Archaeologists have helped uncover one of the “largest and most important” Iron Age finds in the UK.
Sites in North Yorkshire
Articles
Archaeologist says neolithic discovery may be among oldest salt-processing sites in western Europe
Neolithic people were manufacturing salt in Britain almost 6,000 years ago, before the building of Stonehenge and more than two millennia earlier than was first thought, a new archaeological discovery suggests.
Excavations at a site at Street House farm in North Yorkshire have revealed evidence of the earliest salt production site ever found in the UK and one of the first of its kind in western Europe, dating to around 3,800BC.
The finds, uncovered at a coastal hilltop site near Loftus, include a trench containing three hearths, broken shards of neolithic pottery, some still containing salt deposits, shaped stone artefacts and a storage pit – all key evidence of salt processing.
Archaeologists say they may have discovered one of the earliest examples of a ‘crayon’ – possibly used by our ancestors 10,000 years ago for applying colour to their animal skins or for artwork.
The ochre crayon was discovered near an ancient lake, now blanketed in peat, near Scarborough, North Yorkshire. An ochre pebble was found at another site on the opposite side of the lake.
Hope the badgers are fighting back! but.....
Historic monuments are being saved across the Whitby region thanks to the hard work of volunteers.
Working alongside landowners, the volunteer teams are playing a key part in helping the North York Moors National Park and English Heritage save the park’s 840 historic monuments.
Mags Waughman is the national park’s monument management scheme officer and she said that 99 of the monuments are at risk, while another 240 are vulnerable. Among these are a Bronze Age burial at Danby Beacon, a prehistoric field system at Eden House on the Mulgrave Estate and Allan Tofts in Goathland.
English Heritage provided a grant of £100,000 over three years, later doubled to £200,000 to tackle threats caused by coastal erosion, ploughing and badger activity. Mrs Waughman added: “The initial target was to reduce the risk to 50 monuments. The scheme is having a huge positive impact on the large number of scheduled monuments in the National Park, in terms of improving their condition and management, and in increasing the potential for visitor enjoyment.”
Thanks to the volunteers, action has taken place at 184 monuments and a new volunteer project is being carried out to monitor potentially-damaging effects by badgers.
In the past two years, 43 monuments have been removed from the English Heritage ‘at risk’ register or are expected to be, said Mrs Waughman.
A further 19 on the vulnerable list have had their status reduced.
whitbygazette.co.uk/news/environment/north-york-moors-fighting-bracken-and-badgers-1-6504073
7,000 years before campervans pulled on to the West Cliff, it has emerged that Whitby was a popular tourist destination among cavemen.
Following recent investigations a team of archaeologists have discovered litter from a prehistoric campsite near Goldsborough that suggests tourism may actually be Whitby’s oldest industry.
Rachel Grahame, from Tees Archaeology, said 450 flint fragments were uncovered at the site when it was visited in September. She explained that many of the finds were burnt, suggesting they were probably used in a campsite by an ancient tribe who were passing through the area.
“Mesolithic people have always been thought of as nomadic and in many places the only sign of their presence is tiny fragments of flint,” said Rachel.
Recent discoveries such as Star Carr near Scarborough have given the Yorkshire coast a reputation as a hotbed for prehistoric finds. Fieldwalking and geophysical survey have been used to identify the site at Goldsborough and it is proposed to carry out limited excavations in the spring to look for more evidence of hearths and buildings. Rachel added: “It’s very exciting to think that we may find similar archaeological remains here.”
Over 7,000 years ago the people who lived in the area survived by moving around, hunting and herding animals, catching fish and living off fruits and anything else they could find. They probably revised some locations time and time again. The evidence of the activities of these Mesolithic people is difficult to find and usually comprises the remains of the flint and wooden tools they used to hunt their prey and work skins.
The project is being carried out by Tees Archaeology and the North York Moors National Park Authority with the help of local volunteers and funding from English Heritage.
Regular updates about the project can be found on the Tees Archaeology website, www.teesarchaeology.com
whitbygazette.co.uk/news/local/real-life-flintstones-visited-goldsborough-1-5227808
A FIRE which swept across a large area of North Yorkshire moorland has revealed a mysterious monument which could date back to Neolithic times.
This aerial picture from English Heritage shows a stone enclosure and a number of stone cairns on a 62-acre site near the village of Goathland.
David MacLeod, senior investigator with English Heritage’s aerial survey team, said: “We were called in by the North York Moors National Park Authority to capture aerial views before the site is recovered by vegetation.
“We saw at least 20 cairns of varying size, taking pictures from various angles, allowing us to set the site in a wider landscape context.” He said the site could have once been a pen for agricultural use or perhaps a graveyard.
“Whatever its origins, it stands as reminder that the history of North Yorkshire is far from done and dusted, but is still being written,” he added.
An archaeological report is expected on the site next year.
yorkpress.co.uk/news/4821294.North_York_Moors_blaze_uncovers_mystery_monument/
Note; No aerial photo shown!
TOMORROW marks the 175th anniversary of the discovery of Scarborough’s bronze age ancestor, Gristhorpe Man.
Now residing in the Rotunda Museum, Gristhorpe Man, the tallest prehistoric skeleton measured to date, was found by William Beswick and members of the Scarborough Philosophical Society on Thursday July 10 1834.
The museum is holding a special event next month to commemorate the finding of Gristhorpe Man, which is back in its original resting place following a move to the Department of Archaeological Sciences at Bradford University in 2005 for a series of scientific tests.
Found in a large oak coffin after workmen dug into a tumulus on a burial ground on Gristhorpe cliffs, the skeleton was found wrapped in a hide cloak. It is regarded as the best example of an oak tree trunk burial.
Blackened by a reaction between the iron in the water and the tannin in the bark of the coffin, the bones were placed in a laundry copper and simmered in a thin solution of glue made from horse bones before being air-dried for several days.
A monograph on the discovery was written by William Crawford Williamson, the son of John Williamson, the first keeper of the Rotunda Museum, and included exquisite drawings of the skull and grave goods, with details of the method of preservation and the coffin dimensions.
The coffin was displayed outside the museum until 1853, when it was moved inside after decaying.
Karen Snowden, head of collections for the Scarborough Museums Trust, said the discovery was made more remarkable by its condition. “His find was unusual for two reasons.
‘’Firstly, most oak coffins tend to have no remains, with the bones dissolving, and secondly, all the little bones on his fingers and toes are still intact.”
She said although he may not have been the bronze age warrior chief some perceived him to be, he was still a well-respected figure at the time of his death.
“When they found him they thought he was less than 500 years old. They couldn’t conceive he was more than 3,000 years old.
“He was someone of importance and definitely over 45. Unfortunately, the test only goes up to that age, so we can’t get a definite age. But he was a big man and well nourished, who led a reasonably easy life and there was no indication of suffering from his bones. He is the tallest prehistoric skeleton which has been measured known to date.
He might not be the tallest because there are many skeletons in museums, but he’s the tallest that has been measured and recorded.
“He also had a complete set of teeth, which was not uncommon, because there was no sugar.”
Buried in a big, lavish ceremony, the Gristhorpe Man had some very expensive goods with him in the coffin, including a dagger with a whale bone pommel and copper blade.
Karen said further investigations had now revealed more about his life, and tests had dispelled some theories about what he was buried with.
She said: “The horn ring they found with him now looks likely to be part of Gristhorpe Man himself as a piece of cartilage from his throat, and what was first thought to be mistletoe berries are now thought to be something more unwelcome for him, such as kidney stones, which would have been very uncomfortable.”
After being moved for seven years at the time of the Second World War, Gristhorpe Man was returned to the museum.
The story will soon hit the small screen in more ways than one.
Karen said: “Filmmakers will be here in late July and early August looking at the Gristhorpe Man and the work carried out in Bradford, and while there has been a digital reconstruction of his face, Dr Alan Ogden has produced a reconstruction that speaks in English but also in bronze age language.”
The Rotunda Museum is holding the drop-in event on Saturday August 1, from 11am to 4pm.
Scarborough News tinyurl.com/mh8axo
Bronze Age language!!
Article in the ‘Craven Herald & Pioneer’- March 23 2009
Modern cairns built by Dales hikers will be dismantled this weekend under plans to preserve a Bronze Age chieftain’s burial site.
The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority has organised the initiative after expressing fears that walkers have unwittingly used rocks from the ancient burial mound to build new landmarks.
Now local archaeologist Yvonne Luke and Dales volunteers plan to dismantle the cairns and all but one of the windbreaks at Beamsley Beacon, near Bolton Abbey.
Robert White, senior conservation officer for the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, said: “There are problems at a number of historically-important sites in the national park, including Beamsley Beacon.
“During the Bronze Age, some 4,500 years ago, a large stone mound was built there, probably to mark the burial place of a local chieftain and as a boundary marker. “Much of this cairn, now about 11 metres in diameter, still survives, but in recent years it has suffered a lot of disturbance due to people using stones from it to make modern cairns and windbreaks. Another smaller historic cairn lies further along the ridge at Old Pike and that has also lost some of its stones.
“We would urge walkers to resist the temptation to pick up stones and build cairns – wherever they are – because they can unwittingly damage ancient, historically-important sites like this stone mound.”
Walkers have always appreciated the good views at Beamsley Beacon. Its name, recorded in 1667, suggests it was used as part of a signalling system using fires. In 1804, during the Napoleonic wars, the beacon was refurbished and a guardhouse was constructed to shelter the beacon keeper.
Unfortunately, the stone foundations of this building are also suffering from modern stone moving.
A temporary poster urging people not to build cairns and explaining why will be put up on the concrete triangulation point and will eventually be replaced by a permanent interpretation panel.
A detailed archaeological survey of the hilltop has been done and Mr White and his team are appealing for old photographs of the site.
Contact Mr White or members of the Historic Environment Team on 0300 456 0030.
cravenherald.co.uk/news/4213677.___Don___t_desecrate_the_chieftain___s_grave___/
WALKERS in the Yorkshire Dales National Park have been urged not to use stones to build cairns or wind breaks as they are putting the countryside’s heritage at risk.
Rocks have been taken from ancient sites, including burial mounds dating back to the Bronze Age, to create cairns on routes in the Dales.
Beamsley Beacon, near Bolton Abbey, which has a large Bronze Age stone mound more than 35ft in diameter, is among the sites which have been disturbed.
Another smaller historic cairn further along the ridge at Old Pike has also lost a significant number of its stones.
Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority senior conservation officer Robert White said: “There are problems at a number of historically important sites within the national park, including Beamsley Beacon near Bolton Abbey. We would urge walkers to resist the temptation to pick up stones and build cairns – wherever they are – because they can unwittingly damage ancient, historically important sites like this stone mound.” Archaeologist Yvonne Luke and the national park authority’s volunteers will dismantle modern cairns and all but one of the wind breaks at Beamsley this weekend. Repairs are also being carried out on footpaths to try to stem some natural erosion.
A poster urging people not to build cairns and explaining why will be put up on the concrete Triangulation Point.
An archaeological survey of the hilltop has been carried out and Mr White and his team are appealing for old photographs of the site to help them build a picture of what it used to be like.
Anyone who can help is asked to contact the authority’s historic environment team on 0300 456 0030.
By Paul Jeeves
yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/Walkers-urged-not-to-pick.5082953.jp
Archaeologists have been excavating Whitby headland and found a carved stone. They have found traces of an Iron Age enclosure there, and they’re hoping the stone might be prehistoric. I wonder what people here think.
24hourmuseum.org.uk/nwh_gfx_en/ART51381.html
Scroll down towards the end to see the stone (past the altogether more impressive Fylingdales stone).
- guided tours
- have-a-go dig sessions
- storytelling
- re-enactment group
- make a coil pot
- iron age costumes...and much more
In 2002, the first archaeological excavation took place, followed by further digs in 2003, 2004 and 2005.
The 2006 excavation begins in September including two weeks of school visits followed by the family open day on Sunday 1st October between 10am and 4pm.
Details here
redcar-cleveland.gov.uk/Leisur1.nsf/0/10B84ADB4C00F87F80256CC3004A2634?OpenDocument
From The Telegraph’s website
Gristhorpe Man, who was found buried in a tree trunk in the 19th century, has been identified as a Bronze Age warrior chieftain by archaeologists.
The skeleton of Gristhorpe Man, excavated near Scarborough in 1834. Although a few examples of burial in a scooped-out oak tree have been found in Scotland and East Anglia, it was an unusual method and the example found near Scarborough, North Yorks, was the best preserved.
The full article is to be found here.
From the Yorkshire post:
“They roamed the earth almost 6,000 years ago, performing rituals on animal remains and devouring human body parts.
But these are not the strange creatures of film or fiction – they were farmers in the Yorkshire Dales.
New research on bones discovered in six Dales caves has revealed that farming in the area dates back thousands of years –and with it a history of cannibalism.”
A replica of an Iron Age house used by the first settlers in Ryedale is set to be built by young offenders in the grounds of Ryedale Folk Museum at Hutton-le-Hole.
The venture, which is expected to cost £25,000, will see the 10-metre long house become a major new attraction at the popular museum, says curator Mike Benson.
The ambitious scheme, which has involved extensive research, is to be linked with the museum’s cornfield site at the northern part of the grounds. There will also be a grain store and pottery kiln said Mr Benson. “It will have considerable education value. We are working with Sure Start and we are hopeful of attracting funding from DEFRA, the North York Moors National Park Authority and the Museum Service.”
The Probation Service’s young offenders’ scheme is expected to be involved in building the house, with young people, who have been given community service orders by the courts, receiving expert help and advice.
A historical architect has been engaged to produce the plans, which have now been submitted to the national park authority for a decision on the scheme.
from This Is Ryedale:
thisisryedale.co.uk/ryedale/news/RYEDALE_NEWS_LOCAL7.html
CAMPAIGNERS fighting to safeguard the Thornborough Henges say the country is “waking up” to the threat facing the nationally important site near Ripon.
Just over one month ago the campaign group Heritage Action vowed to make Thornborough a national issue, and already senior figures within the archaeological world are coming forward to denounce proposals by Tarmac to extend its quarrying operations closer to the triple henge complex.
And Thornborough is gaining widespread media attention. The henges have been featured in The Times, The Guardian, BBC Radio Five, and a number of national magazines.
Top archaeology title Current Archaeology called the situation a “crisis” and commented that quarrying the Ladybridge site adjacent to the henges would “cause the loss of another 111 acres of archaeology of critical importance”.
George Chaplin, Thornborough campaign co-ordinator for Heritage Action, said this week: “The signs are that Britain is waking up to this savage threat to our heritage.”
He says the archaeology world is not well known for either speaking out or co-ordinating activities, but now it seems that a strong consensus against the quarrying at Thornborough is building. Both the Council for British Archaeology (CBA) and the Yorkshire Archaeological Society (YAS) have voiced their opposition to the quarrying.
“The proposals are contrary to national and local policy. The application is incomplete, non-compliant with regulatory requirements, and granting consent would set unacceptable precedents”, says the CBA’s director, George Lambrick, in a letter to North Yorkshire County Council.
Peter Addyman of the YAS says: “This area is part of an extensive area of archaeological importance and potential, the destruction of which, even with archaeological recording and survey, is not in the local, regional or national interest.
“The proposed extraction is part of the setting of the most important prehistoric monuments of their date in Yorkshire. It is clear that the landscape as a whole around Thornborough is of archaeological significance and only now becoming even partially understood.”
Top archaeologist Aubrey Burl has likened Tarmac’s plans to dropping Stonehenge into the River Avon, while TV’s Dr Mark Horton, Head of Archaeology at Bristol University, commented that his was no longer a lone voice. “Increasingly, fellow archaeologists are coming forward to condemn this application,” he said.
To take the campaign to an even wider audience, Heritage Action have produced a re-vamped Thornborough website, which includes brand new aerial photos demonstrating the impact of the Ladybridge application. The website now also offers an online ‘objection letter kit’ which aims to make the task of objecting easier for the general public. Full details are available at www.heritageaction.org/thornborough
Heritage Action have also organised a large number of talks and events aimed at providing as many people as possible with an in depth understanding of the issues.
Among events it is attending this month are the York Peace Festival (September 11), Nidderdale Show (September 20) and Masham Sheep Fair (September 25 and 26).
3rd September 2004
nidderdaletoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=18&ArticleID=850122
An eagle-eyed walker’s stroll in English countryside has turned up a piece of history going back at least 3000 years. Michael Lowsley was on one of his regular walks through the picturesque Crimple Valley when an object sticking from the soil suddenly stopped him in his tracks. “I thought straight away it looked interesting. But I had no idea how interesting until I picked it up and gave it closer examination,” said Mr Lowsley, countryside secretary of Harrogate Ramblers’ Association.
The find was eventually declared a Neolithic stone axe after being taken to officials at Harrogate Museums service who sought confirmation from an expert at Manchester University. The discovery has fuelled speculation of a Neolithic settlement in the valley and the possibility of a geological survey by experts.
Alistair Smith, assistant curator for Harrogate Museums and Arts, described the axe head as a very interesting find. It had been declared stone, not flint. The axe head is believed to be the first discovery of its kind in the valley, although development works in Harrogate have produced historical finds in the past.
Although it was found by a walker while on a public right of way the axe head was on privately owned land and belongs to the landowner. Mr Lowsley said following a “very positive” meeting the landowner had agreed to donate it to the museum with the intention of its being displayed in the near future.
Source: Harrogate News (9 January 2004)
One of Britain’s most important archaeological finds is under threat – from North Yorkshire potato farmers.
Scientists have discovered a vast area of buried buildings and villages spanning 6,000 years, under fields at West Heslerton, near Malton in North Yorkshire.
“I the North Riding am for spaciousness renown’d
Our mother Yorkshire’s eld’st.”
POLY-OLBION. The Works of Michael Drayton, Esq. In four volumes.
London MDCCLIII. Vol. II..
Sunday, 17 July.
“Dr Keith Boughey leads this fascinating walk to find hidden prehistoric carvings in Nidderdale. A moderate two-part walk of about 3 miles.”
Monday, 18 July.
“From Bronze Age rock art to Iron Age hut circles, come along to find out more about Prehistoric Nidderdale.”
Website based on the Historic Environment Record of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority.
Varied stuff including audio trails you can download, a bit for kids, and good lists and info for interesting places in each area of the park.
(ta to Paulus for pointing that one out.)
A nice website from the local Archaeology Unit
