Online journal of volunteerarchaeologyand training

Past HorizonsAugust2009

Br is l ingtonProject

ZuluLegends

T ime TeamAmerica

Bulgar ianFrescoes

Adve nt u re s i n Arc h a e o l o g yLootingBulgar ia

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8 ZuluThe eMakhosini valley in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, is known as the Valley of the Zulu Kings. Here, two local legends are being explored concerning the Ngobese Zulu and the Siblikeni Homestead of King Senzangakhona.

14 Fresco Hunting in Western BulgariaSince 2008 Balkan Heritage has been cataloguing beautiful Orthodox frescoes found in the crumbling remains of mediaeval churches and monasteries in western Bulgaria. With the help of volunteers they aim to bring these frescoes to the attention of the world.

Issue 9August 2009

Editors:Felicity DonohoeMaggie Struckmeier

Layout:Maggie Struckmeier

GraphicsDavid Connolly

Past HorizonsTraprain HouseLuggate BurnHaddingtonEast LothianEH41 4QA

Tel: +44 (0)1620 861643 Email: editor@pasthorizons.comWeb: www.pasthorizons.com

Contributors: Elize BekkerIvan VasilevKen TaylorKrassimira LukaTime Team AmericaAnnie Evans

Front cover: The altar space in the church at the 11th century Archangel Michael monastery in Tran. Photo: Balkan Heritage

NotePast Horizons can give no endorsement of any listed project or guarantee the accuracy of the information supplied. The editors accept no responsibility for any loss, injury, or inconvenience sustained by anyone using the resources contained within this magazine and/or the websites mentioned herein. When considering a project, be sure to contact the director with any questions you might have about conditions, travel, health issues, etc. Check for references from previous participants, seek advice where possible and select a project that will be of the greatest benefit to you, the project and the team.

All content is copyright and no reproduction of text or images is allowed without prior permission from the author.

Past Horizons 2009

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4 EditorialRocky adventures in Croatia andScotland.

6 News News stories from around the world.

40 Dig InA selection of archaeological volunteer digs and field schools for 2009/2010.

42 Dig CookCulinary escapades from Annie Evans.

45 ViewpointDavid Connolly discusses the benefits of viewing the familiar with a fresh pair of eyes.

46 Back PagesIndiana Jones and the world of advertising.

Contents

26 The Looting of RatiariaThe tragedy of the wholesale looting of an ancient Roman city in north western Bulgaria.

32 Time Team AmericaA look at the five-part series of the brand new Time Team America.

20 Starting OutA group of l ike-minded Bris l ington residents get together to form their own archaeology project .

Regulars

View al l the places in the art icles by cl icking the Google Earth image to the left (you require google earth instal led)

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I t’s been an exci t ing few months for us , with an ongoing archaeology project in Croat ia to take forward and a

Scot t ish hi l l for t to excavate .

For the unini t ia ted, Croat ia is a beaut i ful country with over a thousand is lands dot ted throughout the deep, blue Adriat ic Sea. I t i s on the largest of these is lands that our archaeology project is beginning to take shape, focusing

on Tramontana at the northern end of the is land of Cres , an enigmatic place with deser ted vi l lages surrounded by meadows, hidden away amongst great oak forests . Griffon vul tures soar high in the sky and br ight ly-coloured l izards dar t out of the rocks or just laze in the sun with only the occasional walker or inquis i t ive archaeologis t to dis turb their peace.

Rock is avai lable in abundance which has led to the erect ion of many wal ls in the area: wal ls to keep sheep in or out , wal ls to walk on and wal ls to s l ide s ledges down. In fact , there are wal ls for most purposes and the people here were more than up to the task of bui lding them. However, when these wal ls were f i rs t bui l t i s unknown and i t th is quest ion that we would eventual ly hope to answer.

Leaving the wal ls of Cres behind unt i l October, i t was back to the Scot t ish Borders to excavate the small hi l l for t of Blackpot ts near St . Abbs. In equal ly peaceful and dramatic surroundings, perched on a rocky outcrop overlooking the North Sea, we began a week-long evaluat ion accompanied by Nat ional Trust for Scot land volunteers , observed only by a f lock of wary but cur ious sheep.

Once again, the hard s tuff was to haunt us as hidden just underneath the turf and a thin layer of soi l was - you guessed i t - bed rock! Not surpr is ingly, t rowell ing on bed rock was not such an enjoyable experience, made worse by brushing away loose soi l which constant ly blew onto our faces .We were qui te a s ight a t the end of each day not to ment ion the te l l ta le smell f rom kneel ing in f resh dung lef t in the t renches by our woolly neighbours . St i l l , what’s a bi t of dir t between fr iends? Everyone had a great experience and al though we only found a few pot boi lers and one post hole we al l went away with good memories .

This has set us thinking, though. Something which Scot land has in abundance is hi l l for ts and as we found out a t St . Abbs, they don’t give up their secrets easi ly. So watch this space, and i f our plans come to f rui t ion over the next few months you might f ind yourselves up in the Lammermuir hi l ls of East Lothian with only us and a f lock of sheep for company. Oh, and i f you are real ly unlucky you might get to t rowel some bed rock!

editorial

Maggie Struckmeiereditor@pasthorizons.com

Rocky Adventures. . .

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new

sThe Vindolanda al tar has a f ine rel ief on one s ide, typical ly showing the god s tanding on a bul l , the other s ide having the t radi t ional jug and patera . I ts Lat in inscr ipt ion reads ‘To Jupi ter Best and Greatest of Doliche, Sulpicius Pudens, prefect of the Fourth Cohort of Gauls , fulf i l led his vow gladly and deservedly’ .

Although most a l tars and shr ines were placed outs ide, this a l tar, s tanding at around 110 cm high, was found inside the for t in what may be a small shr ine bui l t c lose to the wal l .

Dr. Andrew Bir ley, excavat ion director, said, “We have some 560 volunteers who take par t in the excavat ions at Vindolanda every year, f rom Apri l to the middle of September. The Temple/shr ine to Jupi ter Dolichenus and the associated al tars were discovered by a couple that were on week one of their very f i rs t excavat ion. They had an incredible experience uncovering the al tars , ass is ted by the Vindolanda Trust’s archaeological s taff .

“When they arr ived they were complete novices . By the end of the week they had made a direct contr ibut ion to Bri t ish archaeology which has added a new and exci t ing dimension to our understanding of re l igious space inside the wal ls of Roman auxi l iary for ts .”

With no l i terary references to Dolichenus, knowledge of the rel igion is based on around 300 surviving inscr ipt ions and sculptures f rom different par ts of the Roman Empire of which 20 are known in Bri ta in . Several dedicat ions in the inscr ipt ions s ta te that the worshipper had set them up ‘by the command of the god’ , commands most l ikely passed on by pr ies ts in the service of Dolichenus to the cul t ’s converts .

The god, cal led Juppi ter Dolichenus by the Romans, was or iginal ly known as Hadad, an ancient weather god of the Semit ic peoples of the Middle East , and as Teshad to the Hit t i tes . He was regarded as a l l -powerful and ident i f ied with the t radi t ional chief Roman god, Juppi ter Optimus Maximus. He is general ly portrayed s tanding on a bul l holding an axe in one hand and a thunderbol t in the other.

The or iginal cul t centre a t Doliche was on a hi l l top close to the small town of Doliche west of the River Euphrates and was ruled by many different powers over the centur ies . Later, in 162 BC, the land became independent as the kingdom of Commagene.

Commagene was f inal ly annexed by the Romans in AD 72 but the god of Doliche seems not to have at t racted Roman worshippers unt i l the ear ly second century AD. From then on the cul t took off and spread al l over the empire to f ront ier provinces .

In the 250s AD the cul t centre a t Doliche was captured by the Persians and a per iod of dis i l lusionment is thought to have fol lowed, resul t ing in a loss of fa i th in the god and br inging the cul t to an end.

Dr Bir ley added, “This discovery helps to highl ight the vi ta l contr ibut ion that volunteers can make to fur ther our understanding of a World Heri tage s i te such as Hadrian’s Wall .”

Volunteers Unear th Unique Shr ine at Vindolanda

A unique rel igious shr ine and associated al tar pieces have been uncovered by two volunteers on their very f i rs t dig at Roman Vindolanda near Hadrian’s

Wall in the north of England. One of the except ional ly wel l -preserved al tar pieces , weighing around 1.5 tonnes, is dedicated to an eastern god, Jupi ter of Doliche.

T h e L a t i n i n s c r i p t i o n d e d i ca t e d t o J u p i t e r o f D o l i c h e.

Photographs: Adam Stanford http://w w w.aer ia l - cam.co.uk

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D o l i c h e n u s s t a n d i n g o n a b u l l , h o l d i n g a n a xe i n o n e h a n d a n d a t h u n d e r b o l t i n t h e o t h e r.

For more news stories that are updated constantly, try:

Past Horizons News Blog: http://pasthorizons.wordpress.com/category/news-and-articles

Stonepages Weekly News and Podcast: http://www.stonepages.com/news

CBA Archaeology News Feed: http://www.britarch.ac.uk/newsfeed

Archaeologica: http://www.archaeologica.org/NewsPage.htm

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A b o v e : U n co v e r i n g a ce n t ra l h e a r t h a t t h e S i k l i b e n i h o m e s t e a d o f K i n g S e n z a n g a k h o n aR i g h t : E x p l o r i n g o n e o f t h e f i v e ca v e s f o u n d b y t h e N g o b e s e i n t h e T h a b a N t u z u m a m o u n t a i n s

South Africa

E x p l o r i n g L e g e n d sKwaZulu Nata l

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T here have been var ious wri t ten accounts by foreign missionaries and t raders ,

documented from oral his tor ies , of the r ise of Shaka, his re ign and his role amongst the great Zulu kings. However, many of these impressions rely heavi ly on the wri ter ’s interpretat ion of events and cannot accurately portray the man behind the legend and the cul ture he represented.

A r ich oral t radi t ion s t i l l exis ts among the Zulu today descr ibing such his tor ical events , but rarely are these s tor ies tes ted archaeological ly. Recent ly, however, two opportuni t ies have ar isen to do just that ; one involving a Ngobese Zulu legend and the other concerning Sikl ibeni , a t radi t ional homestead whose s tory is l inked with King Shaka and the r ise of the Zulu Nat ion.

By E l ize Becker

continued

T he South Afr ican province of KwaZulu Natal l ies on the sub

t ropical shores of the Indian Ocean and shares i ts borders with Mozambique, Swazi land and Lesotho. Deep in i ts rural hear t lands there once l ived the legendary Shaka, King of the Zulu.

Z u l uE x p l o r i n g L e g e n d s

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The Ngobese legend dates back around 200 years ago when their forefathers , re luctant to be involved in confl ic t , dwel t in caves high up in the remote and rugged Thaba Ntuzuma mountains . The locat ion afforded securi ty, s t ra tegic advantage and somewhere to herd their cat t le and grow crops in peace. King Senzangakhona, a nearby Zulu chief , was determined to lure these people out . He sent his warr iors to roast an ox close to the caves and unable to res is t the smell , the Ngobese emerged to join the feast and were promptly captured. By the King’s orders they were told to s tay out of the caves from that day onwards and as renowned brewers encouraged to share their secrets with the rest of the Zulu people .

In 1999 a group of Ngobese decided to mount an expedi t ion to the Thaba Ntuzuma mountains . During the search they discovered some well -hidden caves perched on ei ther s ide of a s teep gorge. Explor ing the inter iors they came across a number of surface ar tefacts such as gr inding s tones and wooden spoons. Their discovery,

for which they earned a regional her i tage award, has now resul ted in fundrais ing effor ts to ensure the group of caves is made more accessible as both a pi lgr image s i te and as par t of a tourism trai l .

In advance of this proposal the regional her i tage agency has commissioned a detai led archaeological examinat ion of the caves. The f i rs t s tage, now completed, consis ted of a reconnaissance survey by archaeologis ts to determine the extent of surface level mater ia l that included pot tery, bone and metal , wi th tes t t renching reveal ing a metal axe of possible 19th century or igin. This mater ia l wil l form part of a comparat ive s tudy with f inds from Sikl ibeni Homestead of King Senzangakhona in the nearby eMakhosini val ley to confirm if the ar tefacts are contemporary with each other.

The eMakhosini val ley, now a her i tage park, contains some of the most important his tor ical s i tes of the region including many of the

V i e w f r o m t h e f a r m h o u s e a cco m m o d a t i o n f o r v o l u n t e e r s o v e r t h e e M a k h o s i n i va l l e y

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graves and homesteads of the ear ly Zulu kings. Sikl ibeni , l ike most of these royal homesteads, would have fol lowed a t radi t ional blueprint of ‘beehive’ shaped huts arranged in a crescent on a s loping piece of land with the cat t le , represent ing family weal th , housed in a r i tual ly important central area or Kraal .

Sikl ibeni is synonymous with the s tory of the i l l ic i t re la t ionship between King Senzangakhona and Shaka’s mother. Nandi . Shaka, the King’s f i rs t son, was apparent ly born out of wedlock and al though mother and son l ived at Sikl ibeni for a t ime they were eventual ly forced to make their home elsewhere. On the death of Senzangakhona in 1816, however, Shaka returned in s t rength,

engineered his half brother ’s ( the nominated heir) assassinat ion and took the Zulu throne by force, thus cast ing aside the t radi t ion

of patr iarchal rule and replacing i t wi th autocracy. From 1818 onwards Shaka began relent less ly expanding his power by the process of conquest , b loodshed and t r ibute over the smaller, weaker regional t r ibes , many of whom were assimilated into the burgeoning Zulu Nat ion.

His fa ther, though, did not have a great amount of fol lowers during his re ign which las ted from 1781 - 1816. The Zulu, one

branch of a larger c lan, were relat ively few in numbers a t this t ime and in that respect i t may be easy to dismiss Sikl ibeni as unimportant .

P h o t o g ra p h o f Z u l u h o m e s t e a d t a ke n i n 1 9 0 3 . ( C o u r t e s y o f O k i n a wa S o b a )

continued

Pr o j e c t t e a m a r c h a e o l o g i s t t e s t p i t t i n g a n d s u r v e y i n g

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A large par t of the projec t i s devoted to test p i t excavat ions, rescue procedures, rehabi l i tat ion of the test p i t areas, and the col lec t ing and captur ing of data . Volunteers wi l l be led by one or t wo profess ional archaeologists .

Dates : bet ween June and September 2010

Cost : £995 for t wo weeks up to £2,675 for 12 weeks (at 2009 pr ices. 2010 pr ices to be conf i rmed) . The cost inc ludes accommodation and food but not f l ights or insurance.

For fur ther detai ls go to :h t t p : / / w w w . t r a v e l l e r s w o r l d w i d e . c o m / 0 8 a - s o u t h -afr ica/08-sa-we -archaeology.htm

A r c h a e o l o g i s t s a n d v o l u n t e e r s t e s t p i t t i n g a n d s i e v i n g

Get InvolvedHowever, i ts cul tural s ignif icance as the ‘seed-bed’ of the future Zulu Nat ion and the shaping of modern South Afr ica ra ises i ts s ta tus dramatical ly.

Since Sikl ibeni a lso represents the old t radi t ion of kingship which exis ted before the sudden change to autocrat ic rule , the chance to s tudy a s i te l ike this is extremely exci t ing. Ini t ia l tes t pi t t ing has a l ready revealed sect ions of hut f loors , hear ths and gr inding s tones and, a long with the Ngobese cave s i te , the next phase of the project wil l move onto ful l excavat ion.

The archaeological potent ia l of Sikl ibeni , and indeed the whole eMakhosini val ley, is huge and this project provides a real opportuni ty to be par t of i t . There is a lways plenty of work to do, which var ies according to the phase of the project . I t i s a imed at those who want hands-on experience before moving onto univers i ty but a lso welcomes anyone who has an interest in the archaeological research act ivi t ies .

Volunteers can explore the region, meet the locals or go on safar i . Indeed i t i s not unusual for rhinos and other wildl i fe to wander past your ki tchen window in the ear ly morning on their way to the waterhole . Now, nothing real ly beats that as an incent ive to get digging, does i t?

E l i z e B e c ke r g ra d u a t e d i n a n t h r o p o l o g y a n d a r c h a e o l o g y f r o m t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f Pr e t o r i a i n 2 0 0 4 b e f o r e b e co m i n g s e n i o r h e r i t a g e o f f i ce r w i t h A m a f a K Z N H e r i t a g e. S h e i s c u r r e n t l y e m p l o y e d b y K n i g h t Pi e s o l d co n s u l t i n g a s t h e p r o j e c t a r c h a e o l o g i s t .

A b o v e : T h r e e l o g o s t h a t r e p r e s e n t t h e p a r t n e r o r g a n i s a t i o n s f o r t h i s p r o j e c t : Tra v e l l e r s Wo r l d w i d e, A m a f a a n d Kwa Z u l u N a t a l H e r i t a g e Fo u n d a t i o n .

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The Institute of Archaeology and Antiquity offer a range of postgraduate and professional training courses aimed to provide you with the skills you need to work in the heritage environment today. From project management techniques in archaeology to the visualisation of past environments, we aim to give you practical experience in the diverse range of techniques and approaches available to heritage practitioners.

All of the courses we offer can be tailored to your individual interests and needs, and can be delivered full-time or part-time degrees.

Campus-based programmesMA/PG Diploma in Practical ArchaeologyMA/PG Diploma in Landscape Archaeology, GIS & Virtual EnvironmentsMSc in Environmental Archaeology & PalaeoenvironmentsMA in Conflict ArchaeologyM Phil (B) in Archaeological Practice

Distance Education programmesMA/PG Diploma in Practical Archaeology (DE)MA/PG Diploma in Landscape Archaeology, GIS & Virtual Environments (DE)

To find out more, go to http://www.iaa.bham.ac.uk/Postgraduate/or email us at archpgrad@lists.bham.ac.uk

Birmingham provides the ideal footing for anyone wanting to begin a career in archaeology or the heritage environment. Along with diverse skills and opportunities provided, I also got to experience city life in Britain’s second city. Thanks to the course, I have been employed in archaeology since I graduated in 2007. Emma Sautejeau, MA Practical Archaeology

Emma holding a medieval leather shoe recovered from excavations in Birmingham

U B U B

Advertising Feature

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Fresco HuntingMediaeval Churches of Western Bulgar ia

A b o v e : T h e a l t a r s p a ce i n t h e c h u r c h a t t h e 1 1 t h ce n t u r y A r c h a n g e l M i c h a e l m o n a s t e r y i n Tra n .R i g h t : D o c u m e n t i n g f r e s co e s i n S t . Pe t ka c h u r c h , B a l s h a .

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continued

Fresco HuntingMediaeval Churches of Western Bulgar ia

By I van Vas i lev

an expedit ion to the

T he pastoral landscapes and small vi l lages of the highlands of Western Bulgaria are just an hour ’s dr ive away from the capi ta l

Sofia . However, the differences between the bust l ing modern ci ty and the peaceful countryside are so pronounced that you might be forgiven for thinking you have t ravel led back in t ime. The cracks on the asphal t roads are f i l led with grass , lavish vegetat ion inhabi ts the now empty yards and the few locals you might happen to come across wil l invi te you into their house in the old fashioned way for a dr ink or a snack.

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This region, located in the hear t of the Balkans, covers the Nishava and Upper Struma basins and borders Serbia and Macedonia , two of the s ix republ ics that formed Yugoslavia before i ts dramatic spl i t in the 1990s. I t i s one of the remotest areas of Bulgar ia despi te i ts proximity to the capi ta l , largely due to the consequences of the two world wars and 50 years spent in isolat ion from the rest of the country during the communist era .

Besides the Berl in Wall there were many more front iers in Eastern Europe that prevented contact between the capi ta l is t and the social is t worlds before 1989. One of them, the Cordon Sani ta i re , formed to s top the exi t of mil l ions from the social is t paradise , was a border zone s t r ip which cut through the European social is t countr ies . I t s t re tched as far north as the Arct ic across the hear t of Europe and ended at the Black sea along the borders with the so-cal led enemies. Western Bulgaria was par t of that border zone with Yugoslavia (considered

off ic ia l ly by al l social is t countr ies as not properly social is t ) and access to that 20 km broad s t r ip a long the front ier for the rest of Bulgar ia was s t r ic t ly l imited.

This 50-year long s tagnat ion had a dramatic effect on the economic and demographic prof i le of the region making i t among the poorest and least inhabi ted regions. The only advantage of this isolat ion was that i t saved the cul tural and natural her i tage from looters and poachers more than in any other par t of Bulgar ia .

In the Middle Ages this region was set deep in the terr i tory of the Bulgar ian (810 -1014 and 1180’s – 1330’s) and Byzant ine empires (before 810 and 1014-1180’s) but in the 14th century i t became the border area between Bulgaria and the Serbian kingdom. At the end of the 14th century Ottoman Turks conquered the area and i t remained under the Sul tan’s government unt i l 1878.

A D e ë s i s f r e s co f r o m t h e 1 3 - 1 4 t h ce n t u r y c h u r c h o f S t . Pe t e r n e a r B e r e n d e. A D e ë s i s f r e s co i s a t ra d i t i o n a l i co n i c r e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f C h r i s t e n t h r o n e d, ca r r y i n g a b o o k a n d f l a n ke d b y t h e V i r g i n M a r y a n d S t . J o h n t h e B a p t i s t w h o s e h a n d s a r e ra i s e d t o wa r d s C h r i s t i n s u p p l i ca t i o n . T h i s f r e s co h a s s u s t a i n e d d e l i b e ra t e d a m a g e d u r i n g t h e O t t o m a n r u l e, w i t h t h e e y e s a n d m o u t h s o f t h e t h r e e f i g u r e s s c ra t c h e d o u t .

past horizons17continued

I t had long been a mel t ing pot of cul tural inf luences where masters f rom al l the major Balkan Orthodox paint ing schools were invi ted to paint the inter iors of the churches and chapels with s ignif icant scenes from the bible . They were employed by local notables before the Ottoman conquest and then by the local Bulgar ian Chris t ian communit ies during the t ime of Ottoman rule . This area is one of only a few in south eastern Europe where the t radi t ions of a l l major Balkan mediaeval schools of art , including Constantinople, Veliko Tarnovo, Ohrid, Serbia and Thessalonica, converged.

What can s t i l l be seen today are the remnants of this f lourishing mediaeval Orthodox ar t . The small chapels and churches, most ly poorly bui l t wi th l i t t le a t tent ion to archi tectural detai l , are the survivors of the Ottoman invasion in the 14-15th centur ies . Although many of these monuments have long been lef t to decay, behind their di lapidated and somewhat unappeal ing exter iors l ie exquis i te f rescoes which have suffered much damage over the centur ies , some of i t del iberate and some due to neglect and exposure to the elements . Nevertheless , they s t i l l represent a body of work that has never been properly s tudied in any great detai l and can te l l us much about how the var ious mediaeval ar t is t ic s tyles of the region or iginated and spread.

1 6 t h ce n t u r y S t . N i c h o l a s c h u r c h i n M a l o M a l o v o. T h e c h u r c h i s t h e o n l y s u r v i v o r o f a l a t e m e d i a e va l m o n a s t e r y co m p l e x .

1 3 - 1 4 t h c e n t u r y C h u r c h o f t h e B l e s s e d V i r g i n s i t u a t e d h i g h o n a c l i f f n e a r R a z b o i s h t e.

past horizons 18

However, the professional ism and devot ion of the project’s par t ic ipants , and the exci tement of the local people who bel ieve that the expedi t ion is God’s message for the revival of their region, have motivated Balkan Heri tage to upgrade the project’s f ramework. They are now working towards concrete proposals for conservat ion and restorat ion of some of the monuments and are applying for funding.

Over the next few years the project wil l have three major components in order to meet these object ives . These wil l consis t of f ie ldwork, with t ra ining being given in database recording, sketching, measuring and the creat ion of photographic records of the frescoes and edif ices , including s ignif icant mediaeval ar tefacts such as grave s tones, icons, iconostases and chandel iers . There wil l a lso be educat ional lectures and workshops in south east European mediaeval his tory and Orthodox iconography along with classes in f resco restorat ion.

Co-ordinated by the Nat ional Academy of Arts in Sofia and led by the Balkan Heri tage team, s tudents now come from al l over the world to s tudy, photograph and document the churches

Tra c i n g m e d i a e va l g ra f f i t i .

D o c u m e n t i n g f r e s co e s i n S t . Pe t ka c h u r c h , B a l s h a .

In 2005, Balkan Heri tage decided to ini t ia te a f ie ld school programme designed to document these monuments as a f i rs t s tep towards their protect ion. The expedi t ion focused on col lect ing data for the publ icat ion of a ‘corpus of mediaeval f rescoes from western Bulgaria’ with the intent ion of br inging the frescoes to the at tent ion of interested scholars around the world as wel l as to ra ise publ ic awareness inside Bulgaria and the European Union.

past horizons19

and monaster ies . The successful f ie ld schools of 2008-2009 have already begun to reveal the hidden secrets of the 14th century church of St . Nicholas of Kalot ina, the 13-14th century church of St . Peter in Berende and the 16th century St . Petka in Balsha, the 16th century monastery of St . Nicholas in Malo Malovo and the 11th century monastery of Archangel Michael in Tran.

Each day the project has brought new and exci t ing discoveries as a resul t of the s tudents’ a t tent ion to detai l and careful observat ions. By separat ing out dis t inct f resco layers and discovering more about construct ional techniques they have been able to begin to ass ign date per iods to both frescoes and bui ldings.

With the support of local s take-holders and internat ional volunteers , the Balkan Heri tage team hopes to preserve these unique monuments before they become too badly decayed and beyond help. They form a valuable par t of the her i tage of the Balkans and the wider his tory of Europe, and i ts ar t is t ic and rel igious connect ions al l the way to Constant inople . Indeed, anyone who decides to get involved with this project wil l be r ichly rewarded not only by the beauty of the frescoes but by the warmth of the local people who are eager to share these l i t t le known treasures with the rest of the world.

The projec t i s open to students and volunteers over 21 years of age.

Good sketching/drawing sk i l l s and/or bas ic k nowledge of documental photography a long with a strong personal motivat ion are requirements.

Dates : Two weeks in May 2010. Detai ls not avai lable yet , but keep check ing the website.

Cost : €1299. Fee includes a l l educat ional and f ie ldwork ac t iv i t ies, t ravel to and f rom the f ie ldwork s i tes, accommodation and meals , excurs ions, s ightseeing tours and entrance fees, t ransfer f rom and to Sof ia a i rpor t and administrat ive costs.

Website : http://w w w.bhf ie ldschool .org

Get Involved

P r e s e n t a t i o n o n O r t h o d ox i c o n o g r a p h y a t t h e 1 0 t h ce n t u r y R i l a m o n a s t e r y.

T h e l o ca l p e o p l e o f B a l s h a g e n e r o u s l y p r e p a r e d f o o d f o r t h e t e a m e a c h d a y.

past horizons 20

All beginnings have or igins . To an archaeologis t , th is is a del ight as i t i s par t of the quest for knowledge, but to a wri ter i t i s diff icul t deciding where to begin te l l ing the

s tory. Allow me to set the scene.

By Ken Taylor

Start ing Out

past horizons21

continued

By Ken Taylor

Start ing Out

V i c t o r i a n t e r ra ce d h o u s i n g s w e p t o v e r t h e g r e e n f i e l d s o f B r i s l i n g t o n v i l l a g e a s i t wa s s u b s u m e d b y t h e c i t y o f B r i s t o l .P h o t o : K e n Ta y l o r

Before the beginning

Brief ly, there were several archaeological ly-related threads present in the Bris l ington community, of which four spr ing to mind.

People enthusiast ic about archaeology but not knowing what to do about i t ; organisat ions such as the Portable Antiqui t ies Scheme who need input f rom, but seem unable to reach, the lay person; locals unaware of the benefi ts archaeology can br ing to the community and of course the archaeological remains themselves .

Few of these s t rands were properly connected, and how they began to group together is something of a mystery; a chance word here , a casual meet ing there . Sometimes a c luster of these events would waken a sense of synchronici ty, or a t least inspire convict ion that one wasn’t ut ter ly a lone in having an interest in local archaeology. Si tuat ions l ike this can las t a l i fe t ime, with no-one making the f i rs t move.

Our archaeology project is located in Bris l ington, once a small vi l lage in Somerset , south west England, but now swallowed up by the ci ty of Bris tol . I t has i ts points of interest , a par t ia l ly documented his tory and archaeological remains that suggest cont inuous occupat ion for mil lennia . As such there is nothing intr insical ly remarkable about the place. I t could be almost any par ish in England, but an enthusiast f inds inspirat ion everywhere making the most of what there is .

past horizons 22

Here goes nothing

In June 2007 I a t tended a show-and-tel l meet ing of Bris l ington Conservat ion and History Society (BCHS). Everyone else there had lovely ant iques, fascinat ing ear ly photographs and amusing anecdotes . I had brought a bag of ta t ty pot sherds f rom my 2003 Time Team Big Dig back garden tes t pi t . I fe l t a bi t embarrassed.

To my surprise , though, people became genuinely interested as I passed around the i tems which dated from the Roman per iod to the 20th century. The idea that the ground our modern houses occupy can retain re l ics of dis tant centur ies seemed to s t r ike a chord.

They also appreciated the fact that the least a t t ract ive looking sherds are of ten the most ancient and interest ing.

Encouraged by volunteer f ie ld archaeologis t and radio presenter Perry Guidrey, I accepted the kind invi ta t ion from Jonathan Rowe, BCHS chairman, to wri te a paragraph for their newslet ter to announce the set t ing up of a pi lot Community Archaeology Project (CAP) cal l ing for people to contact us to have their own garden f inds ident i f ied.

Spreading the word

I was expect ing to be deluged and I wai ted with bai ted breath. No response. I wrote a s imilar paragraph for another local community group. St i l l nothing. So, we mentioned the project on Perry’s show. Zi lch. Although, as every archaeologis t knows, a nul l resul t is as s ignif icant as a t ray ful l of f inds.

So were we discouraged? You bet .

The idea of orchestrat ing a ful l scale media bl i tz , pul l ing out a l l the s tops and advert is ing a publ ic meet ing was discussed but dismissed. We didn’t have the spare t ime to set up the ent i re infrastructure ourselves .

We knew we’d need a legal const i tut ion, audi table accounts , excavat ion insurance, Data Protect ion Act regis t ra t ion, a Disabi l i ty Discr iminat ion Act-compliant websi te and so on.

We were in a c lass ic catch-22 s i tuat ion. Before we could set up a group to a t t ract any members , we needed enough members to form a team that could set up the group!

T h e R i v e r Av o n s n a ke s a r o u n d t h e n o r t h e r n b o u n d a r y o f B r i s l i n g t o n , a n d a l s o f o r m e d t h e b o u n d a r y b e t w e e n t h e a n c i e n t co u n t i e s o f G l o u ce s t e r s h i r e a n d S o m e r s e t . I m a g e : R o s i e To m l i n s o n

past horizons23

Meeting of minds

January began with four people in a pub, one of whom, Rosie Tomlinson, was chairwoman of the local Reflex Camera Club. Would I guide them through a walk point ing out a l l the archaeology? I was happy to agree as a t least i t would create a photographic record.

Of course, i t takes t ime for word-of-mouth to spread. In la te December my wife passed on a message from one of her col leagues who had emailed on behalf of a f r iend: did I know something about local archaeology?

In the meant ime, one of the four people f rom the pub, Trudy Parker, made some phone cal ls to f ind out how to set up a group. Each cal l produced some good advice and more names to contact . Soon she was phoning people a l l over the country.

Despi te February snow, the photographic walk at t racted over a dozen people f rom al l walks of l i fe . Most of them turned up a for tnight la ter to meet the ci ty archaeologis t , Bob Jones, who came to the pub to ta lk about how we could help each other.

T h e R i v e r Av o n s n a ke s a r o u n d t h e n o r t h e r n b o u n d a r y o f B r i s l i n g t o n , a n d a l s o f o r m e d t h e b o u n d a r y b e t w e e n t h e a n c i e n t co u n t i e s o f G l o u ce s t e r s h i r e a n d S o m e r s e t . I m a g e : R o s i e To m l i n s o n

continued

Doing what comes natural ly

Rather than t rying to catalyse change, Perry and I decided to become passive nuclei around something which might or might not grow. We carr ied on with our own research interests ment ioning the pi lot phase of CAP only in passing.

In November I responded to a publ ic plea f rom archaeologis t , Angela Piccini , asking local people to f ie ld walk. The venture was in support of a community ini t ia t ive to assess archaeological evidence of land use with a view to informing debate and inf luencing decis ions about future use of the s i te by the local counci l .

Nobody else showed up so Angela and I (each with sons enjoying the romp) had a good ol’ chin-wag about apathy and opportuni t ies while we surveyed the s i te .

P a c k h o r s e B r i d g e, r e b u i l t a f t e r f l o o d i n g i n t h e 1 9 6 0 s. T h e r e m a i n s o f a n a n c i e n t f o r d ca n b e s e e n t h r o u g h t h e wa t e r.I m a g e : T h e r e s a D r i s co l l

B r i s l i n g t o n B r o o k f r o m Pa c k h o r s e B r i d g e. I m a g e : K e n Ta y l o r

past horizons 24

End of the beginning

At the next meet ing in the pub, someone held up a const i tut ion downloaded from the internet . I ’d a lways assumed the Bris l ington Community Archaeology Project (BCAP) would be set up as a branch of BCHS. Suddenly my vis ion was being outvoted eight to one.

With f ive off icers e lected in as many minutes , BCAP was born on March 3, 2009, one year and a day af ter the pi lot project was formally announced.

The rest i s h istor y

By Apri l BCAP had joined the Avon Local History and Archaeology group and the Counci l for Bri t ish Archaeology. We also opened our f i rs t tes t pi t (having f i rs t checked with the City Archaeologis t ) , us ing the methodology advocated by the Time Team Big Dig.

In the same month Kate I les , ass is tant curator of Archaeology at Bris tol Museum, showed us the archives f rom an excavat ion of the ‘dissolved’ mediaeval chapel of St Anne, an ongoing focus of BCAP’s interest .

In May 2009 our websi te was created and we also at tended our f i rs t s takeholder meet ing regarding a local planning appl icat ion, and we set out our s ta l l a t the 25th anniversary exhibi t ion of BCHS, with whom we s t i l l enjoy very close l inks.

This was our publ ic launch and we were kept busy al l day, s igned up several new members and ident i f ied a surpr is ing number of ar tefacts .

Fi r s t m e n t i o n e d i n 1 3 0 8 , t h e c h u r c h o f S t . Lu ke i s m a i n l y o f 1 5 t h ce n t u r y w o r k m a n s h i p, a l t h o u g h t h e p r e a c h i n g c r o s s i s 1 3 t h ce n t u r y. I m a g e : R o y B ra n n

Join Up

Br is l ington Communit y Archaeology Projec t (BCAP) a ims to provide a f ramework within which to prac t ice archaeology. With a wide var iet y of ongoing projec ts, local people can be sure to see their neighbourhood in a di f ferent l ight . A good range of local k nowledge, a broad net work of contac ts and growing exper ience in a l l aspec ts of archaeology, BCAP can of fer advice and prac t ical suppor t to anyone who is interested in explor ing their local her i tage. BCAP a lso welcomes members who wish to take a less ac t ive role or s imply keep in touch with what ’s going on.

For more information and an appl icat ion form:http://w w w.br is l ingtonarchaeology.org.uk/admin/ index.html

past horizons25

Pi c t u re d f ro m l e f t t o r i g h t : D a n a n d C o l e t t e L i n e h a n a l o n g w i t h R o s i e To m l i n s o n o p e n B C A P ’s f i r s t t e s t p i t .

Look ing to the future

Even with a fa i r ly large local populat ion to cal l upon i t took us a year to get off the ground proving that perseverance is a t least as important as enthusiasm, and that luck also has i ts own role to play. Real is t ical ly, we can expect f luctuat ions in our membership and act ivi ty, as compet ing hobbies and work wax and wane in the community.

We are tackl ing projects impossible for any individual to undertake alone. However, as a group we can engage in an ever-wider range of act ivi t ies and enjoy closer l inks with other organisat ions, enabl ing us to make a posi t ive and long-last ing contr ibut ion, both to our local community and to the archaeological community as a whole.

First d ig

past horizons 26

By K rass imira Luk a

continued

S ituated on the banks of the Danube in north western Bulgaria s i ts the ancient c i ty of Colonia Ulpia Traiana Rat iar ia , once considered one of

the most important Roman and Early Byzant ine centres in the region.

I ts downfal l came in the 440s when i t was sacked by the Huns, recovering br ief ly only to be devastated in 586 by the Avars . Now, some 1500 years la ter, the destruct ion of the ci ty is near ly complete but this t ime Ratar ia is a t the mercy of organised cr ime.

T h e D a n u b e, w h e r e i t f l o w s p a s t t h e t o w n o f V i d i n . P h o t o : K l e a r c h o s K a p o u t s i s A b o v e : B r o n z e h e a d t h o u g h t t o b e o f E m p e r o r Tra j a n f o u n d a t R a t a r i a a n d l a t e r s t o l e n f r o m t h e R e g i o n a l H e r i t a g e M u s e u m o f V i d i n .

T h e L o o t i n g o f

R a t i a r i a

past horizons27

© Daniel Dalet

50 km

30 mi

Bulgaria

RatiariaVidin

Sophia

Bulgaria

BlackSea

Romania

Greece Turkey

FYROM

Serbia

past horizons 28

E v i d e n ce o f t h e s ca l e o f l o o t i n g a t R a t i a r i a . T h e r e d a r r o w i n t h e s e co n d i m a g e p o i n t s t o a s k u l l t h a t h a s b e e n d i s ca r d e d b y a t o m b r o b b e r.

Ratiar ia l ies c lose to the vi l lage of Archar in the Vidin region of Bulgar ia and was f i rs t excavated from 1958 - 1962 then from 1976 – 1991. However, s ince then no archaeological work has taken place at the s i te . This is a t a t ime when al l other s ignif icant ancient c i t ies in Bulgar ia are being s tudied, conserved and opened to the publ ic as par t of a commitment to the nat ion’s cul tural her i tage which then begs the quest ion: why is Rat iar i being lef t to the mercy of the looters?

There has been no clear answer. The duty l ies pr imari ly with the Regional Heri tage Museum of Vidin which is responsible for a l l h is tor ic s i tes in the area but seems to do nothing. Highl ight ing this , the most recent data avai lable f rom the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences s tudy of archaeological f inds and excavat ions in 2007 is extremely reveal ing. Of the 295 s i tes invest igated in Bulgar ia that year only four took place within Vidin and none were carr ied out by the Regional Museum. Governmental legis la t ion s ta tes that

A r c h i t e c t u ra l f ra g m e n t s w i t h i n s c r i p t i o n s f o u n d d u r i n g e xca v t i o n s f r o m 1 9 7 6 - 1 9 9 1 .

past horizons29

the remit of i ts regional museums are to ‘search for, s tudy, col lect , acquire , s tore , document and popular ise cul tural monuments’ , and in accordance with the current Cul ture Heri tage Act ‘ the main act ivi ty of the museum is to protect and exhibi t movable and immovable cul tural ar tefacts’ .

The Regional Museum, therefore , has a duty of care to the monuments under i ts control . Looking at Rat iar ia the evidence of loot ing is there for a l l to see but in actual fact there is no need to even vis i t the s i te . Recent aer ia l photographs avai lable on the internet show almost the whole area scarred with bul ldozer t racks. Rat iar ia is being systematical ly destroyed using everything from shovels to heavy-duty machinery with s tanding monuments reduced to rubble , tombs broken into and human remains and pot tery scat tered al l around. I t i s in a precar ious s ta te yet no-one wil l take responsibi l i ty for i t .

The problem is not new, however. I t has been ongoing for a t least 10 years and occasional ly the Bulgarian government is forced into taking act ion. In 2001, in response to publ ic pressure, the government set out a ser ies of recommendat ions requir ing Dimovo Municipal i ty and the Regional Heri tage Museum of Vidin to take act ion regarding Rat iar ia .

Of course, they are only recommendat ions and the var ious bodies involved are not obl iged to act upon them. Indeed, promises to bui ld a pol ice s ta t ion on the s i te never mater ia l ised and funding for a monument warden was cut . Of those actual ly caught in the act of i l legal excavat ion and t r ied before the regional court in 2000 and 2001 each person’s charges were dropped. Eight years la ter, despi te extensive coverage by the Bulgarian newspapers to highl ight the problem, not one of the 2001 direct ives has been implemented. The only

continued

G overnment recommendations for D imovo Municipal it y and the Regional Heritage Museum of Vidin

• Construc tion of a police station on the site• The implementation of al l loc al land use laws• The creation of a database of loc al landowners• Monument boundar y to be defined• Repair of fences and signage• Archaeologic al salvage work to be under taken• Backfi l l ing of looter trenches• Obtain protec ted status for R atiaria • Carr y out regular archaeologic al exc avations

past horizons 30

people who benefi t f rom the inact ivi ty of the local authori ty and the Regional Histor ic Museum of Vidin are those who plunder and t rade in ancient ar tefacts .

Despi te new government laws expl ic i t ly laying out how si tes should be protected the temptat ion to earn substant ia l amounts of hard currency is s imply too great . Organised cr iminals t ransport ar tefacts through Germany and then on to the world col lectors’ market where Bulgarian ant iqui t ies are in high demand. Rat iar ia , i t seems, is the t ip of the iceberg. Sadly, Bulgar ia is being drained of i ts her i tage at such a ra te that the ant iqui t ies market is now f looded. Volodia Velkov, head of the Bulgarian pol ice uni t charged with combating organised cr ime, said in 2007 that the loot ing of his tor ic monuments in Bulgar ia generates bi l l ions of dol lars per year. The potent ia l to earn such vast sums of money leads to the conclusion that unless there is proper protect ion, vulnerable s i tes l ike Rat iar ia wil l not survive the onslaught .

Those who want to see this s i tuat ion change must act immediately, direct ly and posi t ively. The Bulgarian Archaeological Associat ion along with other interested groups have set themselves the goal of a t t ract ing the at tent ion of the internat ional community and to ra ise funds to protect Rat iar ia in the short term. In the longer term i t is hoped to implement a programme of research, interpretat ion and consol idat ion.

The potent ia l to save this s i te l ies with al l of us but unfortunately i t i s near ly too la te . Bulgar ia s t i l l has many wonderful t reasures to be proud of but these resources are both fragi le and f ini te . I t i s important to support the f ight to protect Colonia Ulpia Traiana Rat iar ia and ensure this s ignif icant archaeological s i te survives this terr ible destruct ion.

K ra s s i m i ra Lu ka i s t h e d i r e c t o r o f t h e B u l g a r i a n A rc h a e o l o g o ca l A s s o c i a t i o n ( B AA ) w h i c h wa s f o r m e d i n 2 0 0 0 w i t h t h e a i m o f s t i m u l a t i n g a r c h a e o l o g i ca l r e s e a r c h i n B u l g a r i a a n d t h e B a l ka n s.

E v e r y y e a r t h e B AA o r g a n i s e s a n i n t e r n a t i o n a l f i e l d s c h o o l b a s e d a r o u n d t h e s u b j e c t o f R o m a n a r c h a e o l o g yFi n d B AA a t : h t t p : / / w w w. a r c h a e o l o g y. a r c h b g. n e t

Watch the video - A l Jazeera invest igates ant iquit y loot ing in Bulgar ia

I f you are v iewing this magazine on SCRIBD, then you wi l l not be able to see the v ideo.

You can v iew i t on e i ther the ful l f l ip page vers ion of the magazine:

w w w.pasthor izons.com/magazine

or http://w w w.youtube.com/watch?v=8jDj4j2XecA

past horizons31

The BAA is ask ing for a €1 donat ion per person to help save R at iar ia .

To donate please go to :http://w w w.archaeology.archbg.net/fs_excavat ions_rat iar ia .html

and s ign the pet i t ion:http://w w w.ipet i t ions.com/pet i t ion/rat iar ia/ index.html

YOU CAN HELP SAVE RATIARIA

(c)2009 G oogle -Imager y(c)D igitalGlobe, Cnes/SpotImage, G eoEye, Map Data (c)2009 Tele Atlas

A r e a o f R a t i a r i a h e a v i l y - s ca r r e d w i t h b u l l d o z e r a c t i v i t y.

2 n d ce n t u r y m a r b l e s t a t u e o f H e ra c l e s f o u n d a t R a t i a r i a a n d s t o l e n f r o m t h e R e g i o n a l H e r i t a g e M u s e u m o f V i d i n .

2 n d ce n t u r y R o m a n co i n o f Pe r t i n a x f o u n d a t A r c h a r.

3 r d ce n t u r y R o m a n v i l l a m o s a i c f r o m R a t i a r i a

past horizons 32

C h e l s e a R o s e i s t h e e xca va t i o n t e a m l e a d e r. H e r r e s e a r c h f o c u s e s o n t h e Fr o n t i e r G o l d R u s h e s o f t h e n i n e t e e n t h ce n t u r y.

T i m e Te a mA m e r i c a

past horizons33

P art extreme adventure , par t hard science and par t real i ty show, Time Team America takes viewers

deep into the t renches of America’s most intr iguing archaeological s i tes .

In each of the f ive episodes, the team has just three days to uncover the buried secrets of their ass igned dig. Every hour counts as they piece together the past using the la tes t technology, decades of combined experience and their own sharp wits .

Far f rom the comfort of a science lab, Time Team America faces sear ing heat , dr iving rain, a l l igator- infested swamps, f rayed nerves and the inevi table technical setbacks.

Through i t a l l , the audience peers over the shoulders of diggers a t work, eavesdrops on intense conversat ions and shares the rush of discovery as ar tefacts emerge from the ground. Past Horizons offers a br ief introduct ion to the f ive s i tes that make up the f i rs t exci t ing ser ies of Time Team America .

O r i g i n a l l y h i r e d a s t h e Time Team Amer ica s ke t c h a r t i s t a n d i t s o n l y n o n -a r c h a e o l o g i s t m e m b e r, C o l i n C a m p b e l l wa s l a t e r c h o s e n t o h o s t t h e s e r i e s .

continued

past horizons 34

FOR T RALEIGH, NOR TH CAROLINA

The f i rs t -ever Time Team America a t tempts to untangle the mystery of the f i rs t Engl ish set t lement in America where 116 set t lers vanished from Fort Raleigh, Roanoke Is land, over 400 years ago.

In 1586 the f i rs t group of hardy, hopeful colonis ts set t led in the New World but when Engl ish ships re turned with suppl ies three years la ter they found the set t lement empty.

The colonis ts had lef t behind only one clue: the word Croatoan carved in the gatepost of their for t . I t took 20 years for the s tunned Engl ish to es tabl ish another set t lement in America and the fate of the Roanoke colonis ts remains unsolved to this day.

Excavat ions at Fort Raleigh in 1991 unearthed the remains of a science centre where archaeologis ts bel ieve the f i rs t colonis ts were tes t ing var ious metal ores . However, that dig didn’t turn up any domest ic ar tefacts that would indicate the locat ion of their homes.

Al though the ta le of the lost colonis ts is an iconic s tory of the United State’s beginnings, surpr is ingly only about e ight weeks of archaeological f ie ldwork have been conducted at Fort Raleigh in the past decade.

C h e l s e a R o s e a n d t e a m m e m b e r J e f f B r o w n ca r e f u l l y s i f t t h r o u g h t h e s o i l a s t h e y e xca va t e a t Fo r t R a l e i g h N a t i o n a l Pa r k o n R o a n o ke I s l a n d.

I n a d d i t i o n t o s e a r c h i n g f o r a r t e f a c t s , t h e y w e r e l o o k i n g f o r s u b t l e d i f f e r e n ce s i n s o i l t e x t u r e t h a t w o u l d i n d i ca t e p o s t h o l e s o f t h e h o u s e s b u i l t b y R o a n o ke’s l e g e n d a r y l o s t co l o n i s t s .

D r. M e g Wa t t e r s , T i m e Te a m A m e r i ca’s g e o p h y s i c i s t , u s e s g r o u n d - p e n e t ra t i n g ra d a r o n t h e s i t e.

past horizons35

TOPPER, SOUTH CAROLINA

In the next episode, the team wades into the swamps of South Carol ina to look at evidence of North America’s f i rs t human inhabi tants . Debate cont inues about when and why people f i rs t came to the American cont inent : did they fol low big game 13,000 years ago or did they arr ive even ear l ier than that?

In the 1930s, dis t inct ive s tone spear points were discovered near Clovis , New Mexico. Since then, the Clovis cul ture has represented the best evidence for occupat ion of the New World at around 13,000 years B.P.

Clovis hunter-gatherers lacked permanent set t lements , but some archaeologis ts bel ieve the Clovis people regular ly t ravel led to the Topper s i te in South Carol ina to make tools out of the s tone they found there .

The tool making technique used at Topper and other Clovis-per iod s i tes has been loosely associated with the 17,000-year-old Solutrean cul ture in France. Although not conclusive, this may suggest that these ear ly inhabi tants migrated from Europe on a t rans-Atlant ic route ra ther than crossing the Beringian land br idge that connected what is now Alaska to Siber ia during the las t Ice Age.

Clovis tools vanished within 500 years . Some archaeologis ts bel ieve their disappearance from the record ref lects the natural progression of ear ly cul ture on the American cont inent . Another hypothesis suggests a comet may have exploded over North America, t r iggering a mini-Ice Age and wiping out most of the large animals the Clovis people hunted.

E x p e r i m e n t a l a r c h a e o l o g i s t S co t t J o n e s c r e a t e s a r e p l i ca t o o l a t t h e To p p e r s i t e i n S o u t h C a r o l i n a .

continued

past horizons 36

NE W PHILADELPHIA, ILL INOIS

In this programme the team at tempts to f ind some of the remains of the f i rs t American town founded by former s laves . Born into s lavery in South Carol ina in 1777, Frank McWorter moved to Kentucky with his master in 1795. Allowed to hire out his own t ime he eventual ly bought his wife Lucy’s f reedom in 1817 and his own in 1819.

Although now a free man, Frank remained at r isk from slave catchers who may have sold him back into bondage. The free s ta te of I l l inois offered a f resh s tar t and af ter s ix months he reached Central I l l inois where he planted roots , s tar ted a town and sold enough property to purchase the rest of his family out of s lavery.

Now green f ie lds cover this courageous tes tament to victory over enslavement . However, the local landowners , descendants of the town’s res idents , and the McWorter family want to uncover what remains of New Phi ladelphia to commemorate i ts place in his tory. Time Team America jo ins in the search for the pre-Civi l War schoolhouse where New Phi ladelphia’s Afr ican American chi ldren learned to read and wri te in f reedom.

G e o p h y s i c i s t B r ya n H a l e y u s e s r e m o t e s e n s i n g t e c h n o l o g y t o l o o k f o r t h e r e m a i n s o f a 1 9 t h ce n t u r y s c h o o l h o u s e i n N e w P h i l a d e l p h i a . T h e t o w n’s s c h o o l h o u s e e d u ca t e d A f r i ca n -A m e r i ca n c h i l d r e n i n s p i t e o f s t a t e l a w s t h a t o n l y f u n d e d s c h o o l s f o r w h i t e s t u d e n t s.

C o l i n C a m p b e l l a s s i s t s t h e e xca va t i o n t e a m b y s i f t i n g t h r o u g h s o i l a t N e w P h i l a d e l p h i a .

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RANGE CREEK , UTAH

The team heads to the remote canyons of southern Utah to examine what remains of the Fremont Indians who l ived there 1000 years ago. The Fremont s tored their food in c lay granaries high on the cl i ffs , entered their underground homes through a hole in the roof , and decorated the cl i ff faces with petroglyphs.

Range Creek was protected from intruders by Waldo Wilcox, a Utah rancher, who knew his land was special but did not publ ic ise the t reasure i t contained. In the interest of preservat ion, Wilcox sold the canyon to the Trust for Publ ic Lands in 2001 which la ter granted Range Creek to the s ta te of Utah.

Fremont Indian vi l lage s i tes consis t of c i rcular pi t houses the remains of which can be ident i f ied by the r ings of rocks that once supported the wooden uprights .

Members of the Fremont cul ture were ‘scat ter hoarders’ : ra ther than keep al l of their s tored food in one place, they spl i t their suppl ies up into many locat ions.

In 2006, a f i re a t Range Creek cleared a large area of vegetat ion which al lowed archaeologis ts to ident i fy several new dig s i tes .

J e f f B r o w n d e s ce n d s i n t o a c l i f f s i d e g ra n a r y l e f t i n t a c t b y t h e Fr e m o n t I n d i a n s o n e t h o u s a n d y e a r s a g o.

M e m b e r s o f t h e Fr e m o n t c u l t u re we re ‘s ca t t e r h o a rd e r s ’ : ra t h e r t h a n ke e p a l l o f t h e i r s t o r e d f o o d i n o n e p l a ce, t h e y s p l i t t h e i r s u p p l i e s u p i n t o m a n y l o ca t i o n s.

continued

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FORT JAMES, SOUTH DAKOTA

During the American Civi l War, a uni t of cavalry soldiers were sent west to defend pioneer set t lers against angry Sioux Indians in what is now South Dakota . Upon their arr ival in 1865, the soldiers bui l t one of the few stone for ts on the American front ier, the remains of which peek out f rom under a grassy f ie ld .

Three years ear l ier, the United States government had short-changed the Santee Sioux t r ibe on guaranteed annui t ies which included food payments . In the face of s tarvat ion Chief Li t t le Crow went to war. He was defeated, but even a mass execut ion did not end the confl ic t and the Santee joined forces with other Sioux in the Dakota Terr i tory. Despi te the resis tance, the for t was decommissioned af ter only 11 months as most of the Sioux quickly moved fur ther west .

Most Front ier for ts were largely made of wood and have long s ince rot ted away but Fort James was one of the few mil i tary posts in the west made of s tone.

The quartzi te remains of Fort James are located on pr ivate land owned by a Hutter i te Colony which operates a farm there and l ives a communal way of l i fe .

Time Team America d iscovered ar tefacts that were probably related to Fort James such as sherds f rom a bot t le of Golden Bit ters , an alcohol and herb dr ink bi l led as a medicine. This sor t of product would have been sold by a sut ler ; a person who fol lowed the armies providing goods and services the soldiers wouldn’t have been able to acquire through the quartermaster, such as a lcohol and access to gambling and prost i tut ion.

S i f t i n g t h r o u g h s o i l a t Fo r t J a m e s, S o u t h D a ko t a . T h e t e a m s e a r c h e s f o r r e m a i n s o f t h e s t o n e f o r t b u i l t b y t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s C a va l r y i n 1 8 6 5 . A H u t t e r i t e f a r m i n g co m m u n i t y n o w o w n s t h e s i t e a n d c h i l d r e n f r o m t h e co m m u n i t y co m e a l o n g t o g e t a f i r s t - h a n d l o o k a t t h e h i s t o r y b u r i e d b e n e a t h t h e p ra i r i e .

past horizons39

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past horizons 40

A selection of archaeologicaland conservation projects

Albania - Keeping Tower Houses f rom Tumbl ing

Heri tage Conservat ion Network (HCN) is developing a hands-on project to res tore a kul lë house in col laborat ion with community groups and agencies . Young Albanian professionals and youths f rom surrounding Balkan countr ies wil l work with HCN’s internat ional volunteers to learn the hands-on ski l ls needed to save the s t ructures . Work wil l include tasks such as re-set t ing s tones, applying inter ior and exter ior plaster, and wood working such as hewing beams and relaying wooden f loors . Volunteers wil l a lso refurbish i ron elements while learning about t radi t ional techniques for producing i ron nai ls and hinges.

Dates: 5 - 18 September 2010Cost: 1 week $1050, 2 weeks $1950 (does not include airfare) .

Contact Jamie Donahue for more information: jmdonahoe@heri tageconservat ion.net Web: ht tp: / /www.heri tageconservat ion.net /ws-albania-2010.htm

Western Sahara - Western Sahara Projec t

Excavation - The work wil l consis t of the excavat ion of a number of burial monuments . The main object ive is to acquire mater ia ls for dat ing and geochemical analysis in order to es tabl ish when the monuments were bui l t and to infer information about diet , mobil i ty and or igins of prehis tor ic populat ions. This data wil l be re la ted to environmental data in order to examine how prehis tor ic people in this area responded to c l imat ic and environmental change, specif ical ly the drying of the Sahara around 5000 years ago. All excavated monuments wil l be systematical ly recorded in order to provide a record and gather information about funerary pract ices and prehis tor ic l i fes tyles .

The excavat ions wil l be directed by experienced f ie ld archaeologis ts with extensive experience in Western Sahara and elsewhere.

Reconnaissance survey work - The reconnaissance team wil l focus on the ident i f icat ion of new archaeological s i tes and locat ions for environmental sampling. Recording of new si tes , pr incipal ly funerary, wil l form a major par t of the reconnaissance work. The aims are to expand the inventory of archaeological s i tes in order to examine the type and dis t r ibut ion, and to ident i fy and sample environmental mater ia ls for subsequent dat ing and laboratory analysis . The reconnaissance team wil l be based at Tifar i t i but wil l spend several days at a t ime in the f ie ld , camping in the open.

Although the excavat ion and reconnaissance teams wil l be in c lose contact while in the f ie ld , for logis t ical and pract ical reasons i t i s not possible to swap from one team to the other.

Dates: October/November 2009Costs: Excavat ion 4-week per iod £2595, Reconnaissance 3 week per iod £2395 ( includes f l ights f rom London and al l accommodat ion, food and t ransport while in the f ie ld) .All costs go towards the running of the project , which does not make a prof i t .

Contact: For reconnaissance detai ls contact Nick Brooks: nick.brooks@uea.ac.ukand for excavat ion detai ls contact Joanne Clarke: joanne.clarke@uea.ac.ukWeb: h t tp: / /www.cru.uea.ac.uk/~e118/WS/WSahara.htm

Dig In

past horizons41

Through a set t lement pat tern s tudy, the project a ims to understand the nature of the social and economic organisat ion of Late Bronze Age societ ies of central Mongolia , a region bel ieved to be occupied at the t ime by mobile pastoral is ts . Located in the grasslands of Central Mongolia , the research area is dot ted with impressive s tone bui l t bur ia l and r i tual s i tes dat ing to the second and f i rs t mil lennia BCE, and cont inues to be inhabi ted by horse-r iding nomadic pastoral is ts who have maintained much of their t radi t ional l i fes tyle .

Costs and dates for 2010 to be announced.

Contact Jean-Luc Houle to regis ter your interest a t : jeh48@pit t .edu Web: h t tp: / /www.pi t t .edu/~jeh48

Mongol ia - Archaeology in Mongol ia

Jordan - Abi la Archaeological Projec t

Abila is best known as one of the ci t ies of the Hel lenis t ic league known as Decapol is , and then as the home of f ive prominent churches during the Byzant ine per iod. The s i te has yielded beaut i ful mosaics including that of a grand path from the north-south Cardo Maximus leading up to the entrance of the impressive t r i -apsidal basal t church. This , with s ix other basi l icas and three water tunnels , shows that the populat ion at Abila during the Late Roman and Early Byzant ine per iods was qui te considerable .

Dates: mid June - ear ly August 2010Cost: $1700 for 7-week per iod (does not include airfare) . Appl icat ion must be in by 31 January, 2010.

Contact Dr David Vila for more information: dvi la@jbu.eduWeb: h t tp: / /www.abi la .org/html/his tory.html

N icaragua - Ometepe Petroglyph Projec t

The Ometepe Archaeological Project is a long-term volunteer archaeological f ie ld survey of the Maderas half of the Nicaraguan is land of Ometepe, the largest is land on Lake Nicaragua. In e ight f ie ld seasons an area of approximately 15 square ki lometres has been intensively surveyed. Within that area (along the northern s lopes of the Maderas volcano) the project has recorded and mapped 89 archaeological s i tes . Over 1700 boulders with petroglyphs or other cul tural modif icat ions have been photographed, drawn and descr ibed as par t of the survey.

Dates: January 2010Costs: To be announced but approximately $450 per week (does not include airfare) .

Contact: Suzanne Baker to regis ter your interest : suzannebaker@earthl ink.netWeb: h t tp: / /cul turel ink. info/petro/ index.htm

Thai land - Or igins of Angkor

The rural vi l lage of Ban Non Wat in Northeast Thai land is one of the most important s i tes for understanding indigenous societ ies of the Empire of Angkor. Very few si tes have been examined as extensively, nor yielded as many f inds from the relevant archaeological ages . Help reveal how Neoli thic , Bronze and Iron Age peoples here were affected by their environment , changing cl imates , development of agr icul ture , technological advances and by contact with those from other lands.

Dates: December 2009, January and February 2010Costs: 7 days $1850, 14 days $3050

Contact: info@earthwatch.orgWeb: h t tp: / /www.earthwatch.org/exped/chang.html

To see more projec ts go to: http://w w w.pasthorizons.com/WorldProjec ts

past horizons 42

There are plenty of people who feel that desser t is the main course in any meal and in my experience hungry archaeologis ts are no different .

I make the good old comfort food desser ts such as bread and but ter pudding, s teamed syrup sponge and crumble that makes the most of seasonal f rui t . For luncht imes I usual ly serve lots of f resh frui t i f i t ’s avai lable and save the desser ts for dinner, such as chocolate pudding and s t icky toffee pudding with caramel sauce, which are a lways big hi ts .

I f bread is plent i ful , lef tover s l ices or loaves can be made into bread and but ter pudding, and i f you have access

to r ipe s tone frui t such as peaches, a del ic ious desser t such as this can be prepared in a few minutes: Cut peaches in half , d iscard s tones, and place halves on a f la t t ray. Put spoonfuls of prepared marzipan paste into the s tone hol lows, brush with melted but ter and gr i l l t i l l peaches are warm and gl is tening and marzipan has sof tened. Serve with cream or ice cream.

Of course, many other seasonal f rui ts can be used for desser t , and plums, nectar ines , apples , berr ies and cherr ies a l l work wel l with the addi t ion of a luscious crumble on top.

Annie EvansThe Dig Cook

Recipes for Archaeologists

FRUIT CRUMBLEServes 8

Take 1kg of chopped s tone frui t , p lace i t in a greased but ter dish with sugar and moisten with half a cup of brandy or water.

To make the crumble topping process half a cup of plain f lour, half a cup of coconut , half a cup of sugar, one desser tspoon of c innamon, half a cup of nuts ( for example, a lmonds or walnuts) , with 125g of but ter.

Sprinkle this mix over the frui t and bake for 30 minutes in a moderate heat in the oven. Serve with custard, cream or ice cream.

DRIED FRUIT SALAD WITH YOGHUR T & PINE NUTS

500 grammes dr ied frui ts (apples , pears , f igs , peaches, grapes, prunes, dates)1 cup water½ cup sugar300 grammes good yoghurt (Greek)½ cup rose water (or brandy)150 grammes pine nuts ( toasted)

Place the dr ied frui t , water and sugar in a saucepan over a gent le heat . St i r unt i l sugar is dissolved, then cover and cook very gent ly for 10 minutes . The frui t should be plump with some syrup lef t in the pan. Add the rose water to the warm frui t . Serve the frui t cold with yoghurt and pine nuts .

The Dig Cook’s websitehttp://www.digcook.com

past horizons43

STICKY TOFFEE PUDDINGWITH CARAMEL SAUCE

Pudding

250 grammes s toned dates300 mls water11/2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda125 grammes but ter200 grammes dark brown sugar3 large eggs200 grammes self-rais ing f lour1 teaspoon vani l la essence

Caramel Sauce

200 grammes dark brown sugar200 mls cream150 grammes but ter1 teaspoon vani l la essence

Preheat oven to 190 degrees cent igrade.

To make the pudding, cook the dates in the water unt i l they reach a jammy consis tency making sure there are no lumps.

Cream the but ter and sugar t i l l f luffy and sugar is dissolved. Add eggs one at a t ime and beat af ter each addi t ion. Fold in the remaining ingredients and mix wel l .

But ter and f lour an oblong baking dish and pour in mixture . Bake in the centre of the oven unt i l cooked.

To make the sauce, place al l the ingredients in a pan and s t i r unt i l but ter is mel ted and sauce is wel l combined. Bring to a high s immer and cook for f ive minutes . Cut the pudding into wedges and serve with the sauce and thick cream or ice cream.

SELF-SAUCINGCHOCOLATE PUDDINGServes 8

Pudding

150 grammes dark chocolate (chopped)60 grammes but ter11/2 cups milk11/2 cups self-rais ing f lour¼ cup cocoa powder

Grease an 8-cup capaci ty ovenproof dish. Place chocolate , but ter and milk in a saucepan and melt careful ly over medium heat unt i l smooth.

Sif t f lour and cocoa into a large bowl and s t i r in chocolate mix unt i l wel l combined. Pour into prepared pan and set as ide. Chocolate Sauce

¾ cup brown sugar50 grammes dark chocolate (chopped)¼ cup cocoa powder11/4 cups water2 tablespoons Kahlua Liqueur (or s imilar. Optional)

Place al l of the sauce ingredients into a saucepan over medium heat . St i r unt i l mel ted and combined. Remove from heat and careful ly pour over pudding bat ter.

Bake in a moderately hot oven for 35-40 minutes . Pudding should s t i l l be sof t in the middle .

Serve with berry frui ts and cream.

Deeel ic ious!

past horizons 44

© Cousland Local History ProjectJohn I Brown

Throughout September, Archaeology Scotland will be laying on hundreds of free activities all over the country in a public festival of Scottish archaeology.

You can be an archaeologist for the day, learn how to make fire like your ancestors did, or enjoy one of the many lectures, exhibitions or guided walks designed to bring you closer to the sites and monuments of Scotland’s past. There is now a separate programme of events just for schools as well as information and resources for schools wanting to create their own celebration of Scottish archaeology.

For more details: http://www.archaeologyscotland.org.uk/index.php?q=node/33

Seeing the fami l iar in a new l ight

past horizons45

I take great del ight in l is tening to s tor ies about local his tory. There is much to learn from people who know their area extremely wel l , but there are of ten quest ions that they would l ike answered and I a lways t ry to help i f I can. I f feasible , I

suggest that we work as a group drawing together evidence from a var ie ty of sources using a combinat ion of observat ion, his tor ical research and archaeology.

My f i rs t experience using this method involved the residents of Cousland in Midlothian, Scot land. Our search for a nunnery soon turned into a community

excavat ion around a small cast le and mansion house in the centre of the vi l lage and a lost 18th century pot tery in a nearby f ie ld . We haven’t yet found the elusive nunnery and we have s t i l l to confirm the pot tery, but a long the way we have made many new f inds and have succeeded in bui lding up a more detai led his tory of the vi l lage.

Going deeper into Midlothian to the vi l lage of Gorebridge, I was asked by a local group to look at the remains of the ear l ies t industr ia l gunpowder mil ls in Scot land. Each bui lding had been set into s teep cl i ffs as protect ion from catastrophic blasts , with a complicated system of water wheels , mil l lades and s luices powering the var ious powder-making processes . Today, a l l that remains of the complex are a couple of s tone ruins and t races of wal ls hidden in the undergrowth. For the casual observer understanding the bui ldings and their funct ion would be almost impossible . Guided by members of the local group, I walked the val ley and the process of discovery began as we al l looked together a t the evidence. Barely vis ible wal ls , a great scar in the cl i ff and a blocked tunnel were amongst the things that they could show me and I was able to add to their knowledge by offer ing my observat ions and interpretat ion of what I saw in the landscape. By shar ing and discussing we were soon able to visual ise the great water wheels turning, the lades f lowing with water, s luices creaking open, and the devastat ion of the inevi table explosions.

In the lea of the Pent land Hil ls near Edinburgh, Old Pent land Graveyard s i ts lonely but cer ta inly not unloved. Dat ing to a t least the 13th century, and made famous by a Covenant ing past in the 17th century, no-one was real ly sure where the actual church s tood. From map s tudies i t cer ta inly looked l ike a church exis ted there , but i t remained uncertain as to i ts exact locat ion. Along with the locals who care for the graveyard and with permission from the owners , we decided to ask the Edinburgh Archaeological Field Society (EAFS) to look for the clues and pret ty soon a geophysical survey t raced out the shape of a bui lding. On the 12th September during Scot t ish Archaeology month we wil l a l l re turn to the s i te where locals and vis i tors a l ike wil l be able to witness the excavat ion of a port ion of the north eastern corner hoping to confirm the geophysical resul ts .

Local people with detai led knowledge of their own area should always be the f i rs t contact . Find out what they know about a locat ion and share in the joy of reciprocat ion. The ski l l of the archaeologis t is vi ta l in understanding and interpret ing what we see around us . Events such as Scot t ish Archaeology Month provide a wonderful opportuni ty for that sor t of interact ion and I hope that my small contr ibut ion can lead to more discussion, discovery and the joy of looking at the famil iar in new and different ways.

ViewpointSeeing the fami l iar in a new l ight

David Connol ly i s the direc tor of Br i t ish Archaeological Jobs and Resources (BA JR)Web: http://w w w.bajr.org

past horizons 46

Back Pages

Past Horizons TV col lects her i tage-related videos from around the world, ranging from comedy to advert is ing, short videos from si te s taff to more detai led pieces conveying techniques and approaches. Over the next few issues Back Pages wi l l be choosing a theme and featur ing three classic examples for your viewing pleasure.

This week i t ’s advert is ing, and when i t comes to advert is ing cl ichés no-one does i t bet ter than Indiana Jones. Synonymous with archaeology and adventure , few characters can offer a bet ter blend of exci tement and danger to enhance a product . The select ion of c l ips here are our personal favouri tes but c l ick on the l inks below to see more Indiana fun.

Diet Coke Burger K ing Rock land Toyota United K ingdom Lotter y

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Burger

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past horizons47

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Doritos

Chocolate

past horizons 48

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If you want to write an articlefor Past Horizons, contact usat: editor@pasthorizons.com

Past Horizons is a unique online publication aimed at anyone who has an interest in archaeologyand heritage conservation. Our remit is to inform people about projects around the world whereyou can participate either as volunteers with no previous experience, students looking for morefieldwork experience or professionals who need a break on an exciting excavation.

AArticles are written by project organisers or the participants in the project giving unique insightsinto what to expect. Topics range from the discovery of mysterious features in Cornwall to rock artsurvey in Nicaragua, restoring Ottoman period houses in Albania and surveys in the deserts ofJordan. We encourage PhD students to contribute stories about projects they are involved in, suchas the recent article on Rwandan archaeology from two University College Londonresearchers.

UUsing the latest technology, with Pageflip, embedded videos and sounds, as well as live weblinks,this is an online magazine like no other, so log on to Past Horizons today and get involved in aworld of archaeology and heritage conservation.

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