News - Fieldwork reveals civil war potential (Farndon)

Investigations into whether a field in Farndon was a key location during the English Civil War have revealed a possible earthwork defence.

Archaeologists using GPS equipment found a raised area down one side of the field, from the Fosse Way up to Wyke Lane.

Farndon Archaeological Research and Investigations (FARI) and Nottinghamshire County Council’s archaeology team investigated what lay beneath the field.

The work was paid for by the Heritage Lottery Fund through the Trent Vale Landscape Partnership.

Emily Gillott, a community archaeologist with the council, said the raised earthbank was a good place to look for a civil war defence.

A map of civil war defences showed that Farndon had an earthen defence.

Emily Gillott said if the defence was not the raised earthbank, then it could be lost under houses at St Peter’s Close and School Lane.

Other earthworks were discovered during the investigation, including the remains of medieval ploughing tracks and a holloway, again medieval, which would have provided a back lane for properties on Wyke Lane.

FARI will now decide what further investigation it wishes to carry out.

 

From: http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/Fieldwork-reveals-civil-war-potential

Events- Notts CC Community Archaeology Riverside Audit - Upcoming Dates

Join the Community Archaeologists on one of the upcoming Riverside Audit dates. The Audit aims to record archaeological features along the River Trent. An audit day is essentially a walk along a stretch of riverbank, where we keep our eyes peeled for any archaeological features. Anything we see is recorded with photos and a GPS location.

So why not come along and stretch your legs, and hopefully spot a bit of archaeology along the way!

If you would like to come along to any of the following audits, please let us know. (We need to know who may be coming in case we need to cancel or change arrangements.)

Thursday 24th November - Farndon

Meeting outside the Riverside pub, North End, NG24 3SX, at 10am.

Walk is approximately 4 miles. Bring suitable footwear and clothing, and something to drink en route.

Thursday 1st December - North Clifton and Bubble Dyke

Meeting at North and South Clifton Church (lies on the road directly between the two villages), at 10.30am.

Walk is approximately 4 miles. Bring suitable footwear and clothing, and something to drink en route. Also, bring your lunch if you want.

Thursday 15th December Morning - Laneham and Dunham

Meeting by Laneham church, in Church Laneham, opposite the Ferry Boat Inn, at 10am.

Walk is approximately 4 miles. Bring suitable footwear and clothing, and something to drink en route.

Afternoon - Trent Port and Littleborough

Meeting by Marton church at 2pm

Walk is approximately 3 miles. Bring suitable footwear and clothing, and something to drink en route.

or visit there website at www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/communityarchaeology

News - Archaeologists bid for grant to protect prehistoric site (Farndon)

AMATEUR archaeologists are bidding for £50,000 of funding to help them protect a rare prehistoric site in Notts.

Farndon Archaeological Research Investigations has applied for Heritage Lottery Funding to investigate fields around Farndon, where the site was discovered during field walks carried out before the widening of the A46.

Hundreds of Ice Age flint tools have been unearthed from the fields, which is believed to have been a camp.

If successful in their funding bid archaeologists hope to use the money over three years to carry out field walks, dig several test pits and carry out scientific tests which they would not be able to afford otherwise.

Professional archaeologist Daryl Garton, who was involved in the initial work with the Highways Agency, said the future work on the site was incredibly important.

"There isn't another site in Britain of the same age and with this spread of activity," she said.

"There were about 330 surface finds but that was just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

"There will be lots more in the ploughed soil, hopefully left intact."

From: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/news/Archaeologists-bid-grant-protect-prehistoric-site/article-3231468-detail/article.html

 

News - Archaeologists look to protect rare prehistoric site (Farndon)

A group of amateur archaeologists are hoping to help protect a rare prehistoric site in Nottinghamshire.

 

They are bidding for funding to further investigate the fields around Farndon, where archaeologists have unearthed hundreds of Ice Age flint tools.

 

Professional archaeologist Daryl Garton is supporting Farndon Archaeological Research Investigations' bid.

 

"There isn't another site in Britain of the same age and with this spread of activity," she said.

 

"It's incredibly important." The prehistoric site was discovered during field walks carried out prior to the road widening of the A46 between Newark and Widmerpool.

Daryl was involved with the initial work for the Highways Agency.

 

She said: "There were about 330 surface finds but that was just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

 

"There will be lots more in the ploughed soil, hopefully left intact."

 

It is believed that the site was that of a camp, or several camps, where hunters would process kills after hunting animals, perhaps of herds such as wild horses and red deer migrating across the River Trent.

 

Farndon Archaeological Research Investigations (FARI) are bidding for £50,000 of Heritage Lottery Funding to be used over three years.

 

With this they hope to do more field walks, dig several test pits and carry out scientific tests they would otherwise not be able to afford.

 

Anne Coyne, from FARI, said the funding would be good, not only for archaeologists but also for the area. "It's like ancient family history, studying how our ancestors lived in the past," she said.

 

"It would be great to put Newark on the map in terms of prehistory."

 

As important as work in the field, FARI plans to communicate the importance of the site to the public, through talks and displays.

 

"Eventually what we'd like to do is put on a permanent display of the finds at the local museum at Newark for people to view for future generations," Anne added.

FARI are expecting to finalise their application by the end of March and hope to hear from Heritage Lottery Fund a few months later. They hope to start work in the summer of 2011.

 

Farndon Archaeological Research Investigations are putting on a series of events at Newark Library in February 2011. On 15 February professional archaeologist Daryl Garton will give a talk about the finds so far unearthed near the village. Between 17-19 February there will be a display of the original artefacts and on 19 February families can enjoy an archaeological craft activity, building a replica, edible, stone henge. For more information call FARI on 01636 616 640.

 

In Nottinghamshire there are only a handful of archaeological remains that date from the Palaeolithic time period

 

Fardon Field's location is unusual because prehistoric tools are usually found in protected environments such as caves not open fields

 

The flint tools found were used about 13,000 years ago for processing animal carcasses, scraping them out to make pelts for clothing.

They have been found spread over a huge area equivalent to 21 football pitches 

Archaeologists say the people who made the flint tools at Farndon might conceivably be the same people that made the cave paintings of bison and birds at Creswell Crags

From: http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/nottingham/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_9391000/9391437.stm