Chamber Tomb of Pentre Ifan near Newport, PembrokeshireOn Saturday 4th October 2008, the exhibition "Making History: Antiquaries in Britain 1707-2007" opened at Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum.

It explores the development of archaeology, from antiquarianism to the rise of professional archaeology, and runs until 3rd January 2009.

Making History, presented in association with the Society of Antiquaries of London, features original works of art, manuscripts, and artefacts from their collection. It also includes a video installation by Wessex Archaeology staff showcasing some of the latest 3D capture techniques used in archaeology.

Admission to the museum is £5, which includes entrance to the exhibition. Opening times can be found on the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum website.

The BBC Timewatch programme Stonehenge interprets the mysterious stone circles of Stonehenge as a temple built around 2,300 BC to which people came in search of healing. The Amesbury Archer is described as ‘one of most important archaeological discoveries in Britain.' He is called the Archer because of the stone arrowheads buried with him.

Artists interpretation of the Amebury ArcherThis man, who lived between 2470-2280 BC, died not far from Stonehenge. By then he was between 35-45, but isotope fingerprinting of his teeth showed he was born far away, probably in the Alpine area of central Europe.  Near to him lay the grave of a younger man who was a relative. This man, his ‘Companion,' had been brought up in not far from Stonehenge, but as a child he may have travelled, perhaps even to central Europe.

Years before he died the Archer suffered a traumatic injury in which he lost his left knee and this led an infection of the wound that penetrated his very bones. He lived in constant pain from this wound, and as he put his weight on his good leg it grew stronger and the damaged leg withered. A tooth abscess also ruptured his jaw, and the infection that this caused may have led to his death.

The Timewatch programme argues that the stones brought from Wales to Stonehenge - the Bluestones - had healing powers. That is why, between 2,400 and 2,200 BC, they were carried over 150 miles, across land and over sea. Did the Amesbury Archer travel from near the Alps to Stonehenge motivated to find relief, to get better?

The Archer's Cushion Stone, used in metalworkingPerhaps the Archer sought magic. But he brought magic with him. In his grave was what at first sight looks like a small, black, stone. Its significance is that it was a metalworker's tool. And it identifies him as the oldest metalworker yet found in Britain. The gold hair ornaments buried with him are also the oldest gold objects yet found in Britain. The Amesbury Archer lived at the very beginning of the metal age in Britain.

Those skills had to be brought to Britain from across the Channel, carried by people like the Archer whose cultural links were with what archaeologists call the ‘Beaker culture'. These metalworkers had the practical skills in their hands and the knowledge of how to make metal objects in their heads.

Living at the beginning of the metal age, did the simple black stone eventually buried with the Archer give him a passport to travel through Europe? Was the status with which he was buried due to him having gained some relief from his illnesses at Stonehenge? Or was it, like many of the richest burials in continental Europe of this time, because of their new and seemingly magical skills in transforming stone to metal?

Have your say in the comments below!

The Boscombe Bowmen: builders of Stonehenge?

Radiocarbon dates do not provide exact historical dates, like 1066. They are statements of the statistical probability of a date range. The date range of the burial of the Amesbury Archer overlaps with the initial interpretation of the new radiocarbon dates for the bluestone circle at Stonehenge, which are given as 2,400-2,200 BC.

Another very important ‘Beaker culture' grave, and which has a good match with the date range of 2,400-2,200 BC given in the programme for the first arrival of the bluestones at Stonehenge, is that of the Boscombe Bowmen. This grave, a simple grave cut into the chalk, was found 1km away from the graves of the Amesbury Archer and his Companion.

The grave of the Bowmen was different because it is a collective burial; it contains the remains of at least 7 people. Like the grave of the Archer, the Bowmen's grave also contained stone arrowheads and Beaker style pottery.

The way in which the Bowmen were buried is unusual for the time. Only parts of their skeletons were present, and before then these bones seem to have been buried elsewhere. It is difficult to find close parallels for this way of burial in Britain or elsewhere in Europe.

The isotope fingerprinting of the teeth of three of the young men buried in the grave showed that, like the Amesbury Archer, they were not local. One of the few places in Britain that matches the strontium and oxygen isotope fingerprints of the Bowmen is Wales.

The igneous rocks of Armorica in north-west France provide another possible origin, experts suggest. The strontium isotopes can be matched but the match for the oxygen isotopes is not as good. However, in Armorica it is not unusual for several ‘Beaker culture' burials to be found close by and it has been wondered if this is a more likely homeland for the Bowmen? In favour of this idea is that by shortly after 2,000 BC there were close links between Wessex and Armorica?

Against the idea is the view that although some burials in Armorica may be found close by, they were still the burials of individuals and not a collective grave. These burials were often placed in Stone Age megalithic tombs that were being re-used. In contrast, the Bowmen were buried in a simple grave cut into the chalk.

More important is the key scientific fact about the Boscombe Bowmen. This is that their isotopes show that they had migrated when they were children. They can be shown to have been in one place at about the age of 5 when their first permanent teeth grew, and in another at about the age of 12 when their last permanent teeth grew. Both places were different from the place they were buried as young men. This is the best isotope evidence for migration in prehistoric Europe.

Archaeologists and scientists cannot be sure of where the Boscombe Bowmen came from. But does the new dating of the bluestones at Stonehenge now suggest that Wales is the most likely homeland for the Bowmen? When they were children, did the Bowmen make a journey in which the adults who brought the bluestones from Wales to Stonehenge had led the way? Or like the Amesbury Archer, did they come from continental Europe? Were they pilgrims from France?

What do you think? Feel free to leave a comment below (comments may take a few days to appear here, as we have to approve them manually).

CBA Wessex Autumn Conference: Saturday and Sunday 1st -2nd November 2008

In 2008, CBA Wessex is celebrating its 50th year. To mark this occasion, we are pleased to announce a major two-day conference "The New Antiquarians: 50 years of archaeological innovation in Wessex" to be held at the Ordnance Survey conference centre in Southampton on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd November 2008.

The aim of the conference is three-fold: to review the significant advances that have taken place in the past 50 years; to outline current thinking and to speculate where the next half century could lead us and to help promote our continuing outreach programme and other activities. The conference is broken down into eight sessions, covering a range of periods and specialist areas.

We are proposing, with the support of Council for British Archaeology (CBA), to publish the proceedings as a record of the event. We are aiming to bring together as many as possible of those who have made a critical contribution to archaeological knowledge and practice in the Wessex region. Confirmed contributors include Barry Cunliffe, Geoff Wainwright, Tim Darvill, Mike Fulford, Mike Parker-Pearson, Peter Fowler, Josh Pollard, Phil Harding, Martin Green and many others.

The Venue

The conference will be held at the Ordnance Survey Business Centre, Romsey Road, Southampton SO16 4GU. The venue is within easy reach of Southampton city centre, with good road and rail links and on-site parking. For site details and map, please visit the OS website.

Food, Drinks and Accommodation

Tea and coffee will be provided during the morning and afternoon breaks. Hot meals and sandwiches will be available at lunch time in the Ordnance Survey café. A wide range of local accommodation is available. A list of useful contact numbers is available on the conference website and on request.

Conference Dinner

The conference dinner will be held on Saturday evening at a local restaurant with Andrew Lawson as after dinner speaker. Cost will be £29.95/head and details and menu options will be displayed on the website or on request. Please note, numbers for the dinner are very limited and early booking is highly recommended.

Further Information

For further information on the weekend please contact:
Andy Manning, CBA Wessex Meetings Secretary
at a.manning@wessexarch.co.uk
or telephone 01722 343 406
Fax 01722 337562
or write to Andy Manning, CBA Wessex Meeting Secretary C/o Wessex Archaeology, Portway House, Old Sarum Park, Salisbury Wiltshire SP4 6EB
Website:  http://blogs.wessexarch.co.uk/newantiquarians/

Partners

The weekend event is organised by CBA Wessex in association with the Ordnance Survey and Wessex Archaeology.

Recent work by Wessex Archaeology in the Thames Estuary has been captured in two BBC programmes Thames Shipwrecks: a race against time. The programmes have been produced by Touch Productions and broadcast on BBC2 on Tuesday 26 August and Tuesday 2 September 2008.

Thames Shipwrecks: a race against time (BBC 2)

Find out more about the background to our work and involvement in the series over at Splash, our coastal and marine archaeology blog.

There are just a few spaces left on the 2008 Practical Archaeology courses at Down Farm, Cranborne Chase, Dorset. This excellent training course offers 5 days excavation on an Iron Age site, with first class tuition in fieldwork techniques together with workshops on identifying pottery, flint and bone. Courses run from 1st to 5th and from 8th to 11th September and are suitable for all levels of experience.

To find out more please visit the Training section of our website.

Practical Archaeology Course 2007 Team Photo

Despite big black clouds and the occasional spot of rain, National Archaeology Day at Salisbury Museum was a big success again this year. More than 670 visitors enjoyed a wide variety of family activities from making pots to building Stonehenge. There was even an opportunity to go snorkelling underwater for finds! Visitors were fascinated by Neil Burridge’s demonstration of Bronze Age metal-working while children enjoyed helping Julian Richards build a huge Stonehenge trilithon.

Building a trilithon with Julian Richards

Visitors had a go at the various stages of archaeology from excavating and recording to finds washing and conservation. They tried their hand at metal detecting and making pots, made models of Stonehenge and reconstructed faces like the experts on ‘Meet the Ancestors’.

'Snorkelling' for underwater archaeology

Volunteers from Salisbury Museum, The Wiltshire Conservation Centre, Salisbury Cathedral, National Trust and Wessex Archaeology were joined by local societies for what has become a favourite annual event.

Phil Harding is to be awarded an honorary degree by Southampton University. The award, the honorary degree of Doctor of the University, will be conferred at a ceremony at the University on Thursday 24 July and is for outstanding personal achievement in the field of archaeology.

Phil said ‘This is a great honour. I am delighted to have my archaeological achievements recognized by the university. As a man whose heart is in Wessex, I am particularly pleased that it’s Southampton that have given this to me.’

Sue Davies, Chief Executive of Wessex Archaeology, commented ‘I am thrilled for Phil. This award is thoroughly deserved.’

The university’s citation along with details of the other distinguished honorary graduates who include a Baroness, a Dame, an Admiral and Knights of the Realm, are available at the University of Southampton Media Centre.

National Archaeology Week 2008 is almost upon us and this year it comprises a whole nine days of events beginning on the 12th July.

This annual event is organised nationally by the Council for British Archaeology and aims to give everyone the opportunity to learn about the heritage that is all around us by becoming involved in archaeology. Come and join Wessex Archaeology as we celebrate National Archaeology Day at Salisbury Museum and explore our prehistoric past.

Entrance to the museum is free on the 12th July and there are a host of family friendly activities to get involved in.

You can watch displays of flint knapping and bronze casting; build ‘Stonehenge’ on the back lawn with Julian Richards or recreate the face of a Bronze Age person. Why not try your hand at metal detecting or visit Wessex Archaeology’s Time Travelling by Water stand to explore some submerged finds using diving equipment. In the lecture hall we will be exploring the methods archaeologists use to explore our past and inviting you to have a go at becoming an archaeologist yourself!

You can bring your mystery artefacts along to be examined by Wiltshire’s Finds Liaison Officer and see if you can guess what some of her mystery objects are. Whilst you’re visiting, why not view the museum’s displays including the newly opened Inspired by Stonehenge exhibition.

This event is brought to you by Salisbury Museum, Wessex Archaeology, The National Trust, Salisbury Cathedral and Wiltshire County Council’s Conservation Lab who have joined forces to create this Stonehenge Spectacular!

Entrance to the museum on National Archaeology Day is free and the museum is located opposite the cathedral cloisters, in the Cathedral Close. The museum will be open from 10am till 4pm and we look forward to seeing you on what promises to be a spectacular day.

For more information on National Archaeology Week and other activities that will be happening across the country this July, visit the CBA’s National Archaeology Week website.

Excavation of a Neolithic House at HortonArchaeologists have found the site of one of England’s oldest houses. The Stone Age house at Horton, close to Windsor Castle, is thought by experts to be well over 5,000 years old.

The single story house at Horton was rectangular, some 10 metres long by 5 metres wide. Dr Alistair Barclay of Wessex Archaeology said ‘this house is not big by today’s standards. But it was a dramatically different from the tents that people had been living in before.’

The walls of the house were probably made of split logs and the pitched roof would have been of reeds or grass. Two partition walls either side of a central passage divided the house into two. These walls could have supported an upper story or attic in parts of the house.

Reconstruction of the Neolithic house at Horton, by Will Foster and Tom Goskar

There would not have been a chimney. Smoke would have seeped out through the roof which was high enough to avoid catching fire from sparks flying from the fire.

Other finds of Neolithic date near to Horton include a burial site and a ritual processional way known as a cursus that stretched for 2.5 miles. Because of their size, these burial and ritual sites have been easier for archaeologists to find.

In contrast only about a dozen Neolithic or Stone Age houses are known from England and the Horton house is one of the most complete examples yet found. Pending radiocarbon dating, the house is thought to date to about the 37th century BC. Pieces of pottery and flint tools from the house and some nearby pits are consistent with this dating.

Aerial view of the Neolithic house during excavation

Dr Barclay added ‘we used to think of the Neolithic as the time when people started to farm. The evidence we now have, shows that hunting and gathering wild foods was still important. Crops were grown, but on a small scale. We can also see that cattle, pig and sheep were herded. It may be that in the river valleys, clearings for grazing came to be used for growing crops.’

Andy Spencer of CEMEX, who are paying for the dig, said ‘we have just installed a high-tech ready mix concrete plant and overhead there are planes taking off and landing at Heathrow. But what these Stone Age people built all that time ago using just stone tools and natural materials is really impressive. They were innovators too.’

Find out about our other discoveries at Horton.

New school pack brings Avebury to life

Wessex Archaeology has produced a new online Teacher’s Kit for Avebury World Heritage Site, commissioned by English Heritage.

The new Teacher’s Kit is available online from today. It will soon be available on the English Heritage website.

Avebury from the air

The Kit will help schoolchildren heading for Avebury and the surrounding monuments make the most of their trip to the World Heritage Site. It is a downloadable resource for teachers of Key Stage 2 and 3 pupils. As well as information sheets for teachers there are on-site investigation sheets, puzzles, maps, treasure hunts and other games and activities to help pupils to learn about the history of these historical sites in an entertaining and engaging way.

“We want to encourage more schools to come to Avebury World Heritage Site and ensure that pupils have an educational and stimulating visit,” explained Lucy Bradley, Education Manager for English Heritage in the South West.

“The site is steeped in a rich and mysterious history and there is so much children can learn from a visit here. This new web resource will help them to discover the site’s historical significance using fun learning tools”.

The Teacher’s Kit came about after last year’s successful project at Silbury Hill to stabilise the ancient man-made mound. “Pupils from two primary schools and a secondary school visited while the work was in progress. The visit really helped the children to get an in-depth learning experience of the mysterious hill”, said Lucy “So we thought it would be great if we could create a Teacher’s Kit which encourages active learning for visits to the whole World Heritage Site.”

Avebury World Heritage Site is a Neolithic landscape which encompasses Avebury Stone Circle, West Kennet Long Barrow and Avenue, The Sanctuary, Windmill Hill and Silbury Hill.

Avebury Stone Circle, West Kennet Long Barrow and Avenue, The Sanctuary and Windmill Hill are managed by The National Trust on behalf of English Heritage.

View the Avebury Monuments Teacher’s Kit.