Anybody home? Avebury archaeologists hope to discover a Neolithic house

A group of archaeologists have begun to dig at a site in Wiltshire in hopes of finding out more about the creators of the Avebury circle of great standing stones and its neighbouring Stonehenge.

“Avebury’s prehistoric monuments are justly world famous but one of the questions I’m most often asked is where the people who built and used them  lived,” says Dr Nick Snashall, spokesman and National Trust archaeologist for Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site.

The site was first found by Alexander Keiller 80 years ago and a team of National Trust, Allen Environmental Archaeology, and Southampton and Leicester University Archaeologists have spent three years researching his journals and drawings, and using geophysical survey techniques to locate the exact spot that he found.

What they discovered when they began their three-week dig did not disappoint. Arrowheads, clusters of scrapers for hide and plant materials, flint swords and pottery were all found when the turf was stripped back. Dr Snashall stated that so far the finds have been unearthed in clusters of three or four at a time, all appearing to be perfectly preserved.

“It’s as if the people were sitting here working away making arrowheads, scraping hides and carrying out their daily tasks and then they just got up and walked away.”

Along with these tools and artefacts, the excavation team believe they have uncovered the remains of an ancient house. This would be a very important find for the team as very few of these houses have been uncovered.

Dr Snashall stated that “this site dates from a time when people are just starting to build the earliest parts of Avebury’s earthworks so we could be looking at the house and workplace of the people who saw that happening.” 

Read more about Neolithic houses in this free article from Journal of Field Archaeology:

A Neolithic Household at Piana di Curinga, Italy

150 years of The Palestine Exploration Fund

by Adam John Fraser, Librarian at The Palestine Exploration Fund

The Palestine Exploration Fund is currently celebrating 150 years of scientific study of the geographic region of Palestine. We were founded on May 12, 1865, in the Jerusalem Chamber of Westminster Abbey. The location was appropriate for its historical significance but also because the Dean of Westminster, Arthur Penrhyn Stanley, was one of its integral founders. He had also travelled with the Prince of Wales extensively throughout Egypt and Palestine.

Arthur Penrhyn Stanley

Stanley, along with Sir George Grove (who is best known for his work on Crystal Palace) worked together on publishing books about the history of Palestine. It was of great interest to further study the country at the centre of Christianity, but it was evident to both Stanley and Grove that there was a gap in the knowledge of the region. 

In 1864, Baroness Angela Burdett-Coutts was involved in a philanthropic effort to provide Jerusalem with a better water supply. The existing one had been highly inadequate and disease was rife. In order for a better water supply to be constructed a survey of the geography of Jerusalem was essential.  Dean Stanley was on the committee for the Jerusalem Water Relief Fund and contacted the War Office to acquire anyone who had expertise in mapping and surveying.Charles Wilson of the Royal Engineers volunteered for the job (unpaid) and set off for Palestine with a small crew. Their work was extremely successful and was quite popular back in Britain. Because of the popularity of the survey of Jerusalem for the Water Relief Fund, Stanley and Grove felt the moment was ripe for establishing a society to specifically study Palestine.

Charles Wilson (centre)

Stanley and Grove did most of the groundwork for lobbying people to join and contributed to the establishment of the Palestine Exploration Fund. There was an extensive letter writing campaign in an attempt to garner as much support as possible and from people with vastly different expertise and backgrounds.

The early committee was made up of a wide selection of individuals; Dr J.D. Hooker, Professor Owen, John Murray, A.H. Layard, Rev H.D. Tristram. These are just a selection of the individuals who formed the committee were some of the leading scientists and researchers of their day and key people in Victorian society in Britain. Some of them came from the British Museum, Kew Gardens, the Natural History Museum. There were friends and enemies of Charles Darwin. Many members of Parliament were eager to join, even the Speaker of the House of Commons had joined!

Letter from Professor Owen

The Palestine Exploration Fund was established to scientifically investigate the archaeology, geography, geology, manners and customs and natural history of Palestine. It was not a religious organization though there were people of faith in the committee. It was not a political organization even though there were politicians in the organization.  The main priority, since day one, has always been the research.

Making to 150 years is a big achievement for us. Many people have devoted their extra time and energy to helping us get this far. It has been a difficult task, bringing an antiquarian society into the 21^st century. We have a loyal band of volunteers who are vital to the digitizing of maps and documents, making a stack of old papers into a workable archive and carrying out important research on our archaeological collection.

The Palestine Exploration Fund HQ today

The volunteers and interns are very important to us, but we would be lost without the direction and guidance of our Executive Secretary and Curator, Felicity Cobbing. Felicity has been with the PEF since 1998. She had previously worked at the British Museum and had also spent many seasons working as a field archaeologist. Felicity is responsible for bringing the PEF to where it is today. She is the one who trains and supervises the volunteers and does hundreds of very important tasks that I cannot begin to list here. Felicity is the backbone of the Palestine Exploration Fund. I know that for my part, I have never learned more from a supervisor and I credit her for getting us to where we are today.

Related links:

Women of the PEF: Baroness Angela Georgina Burdett-Coutts

Our First Hundred Years (and fifty more)*

Jerusalem Chamber at Westminster Abbey

#PeaceforFriedrichBrandt and the debate on displaying human remains

The remains of a soldier, widely believed to be 23-year-old hunchback, Private Friedrich Brandt from Hanover, Germany, have been the centre of debate amongst historians lately.

The skeleton of the man who died during the Battle of Waterloo 200 years ago is currently on display in a Belgium museum as part of a commemorative exhibition after having been found under a car park near the battlefield in 2012.

Campaigners, including many military historians and archaeologists, are calling for the remains to be reinterred with the “dignity and respect [of a] proper burial that has been denied him for so long.” German historian, Rob Schäfer, who has created a Facebook and a change.org page in order to petition and raise awareness about the controversy surrounding Private Brandt’s remains, has stated that: “It is accepted that his remains should be studied for serious archaeological purposes but, after the data has been collected, the man should be allowed to rest in peace, instead of being viewed as a morbid object of curiosity by thousands of paying tourists - particularly when in an enlightened and technologically advanced world it is perfectly possible to laser scan the remains and produce a 3D replica for display.”

Tony Pollard, historian, archaeologist and Editor of Journal of Conflict Archaeology, tweeted: “He was a soldier. He died in battle. He deserves a grave. End of.” Comedian and keen historian, Al Murray, also contributed to the debate by tweeting: “#PeaceforFriedrichBrandt this soldier's bones shouldn't be on display, he should be at rest.”

Those in opposition to this campaign have made reference to the display of Egyptian Mummies and Bog Bodies to support the exhibition of Private Brandt’s remains. The Memorial has defended the exhibit, stating that “ultimately, it seemed to everybody that the greatest homage that could be paid to him was to consider him, with the respect to which he is entitled and that the museum exhibit has sought to ensure.”  

Should the remains of Friedrich Brandt be given a proper burial? Is there a gain to keeping his bones as part of a commemorative exhibition? Let us know your thoughts.

Read more about the human remains in museum collections in these two free articles from Public Archaeology:

The ethics of displaying human remains from British archaeological sites

The Value of Human Remains in Museum Collections 

Guest Post: Speaking up for Archaeology

In this special guest post, Dave Moore, Communications Officer of The Council for British Archaeology discusses the Council's important mission, and explains how you can get involved and receive a special offer for British Archaeology Magazine. 

"The Council for British Archaeology (CBA) has been the independent champion for archaeology in the UK for over 70 years, speaking up for archaeology in public debates and bringing the excitement of the subject to an increasingly large and enthusiastic audience including young people.

In fact it is hard to imagine archaeology in the UK today without the CBA. Since its founding in 1944, the CBA has led the way with ground breaking projects and innovative resources, sharing research, knowledge, and opening up archaeology to new generations and new audiences. Above all, the CBA and its partners have worked tirelessly to represent the interests of everyone who cares about the UK’s rich archaeology heritage and the future of our discipline.

The CBA’s campaigning role is more vital now than ever, with increasing threats to our archaeological heritage from development pressures and the effects of funding cuts on archaeology practice in the UK. Many archaeologists argue that we are at risk of losing all that we have gained over the past 70 years.

You can help us continue our vital programmes to safeguard the UK’s archaeology and provide Archaeology for All next year and in years to come by becoming a member of the CBA. In return our members receive British Archaeology Magazine 6 times per year, plus our regular newsletter and e-news, keeping you up to date with archaeology projects, events and campaigns. As a specialist interest group, we negotiate special offers for our members such as discounts on outdoor gear and archaeology publications. Most importantly, we offer great opportunities to experience archaeology through our networks, local CBA Groups and Young Archaeologists’ Clubs.

Maney subscribers also benefit from an extra copy of British Archaeology Magazine
 in your first year when you join the CBA (that’s 7 copies for the price of 6). To benefit from this special offer, join now online or call the CBA team on 01904 671 417 quoting 'Maney0315'. 

Find out more about how the CBA is supporting Britain’s archaeology at: www.archaeologymatters.org.uk"

Community Archaeology Project Uncovers Colonial Life

This week, an important archaeology project gets underway in Northampton, Massachusetts, and community members are rolling up their sleeves to help.

Citizens of the small New England town have been invited to participate in "Digging Northampton," a community excavation project at the historic Parsons House on Bridge Street, from May 19 through June 6. 

Archaeology graduate students from the University of Massachusetts are heading up the project. They've recruited nearby neighbors as well as children from local schools to help uncover, clean, and keep detailed records of the artifacts. Linda Zeigenbein of the Archaeological Services at UMass told local news source MassLive.com she's not sure what will be discovered during the dig, but she's hopeful to get some insight into how Colonial women and children survived when the town was first established, and resources were scarce. 

Parsons House was built in 1719, and is scheduled for a major rehabilitation in the coming years. But historical preservation restrictions require that all artifacts are removed from the grounds before a new foundation is laid. The team will pay special attention to the the ground beneath the home's original kitchen, where they may discover animal bones discarded while cooking, crockery and more. 

For Zeigenbien, the most important part of the project is engaging the community in this important period of history. "My interest is creating people who want to be stewards of historic sites, "she explained. "The way to get this is to bring people in to see how important the work is." 

The public can take guided tours of Parsons House and check out the excavation project May 23rd, May 30th, and June 6th from 10am to 2pm. To learn more about this project and find out how you can get involved, visit the Digging Northampton blog. 

If you're interested in community archaeology and North American excavation sites, browse these articles: 

New Ethical Statements on Site Preservation for North American Archaeologists 

Community Archaeology: General Methods and Standards of Practice >