Dredged Up from the Past - Issue 1 - Archaeology Finds Reporting Service Newsletter

8/14/2019 Dredged Up from the Past - Issue 1 - Archaeology Finds Reporting Service Newsletter

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The Implementation Service funded byBMAPA and provided by Wessex Archaeologyhas had a successful first year, runningfrom October 2005 to September 2006,with over 80 separate artefacts reportedthrough the scheme. A number of

'pre-Protocol' finds were also brought tothe attention of Wessex Archaeology staffduring visits to wharves as part of theAggregates Levy Sustainability Fund (ALSF)funded Awareness Programme. In addition,since the beginning of the new reportingyear in October, six finds have beenreported to the Implementation Service.

Ud pDredge

As many of you will know Victoria Cooperleft the Implementation Service beforeChristmas on maternity leave. You willbe happy to hear that she gave birthto Lucy Mae on the 6th of January.Euan McNeill continues as managerof the scheme and Margaret Christiewho has been working for WessexArchaeology for two years has takenover from Victoria. Stephanie Arnotthas been working on the project since

August and will continue to assist.

Protocol update

fr m the pasto

The scheme has been well received bythe industry and the regulator. About the scheme,Mark Russell of BMAPA said thatWhen BMAPA started talking to English Heritage in2000 to see what practical and useful steps could betaken to ensure that the marine historic environmentwas fully accounted for by the marine aggregatesector, I don't think any of us could imagine thesignificant progress that would be made. Seven yearsdown the line, and we have worked in partnership to

produce a world class Guidance Note followed up bya world class Reporting Protocol for finds encounteredduring the production process.

The marine aggregate sector has effectively definedthe standards for all other marine developmentactivities to aspire to, and this is something thateveryone involved in the industry can be incredibly

proud of. Already, high standards have been set in

the first year of the reporting protocol's operation,reflecting the professionalism and enthusiasm ofsea and wharf staff. Our challenge will be to maintainand improve our performance over the coming years.

On the importance of the scheme Ian Oxley of EnglishHeritage commented

The Implementation Service Team

Spring 2007

Issue 1

A report containing full details of all thediscoveries made during the year 2005-2006has recently been published and distributedto all the BMAPA company wharves and vessels.

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Archaeology Finds Reporting Service Newsletter

Margaret, Euan and Stephanie


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During 2006 Wessex Archaeology carried outa programme of education and awarenessto accompany the introduction of theProtocol. Visits were made to 30 wharves,

3 vessels and 4 survey companies and aDVD-based remote training package wassent out to all the wharves and vesselsthat Wessex Archaeology was unable tovisit. Three regional workshops in Salisbury,York and London were also organised.

Raising awarenessEnglish Heritage haspraised the successof the Protocol:

The BMAPA-EH protocolfunded by the Aggregates LevySustainability Fund has been an extremelysignificant joint initiative to raise theawareness of a wider audience and,more importantly, to enable the marineaggregates industry to develop workingpractices that take account of the historicenvironment. It has also demonstratedthat collaboration between industry andarchaeologists is possible and beneficial,contributing to a sustainable managementof the historic environment for presentand future generations.

Virginia Dellino-MusgraveMaritime Archaeologist,English Heritage Maritime Team

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Wooden pulley sheave

Mammoth tooth

Aircraft wreckage

Prehistoric animal bones(probably from a large herbivore)

Lampfound with aircraft wreckage


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A collection of wood, eroded peat,mineralised bone, antler and a singlepiece of struck flint was reported fromthe Steenkorrel wharfin Amsterdam inFebruary 2006. The material came froma load dredged by the CEMEX UK marinevessel Sand Falcon from licence area360 off Great Yarmouth.

Identifying a submerged prehistoric landscapeThe presence of reworked fragments ofpeat suggests that the material has beeneroded from a peat layer. Assuming thatthe material is broadly contemporaryit may be derived from a submergedterrestrial land surface, probably of earlyMesolithic date (approximately 8,500 BC).

The study of submerged prehistoriclandscapes and associated archaeologicaldeposits is still a young science. Thediscoveries of such land surfaces areincredibly important for our understandingof the nature and distribution of prehistoricsettlements. The information gatheredfrom reported finds provides a valuablesource of information about prehistoricpeoples. It has the potential to expandour knowledge of those societies, perhapseven changing current archaeologicalperspectives.

A sample of the wood is currentlyundergoing scientific dating and thefind is being incorporated in the ALSFfunded Seabed Prehistory project.

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Piece of antler

Prehistoric animal bone

Fragments of bone and antler Worked flint


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type were manufactured after the designwas rejected by the RAF but it was the firstjet fighter to see service with the Fleet AirArm in the early 1950's.

The Joint Casualty and CompassionateCentre at RAF Innsworth are always madeaware of the discovery of such sites asaircraft are automatically designated as

protected places under the Protection ofMilitary Remains Act. The Joint PersonnelAccounting Command branch of theAmerican military based in Hawaii hasalso shown interest in the ImplementationService.

The remains of six aircraft, predominantlyAllied World War 2 loses, came to lightlast year as a result of the ImplementationService and a further two crash sites werelocated by Wessex Archaeology in 2006,one as a result of the ALSF Wrecks onthe Seabed project.

The remains of what is likely to be a

Fleet Air Arm jet fighter the SupermarineAttacker was spotted on board HansonMarine Aggregate dredger Arco Dart offthe coast of Worthing. The Attacker wasdeveloped by Supermarine at the end ofthe Second World War. Only 143 of this

Aircraft remains

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Wing spar from Attacker

Wing spar from Attacker

Attacker

Aircraft wreckage

Cowling from Attacker engine


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The origin of the monogram is, as yet,unknown. It looks as if a crown wouldhave topped it off but has since beenlost, possibly relating it to one of theKing Georges.

A cannonball was found by Mervin Smith

of United Marine Aggregates in October.

In November a fossil was found by BosunP Roberts of Hanson on board Arco Avon.Initially thought to be a piece of carvedstone the fragment was interpreted aspart of an Ammonite fossil by specialistsat Wessex Archaeology.

A metal monogramof the initials 'RG',probably from theearly 19th centurywas found byDarren Taylor ofUnited MarineAggregates atBedhamptonwharf in October.

One cannonball, two 19th century grenades(see page 7) and a boat hook (see page 6)were found by Alan Hook of Britannia atBrett Northfleet wharf in October 2006.

Finds from 2006/2007 so far

Mammoth Tusk Update

The mammoth tusk found at Purfleet Aggregates Limited lastyear is currently being stored at Wessex Archaeology headquarters inSalisbury. Recent scientific dating results, funded by English Heritage,point to the tusk being over 40,000 years old. The tusk is one of the mostnortherly dated examples of Mammuthus primigenius and may have significantimplications for understanding the distribution of this species during the last ice age.

The tusk is being soaked in freshwater in an attempt to remove salts. Shortly thetusk will be allowed to dry slowly by placing it on a bed of damp sand. Currentlythe intention is to display the tusk at Hanson HQ when conservation is completed.

Wessex Archaeology, in conjunction with Hanson, is in process of producingan article for a specific journal about the tusk and its importance.

A fragment of bone, thought to be from alarge animal, was found by Paul Harringtonof United Marine Aggregates on board theCity of Westminster in November.

Bricks, a pottery fragment and a cannonball were found by Darren Taylor of UnitedMarine Aggregates in Bedhampton wharfin November. The pottery is from the 20thcentury. The brick have some sort of liningon them. It is not clear if the assemblagehas come from a wreck. It has beensuggested that the pottery and brickmay be dumped demolition debris.

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Ammonite fossil

Cannon ball, pottery and brick assemblage


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Of the 80+ finds reported through theImplementation Service only six ferrousitems have been reported includingfour easily recognisable objects (twocannonballs, an ornamental object anda boat hook) and two items of possibleship structure. The rest of the items areobjects of wood, bone and non-ferrousmetals. However far more ferrousitems are discovered at the wharves,than any other material.

The use of a magnet and metal detectorsat most wharves means that a substantialnumber of potentially interesting metalartefacts are discovered in most loads andit is not possible to report every discoverythrough the Implementation Service.Indeed much of the material is modernscrap and not of archaeological interest.

Current advice is to report all itemsproduced from metals other than iron andsteel. Aluminium objects may indicateaircraft wreckage, copper and copper alloyobjects might indicate a wreck or may bevery old and precious metal objects andcoins are relatively easy to date and arethus of high archaeological value.

The range and date of iron and steelobjects is so wide that it is difficultto provide general guidance. Objectscovered in concretion are likely to be

of archaeological interest as the thickamorphous concrete-like coating indicatesthat the object has been submerged forsome time. The Protocol also suggests thatpieces of metal sheet and structure mayindicate a wreck and should be reported.

Metal and Concreted Finds

At present wharves have been advisedto report all ferrous artefacts that areeither unusual or readily identifiableas part of a ships equipment.

During the coming months the precisenature of the recovery of metallicitems at wharves will be discussedand clear guidance developed so thatobjects of archaeological value canbe readily identified.

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Boat hook

Aircraft brake pedalwith 'NAA' logo

Concreted metal findfrom Elizabethan Shipwreck


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The potentially high number of metal andconcreted finds is complicated by the legalrequirement to report all items of wreckto the Receiver of Wreck. In practice,however, neither the wharf staff nor theReceiver of Wreck is in a position to dealwith such large numbers of finds.

Following discussions with the Receiverof Wreck, Wessex Archaeology hasincorporated this requirement within

the Implementation Service and a functionhas been created within the web-basedreporting system to automatically generatea report which can be sent to the Receiver.This will enable professional archaeologiststo offer appropriate advice on which findsneed to be reported to the Receiver andreduce the paperwork that needs to becompleted by wharf staff and the Receiver.

The application of this process is currently

being assessed and a way forward discussedwith the Receiver.

Receiver of Wreck

Munitions

It has become clear that some wharvesand vessels will encounter munitions on aregular basis, some as often as two or threetimes a week. When items are discovered,the procedures defined in Dealing withmunitions in marine aggregates - GuidanceNote require munitions experts to identifyand to decommission or dispose of theitem where necessary and, in most cases,a record of each instance will be kept forfuture reference.

Due to the high numbers of items beingencountered, filing an additional report

through the Implementation Service wouldcreate an unrealistic amount of extrapaperwork for the Site Champions.

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19th century grenades

Practice round

Cannon ball


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The Storra judgment has implications formany wrecks in UK waters and will have tobe considered as part of the archaeologicalassessment process for aggregate licence areas.

The SS Storaa was a merchant vessel sunk by aGerman torpedo on 3 November 1943 while shewas part of a military convoy. Those who diedincluded Royal Navy personnel, as well asmerchant seamen.

Rosemary Fogg and Valerie Ledgard, thedaughters of one of the men who died, PettyOfficer James Varndell RN launched a judicial

appeal into the Ministry of Defence's decisionto refuse to designate the wreck. The HighCourt judge, Mr Justice Newmann decidedin their favour on 13 December 2005.

The Ministry of Defence appealed, but in October2006, the Appeal Court upheld the High Courtdecision. The Court ruled that the Act could applyto merchant vessels and that the Secretary ofState for Defence was therefore required toreconsider whether or not the Storaa should bedesignated under the Act. This does not guaranteethat the wreck will be designated, only that it iseligible for consideration

While current guidance already requires wrecksites to be avoided the judgment means thatcurrently non-contentious sites or scatteredmaterial from merchant vessels in military service

may be potentially contentious. The judgmenttherefore has implications for the f inds protocoland aggregate dredging activities.

The Storaa Judgement

The Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS)

The Protocol says that English Heritageare required to liaise with the relevantPAS Finds Liaison Officer with regard to

each discovery.

The PAS is a voluntary scheme to recordarchaeological objects found by membersof the public in England and Wales. Thescheme was established to promote therecording of chance finds and broadenpublic awareness of the importance ofsuch objects for understanding our past.

At the heart of the PAS is its network ofFinds Liaison Officers (FLOs), who have a

role in recording reported finds, givingadvice on finds recording, and conservationand encouraging liaison between membersof the public, archaeologists and museums.

Following discussions with the PAS ithas been decided that the most valuablerole that Finds Liaison Officers could play

would be in providing local information forwharves and, where discoveries are madeon board vessels, the dredging companies.Details of discoveries are now being sentto the FLO for the county in which thewharf or company is based.

It is hoped that through the PAS thedredging companies will be able to forgelinks with local institutions that may beable to assist with conservation or takeon important finds.

Further Information:http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/ projects/marine/bmapa

Details of the Portable Antiquities Schemeand contacts for their officers can be found at:http://www.finds.org.uk/

Finds Liaison Officers

Wessex Archaeology

Documents

Dredged Up from the Past - Issue 1 - Archaeology Finds Reporting Service Newsletter