 |
Home
Methodology
Update: November 2003
February 2004 Update
|
|
|
|
February 2004 Update
Location: North Yorkshire
Progress these last 3 months has been slower than hoped what with Christmas, two open meeting presentations to prepare for, as well as three site tours. The weather didn't help too much either. We look forward to Spring with vengeance.
LANDSCAPE ARCHAEOLOGY – GIS
The complete area under investigation has now been created within our chosen GIS software, Mapmaker (scanned and re-drawn). Various layers have been identified; field boundaries, watercourses, buildings, roads, contours, artefact finds and ground features. As investigations continue these layers will be broken down even further to include, for example, land use, agricultural and natural watercourses, artefact finds by period, etc.
Earlier map information is also being scanned, calibrated and overlaid using the latest map version as a basis so as to understand the field development over time (green line shows 1797 map field boundaries). This will be enhanced by field boundary identification based, as much as can be identified, on period.
GPS has been used to locate field features but the accuracy of this method has been found to be unacceptable, especially as it is being overlaid over already inaccurate map information, caused by the scanning and calibrating of multi-paged map sections. When more detailed survey work gets underway, all of the mapped information gathered so far will be aligned by accurate field survey methods.
BUILDING RECORDING
Preliminary reconnaissance of all the abandoned farms has been carried out. Instruction on recording techniques has been given to team members and it is hoped to start serious work on the farms as soon as the weather improves.
INDUSTRIAL ARCHAEOLOGY
Quantities of iron tap slag have been found in one location and the sample taken was confirmed as such by Gerry McDonnell of Bradford University who thought that it was the product of a charcoal bloomery process as used from the roman to late medieval times. About 1 km from this spot and level with it a quantity of roasted sandstone has been found within an embankment and underlying the enclosure period walls Documentary research has shown that on 31 January 1720 permission was given for” trials for lead” on one of the farms; this requires further research.
EXHIBITIONS
A number of exhibitions have been held by the Group. A small, two week, exhibition was held in Masham library from 2nd to 12th December which apparently attracted considerable attention, not only from, the normal library users, but also from the children using the computer suite for their homework.
A second exhibition was put on in the town Community Office on the 13th December to coincide with the town Victorian Weekend.attracting over 100 visitors This was a rather more elaborate affair and had the dual aim of explaining our aims to those attending and of recruiting additional members to the team.
On the 9th March it is intended to hold a further exhibition, this time aimed at members of the archaeological profession and of the various agencies which support our researches.
Finally we intend to join Dacre and CLARO Groups in putting on a Summer Exhibition in the Nidderdale Museum in Pateley Bridge. This will run from 9th April through to September.
SITE TOURS
3 site tours have been arranged with the Nidderdale Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The first of these was held on Saturday 24th January and was a tour of the wide range of historic walls situated in our area and was aimed at a team of stone wallers who were rebuilding walls in the Nidderdale area. They were accompanied by Barry Slaymaker the AONB warden and the walk was led by Kevin Cale supported by a number of team members.
The other two walks are to be held on Sunday 1st August and Saturday 7th August as part of the AONB summer programme. We will provide 3 guides on each occasion.
Reciprocal site visits with other Groups are scheduled, Dacre group joined us on the 15th February and we are to visit their location on the 22nd March.
SOCIAL HISTORY
Analysis of Parish Records, churchyard inscriptions and census returns continues. Information has been obtained from the Fountains Abbey Lease Book and from the North Yorkshire Record Office. Oral tradition has been tapped by interviewing former residents of the area some of whom went to the school in Moorhead before it closed in 1929. We are formulating family trees for the individual farmsteads in the area of study. The long term aim is to produce a narrative text.
GEOLOGY
The project has benefited from the support of Dr Wilson who has done extensive mapping work on the area in the 1960s which formed the basis for his PhD. Using the scanned maps and AP it has been possible to superimpose the geological map of the area on both the walking map and the AP. This has greatly aided the tracing of the various exposures on the ground. At present our most important task is to identify the source of the iron ore used for smelting.
EARLY WALL TYPOLOGY
In his recent visit to the site Tim Laurie showed great interest in the site as a whole and was particularly interested in the burnt mound near High Ash Head. He also recommended that we should carry out a detailed study of the typology of the early wall remnants that appear to underlie the present wall systems.
IN CONCLUSION
Whilst the team is based in Masham, it draws its members from the surrounding area. It meets for a full day every week and at weekends as required. Individuals become involved in their aspect of the project and do much of their work in their own time. A professional Community Archaeologist steers the work and provides the necessary training.
New members are always made welcome and can be quickly assimilated into the project and even if they have no particular archaeological knowledge they can be taught or can apply their own particular personal skills.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
