. • Society 0f Great Britain The Royal Photograpl11c
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NoB
April
1979
Contents Cover
Canterbury Cathedral by Arthur J. Page ARPS Editorial Lympne - update by Professor Barry Cunli:f:fe Persepolis - Part II by John Sabini Bird's Eye View by Eric Houlder Note on cover photo by Arthur ~age Register o:f Photographers by .Michael Gill Churches Programme '79 Film Premi~re Bu.lser Ancient Farm Research Project by Dr. Peter Reynolds Book Reviews by Tony Pearce Butser photographs
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3 4 8 9 9 7 6
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12 15 16
Editorial o:f us like to be part o:f a success story, and readers o:f ARCHAEOLOG will be pleased to know that the circulation o:f the magazine is increasing daily. This.fact has a direct benefit :for every reader, for as you will see, the magazine can become :fatter with more photographs. Most
1 s answer issue Eric Houlder, archaeolog to Victor B1ackman in Photographer, bounces back with a'Bird 1 s Eye View•. We are to present :features by Dr. Peter Reynolds on the Butser Farm Research Project, and by Professor Barry Cunliffe on J:ast year ·• s work at Lympne. On page S. is the :first o:f a new feature on - churches - this is your page, and r want it to be :filled with your photographs and brief notes on your favourite churches.
:In this Amateur pleased Ancient
In the next few months the Group will be out and Canterbury, Butser Ancient Farm, and Ironbridge. meeting many of you on these occasions.
about with visits I look forward
to to
Tha Council of the Royal Photographic Society has decided that the proposed National Photographic Centre will be set up in Bath. The Appeal for £'.,300,000 was started last June, and now stands at £200,000. Every support is needed for the project to meet its target and to make the Centre a reality. You can do this by going to the premiare of two superb nature :films (see page 10) or by sending your donation to the Society's Secretary at 14 South Audley Stree ·t, London, W.1.
Next Issue Iseu~ recent
No 9 will be devoted season o:f lectures.
to the Please
Aegean.with send all
articles additional
on our copy by 31st
May.
ARCHAEOLOGis produced by the Royal Photographic Society Archaeological Group at 7 Ladbroke Walk, London, w.11, and printed by Chelsea Printing Services, Campden Hill Road, London, W.8. Editorial Teams Tony Pearce.
2
Angela
Subscript
i ons:
Copyrights with the
Where author.
©
archaeolog
£2.50 the
Clarke, per
year
article
MCMLXXIX
Clare (£1.50 is
Conybeare, for
credited
Su Fox,
students, to
a person
£2.00
Peggy
Pearce,
:for RPS members)
copyright
remains
LYMPNE 1978 BY BARRY CUNLIFFE 1s Those · who attended Professor Cunliffe excellent lecture 'The Roman Forts of the Saxon Shore 1 will be interested to learn what happened in last year 1 s excavations. The following is an edited version of the interim account on those · excavations.
In 1977 a small
exploratory trench was dug immediately-behind Basti6n 9 to examine the recess in the back of the bastion which had been noted by Roach-Smith. This exposed an area of occupation rubbish just inside the wall. To e2:plore : the internal occupation more fully a new trench was : dug at right angles to the fort wall for some 20 m into the fort towards the site of the bath building which Roach-Smith had excavated. The principal area of occupation material lay at the west end of the trench. Here remains of timber structures built of vertical planks were located together · with a cobbled area paved with lumps of ragstone. The structural remains were sealed by an occupation layer 10 - 20 ems thick which in turn was s ·ealed with up to 1.5 m of clay which had accumulated as the result of solifluction processes in the post-Roman period. The finds recovered . showed that the occupation layer dated to the late third or fourth century. In all probability it was related to the stokery 0£ the · bath housa, found in 1850, which lay just to the west of the excavation. section of the trench was devoid of occupation. material·,: the soliflucted clay lying immediately upon the surface of the natural clay. At the eastern end of the trench the eastern wall of the fort survived in a tolerably well-preserved state though it had fallen forwards (i.e. eastwards) to rest at an angle of about 45°. Had it been upright the wall would have · stood 5.2 m above its foundation - offset. The back face, where covered with soil, retained much of its ashlar facing for · 20 courses Above the tenth row was a double tile bonding course which marked an offset. Two further offsets occurred between it and the next tile course except for the length of facing close to the opening into the back of the bastion, where the face was vertical and unbroken above the first tile course. The collapse of the wall was accompanied by a slipping of the natural clay upon which it had been built, allowing the wall footings to sink by about 1.5 m below the adjacent natural level. The occupation . levels behind the wall tilted with the clay base and more- material subsequently eroded down to fill the hollow. The • middle
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Comparison of the reconstructed fort plan with other Saxon Shore ~orts :indicated that · a postern gate might be expected to lie · in the c .entre o'E' the north wall. Exami -nation of the standing masonry showed that had a gate existed it could only have stood just to the east of ·. bastion No. 5. A small tri'al trench cut in the re-levant place revealed the west side of the opening. The gate would have been about 3 m in width. The first three seasons of excavation have answered · satisfactorily two of the three questions posed at the outset of the project: a) It is now possible to offer a convincing reconstruction of' the fort plans before · soil slipping began to distort the remains J levels have b) Sufficient has been done to show that internal occupation A reasonable little chance of survival except in protected locations. fort phase sample of occupation material contemporary with the shore has also b~en recovered. The problem of' the sitiac of' the base of the Classis Britannica (British fleet) and of its contemporary harbour still remains. Suff'i .cient reused building material, including stamped tiles, have been recovered to imply that the site 'i'as not far away but no contemporary occupation layer was found within the area occupied by the later fort. In all probaility the early site lies partially or totally buried by silt and it will be necessary to extend the programme of core-boring to locate it.
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PERSEPOLIS CITY OF THE PERSIANS written by John Sabini with photographs by William Tracy Today we enter and proceed through Persepolis much as the Persian courtiers and tributaries did. The retaining walls of the great terrace rise above us some 14 to 41 feet, dark grey like the hills behind them, constructed of those huge blocks of stone the ancients tossed about with such ease. The single entrance is a staircase near the northwest corner, a double flight, each half the mirror image of the other, the lower steps divergent, the upper convergent. The treads are broad, the grade gentle enough for hors_esand animal tribute to take them in stride. At the top an enormous gate rises straight ahead, its four piers manned by winged humanheaded bulls. These anomalous but somehow convincing creatures already had a long history when Persepolis w95 built, and tod ay it is probably impossible to recapt1,1rethe ide_asand emotions they inspired. They have none of the brutal ferocity of their Assyrian ancestors, who were meant to inspire one thing-terror. These Persian man-beasts, with their elaborate beards, draped headdresses, upturned wings and fringed shanks, have a jaunty air, but their aloof stare leaves no · doubt of their rcgality. Even today without
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the reality they symbolize, it is possible to feel a preparatory twinge of awe before them. In the mi<ldle of the gate stands a pair of fluted pillars based on an Egyptian palm motif. The entire structure must have been roofed, a stately overture to the grandeur to follow. No doubt units of the royal guard were posted here to reinforce authority and direct the delegates on their way. Turning to the center of the platform we look across a vast space, an esplanade that stretches ~he entire width of the terrace. On the other side stand the platforms of the principal monuments. On the left is the Hall of a Hundre<l Columns, on the right, slightly higher and jutting forward, is the Apadana, or audience hall. A broad alley runs between them, closed by the Tripylon, another great gate. These ceremonial buildings bisect the entire terrace from east to west. Behind them, on a series of descending terraces to the south, are the banqueting halls, the residential palaces, the harems and the treasuries. In their heyday the facades of these great public buildings must have presented an awesome sight, their rows of columns frontinJ? on the porches and receding into
the din~ light of the halls. Today not one of the Hundred Columns is standing, but their bases, 10 rows of 10 each, give some idea of their ordered splcndor. Thirteen columns of the Apadana still stand, the highest reaching 60 feet, taller than anything the classical world produced except the Roman Temple of Jupiter at Baalbek in present-day Lebanon. But the Persian columns are slimmer and more delicateiy fl~t~d, thus accenting their height. They rest on inverted, bell-shaped calyxes and near the top they break into a series of complicated protuberances, like the coda of a romantic 19th-century symphony. At the very top they burst out in that most fantastic of impost blocks consisting of the head and foreparts of tw< matched animals-lions, bulls, or griffonscrouched back to back, the hollow between their shoulders formed to suppor1 the cross beams of the roof.
L .
Thronging the stairways and walls, the door jambs and window frames of these buildings are the men and animals, the servants, guards, tributaries, nobles and ministers of the Great King , always in profile, carve<l so flat as to be almost two-dimensional, yet having a quick inner life of their own-the stone replica of the throngs that pressed forward here in the flesh on the Persian New Year 2,500 years ago. Ranks of Median soldiers stand at guard, their lances at port arms, their bows slung over their shoulders, their quivers down their backs. Courtiers step forward, one foot before the other or raised to the stair above, carrying a lotus flower in one hand; occasionally one turns to look at the man behind him, but without breaking step. The great majority in the procession bear tribute: vessels of various shapes, a pair of heavy bracelets, skins, embroidered shawls, stacks of folded cloth. Some balance heavily laden yokes on their shoulders; others carry full sacks, beehives, whips and odd-shaped bundles. And many lead animals-saddle horses and horses hitched to chariots, bullocks with lyre-shaped horns, a pair of fleecy rams, two-humped camels, a giraffe, a lioness on a leash and, cradled in the bearers' arms, lambs, young stags and lion cubs. One or two lead a man-perhaps a slave? But there is no hint of coercion as in the bloody triumphs of the Egypti~ Pharaohs or Assyrian kings. The pervadin emotion is solemnity, as if each man were conscious of his part in a vital ceremony. The individuals are not characterized, hut each group is distinguished by its features and <lrei-s--armless cloaks or coats with dangling sleeves, long skirts or short tunics over breeches, ~ variety of
of the procession arc due not only to the earthly power but to divine as well. Wings, claws, fur, scales, horns, beards, hair. Thrones, altars, fly-whisks, umbrellas . An endless procession of men marching in fixed ceremony. All is ordered, rhythmic, symbolic, iconic, abstract. There are no women or children, no lovers, no nudes, no scenes of domestic pleasures, no grief, no anger, no joy. No birth, marriage, or death. No pathos, no humor, no passion. Enormous areas of human experience are excluded. It is like a raga-an endless repetition of quarter tones and barely evolving themes that never reach a climax.
shoes and boots and that badge of membership and extension of personality, the headdress-pointed, domed, tiered, some like a crown of feathers, others with tailpicces down their backs, still others veiled like a Bedouin from the desert. From such details, and from the trilingual inscriptions, archeologists and epigraphers can spot the races and tribes that tnade up the empire: Arabs, Armenians, Babylonians, Bactrians, Cicilians, Cappadocians, Carians, Egyptians, Gandarans, lonians, Indians, Libyans, Lydians, Parthians, Phoenicians, Scythians, men of Shush and men of Sind, Thracians-"those who dwell by the sea and those who dwell across the sea" as one inscription puts it. They brought their art and their livestock, their precious metals and gemstones, cedarwood from the Lebanon and papyrus from the Nile. They must have brought ideas as well, their · skills and languages and religions. What a great mingling of men, from Africa, Europe and Asia, a mixture of congress, pilgrimage and world's fair. The procession is sometimes broken and an awkward angle filled in with stylized vegetation, a row of spear-shaped cypresses or unfolding palmettes, a border of flat rosettes, all elegantly unnatural. At key points a large panel depicts a lion savaging a bull-but for all the fangs of the lion and the startled fear of the bull, "savaged" is too strong a word: it is fixed and hieratic, curled , coiffed and bloodless. On other panels a hero-king plunges a dagger into the belly of an upright lion or griffon, hut their pose, too, has the stateliness of a formal dance. These arc religious icons: the bull perhaps represents the old year, the lion the new; the stabbed beast may be the powers of darkness overcome by the powers of light. For all the apparent violence, no real blood is shed. The Great King himself appears several times. He is seen strolling under an umbrella borne by an attendant, while another attendant manipulates a fly-whisk over his head. Elsewhere he is seated on a lion-footed throne under a tasselled canopy, with guards and ministers displaying their symbols of office. Sometimes he appears before a fire altar, and Ahuramazda, the god of light and goodness, h/lVCrsoverhead seated on an orb with outstretched wings and as carefully bearded and curled as king or courtier. For the awe and solemnity
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The article
No wonder Alexander destroyed it. It is the antithesis of Hellenism, with its strong throb of the pulse-beat of life. Legend has it that after conquering Persepolis Alexander set fire to the palaces and audience halls during a drunken brawl, incited by a Greek courtesan named Thais, in revenge for the Persian sack of Athens 12 5 years before. Historians, seeking more apposite reasons, ascribe the destruction of Persepolis to policy or greed. It is known that the treasuries of the Achaemenids yielded great wealth to Alexander's war chest and the looting of the city helped satisfy his grumbling soldiers. ·Whatever the political or emotional motives were, the style of Persepolis would not have stopped Alexander from lighting the brand.
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And burned Persepolis certainly was. One can see the ashes of the wood and curtains and other combustible material today. Ironically this is what preserved Persepolis for our eyes. The fire brought the edifice down upon itself, buried the carved men and animals under the debris, baked the clay tablets telling the accounts of the builders, and thus preserved something of the splendor of the·city of the Persians. Nowhere else, except perhaps at Pompei or Herculaneum, does the ancient world look so new; so stylishly accoutred, so brushed and combed, not a whisker or a hair out of place.
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Jo/111Sabi11i lived in the ~Middle East a11d North Africa for more than 20 years, and is author of About Tunisia. He is 11uw finishing a book 011 Western trm ,clers in the Arabia11 Pe11ins11/a .
was originally published In Aramco World Magazine.
5
PROGRAMME •79 Saturday 21st Photographing
Apri1 10.00 Artefacts in
17.00 a Studio
hrs Environment
Once an artefact, be it a coin, water1ogged wood or a beauti~u1 mode1 has been c1eaned, and usua11y before conservation, there is the need for a definitive photograph. It is with this aspect of photography that this workshop dea1s. Crossed po1arised 1ight, wandering 1ieht, specu1ar ref1ective methods, sca1es, backgrounds, process and printing manipu1ation. Interested? Maritime Further evenings Fee
Then come to Museum, Greenwich
the at
Photographic Department 10.00. Bring sandwiches.
of
the
information from your host Brian Tremain, 01-858-4422 and weekends 04747 (Longfie1d, Kent) 3492
£5 to
Mary Mit~he11,
Miss
J Lorraine
Court,
Ta1bot
Nationa1 ex 244,
Road,Wemb1ey
HA04UF
Saturday 19th May 10.15 - 16.JO hrs A visit to Canterbury where Tim Tatton-Brown, the Director ·. of CanterbUTy Archaeo1ogica1 Trust wi11 guide us round the precincts and the sites current1y being excavated in this historic city. The group wi11 then be ab1e to photograph. The cost for the day is £1.50. 10.1.5 Mee·t outside Canterbury Cathedra1 at the WEST DOOR, in front of the 1 s Pa1ace Archbishops gateway. 1).00 14.oo
Lunch · at a nearby pub. Dr. Driver wi11 give a guided tour of his excavation in the city centre of parts of the Roman pub1ic bath bui1dings. By May it is expected · that a series of Roman bui1dings fronting a street and 1eve1s of the Be1gic oppidum beneath wi11 be visib1e. The remainder of the afternoon wi11 be devoted to photography of any of the ·se sites, all of which are within easy wa1king distance.
16..JO Return Saturday 16th
June
At the kind invitation of Mr. Peter Reynolds there wi11 be a visit to the Butser Ancient Farm Project Trust in Hampshire. This is the principa1 ~entre for experimental archaeo1ogy in the country. See the article in this issue on page 12. The cost for the day will be £1.,50.Please fil1 in the enc1osed rep1y s1ip for thes• two outings and send them to Miss C1a~e Conybeare, 4J Harber.ton .Road, N. 19 Transport to and from these events wil1 be by private cars. We hope · to arrange for those without cars to receive lifts with peop1e who wi11 be driving. Please wil1 you indicate on the rep1y s1ips in this and subsequent issues of Archaeolog if you can offer 1ifts or if you require transport to be · arranged. If you travel in someone e1se 1 s car, we suggest that the cost of petrol is shared, 2p per mile being a reasonable contribution. If the driver does not wish to accept your contribution, how about sending it to the Bath Appeal? Any arrangements made are done so pursuant to . the Road Transport Act 1978 without any responsibi1ity or 1iabi1ity on the part of the RPS or the Archaeological Group Friday Ironbridge
6
20th
July
- Sunday
Congress
- See
22nd
July
brochure
for
details
Saturday 8th September Visit to the Wea1d a.~d Down1and Chicheste~. A1so to Fishbourne
Open Air Museum at Roman vi11a.
Details
issue
wi11
be in
a subsequent
of
Archaeo1og
Sing1eton
near
On the 1eft is the first of ouT series, a photograph by Arthur J. Page ARPS., of the nave and choir of Durham Cathedral. Of particular interest in the photograph are ¡ the ribs used to strengthen the roofs of the nave and choir, which were used here for the first time in England. A fine example of Norman architecture which was begun in 1093. The huge co1umns of th& nave, incised with zigzag and diamond patterns, are over six feet in diameter.
llelow,as a comp1ete contrast, is a picture by Brian Eagan, of a Methodist chape1 in Moulsoe, Buckinghamshire. Bui1G in the late eighteenth century, it was first used by the free ¡ Church, but taken over by the Methodists in 1920. It has now fallen into disrepair, but because of its archectur.al interest, it is being moved at a cost of £5,000, to the Stacey Hil1 Collection, in Mi1ton Keynes. It has a thatched roof, and the interior and roof are panelled, whi1e at one end is a raised area, which is boxed in. It is said that the original minister used to sleep there.
7
BIRD'SEYE
VIEW
,by ERIC HOULDER
\
WHO WAS THE FIRST? Some wou1d say Fox Talbot was the first archaeological photographer, for in 1 The Pencil of Nature• he advocated the recording of objects d'art, which I suppose could include excavated material. As far as I can tell, the first deliberate us~ of photography on-site, was in Egypt in 1865. Professor · Charle ·s Piazzi Smith, an astronomer from Edinburgh took a series of pietura~ · in the Great Pyramid on coated microscope slides. His camera~, specially made for the expedition, were · metal stereoscopic miniature instruments capable · of instantaneous exposures. The extant negatives will still sustain a surprising amount of enlargement, especially the ones taken with the lenses stopped down a bit. Piazzi Smith was also the first to t.ake · a flash photograph in the· Pyramid, using powder ·, which produced so many fumes that the exposure rate was one shot a day!
RIVAL'S ADVICE As an avid reader · of a11 kinds o:f photographic literature, your columnist generally tries out the advice given. So when some time ago Vic Blackman in Amateur·Photographer advocated the use of a polarizing filter · for colour- aerials, I was determined to try one. In :fact I have owned a polarizer since · 1969 and wrote · a 1etter to Current Archaeology the :following year outlining its use in site photography. Perhaps I should have 1:ried it before . he- did :! Fbr those wllo have never used a polarizing filter I should add that it has a :factor of about 2.5. It is operated on a reflex camera by twisting the rotating mount until the correct and desired degree of polarization is · achieved. This is the only known way of increasing contrast and colour-saturation on reversal stock, and I have found it invaluable on sites with highly reflective bedrock or soil .
In late : July the opportunity arose to try it in flight. The camera chosen was my SRT 101 loaded with 50S Professional. It was a windy day with 6/Bth cloud ., base : at 4,500 feet. Exposure without the filter was in the region of · 1/500 • f4.5a with the filter it varied from :r1.7 to f2.8. Immediately a problem arose '. When photographing a site my usual procedure is to line up the needles and then wait until the featuPes are squarely in the viewfinder · showing maximum clarity before firing. With the polarizing filter on, one·must wait until the site is correctly :framed, THEN twist the :filter. Naturally, as you twist it, the needle deflections change, a1tering the exposure which must then be re-set. Though this can be done quite quickly, on~ must remember tha~ the · aircraft is :flying in a steep circle at something like a hundred miles an hour. By the time the camera is re-set, the · site is no longer at maximum clarity and one must go round again. After half a dozen exposures, I came to the reluctant conclusion that until Santa can come up with a shutter-priority automatic, the polarizer :ls more bother than it is worth. The results? . Out of' six exposures, one was superb; the rest were adequate!
SUTTON WHO? In May 1939, Basil
Brown began to open mound one of the Sutton Mounts · on the heathland abova the river Deben, opposite Woodbridge. So what, you may enquire, has this to do with either the current issue of Archaeolog or Bird's Eye View, a column devoted chiefly to the Northern and aerial viewpoints? There are connections. 1979 is the fortieth anniversary of' this, the most memorable moment in British archaeology, and in :fact one of our G~oup members, M1.ss Mercie Lack ARPS was not only there to record the excavation, but during it took the first archaeological colour photographs on the recently introduced reversal :film.
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Ten y.ears ago, :In 1969, the 1ast vestiges of the great ship-mound were excavated, and one of the two site supervisors (responsible for the southern ha1f of the site -) was your scribe. With him were a number of v.o1unteers from the North, working in various capacities. In four seasons of i:ntensiv.e . digging many problems, both archaeo1ogical and photographic, arose ·. :rn the ne?itt few B.E. v• s it is hoped · to dea1 with these, and perhaps a1so recount one or two anecdotes.
1600 ASA COLOUR When Miss Lack photographed Sutton Hoo in 1939, the Agfaco1our she used was )Op incl. processing. It was also only about 8 ASA. By 1969 we were · using 50 ASA reversa1 film, though the • fastest even then was H.s. Elctachrome uprated to 650 ASA. Nowadays, though 50 or perhaps 64 ASA stock is sti11 the best . for· colour on si ta, i:f' necessary it is possible to use Elctachrome 4.00 at up to 1600 ASA. An increase of Sf times in forty years, and the quality is surprisingly good. An ornithologist friend has recently shown me· )6 · exposures shot :fn appalling conditions through a telescope on his Mamiya 1000 DTL. · Few o:f' the frames were failures, and these due vo camera or · subject movement rather than the film. Colour saturation• grain and contrast were a11 satisfactory. So, we have - 1600 ASA transparencies ·, 400 ASA colour negs, infra,.red · colour, monochrome • stock of incredible versatility, multi-coated 1enses, TTL metering, etc. The results should be out of this world in comparison . with those achieved forty years and more ago, but are they? Not a bit of · it, and for why? · Qute simply, we are trying to substitute techno1ogy :for skill, photographic and archaeo1ogica1. There can be no substitute for getting out ther~ into the mud with a trowel, brush, and tripod-mounted camera. V~ew each exposur& as a problem to be · ~1ved, and it will all come right :in the end.
CLOSING QUOTE . 0v.erhea:rd by a :friend many years ago during a discussion with Cookson on the practicalities of photographic surveying. 'Archaeology is not 1ike that! It is five men on a windy hill with , a camera in a gumboot under a hedge.•
M. B,.
NOTE ON THE COVER PHOTOGRAPH The cover photograph of Canterbury Cathedral was taken by Arthur ARPS on 2)rd September 1978 at about 16.30 hours. Camera was a ~ashicamat Twin Lens reflex using 120 F.P.4 material. An orange was fitted to overcome ground haze. The height of the aircraft about 1200 ft. No :fiddling was necessary on the print; it was :fortune that the lighting was perfect at that particular time. was 1/500th at :r5.6 . shooting through the perspex cockpit cover does not help definition}.
J.
Page
filter · was just good Exposure · (which
REGISTER . OF PHOTOGRAPHERS Over · the pas~ few months the proposed list o:f' photographers has been discussed at each committee meeting. Perhaps regretably, the commit~ee has decided not to proceed with this project. To those who are interested in , photographing archaeological sites, may I recommend you contact your · local archaeological society/group. A1so, come along to the Archaeological Group Workshops, and photographic outings, where · you may practice and learn more about the techniques of archaeological photography. Michael
Gill
9
Photo Trevor Hurst This 1ate 14th century Ampul1a excavated in Trig Lane, London in 1976 depicts St. Becket being kil1ed (right) and in his Sainthood (lef't) Pewter 7 ems.high
10
Found handle works Both
Photo Jenny in Milk Street, London, this Saxon axe has a to prevent the user f'rom injuring his hands his was along the timber. Length about items
f'rom the
Museum of London.
Orsmond curved as he 50cms.
The 5,:vem Warehouse. lronhridge . Formerly a riverside w-Mehou,;eof the Coalbrookdale Company. the restored building now houses a \isitor centre.
FilmPremiere It is a far present the fi1m
cry f'rom archaeo1ogy, British premi~re of
but the RPS Motion Picture Group -..:i.11 John Heuer 1 s prize winning conservation
.The Reef the story of' the Great Barrier Reef f'rom man's ancient awareness of' it to his realisation that it is a major worli wonder of' great va1ue to ,. mankind. The f'i1m is introduced by HRH Duke of' Edinburgh and real1y is beautif'ul1y produced. plus f'or plus
PLANET WATER A new BP fi1m wor1dwide
giving
features
study
o:f the
vita1
need
·
conservation.
AND1ALS OF THE S,\NDY SHORE.
other
a g1obal
o:f the
shore
The underwater
li:fe
of
shellfish
and
line.
In the
VICKEHS CINEMA, MILLBANK TOWER, MILLBANK, LONDON, S.i.li.1. (adjacent to the Tate Ga11ery}, nearest tube station· . - Pim1ico, line, at 7.30 :for 8 pm on Wednesday, 9th May 1979,
A donation Send
o:f £2
your
donations
(or
more) and
s.
to
the
A. E.
Bath
secures
. an invitation.
to:
Michae1
Forkin,
11 Oakwood
"
Fund
Victoria
Park
Hon.
Sec.
RPS MoPic
Group
Road,
Southgate London
N.
14
II
BUTSER . ANCIENT FARM RESEARCH PROJECT On Saturday 16th June the Group As a foretaste, Peter Reynolds, writes about the project.
will visit the Project
Butser. Director
The Butser Ancient Farm Research Project is unique in British and World Archaeology in that its purpose is to reconstruct and operate a farm dating to approximately 300 BC. In reality it is a vast open-air scientific research laboratory devoted to prehistoric agriculture and archae ·ology. The reason for its being brought into creation as a :zrasearch tool is directly related to the immense problems of understanding posed by the prehistoric period. The distinction between history and prehistory is largely understood by.the presence or absence of. documentary materials. Hi.story, dependant . in many instances upon very doubtful source · material, is concerned via the written word, chronicles, registers and other· documents, with specific individuals, places and events. Prehistory, on the other hand, is concerned with culture periods, landscapes and settlements. Archaeology, is in effect the handmaiden of prehistory. The archaeologist conducts excavations into the physical remains 0£ the remote past and provides the basic evidence. This evidence comprises on the one hand structural remains like post-ho1es, pits, gulleys, banks, ditches and hearths ,, on the other arti£actual remains like potsherds, brooches, .pins, f r agments of tools and implements and within this category one also includes ecological evidence like that provided by bone f r agments, carbonised or waterlogged seeds and timber, pollen grains, mollusca and beetle wings. This evidenc e is the data base upon which general theories are mot.1nted, explanations posed, peoples isolated, trade routes plotted, landscapes reconstructed and agricultural economies postulated. It is important to realise that, however grand a theory may be, however plausible the arguments which support it, nonetheless it is founded in the crude simple data recovered £rom excavation. The direct analysis of this data b~se £or whatever period 0£ prehistory one may choose does not inspire great confidence in the theories which are mounted upon it. Indeed as excavation techniques improve, as methods of data recovery are refined, so the majority 0£ those data which have been previously acquired become progressively less satisfactory and the theories mounted upon them become increasingly incredible. It is in this context that the concept of the Butser Ancient Farm Rvsearch Project is to be understood. Naturally, of the three broad eras · of prehistory, the most recent, the Iron Age or Celtic period, is the one which is evidenced by the most data. There is such a wealth 0£ data available ·, in fact, that quite detailed analyses and interpretations of the period, the landscape, settlement patterns and economy are regularly made. However, since the material evidence by its very nature is selective and hardly representational, there is inevitable conflict to be ' found among the interpretations 0£ the period. There is an undeniable need to re-examine much 0£ the data, not so much £rom the point 0£ view of the broad implications but rather the immediate implications. For example, the carbonised seed recovered £rom excavations indicate the kind of crops which were probably grown but this information is not enough. One needs to know how it was grown, the problems posed by this or that process, the yield factors - in brief one needs to discover the implications and range of potential of each piece of evidence. Only when this kind of information is available can 'bhe broader implications, the overview have any kind of credibility. It may prove that some generalisations should be substantiated as far as possible by real data rather than assumptions. Even so there is little doubt that the basic economy o.f' the Iron Age in Southern England and indeed in large areas 0£ France was based upon agriculture• " There.f'ore, in order to examine the data upon ifhich that economy is based, the most logical approach to adopt is the empirical one. This approach led to the construction o.f' a £arm dating to the main-
12
·
stream period of processes imp1ied
the Xron Age where by those data can
not on1y the be physically
data but tested.
also
the
The farm, started in 1972, is located on a spur to the north of Butser Hill some 24 kilometres north of Portsmouth in the County of Hampshire. The land area selected is ideal for the purpose s~nce it is fairly inaccessible consequently interference by the public is minimised. Xn addition it was actually occupied in the prehistoric period. Excavations and field work on the site have yielded evidence of occupation dating to the Late Bronze Age and throughout the Iron Age period. The most significant features are an unfinished ditch and bank and a dished platform subsequently interpreted as the foundations of a house. The purpose, to construct a farm with farmstead and ancilliary buildings, paddocks and fields, appropriate livestock and crops, is necessarily one which is long term. Xndeed any activity or process directly concerned with agriculture gains greater validity the more seasons through which it is conducted. The major single factor which dominates the agricultural process is the weather. All the available evidence points to a marked similarity between the weather pattern of today, including all its violent eccentricities, to that which obtained in the Iron Age period. Not only does the British weather, because· of its variability,dominate most Englishman's conversation, it also moved Tacitus, the Roman historian and political commentator, to describe it as 1 foedum 1 ,the most polite translation of which is foul. This basic factor, the similarity of weather pattern, validates the project and provides a •constant• element against which the results of the farming process can be measured. At the outset I described the project as a vast · open-air scientific research laboratory since this is a much more accurate description. It . consists of a large number of specific research experiments which· ultimately may be integrated together in such a way that simulates an actual farm. Given the concept of such a research laboratory it has been of prime importance to establish a basic philosophy of procedure. Since the experiments themselves are diverse, ranging from crop yield experiments to the reconstruction of buildings, from mycology to thermodynamics, the requirements of each individual scientific discipline which a specific experiment employs must be satisfied. One seeks to not simply persuade an archaeologist or prehistorian, one seeks to fulfil the demands of the scientist. That philosophy is best presented as a cylical model where a hypothesis is created, and tested to ascertain its validity. It is essential that the test itself is validated and that the results are beyond question within the context of the experiment. One immediate effect of the experimental approach is the recognition of the number of variables regularly involved within any hypothesis. Close scrutiny of the minutise inevitably raises alternative approaches and the execution of an experiment further throws up variables which had • previously escaped recognition. Consequently experiment regularly · involves the necessity £or the •multiplicity of hypothesis formation', an uncomfortable but accurate phrase. Several hypotheses can be proved to be valid, though none are necessarily true, and in any attempt to understand an excavation of a site, all such hypotheses should be initially integral to the thinking stage and subsequent1y in terms of their relationship with other material evidence the most unlike1y should be rejected. It is an error of judgement to accept without due consideration the hypotheses raised from other excavations on the basis of tenuous similarity. The greatest contribution of experiment in archaeology is the establishment of the boundaries of probability. Indeed this is the contribution of experiment in any field. It is of va1ue here to present an analysis of experiments as recognised in the scientific world. The process of accumulating scientific know1edge · involves the formulation of rationa1, 1ogical, deductive theories, the establishment of 1 ru1es of correspondence' betwee n the theories and the real world and testing whether the observations of the real world confirm or disprove a theory. In the most rigorous sense, no theory can be proven true or va1idated. It can, however, through proper ~xperimentation be inva1idated. A theory can be considered valid only after repeated conduct of experiments which by their
13
design appear capable of proving constantly fails to occur, then valid.
the theory the theory
invalid. If such may be tentatively
invalidation accepted as
When most people think of experimental archaeology their immediate reaction is to think of the reconstruction of buildings. Although this area of research is important and has by far the greatest visual impact, nonetheless it represents less than ten per cent of the project~ undertaking. Farming of any period is ne .cessarily about fields, fences, crops and stock. Buildings are to a large extent ancilliary features and generally the nature of the archaeological evidence is so ephemeral that it is extremely difficult to hypothesise a real three-dimensional structure. This is particularly the case with regard to rectangular structures since the number of variables is very large. For circular structures, on the other hand, it is possible to make an attempt. The largest reconstruction of a prehistoric house ever undertaken has been built at the · Demonstration Area of the Butser Ancient Farm. The ground plan · is taken from a first class excavation at Pimperne Down in Dorset. It comprises an outer ring of stake holes, , an inner ring of postholes with a series of massive post-holes for the porch. Beyond the outer ring of stake holes a series of six regularly spaced shallow slots were recovered. The excavation indicated one rebuilding of this structure utilising the same porch post-holes. The · time span of the site is some 450 years ·. That fact alone argues for the construction of houses not only for the present generation but for a large number of generations. The reconstruction process moves through specific stages. The first stage involves the exact simulation of the ground plan, the construction and recording the stake and post-holes and the insertion of stakes and posts. The · imt:lal. conjecture is the specific · height of the stakes and posts. Because the roof is to be thatched the pitch must be · at 45°. At first the wall height was postulated at 1.50 m but during the roof construction it became probable that this height was actually correct. Round-hou •s·es depend upon the strength propertie ·s of the circle. For this construction the outer ring of stakes interwoven with .hazel rods make up the first c·ircle. The inner· ring of posts ·, however, absorb much more of the weight thrust of the roof. Consequently a full ring of timber is • set onto these posts with mortice and tenon joints and pegged scarf joints. Its appearance and indeed the method of jointing is remarkably similar to that of Stonehenge. The major problem with the outer wall is posed by the break in the circle at the porch. The massive post-holes argue for · major · timbers. These provide a weight counterthrust to the break in the circ:le. The positioning of the first rafter, each one had to be raised individually because of the weight involved, some 120 kilos per rafter, caused considerable difficulties. Although the house had been carefully designed the · weight distribution of each rafter had been overlooked. The length of rafter beyond the inner ring proved heavier than the outer length. Re-examination of the excavation plan isolated the shallow curved · slots set at regular intervals around the structure. By extending the 45° angle from the inner ring to the top of the outer wall and on to the ground surface these curving slots fitted exactly into place as the positions for the base of the major rafters. The wall height of 1.50 m, therefore, initially conjecture, now was supported by physical evidence. Six slots indicated six major rafters. These were duly positioned, jointed to the outer wall and pegged with oak .pegs to the inner ring. The ring beam in the roof was attached to these major rafters a third down the slant height. All the other rafters were subsequently positioned as in other reconstructions. In this case the majority actually formed the apex of the roof. Finally the purlins, split hazel rods, were attached to the outside of the rafters, and the structure was thatched. The last stage of the construction was the daubing of the walls. The statistical details of the structure are fascinating and have considerable implications for the Iron Age. Over two hundred trees, primarily oak for the upright timbers and ash and elm for the rafters as well as twenty hazel t ~ ees for the rods, were used in the structure. Some 15 tonnes of daub were applied to the walls, Approximately five tonnes of straw were used to thatch the roof. The roof weighs over 12 tonnes and has a free span of over 9.00 •metres.
14
Th& trees needed for the structure were straight and close grained, the kind of trees normally found in managed woodland. The hazel rods are the product of coppicing, itself a seven year programme. Such a house clearly :lmplies the careful management of woodland. The straw similarly implies a considerable number of arable hectares and careful harvesting and storage. The construction of houses despite their fascination and undeniable visual impact, represent only a minor element within the overall research project. One point must be made, however, concerning the reconstruction of structures is that it would be quite wrong to consider these to be Iron Age houses. They are specifically and ~nly reconstructions based upon archaeological evidence. The fabric of the structure may be accurate, indeed the space · it confines may also be accurate but the detailed manufacture may be quite inaccurate. In this brief article I ha"V-9 attempted to outline the purpose of the Butser · Ancient Farm Research Project, its operating philosophy and to give a specific example of an experiment. In this case a structure, the Pimperne House, has been briefly described. It is extremely difficult to provide an overall review of the work of the project simply because of the complexity and interacting variables of the experiments, each one of which forms part of an integrated whole. The selection of a house is perhaps less than ideal•since such structures represent a very minor element in the undertaking. It is nonetheless much easier to appreciate a structure, its intricacies of construction and design, all of which are deduced from the archaeological evidence. It is sufficient to underline the fact that in comparison with the agricultural experiments. the main work of the project, and the variables posed by them that the construction of the Pimperne House is relatively simple. Peter
Book
J.
Reynolds
MA.,PhD.,FSA
Reviews
THE PAST ALL AROUNDUS Published
this
March
by Reader's
Digest
This excellent book unlocks a door into national history which you can see and touch at more than 1,500 places and where the past comes to life. It shows how the · past survives in the wealth of clues that our ancestors have left us: the things they made, the buildings they lived in, the tools they used, the very pattern of the landscape that they shaped. These · islands are rich in history that you can see and touch. Celt and Saxon, Roman invader and Norman conqueror, the innovators of Elizabethan times, Victorian developers and industrialists - all have left rich evidence about the life of ordinary people of their day. THE PAST ALL AROUNDUS helps you to pick up and interpret the clues, to understand how a commonplace grass mound could conceal a prehistoric burial chamber or a series of stone sleepers could be a forerunner of the modern railway system. From flint axe to flying machine, from Skara Brae 1n the Orkneys to Syon House on the banks of the Thames, almost every man-made object tells something about our past. For those who would like some preliminary reading on Ironbridge may I suggest the followings THE ARCHAEOLOGYOF THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION edited bf our guide · and lecturer, Dr. Brian Bracegirdle FRPS (Heineman £7.50) - An excellent publication both visually and in terms of information on the industrial sites of Britain. Most of the photographs are by Dr. Bracegirdle and the text written by authorities on particular fields. There are numerous references to Ironbridge sites.
" 15
The Pimperne House at Butser Ancient Farm Research construction and completed. (see page 12)
16
by
Peter
Project
J.
Reynolds
under