This paper attempts to consider the social dimensions of metalworking during the Beaker period an... more This paper attempts to consider the social dimensions of metalworking during the Beaker period and Bronze Age in southern England. However, any attempt to discuss the social context of metalworking in these periods, i.e. who was working metals and where these activities occurred, is confronted with an extremely low evidence base of excavated archaeological sites where metalworking is known to have taken place. This lack of data and subsequent understanding of metalworking locations stands in stark contrast to the thousands of Beaker and Bronze Age metal artefacts housed in museum archives across Britain. These metal artefacts bear witness to the ability of people in Beaker and Bronze Age societies in Britain, and particularly southern England, to obtain, transform and use metals since the introduction of copper at c.2450 BC. Such metal artefacts have been subject to detailed analytical programmes, which have revealed information on the supply and recycling of metals. Likewise, there...
Developer-funded archaeology on the Isle of Sheppey resulted in the discovery of not one but two ... more Developer-funded archaeology on the Isle of Sheppey resulted in the discovery of not one but two Neolithic causewayed enclosures on the same hilltop in very close (c. 300 m) proximity. In the later Bronze Age enclosures and cremation cemeteries were constructed immediately to the east, followed by Iron Age enclosures and, ultimately, field systems dating to the later Iron Age onwards. A radiocarbon programme enabled the chronological sequence and hiatus between all of these events to be discerned, but the majority of this paper explores the physical, chronological, and social relationship between the two Neolithic causewayed enclosures. These were of different forms and, although on the same hilltop, they each seem to have had distinctly different viewsheds over the Thames and the Swale respectively. There are subtle, but potentially significant, differences in the material culture and deposition which allow exploration of the possible functions and role(s) of the two largely contem...
A combination of on- and off-site palaeo-environmental and archaeological investigations of the u... more A combination of on- and off-site palaeo-environmental and archaeological investigations of the upper Allen valley of Dorset conducted in 1998–2000 has begun to reveal a different model of landscape development than those previously put forward. A combination of off-site geoarchaeological and aerial photographic survey and palynological analyses of two relict palaeochannel systems, and sample investigations of four Bronze Age round barrows and a Neolithic enclosure, have been combined with inter-regional summaries of the archaeological and molluscan records to re-examine the prehistoric landscape dynamics in the study area. Preliminary results suggest that woodland development in the earlier Holocene appears to have been more patchy than the presumed model of full climax deciduous woodland. With open areas still present in the Mesolithic, the area witnessed its first exploitation of the chalk downs, thus slowing and altering soil development of the downlands. Consequently, many area...
The analysis of Bronze Age barrow sites excavated as long ago as 25 years can provide information... more The analysis of Bronze Age barrow sites excavated as long ago as 25 years can provide information on more significant and wide ranging topics than basic funerary rites. At Buckskin no primary burial rite was recorded nor any high status artefacts found. The analysis, of stored soil samples and animal bones however, produced evidence for ceremonial activity and feasting prior to the construction of the barrow mound. This encourages discussion on both the role of this barrow and the primary function, other than interment, of similar monuments, especially from the evidence of environmental data. Study of both land Mollusca and faunal remains enabled a greater explanation of the cultural history of this monument and aided the site phasing.
... along the northern palaeo-shore of the River Thames, Essex; Framework Archaeology); massive p... more ... along the northern palaeo-shore of the River Thames, Essex; Framework Archaeology); massive paleosol ... The typical sedimentary sequence at Boxgrove (Fig. ... calcareous lagoonal mudflat sediment (this context contains closely refitting artefacts and records individual human ...
Excavations at Tinney's Lane, Sherborne in 2002 uncovered extensive evidence for Late Bronze ... more Excavations at Tinney's Lane, Sherborne in 2002 uncovered extensive evidence for Late Bronze Age settlement and pottery production, dating from a short time period probably within the 12th or 11th century calbc. Well-preserved deposits of burnt stone, broken vessels, and burnt sherds, together with resulting debris redeposited in associated pits, were accompanied by a series of post-hole structures interpreted as round-houses and four-post settings. Environmental evidence in the form of charcoal, charred plant remains, and molluscs has provided important information concerning sources of fuel and water for pottery production as well as allowing a reconstruction of the local vegetation. Finds of fired clay, metal, stone, shale, flint, and bone include items from distant sources, informing topics such as site status and exchange, and include many categories of tools and equipment that would have been used within the pottery-making processes. Analysis of the spatial distribution of...
After the Portuguese discovered the Cape Verde Islands in AD 1456 they divided its main island, S... more After the Portuguese discovered the Cape Verde Islands in AD 1456 they divided its main island, Santiago, into two governing captaincies. The founding settlement in the south-west, Cidade Velha, soon became the Islands’ capital and a thriving trade centre; in contrast, that in the east, Alcatrazes, only lasted as an official seat from 1484–1516 and is held to have ‘failed’ (see Richter 2015).
Macphail, RI, Cruise, GM, Allen, MJ and Linderholm, J., 2006. A Rebuttal of the Views Expressed i... more Macphail, RI, Cruise, GM, Allen, MJ and Linderholm, J., 2006. A Rebuttal of the Views Expressed in Problems of Unscientific Method and Approach in Archaeological Soil and Pollen Analysis of Experimental Floor Deposits; with Special Reference to Butser Ancient Farm, ...
This article attempts to consider the social dimensions of metalworking during the Beaker period ... more This article attempts to consider the social dimensions of metalworking during the Beaker period and Bronze Age in southern England. However, any attempt to discuss the social context of metalworking in these periods, i.e. who was working metals and where these activities occurred, is confronted with an extremely low evidence base of excavated archaeological sites where metalworking is known to have taken place. This lack of data and subsequent understanding of metalworking locations stands in stark contrast to the thousands of Beaker and Bronze Age metal artefacts housed in museum archives across Britain. These metal artefacts bear witness to the ability of people in Beaker and Bronze Age societies in Britain, and particularly southern England, to obtain, transform and use metals since the introduction of copper at c.2450 BC. Such metal artefacts have been subject to detailed analytical programmes, which have revealed information on the supply and recycling of metals. Likewise, there have also been significant advances in our understanding of the prehistoric mining of metals across the British Isles, with Beaker and Bronze Age mines identified in locations such as Ross Island (Ireland), the Great Orme (UK) and Alderley Edge (UK). Consequently, there is detailed archaeological knowledge about the two ends of the metalworking spectrum: the obtaining of the metal ores from the ground and the finished artefacts. However, the evidence for who was working metals and where is almost completely lacking. This article discusses the archaeological evidence of the location of metalworking areas in these periods and dissects the reasons why so few have been found within archaeological excavation, with the evidence for early metallurgy likely to be slight and ambiguous, and possibly not identifiable as metalworking remains during excavation. Suggestions are made as to where such metalworking activities could have taken place in the Beaker period and Bronze Age, and what techniques can be applied to discover some of this evidence of metalworking activity, to allow access to the social dimensions of early metalworking and metalworkers.
Résumé/Abstract Des études archéologiques, financées par des promoteurs, sur l'île de Sheppe... more Résumé/Abstract Des études archéologiques, financées par des promoteurs, sur l'île de Sheppey, se sont conclues par la découverte de deux enclos néolithiques à chaussée empierrée sur le même sommet de colline et très proches l'un de l'autre (env. 300 m). A l' ...
Proceedings of the Cambridge Antiquarian Society , 2014
Bendyshe Farm was the post-medieval successor to the Scheduled Monument formed by the medieval mo... more Bendyshe Farm was the post-medieval successor to the Scheduled Monument formed by the medieval moated manor. The moat lies along the course of a natural tributary. Evidence of scattered pits over the lower lying ground indicates periodic exploitation of springs from the late Neolithic onwards, however agricultural activity did not occur until the middle to late Saxon period. The boundaries of plots divided enclosed land from the open fields and incorporated a small stock enclosure. The site continued to be used through the medieval period until the beginning of the 19th century.
Zooarchaeological remains of recent work include a total of 2245 elements and fragments. The animal bone were collected from range of features and layers during the excavation, weighing 41.876kg. The assemblage from the site comprises 1497 fragments, from securely dated contexts. The assemblage was recovered from Iron Age, mid-late Saxon, late Saxon, medieval (12th-aerly 13th century), 16th-17th century and 18th-19th century features.
ABSTRACT In the summer of 2001, Framework Archaeology was commissioned to undertake a programme o... more ABSTRACT In the summer of 2001, Framework Archaeology was commissioned to undertake a programme of archaeological investigations in advance of car park development in the North-West Zone of Gatwick Airport. The investigations culminated in the excavation of a partially enclosed Late Bronze Age settlement lying on the edge of the River Mole floodplain. Pollen, plant and insect remains indicated that the settlement occupied an area of previously cleared forest and woodland. An open landscape of grassland floodplain with scattered clumps of trees provided browsing and grazing for domestic animals. We can suggest that tillage occurred on the higher ground beyond the floodplain. The settlement developed and the landscape was cleared for pasture. The floodplain became drier, possibly because of modification and management of the watercourses and the increasing intensity in land-use. The excavation has demonstrated the archaeological and palaeo-environmental potential of the Mole Valley as it cuts through the Weald. by Framework Archaeology
This paper attempts to consider the social dimensions of metalworking during the Beaker period an... more This paper attempts to consider the social dimensions of metalworking during the Beaker period and Bronze Age in southern England. However, any attempt to discuss the social context of metalworking in these periods, i.e. who was working metals and where these activities occurred, is confronted with an extremely low evidence base of excavated archaeological sites where metalworking is known to have taken place. This lack of data and subsequent understanding of metalworking locations stands in stark contrast to the thousands of Beaker and Bronze Age metal artefacts housed in museum archives across Britain. These metal artefacts bear witness to the ability of people in Beaker and Bronze Age societies in Britain, and particularly southern England, to obtain, transform and use metals since the introduction of copper at c.2450 BC. Such metal artefacts have been subject to detailed analytical programmes, which have revealed information on the supply and recycling of metals. Likewise, there...
Developer-funded archaeology on the Isle of Sheppey resulted in the discovery of not one but two ... more Developer-funded archaeology on the Isle of Sheppey resulted in the discovery of not one but two Neolithic causewayed enclosures on the same hilltop in very close (c. 300 m) proximity. In the later Bronze Age enclosures and cremation cemeteries were constructed immediately to the east, followed by Iron Age enclosures and, ultimately, field systems dating to the later Iron Age onwards. A radiocarbon programme enabled the chronological sequence and hiatus between all of these events to be discerned, but the majority of this paper explores the physical, chronological, and social relationship between the two Neolithic causewayed enclosures. These were of different forms and, although on the same hilltop, they each seem to have had distinctly different viewsheds over the Thames and the Swale respectively. There are subtle, but potentially significant, differences in the material culture and deposition which allow exploration of the possible functions and role(s) of the two largely contem...
A combination of on- and off-site palaeo-environmental and archaeological investigations of the u... more A combination of on- and off-site palaeo-environmental and archaeological investigations of the upper Allen valley of Dorset conducted in 1998–2000 has begun to reveal a different model of landscape development than those previously put forward. A combination of off-site geoarchaeological and aerial photographic survey and palynological analyses of two relict palaeochannel systems, and sample investigations of four Bronze Age round barrows and a Neolithic enclosure, have been combined with inter-regional summaries of the archaeological and molluscan records to re-examine the prehistoric landscape dynamics in the study area. Preliminary results suggest that woodland development in the earlier Holocene appears to have been more patchy than the presumed model of full climax deciduous woodland. With open areas still present in the Mesolithic, the area witnessed its first exploitation of the chalk downs, thus slowing and altering soil development of the downlands. Consequently, many area...
The analysis of Bronze Age barrow sites excavated as long ago as 25 years can provide information... more The analysis of Bronze Age barrow sites excavated as long ago as 25 years can provide information on more significant and wide ranging topics than basic funerary rites. At Buckskin no primary burial rite was recorded nor any high status artefacts found. The analysis, of stored soil samples and animal bones however, produced evidence for ceremonial activity and feasting prior to the construction of the barrow mound. This encourages discussion on both the role of this barrow and the primary function, other than interment, of similar monuments, especially from the evidence of environmental data. Study of both land Mollusca and faunal remains enabled a greater explanation of the cultural history of this monument and aided the site phasing.
... along the northern palaeo-shore of the River Thames, Essex; Framework Archaeology); massive p... more ... along the northern palaeo-shore of the River Thames, Essex; Framework Archaeology); massive paleosol ... The typical sedimentary sequence at Boxgrove (Fig. ... calcareous lagoonal mudflat sediment (this context contains closely refitting artefacts and records individual human ...
Excavations at Tinney's Lane, Sherborne in 2002 uncovered extensive evidence for Late Bronze ... more Excavations at Tinney's Lane, Sherborne in 2002 uncovered extensive evidence for Late Bronze Age settlement and pottery production, dating from a short time period probably within the 12th or 11th century calbc. Well-preserved deposits of burnt stone, broken vessels, and burnt sherds, together with resulting debris redeposited in associated pits, were accompanied by a series of post-hole structures interpreted as round-houses and four-post settings. Environmental evidence in the form of charcoal, charred plant remains, and molluscs has provided important information concerning sources of fuel and water for pottery production as well as allowing a reconstruction of the local vegetation. Finds of fired clay, metal, stone, shale, flint, and bone include items from distant sources, informing topics such as site status and exchange, and include many categories of tools and equipment that would have been used within the pottery-making processes. Analysis of the spatial distribution of...
After the Portuguese discovered the Cape Verde Islands in AD 1456 they divided its main island, S... more After the Portuguese discovered the Cape Verde Islands in AD 1456 they divided its main island, Santiago, into two governing captaincies. The founding settlement in the south-west, Cidade Velha, soon became the Islands’ capital and a thriving trade centre; in contrast, that in the east, Alcatrazes, only lasted as an official seat from 1484–1516 and is held to have ‘failed’ (see Richter 2015).
Macphail, RI, Cruise, GM, Allen, MJ and Linderholm, J., 2006. A Rebuttal of the Views Expressed i... more Macphail, RI, Cruise, GM, Allen, MJ and Linderholm, J., 2006. A Rebuttal of the Views Expressed in Problems of Unscientific Method and Approach in Archaeological Soil and Pollen Analysis of Experimental Floor Deposits; with Special Reference to Butser Ancient Farm, ...
This article attempts to consider the social dimensions of metalworking during the Beaker period ... more This article attempts to consider the social dimensions of metalworking during the Beaker period and Bronze Age in southern England. However, any attempt to discuss the social context of metalworking in these periods, i.e. who was working metals and where these activities occurred, is confronted with an extremely low evidence base of excavated archaeological sites where metalworking is known to have taken place. This lack of data and subsequent understanding of metalworking locations stands in stark contrast to the thousands of Beaker and Bronze Age metal artefacts housed in museum archives across Britain. These metal artefacts bear witness to the ability of people in Beaker and Bronze Age societies in Britain, and particularly southern England, to obtain, transform and use metals since the introduction of copper at c.2450 BC. Such metal artefacts have been subject to detailed analytical programmes, which have revealed information on the supply and recycling of metals. Likewise, there have also been significant advances in our understanding of the prehistoric mining of metals across the British Isles, with Beaker and Bronze Age mines identified in locations such as Ross Island (Ireland), the Great Orme (UK) and Alderley Edge (UK). Consequently, there is detailed archaeological knowledge about the two ends of the metalworking spectrum: the obtaining of the metal ores from the ground and the finished artefacts. However, the evidence for who was working metals and where is almost completely lacking. This article discusses the archaeological evidence of the location of metalworking areas in these periods and dissects the reasons why so few have been found within archaeological excavation, with the evidence for early metallurgy likely to be slight and ambiguous, and possibly not identifiable as metalworking remains during excavation. Suggestions are made as to where such metalworking activities could have taken place in the Beaker period and Bronze Age, and what techniques can be applied to discover some of this evidence of metalworking activity, to allow access to the social dimensions of early metalworking and metalworkers.
Résumé/Abstract Des études archéologiques, financées par des promoteurs, sur l'île de Sheppe... more Résumé/Abstract Des études archéologiques, financées par des promoteurs, sur l'île de Sheppey, se sont conclues par la découverte de deux enclos néolithiques à chaussée empierrée sur le même sommet de colline et très proches l'un de l'autre (env. 300 m). A l' ...
Proceedings of the Cambridge Antiquarian Society , 2014
Bendyshe Farm was the post-medieval successor to the Scheduled Monument formed by the medieval mo... more Bendyshe Farm was the post-medieval successor to the Scheduled Monument formed by the medieval moated manor. The moat lies along the course of a natural tributary. Evidence of scattered pits over the lower lying ground indicates periodic exploitation of springs from the late Neolithic onwards, however agricultural activity did not occur until the middle to late Saxon period. The boundaries of plots divided enclosed land from the open fields and incorporated a small stock enclosure. The site continued to be used through the medieval period until the beginning of the 19th century.
Zooarchaeological remains of recent work include a total of 2245 elements and fragments. The animal bone were collected from range of features and layers during the excavation, weighing 41.876kg. The assemblage from the site comprises 1497 fragments, from securely dated contexts. The assemblage was recovered from Iron Age, mid-late Saxon, late Saxon, medieval (12th-aerly 13th century), 16th-17th century and 18th-19th century features.
ABSTRACT In the summer of 2001, Framework Archaeology was commissioned to undertake a programme o... more ABSTRACT In the summer of 2001, Framework Archaeology was commissioned to undertake a programme of archaeological investigations in advance of car park development in the North-West Zone of Gatwick Airport. The investigations culminated in the excavation of a partially enclosed Late Bronze Age settlement lying on the edge of the River Mole floodplain. Pollen, plant and insect remains indicated that the settlement occupied an area of previously cleared forest and woodland. An open landscape of grassland floodplain with scattered clumps of trees provided browsing and grazing for domestic animals. We can suggest that tillage occurred on the higher ground beyond the floodplain. The settlement developed and the landscape was cleared for pasture. The floodplain became drier, possibly because of modification and management of the watercourses and the increasing intensity in land-use. The excavation has demonstrated the archaeological and palaeo-environmental potential of the Mole Valley as it cuts through the Weald. by Framework Archaeology
The Drowning of a Cornish Prehistoric Landscape : Tradition, Deposition and Social Responses to Sea Level Rise, 2023
A Bronze Age barrow excavation north of Penzance undertaken in 2018, and the coring of Marazion M... more A Bronze Age barrow excavation north of Penzance undertaken in 2018, and the coring of Marazion Marsh, a RSPB reserve in 2019, are presented in this volume. They provide a platform for discussion as to the implications of loss of land for prehistoric communities. This went beyond the loss of land for settlements, buildings and pits, but extended to the loss of pasture and farmland, and to the salinisation of freshwater. These necessitated changes in the whole economic base of coastal communities if they were stay exploiting the same, but changing, landscape.
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Papers by Mike Allen
This article discusses the archaeological evidence of the location of metalworking areas in these periods and dissects the reasons why so few have been found within archaeological excavation, with the evidence for early metallurgy likely to be slight and ambiguous, and possibly not identifiable as metalworking remains during excavation. Suggestions are made as to where such metalworking activities could have taken place in the Beaker period and Bronze Age, and what techniques can be applied to discover some of this evidence of metalworking activity, to allow access to the social dimensions of early metalworking and metalworkers.
Zooarchaeological remains of recent work include a total of 2245 elements and fragments. The animal bone were collected from range of features and layers during the excavation, weighing 41.876kg.
The assemblage from the site comprises 1497 fragments, from securely dated contexts. The assemblage was recovered from Iron Age, mid-late Saxon, late Saxon, medieval (12th-aerly 13th century), 16th-17th century and 18th-19th century features.
This article discusses the archaeological evidence of the location of metalworking areas in these periods and dissects the reasons why so few have been found within archaeological excavation, with the evidence for early metallurgy likely to be slight and ambiguous, and possibly not identifiable as metalworking remains during excavation. Suggestions are made as to where such metalworking activities could have taken place in the Beaker period and Bronze Age, and what techniques can be applied to discover some of this evidence of metalworking activity, to allow access to the social dimensions of early metalworking and metalworkers.
Zooarchaeological remains of recent work include a total of 2245 elements and fragments. The animal bone were collected from range of features and layers during the excavation, weighing 41.876kg.
The assemblage from the site comprises 1497 fragments, from securely dated contexts. The assemblage was recovered from Iron Age, mid-late Saxon, late Saxon, medieval (12th-aerly 13th century), 16th-17th century and 18th-19th century features.