Whitby Abbey Headland Project - Southern Anglian Enclosure
Project Design - Summer 1999
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
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The aims and objectives of this project should be seen in terms of the recently published Exploring our Past 1998 (English Heritage 1998) which sets out the following five goals:
A - Advancing Understanding of England's Archaeology
B - Securing the Conservation of Archaeological Landscapes, Sites & Collections
C - Supporting the Development of National, Regional and Local Research Frameworks
D - Promoting Public Appreciation and Enjoyment of Archaeology
E - Supporting the Development of Professional Infra-structure and Skills
In addition the considerable emphasis being placed upon the accessibility of the project to the public should be directly viewed in the light of views expressed by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media, and Sport as part of the Government's Statutory Spending Review and English' Heritage's response to this.
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Overarching aims
Currently no archaeological research framework for the headland exists, although preparation of such a document is underway and assessment and analysis will take place within this Research Framework. Many documents prepared for the headland project contain, explicitly or implicitly, elements which could be incorporated into such a framework, particularly the "Whitby Abbey Headland Project Southern Anglian Enclosure" (CAS 1999): the forerunner to this document. Thus the overarching project aims are:-
To contribute towards a better understanding of the development of Whitby Abbey Headland since the seventh century AD, in particular the Southern Anglian enclosure and cemetery and the thirteenth century monastic boundary, by determining the location, extent, stratigraphic relationships, function, and date of the archaeological features to the east and north of Abbey Lands Farm.
To inform the development of the Research Framework for the Abbey Headland and its environs.
To ensure the continued public participation and enjoyment of the archaeological and historical resources of the Headland.
To develop methods of archaeological research and provide training opportunities.
Archaeological objectives
1. To investigate the date, morphology and development of the Anglian-period cemetery and settlement complex within the southern enclosure.
1.1 To establish the spatial, stratigraphic and chronological relationship between buildings, cemetery, and the major early ditch and boulder wall enclosure.
1.2 To establish the date, extent, morphology and development of the cemetery.
1.3 To characterise the burial practices and to establish whether these changed during the period of use.
1.4 To establish the date, character and function of the buildings, and whether these changed during the period of use.
1.5 To investigate functional and economic zoning and whether these changed during the period of use.
2. To investigate the character of the Anglian-period community and settlement.
2.1 Through the study of the human skeletal remains to establish the demographic structure of the population represented in the cemetery and to investigate health and disease in the population.
2.2 To investigate how the material signature and morphology of the site compare with those of contemporary settlements which have been interpreted as monastic or secular.
2.3 To investigate whether the material signature of the site might be considered typical of "Celtic" rather than Benedictine monasticism.
2.4 To contribute through comparative studies towards a better archaeological characterisation and understanding of seventh- to ninth-century settlements.
3. To investigate the economic base of the Anglian settlement.
3.1 To investigate agricultural and animal husbandry regimes, and the extent to which marine and terrestrial wildlife resources were exploited.
3.2 To investigate provisioning, diet and food preparation.
3.3 To investigate the character and scale of any craft production on site.
3.4 To investigate the character and scale of any involvement in local, regional and long-distance exchange.
3.5 To establish the character of the local environment and any environmental change.
4. To establish whether or not there was significant activity on the site between the ninth and eleventh centuries.
5. To formulate a preliminary model for the development of Anglian settlement and monastic activity on the Whitby headland.
6. To enhance understanding of the layout and boundaries of the thirteenth-century monastic precinct.
6.1 To confirm the date, character and build of the monastic boundary.
6.2 To investigate the terraced make-up within the monastic boundary.
6.3 To compare the pattern of pottery use and disposal inside and outside the thirteenth century precinct boundary, and also within any buildings which may be discovered.
7. To extend our knowledge of the organisation of pottery manufacture and markets in the region in the Anglian and Medieval periods
Methodological objectives
8. To evaluate and develop on site recording methodologies.
9. To examine the potential for DNA sexing and population characterisation from poorly preserved human remains.
10. To evaluate the potential of 'real-time' survey solutions, such as REDM, TheoLT, and pen-based computing to aid the required recording and digitisation of the site.
11. To field test the survey, environmental and finds(2) modules of the CAS recording manual.
Outreach, education and training objectives
12. To maximise visitor potential, and use of the excavation as a focus to ensure public understanding, participation, and enjoyment of the archaeology of the Headland
13. To develop the use of Abbey Headland as an educational resource for schools.
14. To develop archaeological teaching materials which may be used on a wide range of archaeological sites.
15. To investigate ways of displaying archaeological excavations and their results.
16. To provide training opportunities for archaeologists at the start of their careers.