Dredged Up from the Past – Issue 12 – Archaeological Finds Reporting Service Newsletter

7/28/2019 Dredged Up from the Past Issue 12 Archaeological Finds Reporting Service Newsletter

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Protocol Update

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Welcome to Issue 12 of Dredged Up, thenewsletter of the BMAPA / TCE / EHProtocol Implementation Service.

2013 sees the start of a new round ofProtocol Awareness funding, thanks toa new tripartite funding arrangementbetween BMAPA, The Crown Estate andEnglish Heritage. This means that our

popular Awareness Visits will continue tobe available for at least the next two years.Find out more about what these free visitsinvolve and how to book yours on page 8.

Cannonballs are one of the most commonfinds reported through the Protocol.Learn more about how to identify themon page 6.

The Finds Awards for 201112 have beenannounced and are reported on page 2.

Also in this issue, discover what happensto finds once they have been reported(pages 45) and meet some of thespecialists who analyse these finds (page 7).

Team News

Since the last issue of Dredged Up,Angus Forshaw has left the team but

has remained at Wessex Archaeology tobecome one of our field archaeologists.We all miss him and wish him well inhis future career. The Protocol continuesto be implemented by Laura Joynerwith help from Vicki Lambert andGemma Ingason. The project ismanaged by Euan McNeill on behalfof Wessex Archaeology.

[email protected] 01722 326 867or call

Dredged Upfrom the past

Spring 2013

Issue 12

Archaeology Finds Reporting Service Newsletter

Euan, Laura, Vicki and Gemma

Dont forget: If you want an awareness talk to refresh staffabout the Protocol, get in touch with the team on:

Safety day at Tarmacs Greenwich Wharf


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201112 Finds Awards

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Schermuly naval rocket line thrower

5 cm

The results of the 201112 Finds Awards arenow in. The winners were nominated by theImplementation Service team at WessexArchaeology and approved by Mark Russellat BMAPA and Ed Salter at English Heritage.

Over the past year, several fascinating findshave been reported and all wharves andvessels should be praised for their continuedvigilance. We are delighted to announce thatthe 201112 Finds Awards go to:

Tarmacs Greenwich Wharf

CEMEXs

Schermuly naval rocket line thrower

Tarmacs Greenwich Wharf is presented withthe award for forthe second year in a row for their extremelyhigh-quality reporting. Their frequent andtimely reports reflect great attention todetail and enthusiasm for archaeologicaldiscoveries. Both the written descriptionsand photographic images provided by wharfstaff are of such a high standard that theyenable accurate identification of objectswherever possible.

Sand Fulmar

Best Attitude by a Wharf

Best Attitude by a Vessel

Best Find

Best Attitude by a Wharf

The crew of are awardedfor reporting

some fascinating Palaeolithic finds thisyear including animal bone and a mammothtooth. The tooth has been identified byAndy Currant at the Natural History Museumas having belonged to a

, or southern mammoth.This early species lived from 2.5 millionto 1.5 million years ago and was one of thelargest species of mammoth.

The award for goes to theSchermuly naval rocket line thrower

discovered by Mark Hillier at GreenwichWharf in February 2012. Designed in the1920s by British inventor William Schermuly,this device used rocket propulsion as ameans of throwing a line from shore toship, or ship to ship. The invention wasso successful that by 1929 it had becomecompulsory for all vessels over 500 tons tocarry line throwers.

Congratulations to all the winners and keepup the good work! We hope that theseawards will inspire all industry staff to gettheir archaeological eye in and keepreporting finds via the Protocol.

Sand Fulmar

Mammuthusmeridionalis

Best Attitude by a Vessel

Best Find

Site Champions at Greenwich Wharf

20 mm

Mammoth Tooth -Mammuthus meridionalis


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Lee Moses discovered thiscannonball at KendallsNew Wharf, Shoreham,amongst aggregate dredgedfrom Licence Area 351 in theSouth Coast dredging region.It is of particular interest as it appearsto be part of a bar shot or chain shot. Theindentation on the surface indicates whereit would have originally been attached toeither a metal bar or chain.

Bar or chain shot were offensive weaponsused to disable an enemy ship by causingdamage to the sails, masts and rigging.When fired the projectile would spin on itstrajectory enabling it to cause maximumdamage to an enemy vessel.

Four other cannonballs have been reportedsince the last issue of Dredged Up. Find outhow to identify cannonballs on page 6.

In August 2012, Garry Phillips discovered thiselectrical device at Ridham Wharf amongstaggregate dredged from the East Coastregion. Firm identification has not beenpossible although it has been suggested thatthe object could be a component of anexplosive device. The rubber sealing ringsand small lug fittings around this devicesuggest that this component may have beenfitted into a larger cylindrical object. Inaddition, a sprung retaining ring visibleinside the device appears to hold a batterycomponent in place. This object appears tobe an isolated find that may have fallen orbeen discarded from a boat.

This microphone hand set was recoveredfrom aggregate dredged by the

in Licence Area 447, whichlies in the Thames Estuary dredging region.

Andy Simpson, Curator at the Royal AirForce Museum, identified it as the type ofhand set used in early marks of the VickersWellington bombers, allowing bomb aimersto communicate with the pilot. The Vickers

Wellington was built in greater numbers thanany other British bomber during World War IIand was the only model to be produced forthe entirety of the war. The microphonehand set is likely to have ended up on theseafloor due to a plane crash.

City ofWestminster

Bar shot - Tarmac

Finds from 201213 so far

5 cm

Find out what happens to

finds that have been sent in toWessex Archaeology on pages 45.


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Since 2005, over 900 finds have beenreported via the Protocol. Several of thesehave been sent to us at Wessex Archaeology,but what happens to them next?

Read on to follow the journey of oneparticular find; a mammoth tooth reportedin August 2010.

The tooth was first discovered at TarmacsErith Wharf amongst aggregate dredged from

either the Thames region or the East Coastregion. The find was reported to the SiteChampion who photographed it andcompleted an initial record form.

These details were uploaded to the ProtocolConsole where they could be accessed bythe Implementation Service team, whorequested that the mammoth tooth besent in to Wessex Archaeologys offices.

The tooth was then analysed by LorrainHigbee, Zooarchaeologist at WessexArchaeology, and Andy Currant, Curatorof Fossil Mammals at the Natural HistoryMuseum. These specialists confirmed thatwharf staffs identification of the object as amammoth tooth was correct and identified itas a fragment of an upper cheek tooth. Thefragment is just under half the size of theoriginal tooth, consisting of seven plates.

The occlusal surface (biting part of the

tooth) suggests a young adult animal withfairly primitive teeth, possibly

, the steppe mammoth. Thisspecies is associated with reasonably warmconditions and an open environment.

Mammuthustrogontherii

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Focus on Finds: What Happens Next?

A Zooarchaeologist specialises in

studying animal remains. Find outmore about Lorrains work on page 7.

Original report photo (Tarmac)

Photos taken at Wessex Archaeologys head office

WA report

Mammuthus trogontherii

Occlusal surface

Plates

And y Curra nt

Dm

itry

Bog

danov


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Lorrain Higbee

With the specialist analysis in hand, we wereable to write a report about the artefact,which was sent to the wharf that discoveredthe find, and published in the Annual Report.

The tooth is such an interesting find that itbecame an excellent addition to our teachingcollection. It has inspired and educatedcountless children and adults alike throughvisits to schools and community groups.

It has also visited wharves and been handledby wharf staff all around the country as partof the Awareness Visits that we deliver tosupport the Protocol. Find out more aboutthese visits and how to book yours on page 8.

Tooth on a school visit

Tooth at Tarmacs Greenwich Wharf


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Some of the most interesting and informativefinds reported through the Protocol havebeen cannonballs. Munitions such as thesecan provide valuable information aboutmaritime activities including naval battles.

The majority of cannonballs take the formof solid round shot. The most effective wayto identify one of these projectiles is toconsider its size and weight. These featurescan indicate the type of gun from which it

may have been fired.

For example, below is a rough guide tothe identification of round shot used in16th-century British cannon based on theirsize and weight:

It is important to remember that cannonballsdredged from the sea may have changedfrom their original size and weight due todamage caused either during firing or timespent on the seafloor.

Not all cannonballs are simply round shot.Others were adapted to cause maximumdamage to an enemys ship.

are hollow projectiles that containan explosive filling.

consists of two half-balls chainedtogether.

is similar to chain shot, but the twoballs are joined by a solid bar.

Cannonballs are one of several forms ofmunitions found on the seafloor. Alwaysfollow company procedures on the safetreatment of munitions when they arediscovered. For more information see theBMAPA / TCE guidance note Dealing withMunitions in Marine Sediments (2010).

Shells

Chain shot

Bar shot

Cannonball - Hanson

Cannonball Identification

Minion

Saker

Demi culverin

Culverin

Demi cannon

3 inches 1.7 kg

3.5 inches 2.23.4 kg

4-4.5 inches 45.8 kg

5 inches 6.89 kg

6 inches 13.616.3 kgFront two demi cannon, back two culverins

Demi-culverin circa 1587

Wyrd

Light.com


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We often contact specialists to help usidentify objects reported via the Protocol.Here are just two of those specialists.

Jonathan Ferguson isCurator of Firearms at theRoyal Armouries Museumin Leeds. His researchinterests include the use

and effect of firearmsand their depiction inmythology, folklore andpop culture. He recentlyacquired a vampire killing kit for thecollection! Although he has worked in themuseum sector for ten years, his first degreewas in Archaeology (University of Exeter),and so he enjoys the opportunity that theBMAPA Protocol provides to combine thesetwo areas of expertise.

The most interesting artefact he has lookedat for Wessex Archaeology was a matchlockmusket butt dating to the 1660s. It wasfound on a shipwreck site in the ThamesEstuary that may be part of HMS London,an English warship that sunk in 1665.

Jonathan Ferguson

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Matchlock musket butt

Lorrain Higbee

Lorrain Higbee is a Zooarchaeologist atWessex Archaeology. She helps to identifyany animal bones and teeth reported throughthe Protocol. Lorrain has worked in thecommercial archaeological sector for over20 years, both as a field archaeologist andspecialist. She analyses animal bonesrecovered from sites of all periods in orderunderstand the farming economy of a site.

She also maintains Wessex Archaeologysreference modern collection of mammal,bird and fish bones, which she uses to helpidentify some of the more unusual animalbones that come her way.

Meet the Specialist

Jona thans vamp ire killi ng kit

Collection imagerare animal?


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Can you tell your artefacts fromyour aggregate?

Do you have what it takes to be aSite Champion?

To support the BMAPA Protocol,Implementation Service staff at Wessex

Archaeology offer Awareness Visits towharves all over the UK.

Awareness Visits are free, informative andfun! You can discover how to identifyarchaeological artefacts, find out how theyended up on the seafloor and handle someexciting BMAPA finds. Visits take up to onehour and can be flexible to suit the needs ofyour staff and work day.

If new wharf staff have joined your team oryou would like a refresher training session,then get in touch to book a free visit. Emailus at [email protected] or call01722 326867 to find out more.

Site Champions are essential for the successof the Protocol and their efforts are highlyvalued by the staff at Wessex Archaeology.

The Site Champion is the first point ofcontact when an archaeological object isidentified. Their role is then to:

Note the approximate location ofthe original position of the findTake photographs of the findComplete a short report about the objectto be sent to the Nominated ContactStore the object in a suitable container.

free

Does your wharf or vessel need aSite Champion? Why not have a go?

Dont forget you can book anto get you started.Awareness Visit

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Protocol Awareness

Safety day at Tarmacs Greenwich Wharf

[email protected] 326 867or call

Get in touch with the team on:

wessexarchaeology

Paul Scrace Bradley Troubridgeand arethe Site Champions at Tarmacs GreenwichWharf. Paul and Bradley set an excellentexample to other Site Champions by compilingdetailed and accurate preliminary reports andtaking high-quality photographs. Their findsare stored in a display cabinet, where they

can be viewed by all.

Site Champion Paul Scrace at Tarmacs Greenwich Wharf

Documents

Dredged Up from the Past – Issue 12 – Archaeological Finds Reporting Service Newsletter