelgue, Maen Castle, Gurnard’s Head (Cornwall) and Blackbury in Devon: Middle Iron Age Trevelgue, The Rumps, Penhale Point, Castle Dore, Killibury and Castle-an-Dinas in Cornwall, Milber Down, Blackbury, Embury Beacon, Hembury, Raddon and Berry Ball in Devon: it should be noted that ceramic phasing within the Middle Iron Age is sometimes possible: Late Iron Age Cordoned ware in Cornwall can also be phased, but only Caerloggas had occupation lasting through to the arrival of Rome; there is no definite evidence for Devon hillforts in the Late Iron Age. (Henrietta’s article on Cornish ceramics in the 1st millennium BC in Cornish Archaeology Volume 50 provides good background on the ceramics).

The discussion topics following these talks included the effect of climate change, the habits of sheep and cattle and what science contributes to the study of environmental archaeology. It was also stressed how important it is that the written and material archives from excavation are kept in the best circumstances in museum stores and made available for further study by experts in scientific analysis which might not have been available when the finds were discovered or beyond the budget allocated to the excavation. Specialist curators and conservators are vital to the preservation of archives.

Thanks to Henrietta Quinnell and Andy Jones for reviewing and improving these reports.

CAS LECTURES 2015

Circling around new interpretations of Restormel Castle Jeremy Ashbee Nov.13th

Restormel is one of the most distinctive castles in Britain but there is still a great deal of information to be elucidated. Jeremy began with the statement that Restormel belongs to a type known as ‘shell-keep’ and then confessed that very recently a castle specialist has now classed Restormel as a ‘circular castle’. Notwithstanding this new pronouncement

there are still many facets of the historical background which need sorting out.

Picture from English Heritage.

He went on to say that English Heritage who manage the site feel that the current interpretation boards need up grading. He wanted to highlight the question of how the stories could be told for public presentation. Starting with a timeline, there is no reference to a castle at Restormel until 1265. However at this point it was not only functioning but was of some importance. He then traced the history of the castle through two centuries of occupation with the creation of the Duchy of Cornwall in 1337 who remain the freeholder of the castle to this day. However by early 16th C the castle had become virtually redundant, leadwork and timbers having gone. A brief few weeks in 1644 saw the Parliamentarians taking possession but were quickly removed by the royalist armies. By 1920 the Office of Works had taken over management from the Duchy. Jeremy then led us through many aspects of the history, and the detective work carried out to tell the history from the structural remains still standing. He showed a photo of the view through the gatehouse which clearly illustrated the fact that the castle stands with a dry ditch and outer bank; this bank is not a mound but an earth revetment. John Leland about 1540 visited and described a Base Court; no remains now with post medieval tree planting obscuring the landscape. Perhaps there may be an opportunity for future archaeological work on this point. Jeremy then referred to the surrounding landscape; the borough of Lostwithiel and the close links to the castle. He also posed the question of the visibility of the Roman Fort; were the earthworks more obvious in the 11th or 12th centuries thus giving the founders of the castle reason to place Restormel where it is. Jeremy also gave some new information about the placing of Baldwin’s Bridge which has been a topic of much discussion in the

past. A recent discovery of a document at the National Archives points to a possibility that Baldwin’s Bridge hermitage was in fact nearby. In 1295 Earl Edmund enclosed some woodland which actually belonged to Tywardreath Priory and in 1307 the Prior complained, wanting compensation. Perhaps there is now a case for the founding by Baldwin, sheriff of Cornwall about 1100, the time of Domesday Book, of a Hermitage and bridge over the Fowey just below the castle. Baldwin’s Bridge later became the site of the Manor of Restormel. Jeremy showed how the plan of the interior; the position of first floor rooms and the staircases from ground floor can be deduced. A comparison can be made with Conwy Castle’s room structure as Restormel and Conwy were constructed at about the same time. Although no building accounts have come to light, a survey [the Caption of Seisin] was made in 1337 of all the lands acquired by the newly created Duchy of Cornwall. This contains much detail of the buildings and hints at the existence of an extensive occupation area outside the gate of the castle. However, the builders did manage to create a small palatial living area within the small inner ward; a considerable architectural achievement. In conclusion the speaker said that at the moment it is not possible to say when the castle dates to; hopefully more documentation will be found. But it is clear that the landscape surrounding the castle is of great importance and he ended on a pleasant note, imaging Earl Edmund on the battlements surveying his widespread domain, drink in hand, finances growing in Lostwithiel, his pleasure park around him and his soul being cared for in the nearby Hermitage. Jenny Beale. The Role of the Royal Institution of Cornwall after nearly 200 years of collecting. Dr Ian Wall. Ian had been enthused about museums when as a boy he visited the famous Tutankhamun Exhibition at the British Museum in 1972. It showed him how important it was to keep in mind the fascination of a human story. Now as Director at the RCM his challenge is to think about the role of a museum in the community and how it should reflect the local as well as world cultures.

The Cornwall Literary and Philosophical Institution had been formed in 1818, one of 7 key Institutions in the country at that time. In 1821 Royal Patronage was granted and the Royal Institution of Cornwall was formed. Its founders included such worthies as Humphrey

Davey, Davies Gilbert and Richard Trevithick. Generous donors left collections from their travels overseas and from local sources, so that the museum now holds approximately 300,000 items of which only 6% is on display. 33% of the collection is archaeology.

Ian described how the museum acquired more space and how it has changed over time. This story will be told in a special exhibition being prepared for the bi-century of the RIC.

Over the last four years the RIC has had a significant reduction in its revenue funding as a result of public sector cuts. Added to this the gradual decline in visitors to the museum has weakened its opportunity to shore up the budget through more commercial fundraising activity. It was also Ian’s view, after being in post nine months last October, that previous restructures had not addressed a fundamental issue as to whether the team structure was right for the new financial reality and to take the RIC forward.

In early 2014 the Trustees and staff were engaged in setting a new vision for the RIC and the museum and library which identified the need to raise the profile of the organisation and capture the imagination of existing and future audiences about the collections; creating a dynamic and vibrant cultural hub with a strong Cornish narrative. This ambition within a tight funding environment meant that a new streamlined staff structure needed to be put in place which saw the development of more flexible roles that encouraged innovation in delivery and improved co-ordination across the whole organisation.

A fundamental change to the roles was the creation of Collection Managers who would now have the responsibility for the care of the entire collections including the archaeological material which makes up approximately 30% or 90,000 objects. Within these new roles there is the retention of significant curatorial expertise. Sara Chambers took up the post of Collections and Exhibitions Manager in April 2015 after being the Curator of Natural History and Mineralogy with 14 years of experience and collection knowledge under her belt.

The RIC needs to develop stronger partnerships and make opportunities for more people to volunteer. The strong links that exist between the RIC and the Cornwall Archaeological Society are fundamental to it achieving Ian’s ambitious vision and he looks forward to working closely with CAS members, drawing on their knowledge about the archaeological collections to create exciting exhibitions

and events. Some could have the excitement of curating an exhibition on a particular local theme.

Discussion followed with suggestions from the floor about the use of exhibition space and topics for special temporary displays. Ian proved to be a good listener and we can be confident that the connection between CAS and RIC will be fostered further by him and by our President, Nick Johnson.

Some of the report above is an edited version of Ian Wall’s article about the reorganisation at the RCM from Newsletter 138 June 2015.

The Remarkable Heritage of the Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Samantha Barnes.

Sam began her lecture with the well-known picture by Turner called “Crossing the Brook,” painted in 1815 to show that the rural beauty of the Tamar valley had been recognised for at least 200 years. Gunnislake New Bridge is in the background as an indication of modern life impinging on the idyllic rural scene in the foreground.

Crossing the Brook, J.M.W. Turner. Tate Gallery.

The Tamar Valley AONB is the youngest in the country. It includes the valleys of the Tamar, Tavy and Lynher rivers. It’s remarkable heritage is indicated by it encompassing:

27 Scheduled Monuments 645 Listed Buildings (including

Buckland Abbey) 4 Registered Parks and Gardens 14 Conservation areas. 3320 entries in the Cornwall and

Devon Heritage Environment Records.

16.5% of the TVAONB is within the World Heritage Mining Site.

The themes for study included mining and market gardening, with many more, particularly in the fields of flora and fauna. Sam discussed aspects of the heritage including the changes of ownership, shrinking resources and increased traffic, tree diseases, planning policies and increasing population. Volunteers under a scheme called “Helping Hands for Heritage” were given training by experts over 16 themes, especially “Heritage Watch”, which Sam had modelled on the CAS Monument Watch scheme. Another theme was called “Watery Heritage”.

Community engagement was encouraged by guided walks, for example to Kit Hill with its Long Barrow and Mining sites. Volunteers had field-walked at Pentillie Estate and found flint tools. A geophysical survey at Mount Edgecumbe estate had complemented field-walking there when a barbed and tanged arrowhead had been found in a field where Bronze Age axes had been recorded. A challenge for the officers of the AONB is how to keep the interest of the volunteers when the initial funding has run out. It needs a professional officer to organise and encourage volunteers to conserve and enhance the landscape.

If this lecture was an example of Samantha’s enthusiasm and zeal for her job it easy to see how she recruited and maintained the loyalty of her volunteers.

For more information see the website: www.tamarvalley.org.uk

Members’ Evening (Truro) 5th November.

Anna Tyacke introduced the scheme funded over 5 years by HLF to train up volunteers to recognise and record finds such as pottery and flints. The Past Explorers’ Project encouraged metal detectorists to bring their finds to the attention of Anna in her role as Portable Antiquities Officer and to Laura Ratcliffe for conservation. Some of the best finds would be displayed in a dedicated area of the Royal Cornwall Museum.

Anna showed pictures of recent finds including: Middle Bronze Age objects from Hayle and Roche, a strip which had been rolled into a bead and a thin ribbon with rivet holes at either end, possibly to attach it to a piece of wood or horn.

A hoard of 179 Roman sestertii (69-261AD) was discovered at St Levan with every Emperor represented, from Otho to Valerean.

Another hoard of radiants with a sesterius of Trajan came from Sennen Parish.

A denarius of Antoninus Pius had been found in Gwennap and a Roman finger ring in Sennen.

A Bronze Age axehead was reported from St Enoder and an enamelled mount depicting a unicorn drinking from Gwithian was possibly Iron Age or Early Medieval.

Iron Age staters from Gwithian were made of copper alloy. More Iron Age finds included a whetstone from St Agnes and a scabbard mount with a design on it.

A stirrup strap mount from Deviock depicted a lion, but the animal on an Anglo-Saxon one from Gwithian is yet to be identified.

Laura Ratcliffe explained why it was vital that a conservationist should be involved at the first opportunity and before finds were sent to museums for identification. She had trained the volunteers to recognise how vulnerable the artefacts were once they had been lifted from the ground and that cleaning them could damage the surfaces. Laura listed the reasons for expert intervention. The artefacts should be cleaned

for identification for conservation reasons for display to stabilise the finds to survive

processing to offer advice to the finder to find out more about it to report

the article for publicity purposes.

Cornish soil is prone to high salt and choline levels which corrode metals, so most finds are not in the best shape. Most of the 179 coins from St Levan needed to be cleaned quickly to conserve them.

The Bronze Age axe showed original wear marks, so had been used before it was deposited. A finder had brought in an axe which he had waxed to preserve it, but had not cleaned it well enough before applying the wax, so the metal was still being corroded.

Enamel is very crumbly and has to be expertly cleaned to see its state.

Laura reminded us of the Mylor Hoard of axes which had been unused, but packed into a pot with fern leaves. Organic remains have to be carefully preserved. Even leather and wood might be preserved under the soil, such as with the Boden knife or a small socketed axe with a leather cover found at another site.

The Mylor Hoard in situ.

Mylor Hoard and fern.

Mylor Hoard on display. Photos Laura Ratcliffe.

Reinterpreting Chysauster. Susan Greaney.

Susan is a senior properties historian with English Heritage and she explained that as part of the re-organisation of English Heritage and Historic England, money has been found to bring properties up to scratch and to make them more visitor friendly so that they can earn more income and stand on their own feet. She is planning for Chysauster and Carn Euny a new guidebook and new interpretation panels. There may be models of the sites and reconstructions.

Susan gave an account of the various sources for her research. Chysauster was excavated in the 1930s. J.T.Blight had drawn and planned the fogou which was 150 feet long (46m for our younger members!) and suffered a major collapse circa 1850. W.C.Borlase had excavated the fogou at Carn Euny in the 1860s and in 1873 had excavated one house at Chysauster depositing 6 sherds of pottery with the British Museum. In 1897 Holman

http://www.tamarvalley.org.uk/

and Cornish had excavated house 4 at Chysauster and their finds are in Penlee House Museum. In 1928 House 3 was excavated by Watkins and O’Neil Henken, Their finds included 1,323 sherds of pottery from one house, now in the RCM and published in 1933. From 1933-9 Croft Andrew did some excavations at Chysauster and some reconstruction, but his work was not fully published and the archive is in the English Heritage store at Fort Brocklehurst. A project to review all Croft Andrew’s work has not yet found funding.

Chysauster.

The key research questions are:

to find the date and length of occupation by reviewing the finds which are deposited in different archives

to establish the extent of the settlement, including both the houses and the field system by making a full earthwork survey of the site.

to examine the size and condition of the fogou, which had been blocked up in the late 1980s, through a geophysical survey

make a complete geophysical survey of the grassy field below the settlement

discover what activities went on at the settlement by allocating finds to rooms and houses

to make a 3D model of the site

to build a viewing platform to oversee the village and discourage visitors from climbing the walls

to build a new school hut

to explore the theory that the fogou and the area around it, as yet unexcavated, is Iron Age and that in the 2nd-4th centuries AD people moved uphill.

English Heritage hopes to set up most of these improvements by July 2016!!!

Do you see what I see? Thomas Goskar.

Tom explained how he had used photogrammetry at several sites to

examine and re-interpret faded engravings. He began with the “axes” at Boscawen-un which he had identified as feet and published in our last Newsletter (139. October 2015)

Tom had also published with us his discoveries at Gulval Church where he found the cross base outside the church porch to have been carved with pictures of the four evangelists.

Tom’s further research on this cross base with Michelle P Brown has been published in the January/February 2016 edition of British Archaeology.

Outliers at Carwynnen Quoit had been marked with criss-cross incisions which may have been rock art, but further research using an ambient occlusion method has led Tom to revise his suspicions and to identify them as score marks from a plough or ard.

St Piran’s Oratory is of course sheltered within a concrete surrounding wall, which prevents a photographer from standing back to take a photograph of the whole structure or make a laser scan of the fabric of the walls. Tom was called in to

solve this problem. He used 3D photogrammetry to take 1,100 photos through a 16mm lens. It took weeks of processing time with 330 million measurement points precise to 1mm to produce a 3D computer model of the structure. One problem he faced was that the colour of the stones changed with the light through the day.

News from Area Representatives Emma Trevarthen.

Just after our last Area Reps meeting I heard back from the Waveney Valley archaeologists who were in Cornwall recently. They have sent some images of the amazing graffiti they photographed in Mylor, Gunwalloe and Mullion churches. They have also posted a lot on Twitter and I’ve just got round to retweeting most of them on the HER feed. What is especially good news is that although very few of our medieval churches will yield the wealth of incised stone graffiti Mylor has, there is clearly potential for surveying medieval woodwork in Cornwall.

Gunwalloe Church Porch. Mullion Pew (below)

Mylor arch.

Mylor Church Pier

Roche Rock Repairs to Arch by English Heritage, from Anne Preston Jones.

Roche Rock October 2015

Book Review by Joanna Mattingly

West Country Households, 1500-1700 (Society for Post Medieval Archaeology Monograph Series no. 9, Boydell Press, 2015), ed. John Allan, Nat Alcock & David Dawson. 484pp, 24 x 17.2cm, 25 colour & 137 b/w illustrations. ISBN 978 1 84383 994 1. Price £30.00.

This long awaited, very readable, and richly illustrated volume began as a series of conference papers in 2007 and contains much of interest for Cornish archaeologists. It comprises three sections focusing on the form and development of West Country houses, their decoration, and their material culture. Starting with the vernacular house and a useful, if probably incomplete, map of long-house distribution in Devon and Cornwall, this section also includes Godolphin, and Exeter town houses. The latter bear comparison with houses in Fowey, Penryn and Looe and fill in gaps of what has gone. Another chapter reinterprets many smoking chambers/corn driers as malt kilns; malt being an essential component of ale. The clinching argument seems to be that such chambers are too close to the fire for successful smoking.of meat to take place, with corn drying use being secondary if at all.

Section two is Devon-focused and provides a rich corpus of styles for comparison with Cornwall. From polychrome decoration on a plank-and-muntin screen (religious and Renaissance motifs combined) to stained hangings of woodland and hunting scenes c.1720, early modern households certainly loved colour. North Devon tiles survive at Launcells church and painted hangings from a house at Bude are now in the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Museum at Stratford-on-Avon. One wonders, too, if the fashion for mid-17th century sgraffito-decorated fireplaces ever crossed the Tamar; examples having been found in

Hartland and Plymouth and at least three places in Somerset.

For archaeologists of early Modern times the third section will be of most interest. Considerable quantities of archaeological material are depicted and described here. Studying as wide a range of artefacts as possible, chapters consider cooking gear inluding brass vessels and a white ale jug in the Royal Cornwall Museum, previously thought to be a water container, to table glass and imported Portuguese faience. Here there is also a strong focus on the need to use correct terminology with museum cataloguing coming under fire for trying to over-standardise based on modern usage and ignoring changes over time. Discussions of when is a cup a cup or a jug a jug (the latter term not being used before the 1530s) and how meanings can change are especially thought provoking. The use of contemporary depictions and inventories is strongly advocated, though always balanced by other sources. Randle Holme’s 1688 Cheshire treatise on heraldry, the Academy of Armory is particularly useful as it shows a wide range of domestic artefacts/potential heraldic symbols. Finally, two chapters explore the ghastly good taste of the period. Firstly, ‘Dinner on the Ceiling’ discusses the extraordinary plaster ceilings with plated centrepieces of a cod’s head, and pears found at 144 Fore Street Exeter, while the reinterpretation and redisplay of St Nicholas Priory includes, necessarily, garish modern replicas.

Lanyon Quoit.

Thanks to James Kitto for his inspiring picture of the quoit at midsummer. It is of course the logo of CAS. But do members realise that it is far from in its original state? Michael Tangye, quotes Royal Cornwall Gazette 24th April 1824 (Old Cornwall Autumn 2015. Page 16) On 10th December 1824 “this celebrated stone which weighs about 13 tons, and which fell from its station on 19th October 1813 during a violent and destructive storm of wind was replaced by the united and indefatigable exertions of Lieutenant Goldsmith and Captain Giddy, with the aid of the materials and machinery employed about the Logan Rock.”

(See walks Flyer for rest of this article)

The Red, the Dead and the Med; my adventures in Israel. Bryony Smerdon.

Last summer I was fortunate enough to excavate at Tel Bet Yerah, an Early Bronze Age settlement site in Northern Israel. The location of the excavation provided a dramatic theatre for archaeology which was steeped in both biblical and contemporary history. The site itself is a known as a tel (from the Arabic word for mound), a man-made topography resulting from thousands of years of human occupation, construction and reuse. This mound is situated on the peninsular created by the Jordan River (significant as the location of the baptism of Jesus) meeting the Sea of Galilee (where Jesus is said to have walked on water). Looking East across from the site, one sees the sweeping Golan Heights which border Israel and Jordan. From a certain point in the kibbutz where we stayed, it was possible to see territories of Israel, Jordan and Syria at the same time. Understandably a tense geographic region, the excavation provided the opportunity of a lifetime for me to contextualise and understand the political struggles of Israel and her neighbours.

Sunrise over Tel Bet Yerah.

Upon arrival in Tel Aviv, it was difficult to imagine that we were about to excavate on some of the most revered soil in the world. Tel Aviv is known as Israel’s party capital; night-clubs, bars and restaurants line its lively streets while much of the “old city” is confined to the ancient port of Jaffa. However, swimming in the Mediterranean made a nice change from the bracing Cornish coast! We stayed in a hostel for several nights before the start of the excavation where we met other travellers; the majority were young-adults from countries such as America on funded “birth-right” trips aimed at discovering and connecting with their Jewish history, culture and religion.

Ein Geddi Dead Sea.

Onsite our working day (Sunday to Thursday) consisted of excavation work from 5am to 1pm, followed by post-excavation tasks from 4pm to 7pm. On our weekends off (Friday and Saturday) we were allowed to leave the kibbutz and travel of our own accord. One weekend we travelled 80 kilometres southeast of Jerusalem by public bus to Ein Gedi. The journey in itself was an adventure as our bus wound itself through the rocky landscape and we were unsure where to get off! Situated on the shore of the Dead Sea and 429 metres below sea level, this was the lowest place on Earth. Floating atop the salty waters of the Dead Sea was one of the most surreal and memorable experiences of my life.

Bryony at the Church of the Nativity

Another weekend we visited Bethlehem, a Palestinian city in the West Bank. As a territory so often in the media for both political and cultural reasons, I was pleasantly surprised to find it so calm and welcoming. Bethlehem seemed a world away from the busy streets and clubs of Tel Aviv; here one truly got a sense of the historic tales that attracted tourists from all over the world to visit. It was fascinating to see so many well-known religious locations, such as the official birthplace of Jesus in the Church of

the Nativity, manger square and the Milk Grotto, bringing to life so many stories I was taught as a child and would recite every Christmas. It was also a great opportunity for me to practice my Arabic with local shopkeepers, for which I was rewarded with the best falafel I have ever tasted!

Old Jaffa tower.

While I was only in the country for three weeks, I was able to learn and experience so much about the culture, politics and religion of Israel, all while excavating in a breath-taking location. Many people told me not to go on the trip, however, I was overwhelmed by the generosity and openness of the people I met. While it is important to remain vigilant, fear should not prevent travel

to Israel and the Middle East, and I would highly recommend it.

Bryony Smerdon is studying Egyptian archaeology at UCL and her articles and pictures from the sunshine bring welcome colour and warmth to our February Newsletter.

Truro Winter Lectures 2016 Thursday evening at 7.30pm Truro Baptist Church, Chapel Hill.

Truro. TR1 3BD

4 February 2016: A remarkable Early Bronze Age burial on Whitehorse Hill, Dartmoor. Andrew Jones, Principal Archaeologist, Cornwall Archaeological Unit

3 March 2016: The Mary Rose: a 16th century Warship in a 21st century world. James Rodliffe, Front of House Manager, Mary Rose Museum

16 April AGM:The Speaker will be George Eustice MP. Minister of State DEFRA and MP for Camborne, Redruth and Hayle. See separate flyer for details of the AGM meeting beforehand. The lecture should begin at approximately 3.15.

Liskeard Winter Lectures Friday evenings 7.30pm St.Martins Church Hall, Church Street, Liskeard. PL14 3AD 15 January 2016: Area Representatives evening.

"An introduction to Heritage at Risk" Ann Preston-Jones

"The Luxulyan Valley - past and present" Roger Smith

12 February 2016: Bypassing Indian Queens: The 1990s excavations at Penhale Round – Investigating prehistoric and Romano-British Settlement in Cornwall’s heartlands. Jacky Nowakowski, Principal Archaeologist, CAU

11 March 2016: Reading the Hurlers: a Heritage Lottery Fund project. Emma Stockley, Community Heritage Officer at Dartmoor National Park

Celebrating the Tinworking Landscape of Dartmoor in its European Context – Prehistory to 20th century.

Tavistock, 6-11th May 2016 The first international conference exploring the tinworking landscape of Dartmoor in a European context, marks 25 years of the Dartmoor Tinworking Research Group, and 10 years of the UNESCO World Heritage designation of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape. Twelve lectures (including speakers from Czech Republic, France, Germany and Iberia, as well as Britain), four evening events and three full days of field trips, will make this a truly memorable and important occasion for anyone interested in Dartmoor’s history and archaeology. Delegates will receive a Conference Booklet and a special medallion crafted in tin. All bookings by 30th April 2016. The full Conference Programme and details about booking are on the DRTG website. www.drtg.org.uk

PDAS Lectures in Devonport Lecture Theatre, Portland Square Building,

University of Plymouth at 7.00 pm.

Monday 1st February 2016. Interpreting the Past: from Stonehenge to Tintagel. Win Scutt, (Assistant Properties Manager (west), English Heritage.

Monday 7th March 2016

Roman Burials & Funerary Activity: Recent excavations in Gloucestershire and London. Laurie Coleman. Cotswolds Archaeology.

Monday 4th April 2016 Medieval Craft and “Mystery” Discovering the people behind York’s Mystery Plays. Nicola Rogers.

Archaeology in Devon 2016

This will take place at County Hall, Exeter, on Saturday May 21st 10.am – 5.15 pm and will be offering the usual wide range of speakers. The booking form will be sent out with the AGM papers, but will be posted on the DAS web site as soon as the programme is complete. Save the date now.

Reminder: CAS subscriptions are renewed each January, unless you joined in the previous October. See the flyer with this issue.

Can You Help?

We are looking for new Area Representatives and helpers to support ARs in the Monument Watch Scheme. There is particular need for helpers in the Penwith and Bodmin Moor areas. Contact Peter Cornall the Area Representative convenor [email protected]

http://www.drtg.org.uk/mailto:[email protected]

CAS walks/events 2016 Members joining these walks must ensure that they are appropriately dressed and equipped for the terrain and the weather conditions likely to be encountered. You should assure yourself that you are physically able to meet any challenges which the walk may entail and should discuss with the walk leader, prior to the start of the walk, any circumstances or conditions which might be relevant. The Society is concerned for your welfare, but it is not responsible for it.

Saturday February 13 2016 - The Royal Cornwall Museum hosts a specially laid on range of activities including seeing newly acquired gold Treasure and PAS displays, handling the Rillaton Cup replica in the Hands on History Hub, as well as seeing how it was made and might have been used, and being shown behind the scenes in the various stores and in particular the North Cliff archive of flint and stones. Lunch is available in the Museum cafe afterwards. From 11 to 1pm with Finds Liaison Officer Anna Tyacke and Collections Manager Sara Chambers. Numbers are restricted to 30 so please register your interest by contacting [email protected]

Sunday 20 March 2016 - Lowland Point and Three Brothers Grugwith near St Keverne on the Lizard Peninsular. Charlie Johns (CAU) hosts a rich morning of archaeology in this fascinating area replete with geomorphology, prehistoric hut circles, the Bronze Age salt works at Trebarbeth and medieval field systems all around Lowland Point. Meet 10am at Dean Point (take the signed road to the right as you face Roskillys’ Ponds and follow it to where the tarmac ends and until the track finally runs out (SW 801 202).

In the afternoon, Bart O’Farrell will guide us around the ‘Calendar’ site of the Three Brothers Grugwith. Meet 2pm with car parking on the side road on the left (marked to Penhallick) just before Zoar Garage on the St Keverne to Helston B3293 road (SW 7602 1907). Rough countryside walking!

The Rock art survey workshop to be led by Andy Jones and Graeme Kirkham has been postponed until the winter. The exact dates and arrangements will be published in a later Newsletter and on the website.

Sunday 3rd April 10am-3pm Tony Blackman Memorial Walk by Cornwall Outdoors: Garrow Tor, led by Dave Attwell. Meet on the common by De Lank Waterworks. (SX 132767) Sorry No Dogs. The walk will focus on recent restoration to a number of historic features on Garrow and Hawks Tor which form part of a Higher level Stewardship Agreement for Ivey and Hawkstor Farm Partnership. Access has kindly been given by the landowners and will include an opportunity to look in detail at the medieval farm settlement at Garrow as well as the Stripple Stone circle. Along the way we will also discuss current management and the changes in the farming system over the past 50 years.

The terrain is generally level with steep climbs up the Tors, the ground will be wet and uneven. Approx 5 miles. Walking boots and wet weather gear. Bring a packed lunch, but tea, coffee and cake will be provided at lunchtime.

Please book your place through Andy Barclay, [email protected]

Sunday May 8th 2016 - Cornish Medieval Graffiti at Mylor Church - Andrew Macdonald of Waveney Archaeology will give a short introduction including recording and photography before looking at the magnificent graffiti and the church and grounds. Meet 12 noon at Mylor Church - event ends at 4pm. Refreshments are available at Cafe Mylor next door. Please register your interest for this event by contacting [email protected] by 16 April. This is to ensure enough handouts and recording sheets are provided.

Sunday 15th May. The Scheduled Monuments of St. Ive - Tokenbury, Cadsonbury and a couple of crosses. Meet walk leader Iain Rowe, St Ive CAS area

rep, in the car park of Millennium House, Princess Rd, Pensilva, Liskeard, Cornwall, PL14 5NF at 10am. From here we will walk out to the privately owned Tokenbury, an Iron Age round on the edge of Bodmin Moor. Then we will get in our cars and go to Cadsonbury an Iron Age hillfort owned and managed by the National Trust. We will finish our day at St. Ive Church. The first walk is fairly flat and smooth, the second extremely steep with steps and mud and slip hazards when wet. Please bring a packed lunch, and clothing suitable for the conditions described and the weather on the day.

Lanyon Quoit, Contd. The antiquarian, William Cotton, published a drawing and plan in 1827. “The covering stone, which is nearly flat, and of a triangular figure, measures 44 feet in circumference, 18 feet 2 inches in its greatest length, and 9 feet in length, and weighs 15 tons. This quoit, as it is usually called, was originally supported on four upright stones, describing an open area 7 feet in length, north and south…

The Cromleh now stands as firm as ever: in putting it up, a piece was broken off the top stone… It is supported on three upright stones, each 4 feet 10 inches in height, the tops having been made level, and their positions a little altered….

The figures 1824, to mark the year when it was re-erected, have been rudely inscribed on one of the supporting stones.”

Dr William Borlase, writing in the 1760s, claimed that the quoit is so high that a man on horseback can stand under it. His plan has the upright supports differently aligned than they are now.

CONTACTS: Secretary: Sophie Mayer, [email protected];

Membership secretary: Konstanze Rahn [email protected];

Newsletter and journal distribution: Adrian Rodda. [email protected] Our postal address is now: Cornwall Archaeological Society, c/o Royal Cornwall Museum, River St, Truro, Cornwall TR1 2SJ. Please use when contacting any of the officers.

Website: www.cornisharchaeology.org.uk

Facebook: Cornish Archaeology
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