A summary of the results of the project to date
A henge, a hengi-form monument, or a barrow?
|
A summary of the results of the project to date A henge, a hengi-form monument, or a barrow? |
|
The circular site identified as a possible henge monument lies within the parish of Easington, on the Holderness peninsula leading to Spurn Point. This area, which is susceptible to coastal erosion, is well known for its prehistoric sites of late Neolithic and Bronze Age date. Previous archaeological work in the area includes the excavation of a Bronze Age barrow, with evidence of Neolithic occupation beneath the barrow. Other barrows have been identified from aerial photographs. Additionally large scale fieldwalking has been carried out in the area as part of the Humber Wetlands Survey (Head et al. 1995). Remains of a Bronze Age plank boat has also been recorded from the beach (Van de Noort et al. in press). More recently, a barrow was identified and excavated on the beach to the north of the henge, from which a centrally positioned inhumation burial, a hearth and late Bronze Age pottery was recorded.
The aim of the assessment described here was the recording of the monument and of the prehistoric landscape within which it survives. Prior to the assessment, the site was partially exposed within the inter-tidal zone. The western part of the site remained buried under blown sands and alluvial clays. The exposed area included parts of two semi-circular features, which were interpreted as an orange-clay bank, with an extrapolated external diameter of c. 30m, and an internal diameter of c. 24m. Within these circular features, a second semi-circular feature was a ditch with an average diameter of c. 12m. Small scale excavations were carried out at this site in July 1998, revealing a pit in the inner ditch containing charcoal and cremated bone. There was no evidence of a central grave.
During the assessment it was noted that the exposed part of the site, (approximately 50% of the whole) was subject to tidal erosion. The remaining area was buried beneath recent blown sands or clays of unknown date. The locally strong coastal erosion precluded preservation in situ.
The objectives of the assessment (Van de Noort 1998) were:
The authors of Exploring our Past (English Heritage 1991) identified a number of processes of change which are seen as critical for the understanding of particular periods. Amongst these is the Neolithic/Bronze Age transition and the research of the site at Easington may well contribute to further illumination of this area.
The site lies on a deposit of mixed gravels in light-brown loam and clays. This deposit was not identified by the British Geological Survey Map of England and Wales which shows till, beach deposits and alluvial deposits in this area, but gravel deposits are common in Holderness, the material being associated with glacio-fluvial activity. Such deposits are relatively free-draining, when compared to the Skipsea and Withernsea tills which dominate the drift geology (Ellis 1995) and were regional focal points for settlement throughout the historic period (Middleton 1995).
The assessment of the monument involved the removal of the overburden on the northern half of the site using a mechanical excavator. This revealed a series of features which were planned and recorded according to standard practice. Three machine trenches were then excavated from a point just to the north-west of the centre of the monument in order to assess the depth and condition of the deposits and to assist in the interpretations of the features seen in plan. Samples were taken from all deposits. The excavator was then used to clear the southwestern section of the monument where erosion had been particularly severe. No trace of the monument survived, apparently due to the effects of the erosion.
The assessment revealed a complex of concentric circular features. From the well-preserved northeastern quarter of the monument, an outer bank of light brown loam and gravel was visible in plan and the bank terminating in the northern part of the site was visible in Trench 1. Part of the bank had been eroded recently and recent beach deposits were noted on the northeastern part of the bank. The presence of this bank was not established in Trench 2, but was again seen in plan in Trench 3. The outer ditch, situated within the outer bank was noted in Trenches 1, 2 and 3, either as a distinctive cut with fill, (as in Trenches 1 and 2) or as a plastic clay deposit rich in the mollusc Scorbicularia plana within the two banks.
An inner bank of light brown gravel was recorded in Trenches 1, 2 and 3 and in plan. The inner ditch, situated within the inner bank was noted in Trenches 1 and 3 and in plan, but not in Trench 2. No stratigraphic evidence was found to show whether the construction of the inner ditch-and-bank predated the construction of the outer ditch-and-bank. However, unlike the outer ditch, the inner ditch was filled with dark brown to black organic slits, indicating that this inner ditch had been infilled some time before the estuarine incursion that deposited the dark blue-grey clay containing the Scorbicularia plana mollusks in the outer ditch and outside the outer bank. The inner ditch terminated in the northern part of the monument, in line with the terminal of the outer bank.
A buried soil horizon, identified in Trenches 1 and 3 and in plan was observed within an organic rich deposit which had infilled the central portion of the monument after the construction of the inner ditch and bank. It appears that the stratigraphy not only shows a full buried soil horizon, but also organic rich material on top of the Al soil horizon, resulting from some sort of anthropogenic activity. This could be either the dumping of topsoil from the surrounding area to create the platform or the result of activity within the inner ditch and bank. The central area was then partially capped with gravel deposits identified in Trenches 1, 2 and 3 and in plan, possibly the remains of the construction of the outer ditch.
The outer ditch was filled with a plastic clay rich in the mollusc Scorbicularia plana. This clay was also present outside the outer bank, on its northern and eastern side. The area to the south and east of the erosion scar comprised Scorbicularia plana rich clays and, although no undisturbed gravel was identified, this deposit was found to be in excess of 1.3 in depth. The deposition of this dark blue-grey clay with Scorbicularia plana molluscs probably represents a single phase (of unknown duration) of estuarine incursion into the Kilnsea Fleet and inundation of the fluvio-glacial gravel outcrop, which filled the outer ditch and overlaid the lower lying parts of the monument, as well as eroding the southern part of the monument.
Few archaeological artefacts were retrieved from the site itself. Worked flint, pottery, worked stone and bone were collected from site visits and during the assessment. None of these artefacts provided datable markers to any of the features on the site.
From within the inner ditch, immediately north of the erosion scar, a pit containing charcoal and considerable amounts of cremation remains had been recorded in advance of the assessment. Partial assessment of this material suggests that both human and animal cremated bone are present, while it is evident that the pit represents an in situ cremation or burning.
In addition to the excavations of the monument itself, the area of the prehistoric landscape, also under threat from tidal erosion, was walked over to investigate the local context of the monument. Prehistoric pottery, flint, industrial residue and worked stone were collected from a circular barrow, of which a ditch and possible small external bank survived. This barrow is situated c. 50m south south-west of the monument. Peat shelves were also identified to the south of the monument.
The project design for the assessment suggested three possible functions for the circular
monument: a henge, a hengi-form monument or a barrow. The arguments for the site being a barrow are weak and the main features which suggest that the site was not a barrow include:
In spite of this, the possibility that the monument is a barrow cannot be entirely ruled out and if
In spite of these reservations, the possibility that the site is a barrow cannot be ruled out. If this is the case then the exceptional size and construction would mean that it is of considerable regional significance.
The arguments for the site being either a henge or hengi-form monument are much stronger. The site comprises a circular flat area which is enclosed and delimited by a boundary earthwork consisting of one or two ‘sets’ of an internal ditch and external bank, depending on whether the inner and outer ditch-bank earthworks were contemporaneous or not. Furthermore, the opening suggested on the north side of the circular monument (with the opposing sides being destroyed in antiquity) would clearly agree with the site being a henge or hengi-form monument, according to the criteria employed by the Monuments Protection Plan (MPP).
The MPP criteria distinguish henges from hengi-form monuments on the basis of the internal diameter. The site at Easington would, according to this definition, be a hengi-form monument, with the internal diameter being either 10m (measured from the inner ditches) or 17m (measured from the outer ditch). The presence of a cremation pit accords well with the evidence from other hengi-form sites but not with that from henges. Therefore, pending additional dating evidence, the site will be described as a probable hengi-form monument, incorporating both ritual and ceremonial functions and dating to the late Neolithic or early Bronze Age.
The assessment of the potential of the site includes the barrow situated immediately to the south of hengi-form enclosure, from where a considerable quantity of cultural material was recovered.
The site records form an important part of the site archive. Further analysis is required to integrate the results of the various specialist analyses and the proposed dating programme. This information will be used to build an understanding of the phasing of the site, the reproduction of a full site plan and complete section across the surviving part of the monument. It will also allow comparisons and parallels to be drawn with other known hengi-form monuments.
A total of four pieces of worked flint were recorded from the area of the enclosure and one from the barrow to the south. All five are knapping debris of prehistoric date, but are worthy of further analysis and full recording. Few artefacts are usually found within hengi-form monuments, but some flintwork is usual, and normally consists of knapping debris and, more rarely, a few finished tools.
A total of two sherds of prehistoric pottery were recorded from the area of the hengi-form monument and forty-six sherds from the barrow to the south. Initial assessment of one piece from the estuarine clay, overlying the henge monument suggests an Iron Age date (P. Didsbury pers. comm.). Preliminary assessment of the pottery from the barrow indicates that the majority of a beaker, including all of the base, has been retrieved. Evidence of whipped cord maggot impressions survives on at least one sherd. Such decoration is amongst the most commonly of the techniques used in the third and early second millennia BC (Gibson and Woods 1997). The beaker was buried in an upright position and the sides had collapsed outwards at a later date, leaving the base in the centre of the pottery sherds. No evidence of the rim survived and it is likely that this was lost as a result of truncation. Further research is required to obtain a more accurate date and contextual information.
Cremation remains and a single piece of animal bone was collected from excavations of the hengi-form monument. In addition a skeleton and a single animal tooth were collected from the barrow.
The cremation was excavated as a single context and the fill of the pit was retained for further analysis. Initial examination of about 15% of the cremation suggests that the preservation of the bone is good and contains both human and animal bone. Some of the surviving pieces are relatively large and robust and the potential for the retrieval of teeth is quite high. The presence of teeth may species identification to take place. One piece of a pelvis, possibly from a horse, was also found in the gravel overlying the central part of the henge. This bone is in a good state of preservation. Initial analysis of the human skeleton from the barrow suggests that this individual is a sub-adult as the epiphyses are not yet fused. The state of preservation is good with several portions of long bones and part of the jaw containing teeth surviving. Age and sex determination would appear to be possible. An animal tooth was also retrieved from the barrow.
One piece of stone from the enclosure and one piece from the barrow were identified. Both require identification and examination for evidence of use
One piece of industrial waste was retrieved from the barrow. Further analysis is required in order to place it in its economic context.
Three monoliths were taken from three different locations of the site.
One of these was been used for the initial assessment. Well preserved pollen was extracted from three samples, each of which contained evidence for lime, elm and other plants. The high percentage of lime within the samples suggests that these deposits pre-date the lime decline of about 2000 BC. Although this is the only dating evidence so far from the site, it tends to agree with the late Neolithic date suggested on the basis of the morphology of the monument.
Further analysis of all three monoliths and the analysis of the nine bulk samples of soil has potential to provide information about the contemporary vegetation, assess the wetland development in the region and provide evidence for the impact of human activity on the prehistoric landscape.
Datable material from the site includes
Additional datable material from the nearby barrow includes bone.
The full excavation of the site would add considerably to our understanding of the monument. The western part of the enclosure (approximately one-third of the site) remains unexcavated and deeply buried by various sediments post-dating its use and the inner and outer ditch-fills were only sampled during the assessment and may hold important additional cultural artefacts and information. However, the full-scale excavation, with due attention paid to the stratigraphic complexity, can only be undertaken satisfactorily in an environment where the tides are excluded during the period of study. This would require a cofferdam-type construction to be erected for the period of excavation. Although no costings were invited, the cofferdam is thought to add at least £200,000.00 to the cost of the excavation. The full excavation of the enclosure is therefore not considered to be a viable possibility.
Considerable gains in our understanding of the hengi-form monument and its landscape will be achieved through a programme of analysis of the palaeoenvironmental samples combined with a radiocarbon dating of selected samples. Such a programme will result in a good stratigraphic understanding of the site as far as assessed, with closely dated phases placed within a high resolution environmental context. Furthermore, if the buried soils relate in part to activity on the platform, important additional information will be gained on the human activity in the period immediately after its construction.
The overall aim of the updated project design is the production of a scientific paper on the hengi-form monument on Easington Beach and its surrounding landscape based on the assessment. This will address the details of the site, the stratigraphic sequence together with dated phases, the natural environment wherein the enclosure was constructed, possible contemporaneous activity within the enclosure and its destruction by estuarine activity in antiquity and by recent coastal erosion.
The further analysis of site records, finds and samples will be primarily aimed at a series of limited objectives. These are:
It is anticipated that the report of the analysis of this monument will be submitted to a journal, possibly the Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society. The paper will be written by Robert Van de Noort and Ruth Head with contributions by additional specialists. The paper will aim to provide an introduction to the site and the surrounding landscape, drawing on previous research and knowledge. The details of the excavations, stratigraphy and phasing will be presented as a site report. Analysis of all cultural material will form the basis of the finds research and details of the environmental analysis will provide information to present the site in its landscape setting.
Contextual and stratigraphic data will be further analysed and interpreted following completion of the palynological work, soil assessment and the dating programme. The cultural landscape will be interpreted following analysis of material from the nearby barrow and additional sites known to exist in the Easington and Kilnsea area. Comparisons will be made with other henges, hengi-form monuments and circular enclosures of late Neolithic and early Bronze Age date as published in Wainwright (1969) and Harding and Lee (1987).
All lithic material will be studied and described with examples drawn and/or photographed as necessary, following standard flint typologies and source determination used in this region (Head 1997). Each piece will be described in full and multiple pieces found within a single context will be considered as single assemblages. The results of the analysis will be used to inform other aspects of the study including the dating and reconstruction of the economy.
The pottery will be described and recorded with reference to the established fabric and vessel typologies for the area (Gibson and Woods 1997, Manby 1988). Sherds from individual contexts will be considered as single assemblages in order to provide estimates of the number of vessels and the number of identifiable forms. Percentages will be calculated for the total number of sherds and weight for each fabric type and vessel form as appropriate. This information will be used to aid dating and phasing of the monument, as well as its cultural use. Sherds will be drawn and photographed as necessary to illustrate the vessel forms and the methods of decoration.
The animal bone from the cremation pit will be identified using comparative material held by the University of Leicester. The aim of the analysis will be to identify the species represented. More detailed analysis will be limited by the fragmentary condition of the bone.
Analysis of the human bone, both cremated from the hengi-form monument and from the inhumation in the nearby barrow, will include the full analysis of the skeletal material including the age, nature of death and sex of the individuals. Comparative collections from the Universities of Sheffield and Hull will be used to aid the analysis. The methodologies used will be based on those outlined by McKinley and Roberts (1993).
A number of contexts have produced organic material suitable for radiocarbon dating. The buried soil appears most likely to offer the earliest date. In order to achieve the greatest accuracy for this series, the programme will include ten AMS dates selected and prepared following further discussion with Alex Bayliss (AML, English Heritage).
The single worked stone will be identified by Dr M. Pedley to determine the source of the raw material and the use of the object
The industrial residue will be analysed using methods outlined by Bachmann (1982) and McDonnell (1983). Comparisons will be made with material from other sites in the area.
The pollen analysis programme will include high resolution sub-sampling and analysis, with a minimum of 250 terrestrial pollen grains to be counted per sample. Samples will be taken every 20 mm, resulting in a maximum of fifteen sub-samples, which will be prepared by standard methods (Moore et al. 1991). Results will be presented as percentages of total land pollen; aquatics and spores are presented as percentages of total land pollen + individual aquatic or spore.
Pedological examination will combine the analysis of fifteen bulk samples and fifteen micromorphological samples. Bulk sample analysis will include particle size distribution, organic matter content and pH, while micromorphological analysis will involve the preparation of araldite-impregnated thin sections (sub-samples from the monoliths) taken in a vertical plane.
Bachmann H.G. 1982 The identification of slags from archaeological sites Institute of Archaeology Occasional papers 6.
Ellis, S. 1995 Physical Background to Holderness. In: R. Van de Noort and S. Ellis (eds) Wetland heritage of Holderness. Humber Wetlands Project, University of Hull, 9 – 16.
English Heritage 1991 Management of Archaeological Projects Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England.
Gibson, A. and A. Woods 1997 Prehistoric pottery for the archaeologist Leicester University Press.
Harding, A.F. and G.E. Lee 1987 Henge monuments and related sites of Great Britain B.A.R. British Series 175.
Head, R. 1997 Flint typology. In: R. Van de Noort and S. Ellis (eds.) Wetland heritage of the Ancholme and lower Trent valleys. Humber Wetlands Project, University of Hull, 309-14.
Head R., H. Fenwick, R. Van de Noort, M. Dinnin and M. Lillie 1995 The survey of Southern Holderness. In: R. Van de Noort and S. Ellis (eds.) Wetland Heritage of Holderness.. Humber Wetlands Project, University of Hull. 241-3
Manby, T.G. 1988 The Neolithic in Eastern Yorkshire. In T.G. Manby (ed) Archaeology in Eastern Yorkshire. University of Sheffield, 35-88
McDonnell G. 1983 Tap slags and hearth bottoms or how to identify slags. Current archaeology 8, 81-3.
McKinley, J.I. and Roberts, C. 1993 Excavation and Post-excavation treatment of cremated and inhumed human remains. Institute of Field Archaeologists technical paper 13.
Middleton, R. 1995 Landuse in Holderness In: R. Van de Noort and S. Ellis (eds) Wetland Heritage of Holderness Humber Wetlands Project, University of Hull.
Moore P.D., J.A. Webb and M.E. Collinson 1991 Pollen analysis (2nd edition). Blackwell.
Van de Noort, R. 1998 Assessment of a possible henge monument on Easington Beach, Holderness, East Riding of Yorkshire. Unpublished project design Centre for Wetland Archaeology.
Van de Noort, R., Middleton, R., Foxon, A and Bayliss, A. forthcoming. The Kilnsea boat and some implications from the discovery of England's oldest plank boat. Prepared for Antiquity.
Wainwright, G.J 1969 A review of henge monuments in the light of recent research Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 35:112-33.
| Top of Document |
Arch Division Homepage |
List of Summaries |