scholarly journals Excavation of a Bronze Age kerbed cairn at Olcote, Breasclete, Near Calanais, Isle of Lewis

2005 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Neighbour ◽  
Kathleen McSweeney ◽  
Stephen Carter ◽  
Melanie Johnson ◽  
Graeme Warren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
Single Track ◽  
Archaeological Excavation ◽  
Peat Deposits

An archaeological excavation was carried out by the Centre for Field Archaeology (CFA) from October to December 1995 of a Bronze Age kerbed cairn at Olcote, Breasclete, Isle of Lewis (NGR: NB 2180 3475). The cairn was discovered by CFA during an evaluation of a dense scatter of worked and unworked quartz made by local archaeologists, Margaret and Ron Curtis. The remains lay in the path of the improvement of the single track road through Breasclete. A range of archaeological features and deposits was identified and recorded within the excavation trench. These fell into three groups on stratigraphic grounds: pre-cairn features, including pits, spade or cultivation marks and a buried ground surface; the cairn itself, including inner and outer kerbs, burnt peat deposits, a central cist and other features; and modern deposits which cut the cairn, including post-holes and field drains. Excavation and post-excavation were wholly funded by Historic Scotland.

Archaeological methods and innovations in the post-Soviet area through eyes of archaeologists

2020 ◽  
pp. 80-88
Author(s):  
Sergii Paliienko
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Archaeological Excavation ◽  
Digital Technique ◽  
Archaeological Methods ◽  
Quality Of Reports ◽  
Soviet Time ◽  
Scientific Technical ◽  
Post War ◽  
Special Computer Program

The history of archaeological method and innovation during the post-war and contemporary periods has been studied not enough in the post-Soviet area. But this topic is actual because at that time achievements of the scientific-technical revolution have been implemented into archaeology. The aim of the article is to study the method of primary data processing (information collection at the time of excavation, an office study of artifacts and preparation of a report on the archaeological excavation) and innovation to this process in the Soviet and post-Soviet archaeology. The research is based on 7 interviews with archaeologists from Kyiv, Moscow and St. Petersburg which have been recorded by the author. On the respondents’ opinion for the last 15 years modern digital technique as digital cameras, GPS and laser tacheometers has been used in the post-Soviet area and non-invasive methods of archaeological research have spread at the last time. In the USSR field lists of artifacts were filled manually at the beginning then it was made by personal computers. An approach to anthropological materials selection has been changed since the Soviet time and cooperation with natural scientists has been widespread in the field. Since 1970s Soviet archaeologists have made attempts to create data bases. Initially matrix tables were used for this then it was realized by computers. These works were provided in Moscow and Kyiv but the progress was made only after appearance of modern PC. A special computer program has been developed for burial sites of the Bronze Age which is in use till now. In the Soviet time the quality of reports on the archaeological excavation depended on funding and other sources of researchers and research establishments. And the most difficult work was preparation of field drawings for final reports. PCs were in use for working with texts at the beginning and after some time for processing of graphic materials. It made the archaeologists’ work simpler. Today modern technologies help to fix artifacts better in the field and to process primary data. But there are problems with comparison of results because of different equipment status of scholars. Moreover, one respondent expresses an idea that computers have made work easier but they have not led to a revolutionary breakthrough directly in archaeology.

An Early Bronze Age Cremation Cemetery at Beggarwood Lane, Basingstoke, Hampshire

2019 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-35
Author(s):  
Ray Kennedy ◽  
Richard Massey ◽  
Sharon Clough ◽  
Katie Marsden ◽  
E R McSloy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Unknown Function ◽  
Early Bronze Age ◽  
Agricultural Activity ◽  
Archaeological Excavation ◽  
Related Material ◽  
Single Feature ◽  
Plant Remains ◽  
Field Boundaries ◽  
Excavation Area

An archaeological excavation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology in February 2016, on land at Beggarwood Lane, Basingstoke, Hampshire. The excavation area was targeted on archaeological features identified by evaluation.<br/> Excavation identified a small Early Bronze Age cremation cemetery, comprising twenty-three pits containing deposits of cremated bone or pyre debris, seven of which were associated with urns. The identified vessels included both collared urn and 'food vessel' types, which are well-represented in cremation cemeteries of this date elsewhere in Hampshire. Cremated human bone was recovered from only nine features, of which three were associated with urns and six were unurned.<br/> Two pits contained possible evidence of post settings, and a small number of undated features had no association with cremation-related material, and were of unknown function.<br/> A single feature, of Roman date, contained a deposit of iron nails which, together with charred plant remains, suggested settlement or agricultural activity in proximity to the site. A number of ditched field boundaries of post-medieval date were identified during the evaluation.<br/> The Early Bronze Age cremation cemetery represents a rare example of its type in southern England, and one of at least regional importance.

An Early Neolithic Grave and Occupation, and an Early Bronze Age Hearth on the Thames Foreshore at Yabsley Street, Blackwall, London

2008 ◽  
Vol 74 ◽  
pp. 215-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Coles ◽  
Steve Ford ◽  
Andy Taylor ◽  
Sian Anthony ◽  
Rowena Gale ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Wild Plant ◽  
Early Bronze Age ◽  
Early Neolithic ◽  
Natural Sand ◽  
Peat Deposits ◽  
Plant Remains ◽  
Middle Bronze Age ◽  
Marked Decline ◽  
Sand And Gravel

Excavation on the Thames floodplain in London revealed traces of Early Neolithic occupation and burial on a sand and gravel bar beneath alluvium. A large expanse of peat also buried by alluvium was recorded between these finds and the modern river Thames suggesting that the occupation was situated on or close to the foreshore. A single grave cut into the natural sand contained a poorly preserved crouched inhumation, possibly of a woman. The burial was accompanied by a fragment of carinated bowl, a flint knife, and other struck flints. A radiocarbon date from an oak retaining plank within the grave of 5252±28 BP (4220–3970 cal BC: KIA20157) makes this burial one of the earliest from the British Isles and the earliest known for London. A scatter of struck flint and pottery predominantly of Early Neolithic date was recovered from adjacent areas of the sand. A nearby hearth contained fragments of Early Bronze Age pottery pointing to later prehistoric activity nearby. Charred plant remains indicate both the collection of wild plant foods and cultivated cereals in the Early Neolithic. Radiocarbon dating of the adjacent peat deposits indicated their rapid growth within the Middle Bronze Age with a marked decline in woodland cover at the start of the sequence and a rise in grassland and herb species. Cereal pollen then briefly became a significant component of the sequence before declining to more modest levels.

scholarly journals Early Bronze Age Strata at Tell Ghanem Al-Ali Along the Middle Euphrates in Syria: A Preliminary Report of 14C Dating Results

Radiocarbon ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 383-392
Author(s):  
Toshio Nakamura ◽  
Mitsuo Hoshino ◽  
Tsuyoshi Tanaka ◽  
Hidekazu Yoshida ◽  
Takeshi Saito ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Bronze Age ◽  
Preliminary Report ◽  
Early Bronze Age ◽  
Archaeological Excavation ◽  
14C Dating ◽  
Euphrates River ◽  
Age Limit ◽  
Sediment Layers ◽  
Building Level

We collected charcoal fragments during an archaeological excavation at the Tell Ghanem al-Ali site, located on the lowest terrace of the middle Euphrates River, and measured their radiocarbon ages with accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). Two trenches, Square-1 and Square-2, were dug on the slope of the tell; 8 building levels were detected in the Square-2 trench. In total, 31 charcoal samples were collected from the 2 trenches, and their calibrated ages ranged from 3100–2900 cal BC at the lowest building level to 2400–2050 cal BC at the uppermost layers of the mound, and concentrated in the period 2650–2450 cal BC. The pottery fragments collected on the surface of the mound before the excavation survey was started, as well as those collected from the sediment layers during the excavation, were assigned on the basis of typological sequences to the Early Bronze Age (EB)-III and EB-IV periods. Thus, the concentrated dates (2650–2450 cal BC) obtained by 14C dating are consistent with the age estimated by archaeological contexts. However, the oldest dates of the lowest level (level-7) go back to 3100–2900 cal BC, and these dates may suggest the existence of the human residence prior to the EB period at the site, and may therefore lead to a revision of the oldest age limit of the EB period currently accepted in the region.

A 14,000 year peatland record of environmental change in the southern Gutland region, Luxembourg

The Holocene ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 095968362199464
Author(s):  
Karsten Schittek ◽  
Lelaina Teichert ◽  
Katrin Geiger ◽  
Klaus-Holger Knorr ◽  
Simone Schneider
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Environmental History ◽  
Middle Ages ◽  
Late Pleistocene ◽  
Vegetation History ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Peat Deposits ◽  
Organic Sediment ◽  
Species Abundances ◽  
History Of

A Late Pleistocene/Holocene paleoenvironmental record was obtained from the Rouer peatland (5°54′E, 49°45′N; 270 m a.s.l.), located in the Gutland area of southern Luxembourg. A total of six sediment samples were AMS radiocarbon-dated to obtain an age-depth model. XRF analyses and analyses of geochemical proxies of organic matter (TOC, TN, δ13C, δ15N) were conducted to identify major paleoenvironmental changes in the record. Pollen analysis reveals insights into the vegetation history throughout the last 14,000 cal. yr BP. The record offers unique insights into the evolution of local organic sediment/peat accumulation, as well as into the environmental history of the Gutland region and beyond. The accumulation of organic sediment and peat started at about 13,800 cal. yr BP before present. Until about 6000 cal. yr BP, periods of apparently stable climatic conditions had been interrupted repeatedly by pronounced episodes with increased input of minerogenic matter into the peat matrix (12,700–11,800 cal. yr BP; 11,500–11,300 cal. yr BP; 11,100–10,800 cal. yr BP; 9300 cal. yr BP; 8200 cal. yr BP), indicated by sudden increases of Ti/coh values. After 6000 cal. yr BP, environmental conditions stabilized. Between 4200 and 2800 cal. yr BP, during the Bronze Age, changes in the pollen spectrum indicate an increasing clearance of woodlands. Since the Roman period, an ongoing intensification of grassland farming and agriculture is evidenced. Lowest tree species abundances are witnessed during the Middle Ages. The Modern Era is characterized by enhanced sediment input due to soil erosion. In short, this record complements the Late Pleistocene/Holocene climatic history of the Gutland area and demonstrates that fen peat deposits can be valuable high-resolution paleoclimate archives.

scholarly journals Bronze Age and Iron Age Archaeology at Thainstone Business Park, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire

2021 ◽  
Vol 95 ◽  
pp. 1-39
Author(s):  
Sue McGalliard ◽  
Donald Wilson ◽  
Laura Bailey ◽  
H E M Cool ◽  
Gemma Cruickshanks ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Material Culture ◽  
Bronze Age ◽  
Iron Age ◽  
Late Bronze Age ◽  
Archaeological Excavation ◽  
Commercial Development ◽  
Middle Bronze Age ◽  
Age Structures

Headland Archaeology (UK) Ltd was commissioned by Axiom Project Services to undertake an archaeological excavation in advance of a commercial development at Thainstone Business Park, Aberdeenshire. Excavation identified the remains of a Middle Bronze Age roundhouse and a contemporary urned cremation cemetery. Evidence of Late Bronze Age cremation practices was also identified. A large roundhouse and souterrain dominated the site in the 1st or 2nd century ad. Material culture associated with the Iron Age structures suggested a degree of status to the occupation there.

Excavation of a Roman road and discovery of a cup-and-ring marked stone near Crawford, South Lanarkshire

2012 ◽  
Vol 34-35 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-80
Author(s):  
Stuart Mitchell ◽  
Sue Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Ground Surface ◽  
Archaeological Excavation ◽  
Electrical Cable ◽  
The Road ◽  
Large Spread ◽  
Coarse Gravel

An archaeological excavation was carried out on a section of Roman Road in advance of the installation of an electrical cable between the Clyde windfarm and a substation at Elvanfoot. The road comprised a foundation of large cobbles and sub-rounded stones set directly onto the old ground surface, with the voids packed with angular coarse gravel. It was surfaced with small grained coarse gravel. A large spread of stones located close to the road was excavated and is interpreted as a stockpile for road builders or menders. A shallow pit and a nearby mound of upcast was also discovered and is interpreted as a quarry pit for the road. A cup-and-ring-marked stone in the road points to the robbing of stones for the construction of the road from earlier monuments.

scholarly journals Stratified 14C Dates and Ceramic Chronologies: Case Studies for the Early Bronze Age at Troy (Turkey) and Ezero (Bulgaria)

Radiocarbon ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 443-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernhard Weninger
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Tree Ring ◽  
Correspondence Analysis ◽  
Calibration Curve ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Time Span ◽  
Early Bronze Age ◽  
Peat Deposits ◽  
Deep Sea Sediments

Prehistoric tell stratigraphies, like deep-sea sediments or peat deposits, store information about past atmospheric 14C variations. By matching the 14C ages on charcoal samples from settlement deposits with the tree-ring calibration curve, estimates for the time span covered by successive stratigraphic phases can be derived. This method is applied to 14C data from the tell mounds at Troy, Turkey and Ezero, Bulgaria. I compare the derived chronologies with the results of pottery shape seriation using correspondence analysis.

scholarly journals Holocene Vegetation Dynamics, Landscape Change and Human Impact in Western Ireland as Revealed by Multidisciplinary, Palaeoecological Investigations of Peat Deposits and Bog-Pine in Lowland Connemara

Geographies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 251-291
Author(s):  
Michael O’Connell ◽  
Eneda Jennings ◽  
Karen Molloy
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Human Impact ◽  
Vegetation Dynamics ◽  
Dominant Role ◽  
Atlantic Coast ◽  
Natural Phenomenon ◽  
Peat Deposits ◽  
Blanket Bog ◽  
History Of ◽  
Western Ireland

Palaeoecological investigations, involving pollen analysis, dendrochronology, and radiocarbon dating of bog-pine, provide the basis for reconstruction of vegetation dynamics, landscape development, and human impact in two contrasting parts of lowland northern Connemara, western Ireland, namely Ballydoo and Derryeighter in the east, and Renvyle/Letterfrack/Cleggan at the Atlantic coast some 40 km to the west. The history of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) is traced in detail. Standout features include the dominant role the tree played from the early Holocene onwards and especially at Ballydoo, its ability to grow on peat surfaces (so-called pine flush) over the course of several millennia during the mid-Holocene (centred on c. 5 ka), and its demise in a three-step fashion to become regionally extinct at c. 2.3 ka. The factors influencing these developments, including climate change, are discussed. Another natural phenomenon, namely the spread of blanket bog, is shown to be an on-going process since the early mid-Holocene, with accelerated spread taking place during the Neolithic and Bronze Age. The course of human impact, as reflected in pollen records and in archaeological field monuments, including megaliths and prehistoric stone walls, is reconstructed in detail.

Excavation of a Bronze Age Funerary Cairn at Manor Farm, near Borwick, North Lancashire

1987 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. C. H. Olivier ◽  
T. Clare ◽  
P. M. Day ◽  
D. Gurney ◽  
D. Haddon-Reece ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
High Status ◽  
Stages Of Development ◽  
Rectangular Enclosure ◽  
Early Stages ◽  
Important Link

The excavation of a large circular dished earthwork near Carnforth, North Lancashire, in 1982, has revealed a substantial Bronze Age funerary monument. The earliest structure was a sub-rectangular enclosure of limestone boulders dated toc.1740–1640 BC cal. and associated with parts of two poorly preserved inhumation burials lying on the previously cleared ground surface. Both burials were accompanied by typologically early metalwork. The central inhumation was associated with a flat axe and dagger, suggesting an individual of high status as well as providing an important link between the early stages of development of both bronze types. The subsequent overlying cairn of smaller stones included eleven fairly discrete concentrations of inhumed bone, and seven of cremated bone and pottery. All this material was extremely fragmentary, and was probably derived from later re-use of the cairn.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document