Mapping

Zoom in close to Crickley here!

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=51.843427&lon=-2.107746&z=18.5&r=0&src=msl

Day of Archaeology

Next Friday (29th July) is the 'Day of Archaeology':

 http://www.dayofarchaeology.com/

And I'm taking part, documenting work on Crickley - it's unlikely to be very exciting, though who knows what may turn up?!

GIS

Think I've now cracked digitising in QGis, so hope to start this as soon as the plans are scanned (with the help of Dan B).

In process of co-ordinating the site grid (though it still needs tweaking):

Finds photos

Check out Crickley Hill AD on Flickr for photos of Roman to early Medieval finds:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/crickley_hill_ad/sets/

Short Mound bowl

Reconstruction of the bowl from beneath the Short Mound monument

Volunteers

Wouls like to welcome on board two more volunteers - thanks to Wendy & Dan for joining the team!

More grotty pot

Lid or shallow bowl found in the surface of a silted-up post-hole of an Iron Age building (which would have appeared as a hollow in the ground by the LPRIA):

Still plodding on...

Just a note to say, I've not given up!

I've written a new draft introduction to the report, and I'm now part way through re-writing the chapter describing the contexts. I'm trying to make it a little easier to read and understand, outlining the features by cutting, and then summarising the buildings in a subsequent section. I'm also currently going through cross-referencing the finds from the buildings, though I anticipate that most of the info. will have to remain within the separate chapters (e.g. ceramics, metalwork, etc.)

Still after volunteers to help in producting matrix diagrams neat enough to go in the volume, and anyone fancy dong some nice reconstruction drawings / digitisating plans?

Stratigraphy - the saga. Anybody got a floppy drive?

This is driving me crazy...

I first created a period site matrix diagram in 1997 using a roll of lining wallpaper - I think it was about 13' long, and an absolute nightmare.

Then came the Harris programme - it'll do (mainly 'cos it's free), though it has problems. Better than wallpaper, anyhow

I was able to save my efforts on floppy disk (with back-up), and subsequently created an additional back-up on an Omega zip disk - belt and braces, I thought

But the problem is not that, 12 years later, I am unable to access either floppys or zip drive, which might seem rather funny - if it wasn't at all. I did try to do this a few years ago, before I chucked my old PCs, but, of course, Zip drive contracted clickling death, 'infecting' my disks. And floppy disks just wouldn't read, for whatever reason.

But now, I've come across an extra back-up, by the looks of the label - so if anyone still has a floppy drive, so that I could check what's on it, please let me know.

After spending 3 days making a start on redoing the matrices, I've managed to procure a volunteer, after the previous 'strat' volunteer 'disappeared'. But if anyone has time to help out with this, you would be very welcome...

Thanks to Steve for helping out on this.

K

Data

Check out the new pages (links to right of this page)

The 'data' page provides a link to the ceramics database (or click on the title to this post)

Website

A new website is under development!

(Click on the title of this post to access the site, or click: http://crickleyhillad.community.officelive.com/default.aspx)

The finds image database will be available through that site, as will descriptions and interpretations of the Roman and Early Medieval archaeology at Crickley Hill

K

Volunteer opportunity

If anyone wants to volunteer for helping to develop the matrix (stratigraphy) diagrams, let me know - this will be a great help. The data can be accessed and worked with online, via the volunteer webpages.


If anyone would like to know more about matrices and stratigraphy, check out Harris' book - now available online:

http://www.harrismatrix.com/

And there's a free program available online, that I use for doing the Crickley matrices:

https://www.ads.tuwien.ac.at/ArchEd/

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

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

Volunteer update

Yeh - another volunteer joins the team!

Welcome Mark - hope you enjoy getting involved!

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

Volunteer update

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

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?

Crickley buildings - in 3D!

Henry has agreed to produce some 3D reconstructions of the P4 buildings - can't wait!

Take a look what Henry can do, on his own website:

http://www.digitaldigging.co.uk/


3D building reconstructions will really help show how buildings related to one another on the site, as well as visually represent hypotheses of the types of buildings that were in use during this time. This will tell us a lot about how people lived and interacted during the post-Roman period on this site

Henry will be using the data and interpretations from the initial report, as well as consulting previous CAD plans. Google SketchUp may be used to illustrate these buildings, and hopefully they will be publically accessible on a future website

When doing my previous interpretations, I consulted architects and civil engineers, as well as looking at previous building reconstructions, to try and determine the forms of the building superstructures, but there's still much unknown. It is hoped that we might use these computer models in future experimental archaeology

Thanks Henry!

PS there's still more CAD of the ground plans to be done, if anyone would like to volunteer for this task - training will be given. This would really help in producing the 3D illustrations