Past Horizons March 09

8/14/2019 Past Horizons March 09

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Online Journal of Volunteer Archaeology and Trainin

P a s t H o r i z o n s

etternear Excavation Bosporan Kingdom Slievemore Mystery Aerial-Cam

Exploring Rock-Art in Malaysia

March 200


2/48past horizons 2

12ArtezianAn ongoing excavation of the fortified township of Artezian

in the Crimean peninsula. Focusing mainly on the era of the

Bosporan Kingdom, particularly the time of the war with theRomans of 44-45 AD where a wealth of finds has enabled the

archaeologists to build up a strong narrative for that time.

18Slievemore - Excavating a Bronze Age PlatformAchill Archaeological Field School began excavating what

looked like a roundhouse platform on the slopes of Slievemore

mountain. Stuart Rathbone discusses why he now thinks the

structure is not domestic and may have a more ritual purpose.

e 7

ch 2009

ors: Felicity Donohoe & Maggie Struckmeier

out: David Connolly & Maggie Struckmeier

Horizons

prain House

gate Burn

dington

Lothian

41 4QA

+44 (0)1620 861643

ail: [email protected]

d us on the web: www.pasthorizons.com

tributors:

ny Dransart

Trigg

olai Vinokurov

hie Mamattah

n Sull ivan

yana Van Loo

art Rathbonem Stanford

Phillips

erta Gilchrist

ry Lewis

Horizons can give no endorsement of any listed project or

antee the accuracy of the information supplied. The editors

pt no responsibility for any loss, injury, or inconvenience

ained by anyone using the resources contained within

magazine and/or the websites mentioned herein. When

dering a project, be sure to contact the director with

uestions you might have about conditions, travel, health

s, etc. Check for references from previous participants,

advice where possible and select a project that will be of

reatest benefit to you, the project and the team.

content is copyright and no reporduction

xt or images is allowed without prior

mission from the author.

t Horizons 2009

nt cover: Colonial period contact ar t in

Lenggong Valley

tograph: Barry Lewis
mailto://[email protected]://www.pasthorizons.com/http://www.pasthorizons.com/mailto://[email protected]


3/48past horizons3

5 EditorialThe addictive romance of archaeology.

6 NewsNews stories from around the world.

40Dig CookMore culinary escapades from Annie

Evans.

42 ReviewPast Horizons reviews the Festival of

Archaeology in Cardiff.

44 Interested In...The study of rock-art.

45 Dig InArchaeological volunteer digs and

field schools for 2009.

46 ProfileArchaeological photographer Adam

Stanford.

47 Fun Page

C

ontents

8FetternearThe Scottish Episcopal Palaces Project

has been excavating at Fetternear,

the summer palace of the mediaeval

Bishops of Aberdeen.

24 Low Level Aerial PhotographyAdam Stanford discusses the archaeological

benefits of this method of photography.

30Accessible, Inclusive ArchaeologyHow to make the study of archaeology

accessible to everyone. Reading University

leads the way in facing that challenge.

34 Rock-Art Field SchoolMalaysia is the focus of this rock-art

field school which brings together

experts from around the world at the

forefront of research.

Regular s


4/48past horizons 4

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5/48past horizons5

e

dito

rial

Each time I collect and update the field schools and volunteer

opportunities forPast Horizons I become enthralled all over again

by the breadth of archaeological activity happening around the

world. Names such as Easter Island, Lake Titicaca, Pompeii, the

Amazon and the Western Sahara, to name but a few, conjure images

in my head that make me wish I was there in the midst of it all.

I experience similar feelings when articles arrive for this magazine. Although living here in

the present, I am also transported back in time where I can imagine the lives of the people who

once lived there. One article that inspired such thoughts is Artezian (page 12) which concerns

the Bosporan Kingdom in the Crimea, southern Ukraine. After receiving the translation

from Russian into English the scene was set and I became immersed in the story to such an

extent that I felt I was standing on the ramparts of the fortified township, looking out over the

grasslands of the Crimean steppe and across the sea of Azov.

Another article arrives, this time from the other side of the world, and this soon has me

fighting my way through tropical jungle to discover previously-unknown rock-art in Malaysia.World Rock-Art, Landscapes and Creativity (page 34) describes an opportunity to learn about

non-invasive recording techniques, research principles and conservation issues both in the

classroom and out in the field. The scientific study of rock-art is gaining serious attention within

archaeology and brings with it the real chance for adventure. Invariably new discoveries are

to be found in remote and difficult terrain, and there are projects underway around the world

beginning to map some of these paces in a more systematic way. This will enable researchers

to look at artistic and stylistic similarities that may provide clues about migration and cultural

interaction of the many tribal groups who created this art.

I sometimes get emails from people describing their experiences of actually signing up for an

excavation or field school. In fact some describe their first dig as a life-changing experience;

others see it as a chance to learn, meet new people and have a good holiday all at the same

time. It can be difficult to take that step if you have never done it before but be warned:

archaeology can be addictive and you may find yourself looking at the world with new eyes.

So if you have ever dreamed of following in the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia, wanted

to travel from here to Timbuktu, longed to live amongst Mongolian nomads or negotiate

Amazonian rapids in a reed boat whilst discovering lost civilisations along the way, then these

adventures are all out there for the taking.

What are you waiting for?

To find a project go to: http://www.pasthorizons.com/worldprojects

Maggie Struckmeier

MaggieStruckmeier

[email protected]

N a m e s t o c o n j u r e w i t h . . .
http://www.pasthorizons.com/worldprojectsmailto://[email protected]://[email protected]://[email protected]://www.pasthorizons.com/worldprojects


6/48past horizons 6

new

smass aztec grave found in mexico city

On 10 February 2009, an excavation at a

pyramid in Mexico Citys Tlatelolco

square revealed a mass grave with the

remains of 49 adults. The unexpected discovery

was made by a team led by Salvador Guilliem

from the Mexican governments archaeologyinstitute, and they belie ve the bodies may be some

of those who fought Hernan Cortes, the Spanish

conquistador and leader of the expedition to

Mexico that caused the fall of th e Aztec empire.

One of the interesting features of the burials

was the presence of copper necklaces and bone

buttons from pre-Hispanic cultures. The burials

were most l ikely ordered by the Spanish overlords as some of the features are

Christian in nature, but wer e probably carried out by the Aztecs themselves.

Large scale deaths at the hands of the conquistadors may expla in the need for the

mass grave. However, one other possible explanation for the size of the grave

may be disease, which devastated large numbers of the indigenous population

between 1545 and 1546. The team is exploring both possibil i t ies.

Read the full story: http:// t inyurl.com/azykyq

If you are viewing this magazin e on SCRIBD, then

you will not be able to see the video.

You can view it on either the full fl ip page version

of the magazine:

www.pasthorizons.com/magazine

OR: on our dedicated video website:http://www.pasthorizons.tv/tv/view/302/mexico-city-

s-tlatelolco-square-aztec-burials/
http://www.pasthorizons.com/magazinehttp://www.pasthorizons.tv/tv/view/302/mexico-city-s-tlatelolco-square-aztec-burials/http://www.pasthorizons.tv/tv/view/302/mexico-city-s-tlatelolco-square-aztec-burials/http://www.pasthorizons.tv/tv/view/302/mexico-city-s-tlatelolco-square-aztec-burials/http://www.pasthorizons.tv/tv/view/302/mexico-city-s-tlatelolco-square-aztec-burials/http://www.pasthorizons.com/magazine


7/48past horizons7

For more news stories that are updated constantly, try:

Past Horizons News Blog: http://pasthorizons.wordpress.com/category/news-and-articles

Stonepages Weekly News and Podcast: http://www.stonepages.com/news

CBA Archaeology News Feed: http://www.britarch.ac.uk/newsfeed

Archaeologica: http://www.archaeologica.org/NewsPage.htm

Archaeologists unearth statues of a pharaoh

Two giant anchors have been found which could shed li ght on a monumental

event in Vietnamese history, the Great Battle of Bach Dang, when the Tran

dynasty defeated inva ding Yuan Mongolian troops in 1288.

Read more: http:// t inyurl.com/amr8g5

Archaeologists date earl iest known domesticated horses

Archaeologists date ear l iest known domesticated horses. An international team of

archaeologists has dated the ear l iest known evidence of horses being domesticated

by humans back to the Botai Culture of Kazakhstan around 5,500 years ago

Read more: ht tp: / / t inyur l .com/d9m84a

Olduvai, evolution and Darwin

Interview with David H. Koch by Archaeology Magazine , discussing his new

hall at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, where evidence

of six million years of human evol ution will be part of an inter active display.

Read more: http:// t inyurl.com/bqvx5j

Small statue of Tutankhamen found in northern Iraq

A Kurdish archaeological expedition recentl y announced it had found a

small statue of the ancie nt Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamen in northern

Iraq.

Read more: http:// t inyurl.com/bsbv9o

Wreckage of HMS Victorys predecessor discovered

The worlds most successful marine treasure hunters, Odyssey Marine

Exploration, yesterda y unveiled evidence that they had found HMS Victory,the most advanced fighting ship of i ts t ime.

Read more: http:// t inyurl.com/dgsruz

Hobbit feud: scientists argue over mysterious bones

The latest chapter of this story is revealed in the Journal of Human

Evolution which boasts four reports concerning the hobbits, f ive years after

their discovery was disclosed to the world.

Read more: http:// t inyurl.com/cqyqbo

Anchors may shed light on famous battle

Two giant anchors have been found which could shed li ght on a monumental

event in Vietnamese history, the Great Battle of Bach Dang, when the Tran

dynasty defeated i nvading Yuan Mongolian troops i n 1288.

Read more: http:// t inyurl.com/amr8g5
http://pasthorizons.wordpress.com/category/news-and-articleshttp://www.stonepages.com/newshttp://www.britarch.ac.uk/newsfeedhttp://www.archaeologica.org/NewsPage.htmhttp://www.archaeologica.org/NewsPage.htmhttp://www.britarch.ac.uk/newsfeedhttp://www.stonepages.com/newshttp://pasthorizons.wordpress.com/category/news-and-articles


8/48


9/48past horizons9

continued

F e t t e r n e a r

A S c o t t i s h E p i s c o p a l P a l a c e

images & textby p. dransart & j.r.trigg

Since 1995 a major par t of our research for the Scott ish Episcopal Palaces

Project (SEPP) has focused on Fetternear , the summer palace of the

mediaeval bishops of Aberdeen, near Kemnay in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

In addit ion to eccles ias t ical duties , these bishops buil t not only their own

magnif icent palaces and cast les , but the cathedrals , too, and SEPP aims to explore

the relat ionships between these two architectural areas .

In an excavation carried out at the end of the

19th century, an Aberdeen architect reportedthat fine architectural moulding had been

discovered at Fetternear, which he said was

of a finer quality than the late 13th century

stonework at St Machars cathedral, Old

Aberdeen. When we started our work we

rediscovered the 19th century dig, but no

evidence for the fine mouldi ngs. However, we

unexpectedly found good evidence for a moat

that surrounded the palace in the 14th century:

until we recovered this information, Fetternear

had not been recognised as a moated site. In

Scotland, such sites have received relativelylit t le archaeological attention, making our

work particularly significant. In addition, we

also found the remains of a wooden palisade

that once enclosed the area within the moat.

As well as investigating the architectural

projects instigated by the bishops, we have

explored their domestic arrangements. In the

south-western sector of the site we located

the late 13th early 14th century kitchens.


10/48past horizons 10

These were represented by a concentration of

iron knives as well as of animal bones, mostof which were cattle and sheep. There was

a series of hearths and an

oven, probably for baking

bread. The pottery consisted

of fragments of locally-

produced jugs, some of

which had been heated. As

is common in castle sites,

the kitchens were situated

in a peripheral corner of the

complex.

The dating of the kitchen

quarters coincides with

the bishoprics of two men

who were noted for their

architectural achievements.

Henry Cheyne was bishop

during the troubled years

of Scotlands first War of

Independence with England. History recalls

Bishop Henrys military career becauseEdward I of England ordered him to accompany

the Earl of Mar to garrison Urquhart Castle

on Loch Ness. Alexander de Kininmund I

succeeded Bishop Henry in 1329. He had a

distinguished career in the church and had

formed part of the delegation that took the

Declaration of Arbroath to Pope John XXII in

Avignon.

These bishops and their successors were no

strangers to interaction with other European

countries. We have excavated pottery sherds

from the north of England, Germany andFrance, and there is also evidence for t imber

originating from the Baltic

which has been dated

dendrochronologically to c.

1357.

Although our work has

focused on the mediaeval

period, we have also

revealed an area of long-

term prehistoric occupationand a rich post-Reformation

history. The religious

significance of the site did

not end with the transfer of

the land into the hands of the

Leslie family of Balquhain,

the neighbouring estate.

The Leslies were prominent

Catholic supporters who,

over time, became antiquarians and laid a great

emphasis on the estates religious heritage.One of the most striking finds from the Lesli e

occupation is part of a North Italian marbled

lion head costrel, a 17th-century pilgrims

flask.

The building the visitor now sees on

approaching the site dates largely from the

16th to 19th centuries; some parts not visible

from the road may date from the bishops

palace. The faade bears the coat of arms,

dated 1693, of Count Patrick Leslie and his

Excavation of the southern arm of the moat during 2007

A rare North I talian marbled

lion head costrel

View of the mediaeval bread oven


11/48past horizons11

Detail of the t imber palisade under excavation in 2006 An oak s il l be am and beam slot

SEPP invites volunteers to join us for the

fif teenth field season at Fetternear from

29 June to 24 J uly, 2009.

Previous experience is not required as training

can be provided on si te.

Many of our volunteers stay in the campsite next

to Fetternear, but we can put you in touch with

people offering oth er types of accommodation

nearby.

There is no charge for part icipation or for on-si teaccommodation.

Further information is available from Dr. Penny

Dransart at : [email protected]

Ge t Invo l v ed

Volunteers from North America duri ng the 2008 season

second wife, Mary Irvine of Drum. Higher

up the wall above this panel are two stones,one incised with Count Patricks and Marys

monograms, and the other incorporates those

of Jesus and Mary, IHS and MRA. This dual

religious inscription, which is paralleled at

Balquhain, is highly unusual in Scotland but

examples are known in continental Europe.

Our fifteenth excavation season will take

place in July 2009 and study of the finds is

ongoing, but of particular interest is the glass

assemblage, which is the largest to have beenexcavated from a site in Scotland. Aims for

the forthcoming excavation season include

further investigation of the moat in an area

that was producing evidence in 2008 for in

situ wooden structures.

Penny Dransart is director of SEPP and is

Reader in Archaeology and Anthropology

at the University of Wales, Lampeter. Jonty

Trigg teaches archaeology at the University

of Liverpool and is researching a PhD atthe University of Glasgow. SEPP wishes to

acknowledge the donation of si x WHS trowels

by Past Horizons in 2008, which were put to

good use by members of the volunteer t eam.

The findings of previous seasons f ieldwork is

available at :

http://www.lamp.ac.uk/archanth/staff/dransart/fetternear.htm
mailto:[email protected]://www.lamp.ac.uk/archanth/staff/dransart/fetternear.htmhttp://www.lamp.ac.uk/archanth/staff/dransart/fetternear.htmmailto:[email protected]



Buildings in the central area of the citadel which date to after the Bosporan/Roman war of 44 - 45 AD

A r t e z i a n



Romania

Hungary

Poland

Slovakia

Belarus

Russi

UKRAINE

Black Sea

Moldova

Kiev

KerchARTEZIAN

UKRAINE

continued

Excavation

on the

Cr imean

Peninsula

photographs and text byprofessor nikolai vinokurov

Artezian lies close to the Azov Sea in the Crimean Peninsula of Southeastern Ukraine,

a picturesque region of steppe grasslands, winding rivers, springs and reservoirs,

abundant in fish and wild birds. Here, for the past 22 years, a Russo-Crimean

archaeological expediti on has been excavating the fortified settlement of Artezian along with

a team of international volunteers.

There has been a human presence here since

Prehistoric times and the landscape as we see

it now has changed very li t t le since then, with

chains of Bronze Age barrows (second and

third millennium BC) aligned with dirt roads

and tracks connecting the coastal regions

with the more remote interior of the Kerch

peninsula.

By the fifth century BC, with the foundation

of the Bosporan kingdom, this area becamean important economic and strategic base

of Imperial power, colonised by military

settlers. The larger settlements occupied

commanding elevations, ideal for defensible

fortified towns requiring a clear l ine of site

and communication to the other regions of

the Bosporan state. Situated in the middle

of this territory and covering approximately

seven hectares Artezian sits high above the

surrounding landscape well protected by the

natural terra in .

An area of 8000 square metres has been

excavated so far and archaeologically, the site

contains a complex stratigraphy that reaches

to a depth of around six metres and stretches

back over thousands of years. However,

the most informative layer is the burnt one

which represents the near destruction of the

settlement at the time of the Bosporon/Roman

war of 44-45 AD. Lying 1.20 metres beneath

the surface, i t contains a wealth of finds such

as hundreds of terracotta figurines (many

complete), thousands of coins and domestic

utensils, and the remains of weapons belonging

to the defenders of the fortress.

It is not clear what this ancient fortification

was originally called but some historical

researchers believe this may have been

Parosta, mentioned by the Roman author Pliny

and the Greek geographer Ptolemy. Parosta,

when translated from ancient Persian, meansstanding at the front and from Indo-Aryan

as situated by the mouth of a river by the

port. Certainly its location suggests that i t

was on the frontline of a complex system of

fortifications encircled by banks and ditches

guarding the vitally important centres of the

Bosporan kingdom from attack by marauding

nomads from the steppe. It would also have

been an ideal place to exert control over

the surrounding regions, housing the kings

governor, a military garrison, tax collectorsand merchants.

The for t i f ied se t t lement is la id out in

a rectil inear plan with the central area

containing the citadel. Around the edges are

ancient altars that are now represented by four

ash mounds. Throughout its 1200-year history

the fortress appears to have been repeatedly

burnt down during attacks and damaged by

powerful earthquakes, but w as always re-built

or repaired soon after.



The citadel consists of mighty rectangulartowers and walls constructed from large, rough-

hewn stone blocks dating from the turn of the

first century BC to the first century AD. The

towers are notable for their mathematically

exacting construction designed to provide

protection against earthquake damage. The

fortress itself was surrounded by a ditch

(three to five metres deep

and up to 12 metres wide)

which was partially faced

with stone. A subterranean

drainage system consisting

of square masonry blocks

was used to conduct water

away from the ditch.

Within the walls of the

citadel, four wells, with

a depth of up to 15 metres, have now been

excavated, three of which are faced with

timber and one with stone.

One of the rulers in this period was a mighty

adversary of Rome, the King of Pontus,

Mithridates VI Eupator Dionysus. The lower

floors of the citadel housed impressive

barracks dating from this period and these

grand buildings, situated on several terraces,

were extremely well planned. The walls

were constructed of a chequerboard pattern

consisting of large blocks with smaller stones

packed in between, an unusual feature in the

northern Black sea region.

When combined with the richness and varietyof the excavated finds and the quality of the

architecture, there is clear evidence that the

inhabitants had attained a good standard of

l iving. The business and domestic premises

grouped together in a regular arrangement

along the paved streets had rendered walls

built of stone and adobe with ti led roofs.

The residential buildings

contained water and

sewerage drainage

systems, and some

houses contained marble

classical architectural

detailing. The occupants

had spacious granaries

and large wine-making

premises with semi-

basement areas and vessel s dug into the floor

for wine storage. The population was also

occupied in cattle rearing, poultry farming,

hunting and fishing, pottery manufacture,weaving, copper smelting, iron work and

glass blowing. In the hinterland area there

is evidence of agriculture sub divisions,

including ancient vineyards, farmsteads

and vegetable plots. Also, sti l l visible are

a number of quarries for the extraction of

building mater ials.

The settlements necropolis occupies over

15 hectares of which around 3000 square

metres have been excavated. This consists

Remains of the one of the citadel towers dating from the

second half of t he f irs t century ADStructure forming part of the regular planning

One of the rulers inthis period was a mighty

adversary of Rome,the King of Pontus,

Mithridates VI EupatorDionysus.



of approximately 400 burials as well as seven

monumental barrows with stone vaults for

the wealthy elite. The dead were buried

in coffins or sarcophagi, decorated with

painted gypsum mouldings, and placed in

the graves were sets of red

lacquer and glass wares,

such as dishes, bowls,

jugs, goblets, embalmingvessels and small phials

for precious fragrances.

The burials of women and

children contained beads,

bronze bracelets, earrings

and rings, while the adult

males were buried with

daggers, swords, arrow

tips and metal fit t ings for

clothing and equipment.

Also excavated in thenecropolis were the burials

of horses and dogs. Horses

were buried with iron curb

chains and buckles, forming

part of the bridle and harness. Several of

them had traces of serious battle wounds

incurred during their l ives which appeared to

have successfully healed.

The recovery of weapons, the remnants of

metal armour and the war wounds of the buried

testify to the existence of a strong military

presence including a cavalry contingent

within the population. Statuettes of static

and galloping horsemen,

images on graves in the

strata of the first centuries

AD, the burial of horsesin the necropolis, the

presence of good stabling

and the large number of

horse bones found in the

other strata paint a very

clear picture of this.

Aside from the military

evidence it also appears that

the inhabitants enjoyed a

good level of education andcultural continuity, for the

settlement contains many

thousands of examples of

graffit i and inscriptions

using the Greek alphabet with abbreviations of

Greek words and names. The material culture

of the period is also Greek in appearance

showing very li t t le barbarian influence.

continued

Ceramics found within the necropolis burials

Glassware grave goods



G e t I n v o l v e d The Artezian Archaeological Expedit ioninvites both professionals and amateurs from

all over the world to take part in the summer

2009 excavations.

All excavation activit ies are supervised by

qualif ied archaeologists who guide, instruct

and explain the work to volunteers and

students.

Professionals from a wide range of

archaeological and historical backgrounds

are also welcome, as is anyone interested in

carrying out their own research.

Cost: 50 per day

Dates: 10 July - 25 August, 2009

During excavations, the expedit ions camp is

located in the Crimean steppe. All volunteers

are expected to bring along tents and sleeping

bags to accommodate themselves when out i n

the f ie ld .

For more information please contact Sergei

Boriskin at : [email protected]

Excavations in t he southern area revealing the regular plan s truct ures dating to the 1st ce ntury AD

find out more about the Bosporan Kingdom

The Danish National Research Foundations Centre for Black

Sea Studies provides information about current research and

includes a good introduction to the Bosporan Kingdom at:

ht tp: / /www.pontos.dk

This long period of relative stability was to

come to an end, for around the fourth century

AD there was a notable reduction in the

size of the settlements population and the

site of Artezian fell into neglect. This wasdue to worsening environmental conditions

and military upheavals across the region,

eventually leading to the extinction of the

Bosporan statehood system.

From out of the steppe Khaza rs and Alans then

appeared. Living in yurts and small circular

adobe houses with cattle enclosures, their

religion and language was entirely different to

that of their predecessors, and so marked the

beginning of a new wa y of life in t he region.

Professor Nikolai Vinokurov of Moscow State

Pedagogical Universi ty has been the director

of the Artezian expedition since 1988, and

has carried out excavations on the site in

co-operation with the Crimean Branch of

the Insti tute of Archaeology of the National

Science Academy, Ukraine.

Original text translated from the Russian

by Sophie Mamattah, John Sullivan andTatyan a Van Lo o.
mailto:[email protected]://www.pontos.dk/http://www.pontos.dk/mailto:[email protected]



Advertising Feature



S l i e v e m o r eE x c a v at i n g a B r o n z e A g e P l a t f o r m

by stuart rathbone

In 2008 excavations began on what was believed to be a roundhouse pl atform at Achill Island,

West Ireland. In fact, what Achill Archaeological Field School revealed was the remains

of a substantial, stone-built , circular structure thought to date from the Early or Middle

Bronze Age. So now that a domestic structure seemed unlikely, what was its intended functi on?

View to the southwest from above Roundhouse 1 wi th Deserted Village s tructures vis ible i n the background

Roundhouse 1 is one of a pair of circular

structures located 50m apart on the 150m

contour on the southern slopes of Slievemore

Mountain. Prior to investigation the siteappeared as a level circular platform, with

a slightly dished interior and the top of a

circular stone wall visible in places around the

perimeter.

Whilst the interior seemed a li t t le unimpressive,

the view from down slope was more dramatic

as the scale of the curving wall was clearly

apparent. The structure is built on steeply-

sloping ground overlooking the valley floor

far below, and equidistant between the two

structures there is a curvilinear pre-bog field

wall running up the mountain, apparently part

of a field system that divides the southe rn side

of Slievemore into a series of long strips.

A total of six trenches were excavated across

the site and a complicated and monumentally

proportioned structure has been revealed. The

structure is roughly circular in plan with an

external diameter of approximately 11m. It is

defined by a substantial stone wall and has an

entrance at the south east. The southern arc

of the wall is particularly complicated and

consists of numerous components. The outer

perimeter of the wall is defined by a ring of



substantial kerbstones behind which is a large

dry stone wall that stands up to 1.7m high and

is up to 2.2m wide. The internal edge of thewall is also defined by a second ring of l arge

kerbstones. The top of the wall is wide and

level and a vertically-sided, flat-bottomed

trench runs through the middle of i t which was

0.5m wide and 0.7m deep where investigated.

The slot contained a loose sandy clay fil l with

some charcoal.

The kerbstones, of varying sizes, included

some very large boulders. Sections of both

the inner and outer rings of kerbstones had

fallen away from the wall, but as the wall had

not subsequently collapsed it is suspected thatthe kerbstones were not actively retaining the

wall .

continued

The southern wall of Roundhouse 1

Roundhouse 1

Roundhouse 2

Deserted Village

Castlebar

IrelandAchill

Island

Slievemore

North



Detail of t he northern wall Detail of the southern wall

Hearth and postholes in the centre of the s tructure

The wall at the north was generally similar in

construction, but was shorter and narrower.

It again consisted of internal and external

rings of kerbstones, but with a rubble core,

retained by dry stone facing rather than the

well coursed stone work seen at the sou th.

There is no continuation of the central slot

feature around the north of the building. The

northern wall is approximately 1.4m wide

and 0.8m high. A small exploratory trench

was placed over the wall at the west of the

structure where there was a suggestion that an

entrance may have been located. This trench

did not reveal the full width of the wall but

showed that the entrance was a secondary

feature relating to the use of the structure as

an animal pen in the Early Modern period.

The slot feature was present at the east of

this trench but the wall otherwise had more

in common with the smaller northern part of

the wall than the larger southern part.



A trench in the centre of the structure

revealed a deep build up of peat within the

interior overlying a thin buried turf layer,

complete with preserved grass and frequent

charcoal. Underneath this turf was a spread of

dark charcoal-rich material which covered a

hearth, two adjacent postholes and a series of

small stakeholes. Samples from these features

are being processed in order to obtain furtherradiocarbon dates which should relate directly

to the use of the structure.

The structure has a complicated entrance

located at the south east. The entrance is an

elongated sunken feature with a stone-lined

base and large stone slabs flanking the sides.

A pair of pillar-like orthostats is present at

each end of the entrance, with the western,

inner pair slightly taller than the eastern,

outer pair. A sil stone runs between the twostones of the outer pair. Interestingly the

entrance feature extends into the buildings

interior and so the inner pair of orthostats are

actually internal features. On either side of

the entrance there is a large mass of rubble,

similar to a cairn, retained by large boulders,

and the eastern end of the entrance beyond

the orthostats expands out, funnel-style, to

join with this material.

A final feature was found abutting the northern

side of the north wall and the northern side

of the cairn-like material to the north of the

entrance. This is a low platform of densely-

packed rubble measuring 1.2m in width and

at least 2m in length which is retained by a

large stone slab. The top surface of the rubble

is quite level, and it is possible this feature

originally extended further to the east and

west but has subsequently collapsed.

The artefact assemblage from the structure

was very limited, consisting of a fragment

of a flint plano-convex knife, a small fl int

scraper, a fragment of a chert blade and a

few pieces of flint debitage. No bones were

recovered from the site due to the highly

acidic nature of the soil . A radiocarbon date

of 1411 - 1210 cal BC has been obtai ned from

a piece of charcoal from the preserved turf

layer within the structures interior, but as

this layer has been conclusively demonstratedto postdate the collapse of the structure, this

date is terminus ante quem.

The structure is more architecturally complex

than could have been imagined prior to the

excavations and it is not entirely clear how

a timber superstructure could be incorporated

into the stone walls. Whilst there are two

postholes in the centre of the building, they

could not have been used simul taneously, andthere is no evidence indicating the presence of

an internal post ring closer to the perimeter of

the structure. This suggests the superstructure

was supported by a solitary upright post and

the top of the dry stone wall. The absence of

the slot feature in the northern part of the

wall is confusing if this feature was used to

tie the roof into the walls. Extended covered

entrances are frequently observed at Bronze

Age roundhouses, but the entrance to this

structure was almost certainly not covered by

a roof as no postholes were located along itssides.continued

Looking along the entrance into the interior



The preserved turf layer overlying the hearth and postholes

Looking over the northern cairn like projection towards the entrance

Approaching the building from the east a

person would have been channelled between

the two horn-shaped projections of stone into

the entrance feature proper, which was marked

by two orthostats and a sil stone. Progress

would have been made along the stone-linedentrance through the door of the building,

but instead of opening out immediately, the

entrance continued for a short distance and

a second, larger pair of orthostats would be

passed through before the inte rior space could

be properly accesse d. The interior space w ould

be dominated by the central post supporting

the roof and the ring of large kerbstones

fronting the wall.

The location of the structure so high above

the valley floor, the way in which the southern

wall was apparently designed to enhancevisibili ty, the limited artefact assemblage, the

complex nature of the entrance and the horn-

like projections of cairn material all suggest

this was not a standard domestic building.

It is possible the structure and the adjacent

building had a special function, such as cult

houses or places in which religious observance

were held. Further to the east a group of

megalithic tombs occupy a similar position

on the mountainside, and it is possible these

structures represent a continuation of ritualactivity at the same alti tude.

The preserved turf layer from which the

radiocarbon date was obtained is relevant

to this discussion. This turf could not have

developed whilst the structure was roofed,

and indeed it was found to overlay both the

kerbstones and the collapse from the wall,

demonstrating its secondary nature. The

presence of charcoal throughout this turf

layer therefore indicates human activity at the partially-col lapsed ruins. That the site was



stil l visited regularly enough to permeate the

turf with charcoal is surely a reflection of i ts

former importance, although the exact nature

of this secondary activity has not yet been

established.

During the excavations the team discussed

the possibili ty that the structure was some

form of megalithic tomb or unroofed circular

enclosure. These interpretations now seem

unlikely, but the structure does contain

numerous elements that have parallels in

the megalithic repertoire. In particular the

appearance of the entrance with its pairs of

orthostats and the curving projections of

cairn-like material certainly bears a passing

resemblance to some court tombs, passagetombs with in-turned entrances, and the Clyde

cairns of western Scotland. The overall design

of a long passage through a circular cairn

into an open-roofed circular space lined with

kerbstones is also reminiscent of the Clava

Cairns of North East Scotland, and to some

degree even Fourknocks 1 in County Meath,

Ireland.

Is i t possible that the builders of this struct ure

were consciously imitating megalithic

architectural themes? The similarit ies in

design may be entirely coincidental but

more light may be shed on Slievemores purpose as the Achill Field School conducts

its investigations this year into the adjacent

structure. I t is hoped the two excavations will

complement each other and provide a better

understanding of when these structures were

built , what their exact form was and what

activities took place within them.

Stuart Rathbone (BSc) joined Achill Field

School in spring 2008. He went to Ireland in

2001 and has worked on a wide range of Irishexcavations including the mass ive Bronze Age

Village at Corrstown, County Derry, and the

Viking settlement at Woodstown, C o. Waterford.

Forthcoming publications include a review

of transhumant farming practices in Ireland

and Britain, and excavation reports from the

Bronze Age vil lage at Corrstown; an unusual

Early Medie val enclosure at Castletown Tara

3; Bronze Age barrows, Iron Age ditches and

an Early Medieval ringfort at Garretstown 2;

a Medieval far mstead at Trevet 1 and a Bronze

Age camp site at Pottlebane 1.

Achil l Archaeological Fie ld School offers a

Bare Bones two week course in excavation

and recording procedures on si te . This

course , available in 2009 is par t icular ly

suited to people who have a small amount of

archaeological exper ience but wish to build

on this while excavating Roundhouse 2.

The Bare Bones course includes basic

instruct ion and supervision in excavation/

planning/surveying while on-si te .

Dates: 15 - 26 June excavation of t renches a t

the nor th and east of Roundhouse 2.

3 - 14 August - excavation of t renches a t the

south and west of Roundhouse 2.

Cost: 650 includes se lf -cater ing

accommodation, local t ranspor t and one daytour of archaeological s i tes on Achil l Is land.

Places are l imited t o 20 people so t his offer is

available on a f irst come, f irst served basis.

For details on al l the courses available

visit the website at:

http: / /www.achil l - f ie ldschool .com

G e t I n v o l v e d
http://www.achill-fieldschool.com/http://www.achill-fieldschool.com/



Low Level Aerial

Photography for

Archaeology

Top: The remains of a Moai head amongst the debris of an Ahu and its cobbled surfaced plazaAbove: View of the Moai s tatues and the Ahu (platform) they s tand on

Opposite, left: The Ballowall Barrow in Cornwall, England



continued

photographs and text by adam stanford

Aerial-Cam out in the f ield

One ought to be a bird in order to be a field

archaeologist said John Peere Williams-

Freeman to English archaeologist O. G. S.

Crawford in the years before the Great War.Indeed, all modern field archaeologists will

appreciate the need to see the evidence on

the ground from a birds-eye view. Since the

development of aircraft and cameras during the

pioneer years of Crawford, colossal amounts

of data have, and are stil l being, gathered

for the archaeological record, and studying

aerial photographs has now become standard

practise for desk-based assessments.

Aircraft-borne cameras yield a fantastic

amount of information over large areas

of landscape, and for the discovery of new

archaeological sites aerial survey is ideal.

However, this is compromised when trying

to record in detail the excavated features in

smaller areas. Conventional aircraft , f ixed

wing or helicopter, are limited by alti tude

regulations and can usually fly no lower

than 500 feet above ground level. This is

where alternative methods have proved moreeffective for site-specifi c and detailed low

level aerial photography.

In 1906 2nd Lt. Philip Henry Sharpe RE

photographed Stonehenge from the basket

of a tethered Royal Engineers hydrogen

balloon. The relative stability and static

position at low alti tude allowed for recordi ng

of the monuments detail , including its low

earthworks, for the first t ime.

Since then many other non-aircraft methods

have been employed with varying degrees

of success including raised platforms with

extendable ladders, scaffolding towers and

cherry pickers. Manoeuvring this type of

equipment around an excavation area is often

tricky, and scaffolding requires considerable

effort and checking by qualified personnel

each time it is erected.



The methods just discussed involve the

photographer actually holding the camera to

operate it , and from personal experience this

can be quite a hair-raising experience. Stories

recounted by archaeologists from the good old

days tell of attempts to get overhead shots by

balancing on top of vehicles, being elevated

in machine buckets or scaling the nearest high

tree, wall or building.

Remote camera operation is possible with the

use of unmanned aeri al vehicles ( UAV), from

the low-tech and reasonably inexpensive kites

and blimps to the much more costly remote-

controlled aircraft . Although excellent

results can potentially be achieved with this

type of equipment it can be hazardous as the

operator of the UAV is also attempting to

take the photographs. As well as the obvious

safety implications, attaching a camera to

a moving and vibrating object can lead toimage quality issues such as camera shake.

Normally with this type of equipment, only

compact l ightweight cameras can be used

Stonehenge at sunrise, taken from 20m above the Avenue



which restricts the photographic potential.

Between 1970 and 1979 the Royal Commission

on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of

Wales (RCAHMW) employed a new method

of photography in the form of a telescopic

mast system called the High-Spy camera.

Mounted on the back of a Land Rover it enabled

safe remote operation of various camerasat heights equivalent to scaffolding towers.

One of the main benefits of this system was

the ease in which camera positions could be

changed in a matter of minutes with the Land

Rover giving access to difficult terrain. When

the High-Spy system needed renewing the

RCAHMW decided it was too costly and came

to an agreement with the Royal Commission

in Scotland who used a trailer-mounted mast.

This continued until the early 1980s.

As a field archaeologist working for commercialunits, rarely was there a safe and practical

way to photograph excavations from over

head. This led me to investigate methods that

continued

I was inspired to take this picture of Stonehenge after my interest in the monument was rekindled while working on the

Stonehenge Riverside Project in 2006. I was concerned that a lot is said about the stones, many photographs depicting the

stones and the sky, ignoring the wider landscape and the rest of the monument. I planned my tr ip carefully so as to arr ive

before sunrise and be rea dy with the camera 20m above the avenu e. As the mist cleared, the sun cre pt over the horizon and

warmed the stones, the bank and ditch clearer now with the oblique l ighting. I waited for the sun and I spent the longest

t ime I had ever done before just looking at Stonehenge. I t was magical, frustrating and eerie all at the same time. After

nearly three hours of taking pictures I was freezing cold, but i t was worth i t .



might prove more suitable. In 2006 after someexperimentation my company, Aerial-Cam,

was created specialising in low-level aerial

photography using the mast system. Delivering

very high quality images from a variety of

heights using a telescopic mast mounted on

a Land Rover, Aerial-Cam is a safe, low-cost

and accurate method, differing considerably

to photography taken from aircraft . Greater

detail and accuracy is achieved at heigh ts up to

22 metres above ground level. The equipment

allows for precise photographic recordingdue to the stability and control of the camera

mounted on the mast, which acts as a verylarge monopod in stil l weather and a tripod

(when guyed) in windy conditions. Camera

set-up locations can quickly be changed and

multiple angles achieved on excavation sites

or around buildings.

Where vehicle access is an issue, a l ightweight

tripod-mounted mast system is employed

which can be easily carried to remote sites

or erected inside buildings, such as churches.

This has all the advantages of the Land Rovermounted system but with slightly less potential

An Easter Is land boat house taken with the l ightweight pole cam



for height and stability in windy conditions.In fact the portable mast system was used in

January 2009 to aid my photography work as

part of the Rapa Nui (Easter Island) Lands capes

of Construction Project, where it proved

invaluable when creating the photographic

record.

In just under three years since setting up the

Aerial-Cam system providing the service

to commercial archaeologists, universities

and special projects, a range of sites from prehistory to industrial have been worked

on and consistently excellent results have been achieved. Archaeological excavation is

a destructive process and the evidence will

only be available for a relatively brief t ime,

so it is imperative to ensure the photographic

record is of the highest quality possible.

Adam Stanford is the director of Aerial-Cam.

He also runs Archaeological Safaris running

f ield trips and field schools, and is involved

in the Anglesey Rock-Art Field School, detailsof which can be seen above.

Ge t Invov l ed Anglesey Rock-Art Project Field School

Llwydiarth Esgob Stone

A recent photographic survey (Nash & Stanford 2009)

has indicated that there is in fact much more to the art

on the Llwydiarth Esgob Stone than previously thought .

As well as the possibil i ty of below-ground rock-art , the

survey may have revealed dist inct similari t ies with art

of the Boyne Valley, thus stro ngly adding fur ther to the

suggestion of an Ir ish influence for the rock-art found

in Anglesey and north Wales.

The group is investigating the possibil i ty of further art

below the present groun d level and wishes to record the

panel complete. The stone may also have b een removed

from a now-destroyed, unknown monument nearby, so

this wil l also be investigated. Rock-art surveys and

recording at other monuments on Anglesey, including

Barclodiad y Gawres where art has been discovered in

recent photographic surveys, wil l also take place, as

well as f ield tours of the many fascinating monuments

on Anglesey. Techniques covered are excavation and

recording, special methods of photographic and other

non/minimal contact recording of megali thic rock-art .

There will be camping on si te with water, toi let and

shower facil i t ies, and apart from the project supper/

BBQ evening, i t wil l be self-catering. Transport to and

from the project is at your own expense, but i t may be

possible to arrange pick-ups at the ferry terminal or

train stat ion in Holyhead.

Cost: 115

Dates: 18-22 June 2009 (book early as places are

limited).

Contact Adam: [email protected]

http:/ /www.aerial-cam.co.uk/index.html

ht tp:/ /www.archaeology-safaris .co.uk
mailto:[email protected]://www.aerial-cam.co.uk/index.htmlhttp://www.archaeology-safaris.co.uk/http://www.archaeology-safaris.co.uk/http://www.aerial-cam.co.uk/index.htmlmailto:[email protected]



I n c l u s i v e A c c e s s i

The emphasis on f ie ldwork in archaeology

has given the disc ipl ine a macho image

and is of ten seen as something carr ied out

only by f i t and supposedly able-bodied people .

Does this rea l ly have to be the case , should

people with disabil ities be excluded? Fieldwork

tra ining is a key component of an undergraduate

degree in archaeology and through par t ic ipat ion

students gain not only pract ica l ski l ls , but

a lso a number of t ransferable ski l ls that are

increasingly valued by employers. These includeteam-working, communicat ion, se lf -motivat ion,

analyt ica l abi l i ty and a number of other key

competencies.

Over the past few years , the Depar tment of

Archaeology a t the Universi ty of Reading has

devised var ious s tra tegies to include the growing

by tim phillips and roberta gilchrist

A visually-impaired s tudent identif ies f inds by touch.



number of disabled students in i ts f ie ldwork

tra ining programme. Archaeology depar tments in

other universi t ies have a lso repor ted an increase in

disabled people taking up courses. This prompted

the conception of a new project , to develop the

provision of antic ipatory support for disabled

students involved in f ie ldwork tra ining: Inclusive ,

Accessible , Archaeology ( IAA). Fie ldwork

involves the acquisi t ion and development of a

number of ski l ls ,

so this supportactual ly has the

potenti al to be used

by all students.

Providing support

of this nature

can actual ly be

more dif f icult

than i t sounds.

An archaeological

excavation is a

dynamic place . I ts physical nature

and appearance

and the work

priorities involved

change from

day to day, if not

hour by hour. The

usual methods of

inclusion are much more dif f icult to apply in such

an environment. Added to this , s tudents ski l ls and

abil i t ies vary wildly, and these wil l change and

develop over t ime as they gain more exper ience.

All of this poses quite a challenge for directors:

how can they antic ipate the specif ic needs of

every individual s tudent who might potentia l ly

be present on fieldwork training? Moreover, in

what may be a tota l ly new environment for

them, can a s tudent be expected to ful ly antic ipate

beforehand what their needs may be?

Rather than focusing on what people cannot

do, the IAA project team took a more posi t ive

approach. I t decided to identify what abil i t ies areactual ly required to carry out the pr incipal tasks

in archaeological f ie ldwork. Working c losely with

occupational therapists and access consultants ,

the archaeologists invest igated the pract ica l

archaeological ski l ls that s tudents acquire dur ing

f ie ldwork tra ining. Through observation, the team

recorded the physical and cognit ive demands of

each activity. Then they identified a number of

everyday act ivi t ies that c losely resemble each of

the archaeological tasks. They a lso identif ied the

transferable ski l ls

acquired throughfie ldwork.

From this

information, a self-

evaluat ion toolki t

was developed,

known as the

A r c h a e o l o g i c a l

Skil ls Self -

Evaluati on Toolkit

(ASSET). The

idea behind thetoolki t is that i t

enables s tudents

to gain an idea of

their potentia l

abil i t ies and ski l ls

before embarking

on f ie ldwork. The

toolki t helps them

to evaluate their abi l i ty to perform a ser ies of

tasks that c losely resemble the archaeological

tasks. After identifying any areas of dif f iculty, a

support s tra tegy can be devised and put in place

before fieldwork takes place. Therefore, there is

less pressure on the f ie ldwork director to antic ipate

and prepare for every eventuali ty. For the s tudents ,

the toolki t a l lows them to identify their s trengths

and weaknesses and to target areas that need

developing. After par t ic ipat ing in f ie ldwork, the

toolki t can be used to re-evaluate actual abi l i t ies

in the l ight of pract ica l exper ience.

Because abil i t ies and ski l ls are evaluated a t

var ious levels of dif f iculty, their development canbe tracked over time by repeatedly using ASSET.

continued

b l e A r c h a e o l o g y

The usual perception of disabili ty. Note how the tr ipod legs have been

adjusted to a reasonable height.



Consider ing the increasing importance placed on

the development of ski l ls in higher education, the

toolki t is highly valuable . I t can be integrated into

student programmes of Professional Development

Planning, which emphasise the need to identify

and develop a range of dif ferent ski l ls .

One notable benef i t of ASSET is i ts ease of use .

Students s imply have to answer quest ions about

their abi l i ty to carry out a ser ies of everyday

tasks a t varying levels of dif f iculty. ASSET

then automatical ly produces a summary of their

potenti al to successful ly carry out particula r

archaeological tasks, which can then be tested

in the f ie ld. Following f ie ldwork, s tudents feed

information into the toolki t to log their ac tual

abil i ty in carrying out specif ic tasks. Because

abil i t ies can be evaluated a t dif ferent levels , the

toolki t can be used on subsequent occasions and

the development of abil i t ies and ski l ls effect ively

tracked. This applies to a l l s tudents , not just thosewho are seen as disabled .

As well as developing ASSET, the project a lso

produced a set of good practice guidelines for

including disabled students in archaeological

f ie ldwork tra ining. These are based par t ly on

the observations of the project team, but the

main sources of information were inf luenced by

the exper iences of archaeology depar tments and

disabled archaeology students , drawing on the

good pract ice a lready being carr ied out . With the

increasing public interest in archaeology, this publicat ion a lso conta ins guidelines for making

an excavation accessible to visi tors .

Disability and the

Archaeological Profession (DAP)

Following on from the IAA project,Archaeology a t the Universi ty of Reading

have been commissioned by English Heri tage

to carry out a project looking a t disabil i ty

within the archaeological profession working

in c lose consulta t ion with the Inst i tute for

Archaeologists ( I fA) as a major s takeholder.

The br ief is to produce good pract ice

guidelines for the employment of disabled

archaeologists in the profession. These are

to be based on the good pract ices a lready

being followed by employers and employees.

The guidelines wil l be published as an I fA

Professional Paper.

The project team is looking for par t ic ipants

wil l ing to te l l their s tory, whether this be

positive or negative. We are very eager to

ta lk to anyone who has had exper iences of

disabil i ty within archaeology, e i ther a t a

personal level, with the people they have

worked a longside or supervised, interviewed

or employed. We are interested in talking to

people about a l l aspects , including the less

obvious things such as dyslexia , diabetes,

asthma, RSI and so for th. All the information

wil l be used anonymously and presented in

such a way that no individual or organisa t ion

can be identif ied. The par t ic ipants wil l a lso

be invited to comment on the draft of the

guidelines.

I f you are interested in par t ic ipat ing in this

project, please contact:

Dr Tim Phil l ips

T: 0118 3788293E: t . j .phil l [email protected]

Par t i c i pa t e in the p r o j e c t a n d g i v e y o u r v i e w s

The IAA project was funded by the Higher

Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE)

and carried out by Archaeology at the Reading and

Bournemouth Univ ersities and the Research Group

for Inclusive Environments at Reading. Support

was provided by the following s takeholders:

Ins ti tu te for Archaeologis ts

Council for Brit ish Archaeology

English Heritage

Oxford Archaeology

The Higher Education Academys SubjectCentre for History, Classics and Archaeology

The good pract ice guidelines are available

from The Higher Education Academys

Subject Centre for History, Classics and

Archaeology:

h t t p : / / w w w . h e a c a d e m y . a c . u k / h c a /

archaeology/features_resources/guides

ASSET is available as a f ree resource

on the project website , and is supported

by a selection of case studies and

supplementary project information:

http:/ /www.britarch.ac.uk/accessible
mailto:[email protected]://www.heacademy.ac.uk/hca/archaeology/features_resources/guideshttp://www.heacademy.ac.uk/hca/archaeology/features_resources/guideshttp://www.heacademy.ac.uk/hca/archaeology/features_resources/guideshttp://www.britarch.ac.uk/accessiblehttp://www.britarch.ac.uk/accessiblehttp://www.heacademy.ac.uk/hca/archaeology/features_resources/guideshttp://www.heacademy.ac.uk/hca/archaeology/features_resources/guidesmailto:[email protected]



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World Rock-Ar t ,

Landscapes and

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R

ock-art sites are to be found

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designs, rock-art seems to have captur ed our

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Surprisingly, rock-art remained marginal

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In order to equip people with the

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by barry lewis

The approach to Gua Tambun

continued



An intensive and challenging course, i t was ledby renowned expert s from Australia, Malaysi a

and the United Kingdom, and covered many

topics from current interpretation theories to

modern methods of non-invasive recording

which could prove suitable for studying rock-

art anywhere in the world. Students attending

the course also had the opportunity to visit

Malaysias most spectacular known rock-art

site, G ua Tambun (Tambun Cave).

Lying in the Perak region of Peninsula Malaysia

on a large limestone formation called Gunong

Panjang (the Long Mountain), Gua Tambun

consists of a high, slightly concave, wall

containing pigment art and drawings which

were first discovered by Lt. R.L. Rawlings of

the British army while stationed in Malaysia

in 1959. The floor of the shelter has been

quarried away some time in the past leaving

the art stranded almost impossibly high from

the uneven ground surface. In the heat andhumidity, the short walk and steep pull up

to the site had everyone reaching for theirwater bottles but the effort was worth it for

the chance to view, study and discuss these

wonderful drawings which include human,

abstract and animal motifs. Here the students

were taught to look at the various recording

approaches that could be adapted to suit the

challenging terrain, such as taking successful

digital photographs. They were also asked

to consider what the future threats to the site

might be and what management strategies could

possibly be employed to pr otect, conserve and

present the art to the public.

The course itself was designed to suit a broad

range of interested students. Coming from all

over the world their backgrounds ranged from

heritage management professionals, university

graduates, PhD students to lay people. The

teaching team was le d by Professor Paul Taon

of Griffith Universit y, Queensland, Australia,

who has built up many years of knowledgeand experience in this field, particularly in



Aboriginal rock-art. He has recently been

part of the research team working alongside

Aboriginal elders to investigate contact art

in Arnhem Land, northern Australia, where

many cave shelters have been found to contai n

depictions of modern inventions such as

ships, cars and bicycles. Other contributors

to the course were Dr. George Nash of Bristol

University bringing with him expertise inEuropean rock-art, and Dr. Sally May also of

Griffith University (now Australian National

University) who shared her knowledge on

management of rock-art sites.

Professor Mohd Mokhtar Saidin of Universiti

Sains Malaysia (USM) talked about his

pioneering work recording rock-art in Sabah,

northern Borneo, and Peninsula Malaysia as

part of the first scientific Malaysian rock-art

project, and discussed new discoveries that

were made during his expeditions into the

jungle to find and map sites. This work is

stil l in its early stages but is already producingmuch new data including charcoal drawings

and cave engravings depicting human figures

with distinctive triangular bodies.continued

Above: Colonial period contact art in the Lenggong Valley

Main: The Perak r iver sweeping through the dense jungle of Peninsula Malaysia



The warm evenings were spent relaxing over

a cold beer and sampling the fine Asian and

Malay cuisine on offer from the lively street

stalls around Bukit Bintang, something which

proved a popular end to the day.

In order to build upon the success of this

short field school, a longer course will take

place in 2009. Trent & Peak Archaeology

in conjunction with USM will be greatly

expanding the range of skills previously

offered. This time the field school will be

located in the north of Peninsula Malaysia on

the beautiful island of Penang and the class-

based element wi ll be taught at USM. This will

include a detailed introduction to rock-art and

current recording methodologies, working with

indigenous groups and local communities, and

the conservation and management of sites.

There will be a strong field-based element

to the 2009 course and this will take place

in the Perak regions Lenggong Valley which

has some of Malaysias, and east Asias,

oldest sites; Kota Tampan (c. 75,000 - 30,000

years old) and Bukit Jawa (c. 200,000 years

old). Earlier Palaeolithic occupation and

activity ceased in the Lenggong Valley with

the eruption of Mount Toba 74,000 years ago,

a super volcano that deposited a thick layer

of ash (up to nine metres thick in some parts

of Malaysia), some of which is sti l l visible in

parts of the valley today.

The terrain of the Lenggong Valley which is

covered in dense jungle will certainly providethe field school with many challenges, along

with the exciting potential to discover and

record previously undiscovered rock-art.

There is also the chance to look at colonial

contact art which is known to exist at a few

sites in the valley, some depicting images

such as motor cars.

This field school provides an excellent

opportunity to learn from some of theworlds leading experts and will challenge

the participants on many levels. I t is also a

chance to meet people from all over the world

and share ideas about a common passion, i n a

country that has some great examples of rock-

art to offer us.

Barry Lewis is a project off icer at Trent &

Peak Archaeology, University of Nottingham,

UK, and is the co-ordinator for the Malaysian

rock-art f ield school for 2009.

Dates: 3 - 13 September, 2009, inclusive

Costs: UK and EU student tui t ion fees, 670

International student tui t ion fees, 1150

Plus f ieldwork and accommodation costs, 385

The total cost includes accommodation (for 10nights) , lunches during the class based element

(in Penang) and all meals during the fieldwork,

transfers between Penang and the Lenggong

Valley, and all f ield tr ips.

Contact: Barry Lewis

[email protected]

Webpage: www.nottingham.ac.uk/tpa/f ield_school

Observing 74,000-year-old volcanic Toba ash deposits

Professor Taon teaching the group at Gua Tambun

G e t I n v o l v e d
mailto:[email protected]://www.nottingham.ac.uk/tpa/field_schoolhttp://www.nottingham.ac.uk/tpa/field_schoolmailto:[email protected]



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nnie Evanshe Dig Cook

Recipes for Archaeologists

The Dig Cooks websitehttp://www.digcook.com

Hands up, a l l you chocoholics! is

a ca l l that would produce a forest of

hands in the dining room of every digIve ever a t tended.

Its not a call I would make every day

but when the works hard and the days

are hot the team needs an occasional

treat .

Thats when I dive into my trusty old

recipe book and f l ick to the page where

my shard cake is l is ted. I a lso make

this cake as a t rea t

for members ofthe team who are

having bir thdays.

The reason why I

cal led i t a shard

cake was to make

it specia l for

a r c h a e o l o g i s t s .

The shards are

large flakes

of chocola te ,

i n s e r t e dver t ica l ly into

the cream on top

of an absolute ly

luscious cake

made from hazelnuts, coffee and

chocola te . The blend of those three

wonderful ingredients produces a

flavour made in heaven. I ts sooo

good!

Comparisons with other ecsta t ic

exper iences general ly come down infavour of this cake but best not to

go into deta i ls in this c lean, family

magazine!

A l i t t le bi t of exper imenting with a thin

layer of chocola te melted into a f la t

pan and then broken into irregularly-

shaped large chunks produced the

shards while the coffee and chocola te

that make up the body of the cake

suggest the ear th in which the team

searches for ancient t ruths.

I t is extremely r ich and so i t goes a long

way. Any reasonably competent field

cook can make this specia l occasion

cake providing the ki tchen has a small

handheld electric mixer.

The a l ternat ive is to use a large whisk

and strong muscles. And le ts not

forget that an oven is another essentia l

piece of equipment in the making of

this cake. Those

sad cooks whohave to make do

with a couple

of gas burners

can forget about

the recipe that

fol lows.

This cake is so

good that fraud has

sometimes been

suspected when a

suspic ious str ingof bir thdays has

occurred. I f that

happens, the cook

may have to s tar t

checking passpor ts for bir thdates.

I ve learned that there are people out

there who are so addic ted to chocola te

that nothing wil l s tand in the way of

a good feast of their favouri te food.

Somewhere a long the way Ive heard

of a T-shirt that bears the text: Handover the chocola te and no-one wil l get

hur t .

The f ie ld cook can usually count on

lef tovers to help him or her out on the

following day but I have to repor t that

with this cake lef tovers are not going

to happen. This is death by chocola te ,

coffee and hazelnuts who could ask

for a nicer way to go?
http://www.digcook.com/http://www.digcook.com/



Shard

Cake

For 25 people

INGREDIENTS - CAKE

500g hazelnuts , toasted and skins

removed ( t ip: put toasted, cooled

hazelnuts in a paper bag and shake and

rub vigorously through the bag. Tip

them onto a t ray and blow the skins

away but do i t outside!)

One cup of cocoa powder (good Dutch

is best)12 large egg whites

3 cups caster sugar

200g dark cooking chocola te for shards

INGREDIENTS FILLING

4 cups cream

3 tablespoons good quali ty instant coffee dissolved

in 3 teaspoons of boil ing water and cooled

cup ic ing sugar

cup hazelnut l iqueur (optional but good)

METHOD FOR THE CAKE

Process hazelnuts with cocoa powder in a food

processor unti l roughly chopped. Alternatively

roughly chop hazelnuts and mix with cocoa

powder and set aside.

There must be no trace of yolk in with the egg

whites so I a lways break each egg and separate the

white into a small bowl and then put a l l the egg

whites in a bowl together . Make sure your egg-

beater has no traces and bowls have no traces offa t . I l ike the egg whites to be cold before I beat

them with a pinch of sa l t unti l s t i f f peaks form,

then add the caster sugar , cup a t a t ime, and

beat unti l the egg whites have tr ipled in volume

and are quite thick and glossy.

Gently fold the hazelnut mixture into the egg

whites. Spoon mixture into the three prepared t ins

or onto the pizza pla tes and bake a t 150 degrees

centigrade for 40 minutes. Cool in the t ins.

METHOD FOR FILLING

Beat cream with dissolved coffee and ic ing

sugar unti l s t i f f . Sandwich meringue layers

with half the cream mixture .

Spread remaining cream over the top and

sides. Decorate with chocola te shards andrefr igera te 12 24 hours before serving.

METHOD FOR CH OCOLATE SHARDS

Spread a luminium foil smoothly over two

oven trays and l ightly oi l . Melt chocola te

in a bowl over s immering hot water (dont

a l low water to come in contact with the

melt ing chocola te) .

Spread in a thin layer over the two trays.

Refr igera te unti l se t , then break intoir regular shards about 10cm long. These are

pressed into the cream on top of the cake so

that they stand up.

NOTE: Leftover egg yolks can be used for

making pastry, custard, mayonnaise e tc .

Lets not throw away good ingredients!

3 large cake t ins (30cm diameter) , well-oiled and l ined

with baking paper, or three large pizza trays, di t to



It is not of ten that a conference l ives up to

i ts expecta t ions, but the Archaeology Fest ival

in Cardiff , Wales, in February, managed to

do just that . The conference was organised by

Current Archaeology magazine , and fol lowing

an invita t ion f rom the editor , Lisa Westcott ,

we jumped a t the chance to a t tend an event

that provided a pla tform to present current

archaeological research in a manner that was both

accessible and enter ta ining.

Arr iving with minutes to spare before the f irs t se t of

lec tures a t Cardiff Universi ty ( the conference was

spli t between this venue and the National Museum

Cardiff) , we kicked off with the Romans and were

taken through the recent excavations a t Caer leon

in Wales, moved on apace to Hadrians Wall andf inal ly ended up on the other s ide of the Roman

Empire with a remarkable lec ture

on the Siege of Dura Europos in

Syria . Here , the power play of

Roman and Sassanian poli t ics is

focussed into a s ingle moment in

a s iege tunnel , with a small group

of sappers who batt led and died

in the dark confined passage.

Towards the end you could smell

the f ire and feel the horror of

these f inal moments.

The af ternoon session moved

away from the Romans and took

us back into a re la t ively new area

of s tudy: the enigmatic Copper

Age or Chalcoli thic of Bri ta in.

Dealing mainly with the Wiltshire

area of south England, the la test

studies were presented by Dr.

Stuar t Needham of National

Museum Wales. The highlight of

the day, though, was guest speakerBettany Hughes who captivated the audience with

her personal f i f teen year invest igat ion on the real

Helen of Troy. Ever the professi onal, she held

the audience spellbound, but drew every strand

together in a f inale that shocked, intr igued and

quest ioned.

The fol lowing day we awaited the next ser ies of

seminars with a sense of antic ipat ion. After a look

a t the re la t ionship between the barbar ians and the

fa l l of the Roman Empire by Peter Guest of Cardiff

Universi ty, we heard about s tar t l ing new evidence

concerning the end of Roman occupation in Bri ta in

from Sam Moorhead of the Por table Antiquit ies

Scheme, who has buil t up an interest ing theory

from coins found mainly by metal detector is ts .

We then changed gear yet ag ain, and were plung ed

into the past with the remarkable Steve Mithen

as he presented his s tudies of the emergence

of farming a t the very or igins of the Neoli thic .

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Past Horizons March 09

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