| Title: |
St Brandon's Church, Brancepeth, County Durham: Archaeological Watching Brief |
| Series: |
The Archaeological Practice unpublished report series
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| Downloads: |
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thearcha2-505301_214639.pdf (20 MB)
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| Biblio Note |
This report was uploaded to the OASIS system by the named Publisher. The report has not been reviewed by the relevant HER. The report has been transferred into the ADS Library for public access and to facilitate future research.
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| Licence Type: |
ADS Terms of Use and Access
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| DOI |
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| Publication Type: |
Report (in Series)
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| Abstract: |
Initial investigation in March comprised of the following parts: Excavation of a test pit doubling as a percolation test hole, in order to establish the percolation rate of the ground, as well as the excavation of two further trial holes, one to assess ground conditions in the planned course of new drainage and another to locate and assess the condition of the culvert projected to run to the south churchyard wall. Finally, the percolation test hole was to be expanded into a wider trial hole to assess ground conditions. The above informed a programme of monitoring between August and October by means of continuous watching brief on a scheme of works involving the excavation of a new drainage run and large soakaway, both hand-excavated. The written scheme of investigation detailed a broad process to deal with human remains, articulated and disarticulated, but in response to the discovery of multiple and in some cases intercutting human remains during monitoring on the 31st August 2022, a bespoke addendum was added to the WSI by the Archaeological Practice Ltd., fully detailing the process for dealing with the human remains encountered, as well as any further articulated remains. This Written Scheme of Investigation was written on the agreements reached at a site meeting on Thursday 8th September in order to support an application to the Chancellor of the Diocese from Knox McConnell. The resulting direction from the consistory court allowed the project to proceed under the terms of the new Written Scheme of Investigation. The process for dealing with human remains as specified in the addendum of the final version of the Written Scheme of Investigation consisted of the following points: - Articulated human remains were to be recorded in situ with a burial record form and a detailed plan drawing at 1:10. Skeletons were to be cleaned with wooden tools to avoid damaging the remains or creating artificial pathologies. While the remains were revealed, the excavation area was required to be screened from the public by terram or a similar material. - Once recorded, the skeletal remains were to be exhumed in accordance with CIfA Guidelines (2017) and bagged by skeleton, separated as standard into body parts. No effort is to be made to recover parts of skeletons still lying under the baulk. At this stage the skeletal remains were to be analysed on site by the project osteoarchaeologist. This analysis was to include a detailed inventory, assessment of the minimum number of individuals present, assessment of age and sex of articulated remains and record of pathologies. - The possibility of further, off-site and potentially destructive analysis was acknowledged in meeting and discussed within the WSI, but the presumption in this case was against off-site analysis. Any further analysis would have required strong justification and a realistic prospect of useful results. Assuming no further analysis was to be required, the remains were to be stored in a locked area of the church awaiting reinterment in the ‘new’ churchyard by the parish. The reinterment of the burials in this instance was to be carried out by the parish. Initial investigation of the churchyard at St Brandon’s Church, Brancepeth, in March by the excavation of trial holes revealed a feature likely to represent a ruined culvert. While very little of the feature appeared to remain in situ, the presence of surviving built remains amongst a significant concentration of rubble in the location suggested by the GPR survey suggests that it is the culvert feature known from previous investigations of the site. The culvert was concluded to have collapsed and was deemed completely inviable for utilisation. The only find of any note was the jeton of likely 14th or 15th century origin recovered from a considerable depth below ground in TH2. |
| Author: |
Adam Leigh
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| Publisher: |
Archaeological Practice Ltd
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| Year of Publication: |
2022
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| Locations: |
| Parish: |
Brancepeth |
| District: |
County Durham |
| Country: |
England |
| County: |
County Durham |
| County: |
Durham |
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Grid Reference: 422491, 537678 (Easting, Northing)
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| Subjects / Periods: |
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| Identifiers: |
| OASIS Id: |
thearcha2-505301 |
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| Source: |
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| Relations: |
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| Created Date: |
12 Feb 2024 |
