Roman and Early Medieval Crickley Hill

Sunday, 11 July 2010

Volunteers again

As last years volunteers have gone off to do there own thing, I'd welcome assistance in finishing a number of tasks, to get this report out there.

There are still plans to digitise, and if any one is based in north Gloucester (which I am not), several hunderd sherds of pottery need sorting and weighing.

If you have other archaeological skills to offer - please let me know!

K

Been a while... Update

It's been some time since I was able to concentrate on Crickley, due to the demands of other research, but I now have a few weeks in which I can again think about the site.
After completing my other work, I'll now be able to include lots of (what to me at least are exciting!) discoveries in the CH hillfort reoccupation report. I've spent the last 10 years staring at plans of hearths etc., with questions of ethnic and cultural identity, so some of this may get into the P3c - 4 (LPRIA - Early Medieval) report - in small doses.

As for the report: I've started re-writing the introduction, in which I hope I'm now a bit more forceful in saying just how important this site really is!
I'm finding the application of modern policies on archaeological report writing rather challenging (primarily due to the excavations being undertaken before these strategies were in place), but I'm finding the structure quite helpful. At the same time, I'm aware that I have to try to make this report a 'good read' - I have my work cut out, notwithstanding the interesting nature of the site!

While I still have access to ArcGIS through Sheffield, I've also again been looking at the site in its wider context - hopefully I'll be able to have access to this programme in the future, although at present, the costs suggest not.

And I'm creating a website relating to periods 3c - 4, so that any one so interested may be able to have easy access to both data and interpretations. However, as a fully functional site that can contain databases will cost, and I'm not earning at present, this site will initially be limited to a basic version of what is to come when I've been able to secure the necessary funds. I'll post the address as soon as it's finished.

K

Friday, 20 November 2009

Volunteer achievment

Massive thanks to Mark for finishing entry of photos on the finds photographic database (and for making this a more cohesive and accessible document) - this was completed some time ago now (and very speedily), so I must apologise for the delayed gratitude.

This database requires a little more work from me (to fill in a few details from my research notes), but in the mean-time, please let me know if you would find it useful to take a look at it.

I'm hoping online access can soon be achieved...

K

Sunday, 19 July 2009

Volunteer update

Yeh - another volunteer joins the team!

Welcome Mark - hope you enjoy getting involved!

Friday, 12 June 2009

Crickley buckle

The main dating evidence for the rampart settlement (providing a late 4th century - but more probably 5th century, consideering the wear and repair tpq) is the type IV buckle (bottom)

This is very similar to the only other example of this type from Britain, found at Catterick (top: photo taken through the cabinet at the BM). They also seem to have the same metallurgical composition. The crickley version has no frame, however, which may have been removed at some point - microscopic analysis would possibly demonstrate this

Friday, 24 April 2009

Volunteer update

Another volunteer has joined the team - welcome Mandy, who will be helping create a period 4 context database for the webpage!

Thursday, 2 April 2009

Grog / clay pellet tempered pot

Grog or clay pellet tempered sherds from the rampart settlement (top and middle), and one from a midden deposit near to the western (palisade enclosed) settlement (bottom). In an area of Period 4 activity, but possibly prehistoric.

The bottom sherd might be later 'soft pink grog tempered ware', but there a a few problems with this interpretation. For one, they felt handmade, not wheel-made. The bottom sherd felt soapy, the others more sandy; I can't recall micaceous fabric. In either case, I don't recall the inclusions being particularly angular (they may instead be clay pellets), or the presence of other inclusions, and the sherds were thick-walled. No grey core, either. Although within the distribution zone for 'pink grog tempered', it is outside that of 'late Roman grog tempered' (which is mainly S/SE); though the latter type is often described as 'soapy', the fabric is more commonly dark (grey, brown, or black). Possibly they're (or at least the sandy, buff sherds) earlier (C1) local grog tempered ware? Any ideas?

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LPRIA, Roman and Early Medieval Crickley: Summary

Crickley Hill is an Iron Age hillfort in Gloucestershire that, like many in the west, probably had some late pre-Roman Iron Age activity after a period of abandonment, with sporadic activity during the early Roman period. It was perhaps during this time that occasional buildings were built on the top of the silted-up rampart ditches, and near to the main rampart entrance, although these structures alternatively belong to the later Roman period. A prehistoric ritual monument on the site - the 'Long Mound' - received votive deposits during the Roman period. There was also a possible rectangular Roman masonry structure near the western end of the hill.

During the later Roman period (or possibly during the early 5th century), the hill was once again occupied, perhaps initially within the entrance for industrial activity (although again, this may belong to the earlier Roman phase). A village was built behind the rampart, mainly consisting of 'scooped' buildings arranged in rows; there was also evidence for industrial activity in this area. Buildings were sub-rectangular and sub-circular (perhaps in some cases, polygonal), and would perhaps have been built of cob or turf, with low thatch or turf roofs, and were only single roomed, although perhaps had some form of partition in one case.

On the western end of the hill, a second, probably contemporaneous, settlement was built. This settlement was enclosed by a palisade fence (which perhaps had a 'guard-house' at the entrance), and contained a granary (itself enclosed within a separate fence), suggesting its higher status. The buildings of this settlement were more substantial, and probably timber-framed (sitting directly on the ground-surface), or post-built, resting upon post-pads. They were mainly circular, although the central building was rectangular, and partitioned. This building had a substantial hearth, as well as a number of cooking pits nexts to the front walls.

At some point during or after the Roman period, a monument was built on the north-west terrace of the hill - a scaled-down version of the Long Mound (hence known as the 'Short Mound'). Strangely, the buried features of the Long Mound were replicated. The Short Mound didn't receive votive deposits during the Roman period (perhaps suggesting its later date), and therefore dating is difficult. However, it was stratified over the LPRIA path down the tip of the hill to the Vale, upon which and embedded within was a near-complete local grey ware bowl, imitating BB1, giving an early Roman TPQ (although the bowl may even date to the 5th century). Near to this mound was a structure, possibly associated with worn later Roman ceramics.

Both settlements were burnt down, and re-built to similar plans to, and nearby, the earlier buildings. However, they were burnt down again, and the settlement abandoned. After a period of abandoment, sporadic finds indicate activity in the mid Saxon period.

Publication of research

Previous publications about Crickley include:

Dixon, P.W 1970 Excavations at Crickley Hill: Interim Report, 1970 (Gloucester College Monographs)

Dixon, P.W 1971 Excavations at Crickley Hill: Interim Report, 1971 (Gloucester College Monographs)

Dixon, P.W 1976 ‘Crickley Hill 1969-1972’ in Harding D.W. 1976 (ed.) 1976, Hillforts: Late Prehistoric earth works in Britain and Ireland London Academic Press, pp 162-176

Dixon, P.W 1988 ‘Crickley Hill 1969-1987’ in Current Archaeology 110, 73-78

Dixon, P.W. 1994 Crickley Hill: The Hill-Fort Defences University of Nottingham

Parry, Charles 1994 Crickley Hill Country Park, Badgeworth / Coberley, Gloucestershire. An Archaeological Survey English Heritage, Gloucester C.C., National Trust

Savage, Richard 1988 Village, Fortress, Shrine Crickley Hill Gloucestershire 3500BC- AD 500 Cheltenham

Vol. 6 of the Crickley Hill reports, covering the Roman & Early Medieval phase, is currently in preparation. Contact me if you require interim information on this phase of the site, and I'll do what I can to provide this. Although under major revision, I have already presented much of my research as an MA: Jarrett, K 1999, The Late / post-Roman Settlement at Crickley Hill, Gloucestershire, University of Nottingham. If a summary is required, contact me for details.