Aggregates Levy supports prehistory

Submitted by PaulM on Sunday, 09 March 2003 Page Views: 1352

Following the introduction of the Aggregates levy and its sustainability fund as reported here in October 2001 an amateur dig unearthing a Middle Bronze Age landscape has benefitted greatly reports English Heritage.

An excavation begun 12 years ago by a lone amateur which has turned into one of the biggest and most important archaeological sites in the country has been awarded the first part of a grant that could be worth over £160,000 from a fund providing benefits to the community from the quarry industry.

The Bestwall Archaeological Project has uncovered more than 7,000 years of history at a 55 hectare quarry to the east of Wareham, Dorset. The quarry includes one of the largest areas of Middle Bronze Age landscape ever to be excavated and the most substantial ranges of Bronze Age pottery yet discovered in Britain. Also among the finds are Bronze Age ceremonial jewellery and an enormous Roman coin hoard.

Now English Heritage, who helps administer the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund, has allocated money to enable publication of the amazing results of the excavations which are due to finish later this year and which are set to add substantially to our knowledge about our distant past. Amateur volunteers from all over Dorset have carried out most of the excavation, led by Wareham historian Lilian Ladle who was asked to undertake archaeological excavations at the site prior to commercial gravel extraction. The project is seen as a shining example of how amateurs and professionals can work together to produce work of the highest standard.

Buzz Busby, Assistant Ancient Monument Inspector with English Heritage’s South West Region, who is overseeing the latest part of the project on behalf of the ALSF, said: "We are delighted to support this nationally important excavation through the ALSF. The project is extremely unusual as projects of this size are generally only carried out by professional archaeological units. Thanks to the support of the quarry owners and professional archaeologists, this truly outstanding research has been undertaken by local amateurs."

Among the nationally important finds are rare domestic assemblages of beaker pottery from the Early Bronze Age, a feasting site with ritually placed copper alloy bracelets and ceremonial pottery drinking sets from the Middle Bronze Age and extensive evidence of pottery production from the Late Bronze Age. Altogether more than a twelve thousand pieces of Bronze Age pottery have been discovered,

A vivid picture of the Bronze Age Dorset, previously only visible as burial mounds, has now emerged. On the shores of Poole Harbour generations of prehistoric farmers living in large, well-constructed round houses grew wheat, tended flocks of sheep and enjoyed a good lifestyle. There was plenty to eat and, on occasions, great feasts took place. They made their own pottery, developed trade networks, spun wool and wove it into cloth and adorned themselves with attractive, high-class jewellery.

By late Roman times Bestwall had become the site of one of Britain’s largest Roman industrialised pottery production sites. Evidence was found of at least 30 kilns, dating from the 3rd and 4th centuries AD, for manufacturing black-burnished ware which was in use all over Britain and was also exported to the continent. One of the most important Roman hoards ever found, a collection of over 1,500 coins dating from between 117 and 275 AD, has also come to light.

The Bestwall Dig has provided training for hundreds of volunteers and 95 archaeology students over the years. It is one of the longest-running amateur excavations in the country and must be one of the most-visited - open days, tours and talks are regularly laid on for schools, societies and interested members of the public.

Much of the enthusiasm evident at the site is due to Lilian Ladle, for whom the dig has become a way of life and even an obsession since she found the first prehistoric features in June 1992. The finds were unexpected, since initial surveys revealed little of the archaeological riches hidden under the topsoil. With no archaeological background she has learned "on the job," advised by Peter Cox of AC Archaeology who was brought in by the quarry owners to provide professional support. Now she and her band of ten regular volunteers are seasoned practitioners of archaeological techniques such as recording stratigraphy and processing small finds.

Lilian plays down her own mammoth contribution to our knowledge of prehistoric Britain. She says: "My initial involvement in the project was probably a matter of luck - the right person in the right place at the right time! However, as the years have rolled on and the ancient landscapes have been revealed, I have realised how privileged I am to have been part of such an incredible undertaking. The results could not have been achieved without the hard work and dedication of hundreds of volunteers who have given their time and expertise so willingly."

Quarry operators Bardon Aggregates have actively supported the archaeological work over the years, providing much vital financial and material assistance, including funding a regular assessment of all the artefacts found on the site.

Doug Barrowman, General Manager for Bardon Aggregates Wessex, Bestwall, said: "Our understanding of archaeological methods and needs has grown over the 12 years of the project. Lillian has been a superb project manager whose enthusiasm has ensured the project has been carried to a degree of detail not usually seen on sites of this size. We will ensure that the lessons learned at Bestwall are used to benefit other similar sites".

In addition to academic papers, publications will bring the exciting results to the general public in a colourful, easy to read form. There will also be a mobile display to depict the highlights of 7,000 years of occupation of the Bestwall Peninsula.

The Project has a website.

Contributor Bio for PaulM: Based in Macclesfield, contributing since 2002. Favourite site: Hordron Edge. Occupation: Something in waste and recycling.

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