Excavation - Mons Pool (Nottinghamshire)

Mons Pool Excavation

Mons Pool Excavation, near Collingham, will be open to Nottinghamshire’s Community archaeology volunteer diggers once again this year. For those who don't know the site, it is a multi-period settlement by the River Trent near Collingham (photos from previous years are up in the 'see what we do' section on the NCC website). It's a multi-period settlement stretching from the Late Roman period all the way back into Stone Age prehistory. It's a really great site, owned by LaFarge and excavated by the University of Salford. Excavation has taken place there for several years as the site is due to become a quarry. For the past few years Community Archaeology has worked with the University of Salford's team to open the site to volunteers, through the Heritage Lottery Funded Trent Vale project. This year is the LAST YEAR of excavation on the site, so this will be your last chance to contribute to the exploration of this settlement.

30th July to 3rd August - Archaeological Field School
This week is the Field School week. If you are interested in really getting to grips with archaeological fieldwork and learning about all the processes, then this week is for you! If you want to attend the field school you will be asked to come for the full 5 days, during which time they will take you through the processes of excavation and hopefully give you a really good grounding. This week will be ideal for the student or keen amateur. No experience necessary.

6th August to 17th August - Volunteer Excavation Fortnight
This fortnight is for anyone to come along to, whether you want to try your hand at excavation just for a day, or if you want to come for a longer period. No experience is necessary as we will take you through the processes. Please note; this is a commercial site and as such Community Archaeology are unable to offer weekend sessions.

18th August - Open Day
The dig site will be open to visitors, with finds on display and guided tours of the archaeology.

During the excavation there will be a variety of workshops for volunteers to get involved in, as well as the opportunity to help reconstruct one of the Roman pottery kilns found on the site. More details will be available as we get closer to July.

E-mail community.archaelogy@nottscc.gov.uk you would like to take part, or if you want to book. Spaces are limited and will be allocated on a first-come-first served basis. The excavation is unsuitable for young children, and anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Save Roman Southwell - Opposition to homes remains (Southwell)

A heritage group has reiterated its opposition to plans to build homes on a site that contains Roman remains.

Southwell Heritage Trust has written to Newark and Sherwood District Council to oppose the latest amended application to build 29 homes on the former Church Street site of the Minster School.

It claims the site is of archaeological significance and has tourism potential.

It contains Roman and Saxon remains, which experts believe could be of national importance.

The development has yet to be discussed by the district council but has been discussed by Southwell Town Council’s planning committee several times. The amendments were due to be discussed by its planning committee last night.

The town council is asked to give comments on the application each time it is amended before it goes to the district council.

In a letter to the district council, the heritage trust’s chairman, Mr Roger Dobson, said the group continued to have strong objections to the plans despite the latest amendment, which outlines a mitigation strategy to protect the archaeological remains.

He said: “We continue to maintain that this very important heritage site is totally unsuitable for housing development and therefore no acceptable archaeological mitigation strategy is possible in the circumstances.”

Mr Dobson said the group believed English Heritage and Nottinghamshire County Council played down the tourism and economic regeneration benefits for the district if the site was made into a heritage park.

He said: “Most experts agree that the site is situated in an area of outstanding national heritage and that vital links between Southwell Minster and the Roman villa would be lost if housing development was to take place.

“In recent years a unique Roman wall has been discovered and significant Anglo Saxon burials.

“As less than 10% of the site has been investigated it is reasonable to assume that more important discoveries could be made.”

The heritage group wants to see the site incorporated into an outstanding heritage area including nearby Southwell Minster, the archbishop’s palace and prebendal houses on Church Street.

They would like the site landscaped with interpretation boards explaining the location of the remains and their significance and possibly the creation of a visitor centre.

The group believes the site could become a tourist attraction.

from: http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/Opposition-to-homes-remains

Save Roman Southwell - Anglo-Saxon find at minster town

NOTTINGHAM archaeologists say they might have discovered the remains of an Anglo-Saxon enclosure in Southwell.

The University of Nottingham team spent two weeks in June digging in gardens around the centre of Southwell and at Southwell Workhouse.

They think they have found the remains of an Anglo-Saxon defensive enclosure and planned town.

A test pit near the remains of ancient banks also revealed a ditch which contained small fragments of pottery.

Dr Naomi Sykes, who led the two-week dig, said: "We excavated all manner of finds from this ditch, including modern-day pottery.

"In the same area we found bits of roman motaria – ancient Roman pottery kitchen vessels. But further down in the earlier deposits we discovered fragments of medieval pottery.

"This exciting find ties the Roman site to the later medieval minster site and suggests that there was settlement activity and buildings around that period."

The team returned to the site on Saturday and Sunday for further research.

Members of the public were able to find out more about their work.

More information about the research online via www.nottingham.ac.uk

From: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/Anglo-Saxon-minster-town/story-13471548-detail/story.html

Article - Holy Roaming Empire (North Notts)

The October edition of Worksop life has now been published and our article on the Romans around north Nottinghamshire is on pages 36 and 38.  An online version of the magazine is available at http://www.life-publications.com/worksop-life/magazine-viewer

News - Roman Well Work Starts (Bingham)

Budding archaeologists from Toot Hill School, Bingham, are among those helping to resite a Roman well in its new home.

The well was discovered during excavation work for the A46 dualling scheme and is due to be put at the entrance of Bingham Cemetery.

With the help of the sixth-form students, Bingham Heritage Trails Association began cleaning the individual stones on Monday, before sorting them and labelling them so they could be assembled in the cemetery.

Meghan King, 17, of Nightingale Way, a member of Newark and District Young Archaeologists Club, is hoping to study archaeology at university.

“It was a great opportunity to do some fieldwork and get my hands dirty,” she said.

“To be able to handle something someone made with their own bare hands thousands of years ago was thrilling.”

Helen Green, 19, a former pupil at the school, starts her archaeology course at the University of Chester next week.

“I enjoyed working out which stones went where,” she said.

“It was a massive jigsaw puzzle and it was good to get some experience before I go to university.”

Rushcliffe Borough Council granted the project planning permission in March after an application was submitted by Bingham Town Council.

However, it only gave the heritage trails association the green light to start building work last Wednesday.

The association’s vice-chairman, Mr Geoff Ashton, said: “We are using lime putty to hold the stones together, the same material they would have used in Roman times.

“It is a fantastic project and we are delighted to have the students involved.”

From: http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/Roman-well-work-starts

News - Ancient finds at quarry (Langford Quarry)

Archaeologists say they have uncovered one of the most significant Romano-British sites in the Trent Valley at Tarmac’s Langford Quarry.

Researchers from Trent and Peak Archaeology have found eight stone-lined wells, an unprecedented number for the area, and 26 Romano-British human burials.

They have also found pottery, including Samian ware from Gaul and amphora from the Mediterranean, which date from 1st century AD to 4th century AD.

Other artefacts dating from the Neolithic period up until the 16th Century were uncovered including a rare 3,500 year old stone macehead and three ornate 1,400 year old Anglo-Saxon brooches.

From: http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/Ancient-finds-at-quarry

News - Major Roman find near Newark

ARCHAEOLOGISTS believe they have uncovered the remains of a Roman village at an excavation site in Collingham, near Newark.

Researchers from Trent and Peak Archaeology unearthed a range of artefacts during a year-long excavation at Tarmac's Langford Quarry in Newark Road.

Discoveries included eight stone-lined wells – an unprecedented number for the region – and 26 human burials, as well as vast amounts of pottery dating from the first century to the fourth century AD.

Archaeologist Lee Elliott, of Trent and Peak Archaeology – a commercial archeological unit based at the University of Nottingham – led the research.

He described the scale of the findings as one of the "largest and most significant" collections of Roman artefacts recovered in the region.

He said: "We believe this site resembled a Romano-British village, very few of which have been identified along the Trent Valley – single farmsteads being the norm.

"The village appears to have been sub-divided into areas for living, working and burial.

"The exceptional range of artefacts for a rural community suggests prosperity, possibly built on large-scale animal husbandry and associated products servicing the nearby Romano-British towns at Brough and Lincoln."

Archaeologists also discovered bones of animals, including cows, sheep, pigs, horses, dogs and deer, which do not normally survive on acidic sandy sites.

Mr Elliott said the site provided "fresh insights into the everyday rural life during this period".

He added that archaeologists were particularly impressed with the discovery of the stone-lined wells, each of which are about two to three metres deep, because no other site in the region had ever uncovered so many.

All had been built on a timber raft base and animal bone and pottery were found in the shafts after they were emptied of the silt which had filled them.

"The wells appear to be for communal use," Mr Elliott said.

"They may have been built in response to contamination of the nearby river which was used for watering animals and rubbish disposal.

"The number of wells reflects the size and wealth of the community they served.

"The wells have provided exceptional finds including complete Romano-British pots lost 1,800 years ago and well-preserved timbers with toolmarks."

Other findings include several Romano British brooches, 200 coins, iron knives, pins, buckles, rings and lead weights.

The quarry's owners, Tarmac, had agreed with Notts County Council to strip all the remaining land that needed to be worked in one go, so that archaeologists had the maximum opportunity to look at it.

Neil Beards, Tarmac's estates manager, said: "We're thrilled this approach has rewarded us with such significant finds, that may not have been discovered if we weren't quarrying here.

"We really have been taken aback at what has been uncovered on the site."

For more information visit www.nottingham.ac.uk/tpa

From: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/Major-Roman-near-Newark/story-13359342-detail/story.html

Dig - Farm dig sheds light on city’s Roman trade links (Whirlow Hall farm)

AT FIRST it seemed like many other archaeological digs, giving little more than a clouded glimpse into the past.

But the excavations have now provided a fascinating window on a Roman Sheffield that no one realised had ever existed.

Archaeologists who started the history project back in April in a field on the edge of Sheffield initially found traces left by Stone Age hunter-gatherers, but there were few surprises. Trenches yielded evidence of the foundations of medieval buildings and stone tools were also discovered.

However, the experts who arrived at Whirlow Hall Farm in the spring were soon to make a massive discovery when suddenly a whole new layer of history was unearthed. The decision to undertake a geophysical survey earlier this summer revealed what appeared to be a large, ditched enclosure.

Archaeologists told the Yorkshire Post at the time they suspected the site might be Iron Age or Romano-British. But yesterday they revealed that since then magnificent finds have confirmed the area is even more significant.

Speaking at the site, director Dr Clive Waddington said: “The realisation just came completely out of the blue. The enclosure is actually about 70 metres (230ft) square so it’s quite a big monument, and would have been home to a wide variety of activities.

“We have discovered Roman pottery and evidence of gatepost holders around the entrance which suggest it would have had large gates and would have been a big, complex site. The pottery we have discovered is from around Britain and there are also examples which would have been imported from Gaul, which is modern day France. This shows that the occupants weren’t just farmers but were also traders.

“The site lies alongside what was a packhorse route from Sheffield to Manchester, and the location of this farmstead suggests the route was also in use during the Roman period. It probably linked to a Roman road which ran from Manchester, to Hope in the Peak District and then down to Sheffield on its way to Doncaster.

“The people who lived here would have traded farm goods and produce with Roman travellers using the route. It conjures up a picture of the place being really busy and being used as a Roman trading post.”

Dr Waddington, of Derbyshire-based Archaeological Research Services, said the discovery was particularly exciting because at present there was little or no recorded evidence of this period in the Sheffield area.

Volunteers involved in the dig have also recently discovered what the experts believe may be Roman coins, but they have to be examined by specialists before a confirmation of their date can be made.

The archaeological project had been commissioned by the Whirlow Hall Farm Trust, a charity which runs the site as a city farm to encourage local children to learn about agricultural lifestyles and rural pursuits. Dr Waddington said that he had no idea that when it began that it would result in the discovery of such a “high status” and important Roman site.

About 100 volunteers have been involved in the dig so far, and although work on the first phase ended yesterday, it is now planned to extend the project, with further test pits planned for November. It is as yet unclear whether the people who lived on the farmstead were themselves of Roman origin or native Britons of the time although Dr Waddington said the evidence suggested they were Roman.

He said: “Initial assessment suggests the site dates from the second century AD, the period of Hadrian and Antoninus Pius, times when the Roman emperors were very interested in Britain. The discovery that the farmstead was so large and important came as a complete surprise because when you stand and look at this field there is nothing on the surface to suggest that there is anything like this.

“There have not been any Roman discoveries made anywhere in Sheffield for many, many years, and this is really helping to fill in that historical jigsaw and help flesh out what has been a poorly understood period.”

Dr Waddington said the latest discovery at has been a series of lead fragments, which suggest that there may also have been an industrial dimension to the site, which lies on the south-western edge of Sheffield.

Staff at the farm trust said that once the project was complete, all the findings would be used to create a heritage trail and a programme of heritage walks and talks.

From: http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/at-a-glance/main-section/farm_dig_sheds_light_on_city_s_roman_trade_links_1_3647879

Event - CBA Festival of Archaeology (Worksop Library)

The Priories Historical Society's first exhibition for the Festival of British Archaeology held at Worksop Library on Saturday and Sunday was a great success.

Above: Members of the public looking at one of the displays. 

The society had boards of information on the Luddite uprising, Raymoth Lane, the Roman landscape of Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire, Throapham and Dinnington historical records as well as a photographic exhibition with explanations about each photo and examples of archaeology the group has found over the past several years.


The star find brought in by a member of the public were 3 Romano-British beehive querns found by Robin Orr near Ollerton.  Robin found these Hunsbury Hill type querns 15 years ago but didn't think anyone would be interested in them.  All three were in brilliant condition but were missing the bases. 

Above: One of the Romano British Hunsbury Hill type beehive quern tops. This top half would be rotated over a base stone. Note the moulded rim, U-shaped hopper and handle socket towards the bottom.

If you missed the Society's exhibition not to worry they will be at Throapham Church on July 30th and 31st for the final weekend of the Festival.


Thanks go out to Pam Cook, Sarah Perry, David Cook, Fiona Green, Roy and Pauline Haslehurst for helping out with the exhibition and answering the members of public questions as well as Friends of Throapham Church for lending us their display boards. Also big thanks to Worksop Library to lending us the room for the weekend and to everyone who publicised the event.

Website - Notts County Council Community Archaeology

Nottinghamshire County Council have recently updated their Community Archaeology website at http://www3.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/learning/history/archaeology/communityarchaeology/ this is much more accessible than the previous incarnations.  It includes details of their forthcoming work including the dig on the Romano-British site at Besthorpe in August

There is also a new online volunteering form at 

https://secure.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/learningandwork/historyheritage/communityarchaeology/contactcommunityarchaeology/. This will help them to get more volunteers and is a great way to get updates on what's happening in our county.  Please join as the more people willing to help will hopefully mean they will do more projects in the future

Photos - Calverton man builds Romano-British home in his garden

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-13460450

Book - Roman Nottinghamshire (Five Leaves)

A new book will be published soon on Nottinghamshire during Roman times.

The 300 page illustrated book has been researched and written by Mark Patterson will be published later this year. The local Nottingham publisher, Five Leaves Publications will publish the book.

The book is a bargain at £11.99 and is available from 26th May. The book can be purchased via http://www.inpressbooks.co.uk/roman_nottinghamshire_mark_patterson_i022326.aspx

ISBN 978-1907869-12-9

News - An insult to our history (Southwell Roman Villa)

Opposition to homes on a historically-important site in Southwell has been reiterated as one councillor branded the plans an insult to the people of the town. 

Slightly amended plans for 31 homes on the former Church Street site of The Minster School have been submitted by Caunton Properties Ltd to Newark and Sherwood District Council.

As members of Southwell Town Council’s planning committee discussed the application, there was further dismay that the plans were even being considered.

The site contains Roman remains believed to be those of a large villa or a temple.

Experts believe the remains are of significant national importance.

The planning committee chairman, Mr Brendan Haigh, said the new plans were no better than those first submitted.

He said: “I really do think this is an insult to the people of our town and their history and it does nothing whatsoever to enhance or protect the conservation area. In fact it does the exact reverse.

“We confirm our previous objections and say this building has done nothing whatsoever to make us change our minds on that.”

Mr Haigh said he did not think the buildings proposed were suitable.

He said: “I think they are unsuitable for a heritage site such as this, in a conservation area, right next to Southwell Minster and on the site of Roman remains.

“These are the sort of buildings you expect to see in a city. They are more like a big block of flats near the city centre.

“They are totally out of character and totally out of keeping.”

Mr Andy Gregory said he did not see the point in the committee discussing the plans for a second time.

He said: “We have made our objections so I don’t see any need for any further discussion.

“If these plans were next to York Minster or Beverley Minster or any other cathedral in the country these wouldn’t be considered so for the district council to even consider it is ridiculous.”

Mr Roger Dobson said it was disappointing that plans had been submitted for any development on the site.

He said: “It is a site of national archaeological importance so surely our views are that any development is unacceptable.”

The committee agreed to object to the plans for the reasons agreed when they were first discussed in July.

The reasons included that the site contained important archaeology and that the design and number of houses were not suitable.

There was also concerns about highways and flooding.

 

From: http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/An-insult-to-our-history