Issue 63

February 2002

Contents

news

Glastonbury lake village and prehistoric tracks ‘drying out’

Rare Bronze Age metal working site found on Eigg

Log boat from Tay estuary dated to the later Bronze Age

Archaeologists uncover history of the Royal Arsenal

Hidden collection of cross slabs at Co Durham church

In Brief

features

Commanders and Kings
Tony Wilmott on how post-Roman kingdoms were formed

People of the Sea
Barry Cunliffe on the lure of the sea from earliest prehistory

Great sites
Julien Parsons on 19th century excavations at Belas Knap

letters

On defleshing, ancient roofs, plague and conservation

issues

David Baker on regulation of developer-funded archaeology

Peter Ellis

Regular column

books

London Under Ground edited by Ian Haynes, Harvey Sheldon and Lesley Hannigan

Northumberland: the Power of Place by Stan Beckensall

Archaeology and the Social History of Ships by Richard Gould

Prehistoric and Roman Essex by James Kemble

Landscape Detective by Richard Muir

A Fortified Frontier by Iain MacIvor

CBA update

favourite finds

Memories of Callanish. Aubrey Burl had a ‘eureka’ moment in pondering Callanish.

ISSN 1357-4442

Editor Simon Denison

Old bones

From Mr Peter McCrone

Sir: Richard Stein suggests that the bones of the 14th century warrior Bertrand du Guesclin may have borne 'butchery' marks from post-mortem defleshing, which could be mistaken for evidence of cannibalism (Letters, December). This example, however, is probably impossible to check because of the rifling of St Denis during the French Revolution.

A more accessible example could be Edward I, who died while leading a military expedition against the Scots. His bones were defleshed and brought back to Westminster Abbey for burial where, as far as I know, they remain. While the antiquarian practice of opening the tombs of monarchs, bishops and saints is not necessarily to be encouraged nowadays, a sound scientific examination of Edward I's skeleton may shed light on how we should interpret cut marks on bone.

Yours sincerely,
Peter McCrone
Staining, Blackpool
20 December

Early roofs

From Mr Frank Green

Sir: We may not have to venture quite as far afield as Cumbria, as Nina Jennings suggests (Letters, October), to locate evidence of traditional vernacular roofing materials to set against the evidence from the Home Counties.

In parts of the New Forest and southern Hampshire, turf was still being used as a roofing material for the temporary huts of charcoal burners as late as the 1920s. The evidence is found in various publications and photographs. The thin irregular sections of turf were placed in an overlapping fashion on a very steep-sided conical structure similar to a native American tepee, although it is unclear how the turf was pegged or fixed to its supports.

Another unusual roof covering, noted for example within the Tudor Manor House Cottage at Romsey, Hampshire, consists of wattle and daub with a plaster surface probably of 15th century date. This is now concealed beneath 17th century extensions and must surely have been designed as a temporary cladding material.

A little more local historical research into such ephemeral materials even within the Home Counties can still provide a great deal of new information.

Yours sincerely,
Frank Green
Test Valley Borough Council
Romsey, Hampshire
21 November

Black Death

From Mr Quentin Hawkins

Sir: I enjoyed Tom Beaumont James's article on the Black Death ('Years of Pestilence', October) but would beg to raise one objection. He argues that there is clear evidence for the pestilence having been plague, rather than other diseases that have been suggested such as anthrax.

Several years ago, when reading on the Black Death, I came across several accounts of swellings and other classic plague symptoms, but also one account of symptoms which were clearly not plague but appeared rather to indicate woolsorter's disease, a form of anthrax.

I see no reason why the pestilence should necessarily have been just one disease. Is it inconceivable that two or more different diseases happened to strike at the same time?

Yours faithfully,
Quentin Hawkins
London SE25
20 October

Who cares?

From Mr Philip Loaring

Sir: I was very interested, a year or two back, in Jeremy Milln's article 'Looking after the Old Village Pump' (November 1999). I, too, am appalled at the unconscious vandalism of historical relics by otherwise respectable people on councils and other bodies.

Some years ago, in 1992, Thrapston's High Street pavements were refurbished with Yorkstone slabs, a big improvement on the jumble of concrete, concrete slabs, tarmac and gravel. When the paving work arrived at the church gates, erected in 1848, the general decision was 'To the dump with them!'

The gates were devoid of much of their original trefoil and floral cast iron ornamentation and one gate was almost off its hinges. 'They're only a lot of rubbish' said one notable citizen.

Urgent protests and appeals, almost solely from me, brought negative responses from the district council, town council, English Heritage and the Church Commissioners. Northamptonshire County Council, however, did promise a stay of execution and offered help in the civil work should my appeal to rebuild the gates be successful.

I knew I had to act, and so with the help of the owner of a local engineering works, we removed the crumbling remains to his workshop.

The gates comprised a mixture of cast iron, wrought iron and later mild steel repairs plus a lot of rust. 'I'll rebuild them for £1,000,' said my engineering friend. I prepared a detailed drawing and approached the authorities again. Once more a negative response. Then a miracle happened. 'I'll pay all of the bill,' said an old friend, 'providing you fix a small plate on it stating it has been refurbished in memory of my late wife.'

Work rushed ahead to keep to his stipulated completion date of Easter Sunday the following year. Then came objections from English Heritage who demanded a copy of the proposed reconstruction, told me that I must use original materials and wait for their approval. I informed them we were saving all the original where possible but some modern equivalents were having to be used.

I also said that I was confident the local ironfounders knew their job, pointing out that Northamptonshire is noted for its iron industry; and that modern techniques for mating cast iron, wrought iron and mild steel were well within the scope of our engineering capabilities.

The Church Commissioners then asked if we were legally allowed to do this work. I pointed out that as they had relinquished responsibility and ownership when asked for support, the county council were prepared to accept that the gates had become part of the High Street furniture. The town council then asked who was to be responsible for future maintenance. Noting a slight shift in their interest, I suggested that they might be.

Eventually the gates were completed, the county council supplying not only the civil work but a lifting crane free of charge. The rector of the parish church dedicated the gates, the town mayor cut the ribbon and the gates were officially opened on Easter Sunday 1993.

A few weeks later the rector rang me. 'We've been doing a little clearing up in the churchyard,' he said. 'And what we previously thought was a large mound has turned out to be an old compost heap, in the bottom of which we have found the remains of an ornamental iron gate and half a gate post. We thought you would like them!'

They rested for a few years in my garage and then once again a benefactor appeared on the scene. Not one official body showed interest except for the county council, who promised to help as before. Once again my engineering friend, the local foundry and I made drawings, reconstructed and placed it into its original position. Once again it was dedicated and opened by the rector and mayor as before.

And now everyone says, 'Don't the gates look nice! Such an improvement.'

Our parish pump was knocked down by a Canadian tank in 1942. But I daren't think about that.

Yours faithfully,
Philip Loaring
Thrapston, Northants
24 September

Film history

From Mr Brian Robinson

Sir: Peter Ellis (December) reminds us of the historical information present in works of art. It is evident also in the black and white films of the silent era. If you ignore the general goings on, you see life in the 20th century in its actuality - for example, the traffic on the roads, the street scenes and buildings, all filmed in reality not as mocked-up sets. Even as the humour of, say, Laurel and Hardy dates, the value of these films grows for their historical record. As cinema grew and the studios created their own backgrounds this 'reality' in film declined. However, modern films shot on location do once again retain some record of the 'true' present.

Yours sincerely,
Brian Robinson
Hutton, Brentwood
25 December

We welcome letters from readers. They may be emailed to Mike Pitts the Editor at editor@britarch.ac.uk or faxed to 01904 671384. They may be edited.

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