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Archaeology in the Severn Estuary 6
Title
The title of the publication or report
Title:
Archaeology in the Severn Estuary 6
Series
The series the publication or report is included in
Series:
Archaeology in the Severn Estuary
Volume
Volume number and part
Volume:
6
Publication Type
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Publication Type:
Journal
Publisher
The publisher of the publication or report
Publisher:
Severn Estuary Levels Research Committee (SELRC)
Year of Publication
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Year of Publication:
1995
Source
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Source:
ADS Archive (ADS Archive)
Created Date
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Created Date:
09 Oct 2017
Please click on an Article link to go to the Article Details.
Article Title
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Abstract
Cover
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Table of contents
Three Later Bronze Age Occupations at Rumney Great Wharf on the Wentlooge Level, Gwent
John R L Allen
This paper is an examination of three archaeological sites at Rumney Great Wharf. Rumney Great Wharf is located at the southwestern end of the Wentlooge Level, and is an extensive area of wetland between the Usk and Rhymney Rivers. The sites date to the later bronze age and point to an occupation of this area in this time period. These finds add to earlier finds, and demonstrates the inportance of coastal wetland environments to the welsh bronze age peoples.
Intertidal Survey in the Welsh Severn Estuary
Martin G Bell
Heike Neumann
Discoveries in the intertidal area of the Severn Estuary represent some of the most exciting recent developments in Welsh archaeology which are enhancing the record with new categories of prehistoric site, most notably rectangular buildings of a type otherwise unknown in British prehistory. The Board of Celtic Studies of the University of Wales has recognised the potential of this topic by funding a survey of archaeology and palaeoenvironmental aspects of the intertidal zone of the Welsh Severn Estuary. The project began on 15.10.95 and, with an agreed extension, will be completed on 15.2.97. This report provides an introduction to the background, aims and methods of the survey, the results will be outlined in Archaeology in the Severn Estuary 1996.
Sweet Track Assessment, An Interim Report
Richard A Brunning
The Sweet Track is just one of a series of prehistoric wooden trackways that were built in the Somerset Moors to act as communication routes across areas of wet land and to facilitate the exploitation of wetland resources (Coles and Coles 1986). The Sweet Track was erected in the Neolithic period to cross an area of reedswamp between the Polden ridge and the 'island' of Westhay in the present Brue valley, a distance of roughly two kilometres. Over most of its length the Sweet Track was a raised walkway designed to allow dry passage across areas of shallow water. This was achieved by laying poles on the peat surface to support pairs of angled stakes which in turn acted as cradles for split planks of oak, ash, or lime which formed the walkway surface. Where the route approached dry land 'bog oaks' were reused in the structure (Coles et al. 1973; Brunning 1993). This paper details fieldwork that was undertaken in 1995 and future plans for survey, monitoring, and post excavation.
Archaeological and Palaeoenvironmental Evaluation of Porlock Bay and Marsh
M Canti
Veryan Heal
Simon Jennings
Richard McDonnell
Vanessa Straker
Porlock bay is located on the Southern Side of the Britsol Channel on the north coast of Somerset. The area of land known as Porlock Marsh extends between a shingle ridge which separates it from the sea and the 10 m contour. The area is a site of special scientific interest. In 1994 the added threat of imminent marine inclusion through the ridge, and the inherent risk of erosion of the surfacae archaeological features and the contamination/ distrubance of the deposits beneath, led to an approach to English Heritage to fund an evaluation of hte area prior to the predicted incursion. This paper presents preliminary findings of the evaluation ahead of a final report that will be submitted to English Heritage in the future
Brean Down Sea Defences, Field Evaluation
Martin Locock
M Lawler
The National Rivers Authority (NRA) intends to improve the sea defences to the south of Brean Down, somerset, by constructing a rock armour slope at the toe of the existing defences, over a distance of 250m between the slipway and the existing rock armouring below the sandcliff . The intended groundworks will extend to a maximum depth of 3m OD. The northern 40m of the area affected lies within the Scheduled Ancient Monument of Brean Down, in the vicinity of the major Bronze Age site investigated in 1985-7 (Bell 1990) 1989 and 1991 (Bell 1992a). For a recent survey of Brean Down, see Riley (pp. 13-21 ). In October 1995, the Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust (GGAT) undertook a field evaluation of the site on behalf of the NRA, to a brief set by Somerset County Council and English Heritage. The following summary account has been based on GGAT report no 95/084 (Lacock and Lawler 1995).
Island Evolution in Bridgwater Bay and the Parrett Estuary, An Historical Geography
Richard McDonnell
This report illustrates the use of documentary, hydrographic and cartographic material to construct a historical model for the evolution of four islands in the mouth of the River Parrett, Somerset. The model provides an interim context for the archaeological record and also exposes new evidence that will require field assessment. The four islands are Slab Island, Dunball Island, Fenning Island and Stert Island. A fifth island, Stag Island, was charted to the west of Lobspound Point at ST 272 442 but is of dubious island status and has not been included in the group dealt with here.
The Roman Settlement and Landscape at Kenn Moor, Avon, Second Interim Report on the Survey and Excavation, 1994-5
Stephen J Rippon
The Kenn Moor Project aims to investigate the Roman landscape and environment of the North Somerset Levels, and how that distinctive topographic region was exploited from the first to fifth centuries AD. While there has been a considerable amount of excavation on Romano-British rural settlements generally, this work has concentrated in a limited number of topographical areas such as chalk downland and river-valley gravels. This project is concerned with the Roman exploitation of a different, previously neglected, landscape type: coastal alluvial wetlands. This paper presents an interim report on the survey and excavation undertaken at the site during the 1994/5 field season
Archaeology in the Severn Estuary 1995
Nigel Nayling
This note details the planning and research work done in the estuary in 1995, it talks about international contacts that were made, and covers what meetings were had within the SELRC
The Excavation, Recovery and Provisional Analysis of Medieval Wreck from Magor Pill Gwent Levels
Nigel Nayling
In late August 1993 during a visit to the foreshore, previously unexplosed timbers were spotted on the eastern edge of the palaeochannel in Magor Pill that suggested the present of the stem or stern post of a boat. During the following winter, disccusions with Cadw and potential receiving museums led to the national museum of wales indicating its interest in acquiring the vessel and cadw agreeing to fund a phased programme of fieldwork to investigate the remains and examine the feasibility of lifting the vessel. This interim report summarises the povisional findings of this collaborative project.
Brean Down, Somerset, Interim Report on a New Survey by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England
Hazel Riley
Brean Down is a promontory of Carboniferous Limestone, 2.8km long and a maximum of 0.4km wide. It forms a western extension of the Mendip Hills into the Bristol Channel. Topographically, it can be divided into three zones. That to the east of the cliff steps contains some level ground. It is bounded on the south by salt marsh, estuarine clays and dune sand and to the north by the river Axe which flows into Weston Bay. The second zone is the central part of the Down which contains two summits. The eastern summit, surmounted by a large barrow, rises to some 80m, whilst that to the west, topped by a triangulation pillar, rises to 97m. Both of these areas contain some level ground, and are separated by a valley known as South Bottom. To the west of the western summit is the third topographical unit, where the land falls away steeply to a level area, now mostly occupied by Brean Down Fort and the World War II accommodation buildings. This paper presents an interim report of a large scale survey that was undertaken at the request of English Heritge.
Back cover
Trows and the Severn Coastal Trade
C G W Green
The fact that early settlers along the banks of the River Severn and its estuary relied upon water borne transport for their communications and trade could well have been predicted but it is only in recent years that confirmation of this has been provided by the discoveries of the remains of early vessels. The Bronze Age boats at Caldicot (Parry 1992) and Goldcliff (Bell 1992b), the Romano-Celtic vessel from Barlands Farm (Nayling and McGrail 1995) and the most recent find of a medieval craft from the foreshore at Magor Pill (p85) provide telling evidence which can be taken in conjunction with the existence of early wharves and quays up and down the estuary and on the rivers joining the Severn. It is quite clear, therefore, that there are indications of a thriving coastal and river trade, certainly from Roman times and perhaps before this. The vessels engaged in this trade would have varied considerably in their design dependent upon the environment within which they operated; around the coasts of Britain many types of sailing ship emerged over the centuries and the characteristic type on the Severn and tributaries became known as the Trow. I hope to show how the trow developed from those early vessels and how its later development resulted from changes in operating needs.
References