Cornish Arch 41-42 cov

166 Pages·2008·12.95 MB·English

Cornish Arch 45 cover 24/9/08 11:59 Page 1
CORNISH
C
o
r
n ARCHAEOLOGY
i
s
h
By land, sea and air: an Early Neolithic pit group at Portscatho, 1
Cornwall, and consideration of coastal activity during the Neolithic A
ANDY M JONES and STEPHEN J REED r
c 45 HENDHYSCANS KERNOW 2006
h
Cornish Beakers: new discoveries and perspectives 31
a
ANDY M JONES and HENRIETTA QUINNELL e
o
l
An Early Bronze Age pit at Trenoweth, Portreath, and other results 71 o
from the Reskadinnick to Portreath transfer pipeline g
ANN REYNOLDS y
4
The Eathorne menhir 97 5
STEVE HARTGROVES, ANDY M JONES and GRAEME KIRKHAM
The National Mapping Programme in Cornwall 109
ANDREW YOUNG
Old Tom: the discovery of an unfinished cross on Catshole Tor, 117
Bodmin Moor
ANDREW LANGDON
A molendinary conundrum 123
CHARLES THOMAS
Recent work by the Historic Environment Service, Cornwall County 127
Council
Exeter Archaeology: projects in Cornwall, 2006 139
Professor Harold Fox (1945–2007): an appreciation 141
PETER HERRING
Review article: Rillaton reconsidered and the Kentish Ringlemere gold 143
cup: the British Museum’s publication of Europe’s Bronze Age cups
PAUL ASHBEE
Reviews: 151
Andy M Jones, Cornish Bronze Age ceremonial landscapes, 151
c. 2500–1500 BC, by David Field 2
0
0
Rachel C Barrowman, Colleen E Batey and Christopher D Morris, 154
6
Excavations at Tintagel Castle, Cornwall, 1990-1999, by Peter Rose
Selena Bates and Keith Spurgin, The dust of heroes, by Andy M Jones 157
Cornish Arch 45 cover 24/9/08 11:59 Page 2
Cornwall Archaeological Society in 2006 Cornwall Archaeological Society: area representatives
Convenorandsecretary KarlRoberts,3LanhydrockView,BodminPL311BG.
President CARADON MorwenMorris,CloverCottage,StIve,LiskeardPL143NA.Tel:[phone].
Henrietta Quinnell BA, FSA, MIFA PeterNicholas,16KimberleyFosterClose,Crafthole,TorpointPL113DD.Tel:[phone].
CARRICK Rev.BrianCoombes,191BoslowickRoad,FalmouthTR114QF.Tel[phone].
President-elect
KERRIER VanessaBeeman,LowerGoongilling,Polwheveral,Constantine,FalmouthTR115RW.
Tony Blackman
Tel:[phone].
Past President MrMichaelTangye,Penvola,24TrefusisTerrace,RedruthTR152HA.Tel:[phone].
Nicholas Thomas MA, FSA, SMA PriscillaOates,Oaklands,WhiteCross,Cury,HelstonTR127BH.Tel:[phone].
NORTHCORNWALL RichardHeard,4TheSquare,Kilkhampton,BudeEX239QQ.Tel:[phone].
Vice-Presidents PENWITH DavidGiddings,8CoulsonsPlace,PenzanceTR184DY.Tel:[phone].
Martin Fletcher MIFA, MAAIS RESTORMEL SteveHebdige,ChichesterGuestHouse,14BayViewTerrace,NewquayTR72LR.
Mrs Cynthia Gaskell-Brown MA, AMA, FSA, FRSA Tel:[phone].
Peter Gathercole MA, Dip. Archaeol ValerieJacob,5CannisRoad,Tregonissey,StAustellPL254EB.Tel:[phone].
Norman Quinnell FSA, MIFA SCILLY KatharineSawyer,Alegria,HighLanes,StMary’s,IslesofScillyTR21ONW.Tel:[phone].
Professor Charles Thomas CBE, DL, DLitt, FBA, FSA, FRHistS
Specialists
Hon Vice-Presidents Cornishcrosses MrALangdon,34DobbsLane,TruroTR13NB.Tel:[phone].
Mary Avent Historicbuildings RevBrianCoombes,191BoslowickRoadFalmouth,TR114QF.Tel:[phone].
Ursula Davey
Publicationssub-committee2006
Hon Secretary Exofficio: President,Editors
Sally Ealey Convenor: Editors
Hon Treasurer
Executivesub-committee2006
John Bennett
Exofficio: President,Vice-Presidents,Secretary,Treasurer
Hon Editors (current) Convenor: Anyoneoftheabove
Cornish Archaeology: Graeme Kirkham and Peter Herring, c/o Graeme Kirkham, Historic Environment
Service, Kennall Building, Old County Hall, Station Road, Truro TR1 3EX Historictownsandbuildingssub-committee2006
Exofficio: President,Secretary,Treasurer(committeenowincorporatedintoarearepresentatives)
Newsletter: Adrian Rodda, 52 Mount Pleasant Road, Camborne, TR14 7RJ (from 2007); Konstanze Rahn
(2006)
Projectssub-committee2006
General Committee Exofficio: President,Secretary,Treasurer
Ex officio: President, Past President, Vice-Presidents, Secretary, Treasurer, Editors, Membership Secretary
Elected: Linnea Glynne-Rule, Steve Hartgroves, Valerie Jacob, Andy Jones, Pam Lee, Jane ThePublicationsSub-CommitteeisauthorisedbytheSociety’s1961constitutionandisresponsibletotheGeneralCommitteeandto
theAnnualGeneralMeetingforallmattersconcernedwiththeSociety’sjournalandotherpublications.Thevarioussub-committees
Marley, Peter Rose, Karl Roberts, Jane Stanley, Anna Tyacke.
havebeenappointedbytheGeneralCommitteetoassumeresponsibilityfordifferentaspectsoftheSociety’sworkinCornwalland
Scilly.
MEMBERSHIP OF THE SOCIETY is open to all interested in the history and material culture of Cornwall
and the Isles of Scilly, persons under 14 being admitted at the discretion of the General Committee. The
AGM usually takes place in the Spring. Enquiries about membership should be sent to: Mrs J Beale
(Membership Secretary), 16 Cross Street, Padstow, Cornwall PL28 8AT. Requests for any of the Society’s
publications (including back numbers of Cornish Archaeology) should be sent to Adrian Rodda, 52 Mount
Pleasant Road, Camborne TR14 7RJ. Email: [email protected]
CONTRIBUTIONS to Cornish Archaeology or the Newsletter should be sent to the appropriate Editors.
Front cover: A cropmark enclosure with an annexe on its west side (right in the photograph) in Ladock
parish (SW 8630 5030), photographed in April 2007. The enclosure, almost certainly an Iron Age –
Romano-British enclosed farmstead or ‘round’, is one of 30,000 archaeological features in Cornwall plotted
from air photographs by the National Mapping Programme. See Andrew Young, The National Mapping
Programme in Cornwall, this volume. (Photograph: Historic Environment Service, F76-011.)
00_vol_45_paged_c 2/9/08 16:45 Page i
CORNISH
ARCHAEOLOGY
45 HENDHYSCANS KERNOW 2006
EDITORS
GRAEME KIRKHAM AND PETER HERRING
(Published 2008)
00_vol_45_paged_c 2/9/08 16:45 Page ii
©COPYRIGHTCORNWALLARCHAEOLOGICALSOCIETY2008
Nopartofthisvolumemaybereproducedwithoutpermission
oftheSocietyandtherelevantauthor
ISSN0070024X
Typesetting,printingandbindingby4wordLtd,Bristol
00_vol_45_paged_c 2/9/08 16:45 Page iii
Contents
Byland,seaandair:anEarlyNeolithicpitgroupatPortscatho,Cornwall,
andconsiderationofcoastalactivityduringtheNeolithic 1
ANDYMJONESandSTEPHENJREED
CornishBeakers:newdiscoveriesandperspectives 31
ANDYMJONESandHENRIETTAQUINNELL
AnEarlyBronzeAgepitatTrenoweth,Portreath,andotherresults
fromtheReskadinnicktoPortreathtransferpipeline 71
ANNREYNOLDS
TheEathornemenhir 97
STEVEHARTGROVES,ANDYMJONESandGRAEMEKIRKHAM
TheNationalMappingProgrammeinCornwall 109
ANDREWYOUNG
OldTom:thediscoveryofanunfinishedcrossonCatsholeTor,BodminMoor 117
ANDREWLANGDON
Amolendinaryconundrum 123
CHARLESTHOMAS
RecentworkbytheHistoricEnvironmentService,CornwallCountyCouncil 127
ExeterArchaeology:projectsinCornwall,2006 139
ProfessorHaroldFox(1945–2007):anappreciation 141
PETERHERRING
Reviewarticle:RillatonreconsideredandtheKentishRinglemeregoldcup:
theBritishMuseum’spublicationofEurope’sBronzeAgecups 143
PAULASHBEE
Reviews: 151
AndyMJones,CornishBronzeAgeceremoniallandscapes,c.2500–1500BC,byDavidField 151
RachelCBarrowman,ColleenEBateyandChristopherDMorris,ExcavationsatTintagelCastle, 154
Cornwall,1990–1999,byPeterRose
SelenaBatesandKeithSpurgin,Thedustofheroes,byAndyMJones 157
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00_vol_45_paged_c 2/9/08 16:45 Page v
Contributors
PaulAshbee TheOldRectory,NorwichRoad,Loddon,NorwichNR146ND.
DavidField EnglishHeritage,NationalMonumentsRecordCentre,KembleDrive,Swindon
SN22GZ.Email:[email protected]
SteveHartgroves HistoricEnvironmentService,KennallBuilding,OldCountyHall,Truro
TR13AY.Email:[email protected]
PeterHerring Penhale,Treviskey,Portloe,TruroTR25PS.Email:peter.herring@english-
heritage.org.uk
AndyMJones HistoricEnvironmentService,KennallBuilding,OldCountyHall,Truro
TR13AY.Email:[email protected]
GraemeKirkham HistoricEnvironmentService,KennallBuilding,OldCountyHall,Truro
TR13AY.Email:[email protected]
HenriettaQuinnell 9ThorntonHill,Exeter.DevonEX44NN.Email:[email protected]
StephenJReed HistoricEnvironmentSection(Archaeology),DevonCountyCouncil,
CountyHall,ExeterEX24QW.Email:[email protected]
PeterRose HistoricEnvironmentService,KennallBuilding,OldCountyHall,Truro
TR13AY.Email:[email protected]
CharlesThomas Lambessow,StClement,TruroTR11TB.
AndrewYoung HistoricEnvironmentService,KennallBuilding,OldCountyHall,Truro
TR13AY.Email:[email protected]
00_vol_45_paged_c 2/9/08 16:45 Page vi
01_vol_45_001-030_c 2/9/08 16:45 Page 1
CornishArchaeology45,2006,1–30
By land, sea and air: an Early Neolithic
pit group at Portscatho, Cornwall,
and consideration of coastal activity
during the Neolithic
ANDY M JONES AND STEPHEN J REED
withcontributionsfromHENRIETTA QUINNELL,ANNA LAWSON-JONES,ROGER
TAYLOR, ROWENA GALE andJULIE JONES
DuringarchaeologicalevaluationtrenchingatPortscatho,intheparishofGerrans,agroupoffourpitswas
discovered and found to contain structured deposits of Neolithic date, which included pottery, flints, beach
pebblesandcharredplantmacrofossils.Fourradiocarbondeterminationsrangingovertheperiod3910–3370
calBCwereobtainedfromthepits.Analysisofthecharredmacrofossilsrevealedrareevidenceforcereals
dating to the Early Neolithic period in Cornwall. It is argued that the pits were the result of the ritualised
deposition of artefacts and other materials at a liminal place in the landscape, near to the end of land and
abovethesea.
Thisreportcombinestheresultsofevaluativework byanearliergeophysicalsurveyofthe0.90haofthe
undertaken by Exeter Archaeology in the spring of field in which the proposed site lay (Dean 2003)
2003 and an archaeological watching brief (Fig 1). The trenches, which ranged between 20m
undertaken by Cornwall County Council Historic and50minlength,weremachine-excavateddownto
EnvironmentService(HES)atPortscatho(SW8765 the top of in situ natural geology or archaeological
3500),Gerrans,inadvanceoftheconstructionofa depositsandthencleanedbyhand.TheNeolithicpits
sewagetreatmentworksduringthewinterof2004. were exposed in one of the trenches. Soil samples
DuringtheevaluationfourEarlyNeolithicpitswere were taken from all of the pits for palaeoenviron-
discoveredandrecorded.Followingtheirdiscovery, mentalanalysis(ReedandSage2003).
the treatment works was relocated to the north of The opportunity is taken here to provide a
the identified Neolithic pits. The new site of the synthesisoftheevidencewhichhasbeenrecovered
workswasthesubjectofcontrolledtopsoilremoval fromNeolithicpitsitesandtoconsiderwiderissues
over an area measuring approximately 0.33 ha. No related to concepts of ‘ritual’ and ‘place’ in Early
further Neolithic features were uncovered (Dudley NeolithicCornwall.
2004). Both stages of the fieldwork, the analysis and
The initial evaluation consisted of excavation of publicationwerecommissionedandfundedbySouth
nine trenches positioned over anomalies identified WestWaterLtd.
1
01_vol_45_001-030_c 2/9/08 16:45 Page 2
ANDY M JONES
Fig 1 Location map showing the study area (area of topsoil strip shaded).
Reproduced from the Ordnance Survey mapping with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s
Stationery Office. © Crown Copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown Copyright and may
lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Cornwall County Council Licence No 100019590, 2008
2