Canterbury Archaeological Trust a hit at Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Washington DC

Canterbury Archaeological Trust has just returned from two weeks participating in America’s largest cultural event, the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival, held on the National Mall in Washington DC. Forty local people illustrated Kent’s rich cultural heritage alongside 80 Virginians at the festival’s ‘Roots of Virginia Culture’ programme to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the establishment of Jamestown, Virginia, widely regarded as the first permanent English settlement of what would become the United States of America.

The Festival has been an annual production of the Smithsonian Institution’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage since 1967 and each year celebrates cultural traditions of communities across the United States and around the world. This year saw ‘Mekong River: Connecting Cultures’ and ‘Northern Ireland at the Smithsonian’ programmes alongside the ‘Roots of Virginia Culture’. The Festival is a free event over ten days and commonly attracts over a million visitors. This year saw 1.6 million - the second largest visitor number in its history.

The Kent party of the ‘Roots of Virginia Culture’ programme was managed and supported by Kent County Council. During the past three years, researchers from the Smithsonian Institution have worked with KCC to identify cooks, musicians, fishermen, story tellers, craftspeople and others to illustrate aspects of our culture and inform festival visitors about attractions they can expect from a trip to Kent. Canterbury Archaeological Trust was invited to contribute to the theme of ‘Recreating the Past’. We (Marion Green, Education Officer and Enid Allison, Environmental Archaeologist and Education Service support) delivered a package designed to attract both adults and young people and over nine hundred children and thousands of adults took part in the activity over the ten days. The Festival attracts considerable media coverage and we were filmed and interviewed by local FOX News and by KCC and BBC Radio Kent.

For children, our Little Dig involved excavating and identifying parts of reconstructed buildings and real archaeological finds in two ‘trenches’ built by the Smithsonian’s Tech Crew (many thanks to Jen, Matt and Greg) to CAT’s specification. The idea was originally brought to Canterbury by the Museum of London Archaeological Service during the Whitefriars excavations and our own Little Digs are often used at public events.

The ‘digs’ were further adapted for the ‘Roots of Virginia’ theme of the Festival. American children learn about the English settlement of Jamestown in school and many of the young visitors had been on trips to the archaeological site of Historic Jamestowne. So the top ‘layer’ had 17th century pottery fragments found on Kent excavations – pieces of the same kind of domestic jugs and jars the English settlers took with them when they sailed across the Atlantic in 1607, eventually to become lost in the Virginian soils and discovered by American archaeologists some 400 years later.

Kent’s archaeology goes a lot deeper of course and the Little Dig had a medieval and a Roman layer as well – more than enough for little diggers to take in!

The unearthed fragments were then taken to reference tables of complete objects (again all from Kent excavations) to identify them. Many of the children came expecting to find dinosaurs but gained some experience of Archaeology - and a great certificate with CAT website address to find out more.

The reference collection plus photographs, reconstruction images and a running powerpoint presentation of ‘30 Years of Canterbury Archaeological Trust’ also served as a stand alone display for adult visitors. There were conversations with people who had been to Britain as tourists or had relations here. Some people had been on training digs and others wanted to know about places they could visit in Canterbury and Kent. Several people with education, archaeology and anthropology interests made themselves known to us. The Little Dig trenches have now gone to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History where they will be used for public education programmes in the Discovery Room, following the CAT example.

Sharing the ‘Historic Archaeology’ marquee with us was Amanda Danning, a facial reconstruction artist from Texas working on the skull of a 15 year old boy believed to be one of the first English settlers of Jamestown. Day by day we saw the features take shape. Alongside Amanda were people from Historic Jamestowne, the educational visitor centre at the original site of the James Fort, featured earlier this year on a Time Team special in the UK.

We had some great volunteers to help with re-instating the ‘digs’ throughout the day, chatting to the visitors and making lemonade runs. The weather was hot and steamy when we arrived and the day we left the temperature hit 100F, but in between was mostly in the low 80s and the locals said it was like April weather. Enid and I were kept very busy on site. Working daily with a constantly changing audience (and episodes of song, dance and story telling on a nearby stage!) was demanding stuff, but we definitely rose to the challenge and the American visitors really appreciated our contribution and that we had brought original things of such antiquity for them to see and handle.

We found occasions to see what other participants in the Festival were doing. There was some great music from the Virginians and I could have spent a long time watching the Mekong River potters! We also had two days break when we took in Washington’s key sites and the free Smithsonian museums lining the mall – with air con.

This was a successful and enjoyable venture and I would like to thank both the Smithsonian Institution and KCC’s Smithsonian Project team for this opportunity to share knowledge and experience with so many people and promote in particular, the work of the Canterbury Archaeological Trust. To hear a podcast about CAT and the Festival go to the US Embassy site at:
http://www.usembassy.org.uk/rss/index.html

Marion Green
Education Officer
Canterbury Archaeological Trust

Little Dig’s Big Adventure

Canterbury Archaeological Trust is to participate in America’s largest cultural event, the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival, to be held near the White House in Washington DC from 27th June to 8th July 2007. Forty local people will illustrate Kent’s rich cultural heritage alongside 80 Virginians at the festival’s ‘Roots of Virginia Culture’ programme to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the establishment of Jamestown, Virginia, widely regarded as the first English settlement of what would go on to become the United States of America.

The Smithsonian Institution has asked for our Little Dig activity for children and young American visitors will have the chance to ‘excavate’ the trenches and identify their Kentish finds against complete pots and other reference material already shipped out to the US.' The original activity is being adapted to include 17th century pots, claypipes and so forth from Kent sites – the same types that the early English settlers took with them across the Atlantic, eventually discarded in Virginian soil, to be excavated at the site of ‘Historic Jamestowne’ by archaeologists some 400 years later.

Alongside the children’s activity, we will also be showing highlights of the Trust’s discoveries through a digital presentation and publicising related Kent attractions for the American visitor.

The Kent party is managed and supported by Kent County Council and we would like to thank both the Smithsonian Institution and KCC’s Smithsonian Project team for this opportunity to illustrate Kent’s rich archaeological heritage and in particular, the work of Canterbury Archaeological Trust.

To hear a podcast about CAT plan for the festival go to the US Embassy at:
http://www.usembassy.org.uk/rss/index.html
and see more on their Kids Page:
http://www.usembassy.org.uk/kids/didyouknowcanterbury.html

Marion Green
Education Officer

Enid Allison
Environmental archaeologist/Education Service support

For Canterbury Archaeological Trust

Little Dig summer 2005

A Rare Anglo-Saxon Mould From Folkestone

During an evaluation preceding development work on The Bayle in Folkestone, this rare Anglo-Saxon mould, used for intricate metal-working, was found in a domestic rubbish pit in one of the trenches.

Made of hard-fired clay, the impressions of two designs are apparent – a quadrefoil (bottom) and a rectangular strip with interlaced design (top). They are reminiscent of Anglo-Saxon form.

It is suggested this mould was used to produce fine jewellery, perhaps made of gold, or decorative appliqués to be stitched onto dress or leather, or even as embellishments of inset panels on a larger object. The mould has been dated to between the late 8th – early 9th century, and currently an expert in this field is examining the piece and will hopefully be able to provide us with a more accurate date and intended purpose.

View of the site with Bayle church in the background.	The mould fragment.	Trench where the mould was found.

The Archaeology And History Of The Bayle: A Summary

The Bayle, from the Latin Ballium, is the ancient core of Folkestone located in a topographically attractive setting, and as such is a highly sensitive and historically important area. Evidence of Roman occupation is in the form of mainly pottery sherds, but antiquarians in the 18th century reported observing Roman ruins. However, they could have been looking at Roman ceramic building material being reused in later constructions.

It was on the site of The Bayle that an early Anglo-Saxon minster or nunnery was founded in c.630 / 640 by King Eadbald of Kent for his daughter Eanswythe, who became the first abbess of reputedly one of the earliest nunneries in England. While there is no direct archaeological evidence for the Folkestone minster, Anglo-Saxon remains were supposedly disturbed in c.1850 when a cremation burial was discovered during groundworks close to the ancient boundaries of The Bayle, and the description of the finds suggest a 5th century date.

Natural coastal erosion of The Bayle, which is situated on a cliff promontory, may well have removed the Anglo-Saxon minster and any earlier remains, although the natural geology of The Bayle’s West Cliff is not as susceptible to erosion as that of the East Cliff in Folkestone.

Following the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, a Benedictine priory was constructed in c.1095 within the ancient Bayle area, incorporating the old Anglo-Saxon minster. During the reign of King Stephen, the monks either asked to be moved or were forcibly removed in c.1138, outside of the ancient Bayle area, to a new minster on the site of the present church of St Mary and St Eanswythe. Remnants of this later priory are still evident today.

From the medieval period onwards, The Bayle was a site of fortification, with a Castle and associated ditches, banks and buildings, constructed c.1150. Later post-medieval additions consist of 16th century forts and a gun battery dated from the 18th century, along with more dwellings in the vicinity.

The site undergoing archaeological investigation, where the mould was found, is situated opposite the Bayle pond, and set back from the modern road. The Bayle pond used to be much larger but was landscaped in the 1920s into its present layout. The water source came from the base of the North Downs, carried through an open channel known as St Eanswythe’s Water, later referred to as the Town Ditch, along what is now called Guildhall Street and into the pond, thereby seemingly running uphill during the last stage – a miraculous event attributed to Saint Eanswythe. However, this occurrence can be explained as being a contour-aqueduct. During the late 18th century the town ditch was relaid in iron pipes for at least the last third of its length, and although the archaeological investigation potentially cut through the probable location of the old town ditch, no traces of the ditch were found during evaluation trenching.

Numerous finds have been retrieved from the site including a large amount of late Saxon – early Norman pottery sherds, plus two fragments of moulds, the better one displayed here.

Laura O’Shea
21st November 2006

Publication of Trust’s Latest Research Report
celebrated at Dover Museum

On 8th November Trust staff and Friends assembled at Dover Museum to celebrate the publication of CAT’s latest research report, concerning excavations off Townwall Street at Dover, undertaken in 1996. The report focuses on the medieval occupation of the site c. AD 1175–1300, when simple timber buildings, the homes of mariners and fisherfolk, were crowded onto an open beach ridge adjacent to the seashore.

We were joined by some thirty guests, who included archaeologists, historians and local councillors. Unfortunately, the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports was unable to join us but we were particularly pleased to welcome Councillor Pat Heath, Chairman of Dover District Council and Councillor Mrs Jan Tranter, Town Mayor of Dover.

Publication details here: TOWNWALL STREET, DOVER, EXCAVATIONS 1996

Dig for History in Folkestone

Folkestone school children and local residents have been finding out about Archaeology and the history of their local area in Roman and Anglo-Saxon times during a three day event at Folkestone Library and Museum.

The children’s visit began with a digital presentation from Canterbury Archaeological Trust about the jobs archaeologists do and the kind of evidence we find (bones and poo popular as ever). The children were very attentive and asked some astute and thoughtful questions. They then moved on to a number of ‘stalls’ set up in the museum’s Art Gallery. It was noisy, very busy and we all enjoyed it!

At the CAT stalls (‘Keeping Toes and Togas Nice and Toasty’ and ‘History is a Load of Old Rubbish’) Andy Linklater (field archaeologist) and I showed them what it was like to live in a Roman house and how we can find out about people by examining modern and ancient rubbish. They heard about the Roman villa at East Cliff and there were lots of hands on opportunities with finds, models, plastic sandwich boxes and rotting fruit! Dominic Andrews (archaeologist and reconstruction artist) showed the children how he builds an image from archaeological evidence, drawing up some lightening sketches for them at the ‘Picturing the Past’ stall and Andrew Richardson (archaeologist and KCC Finds Liaison Officer) took them into the museum gallery and thrilled them with the skeleton on display from the Dover Hill Anglo-Saxon cemetery.

Maurice Worsley, representing the Kent Archaeological Metal Detecting Support Unit (established by the National Council for Metal Detecting), joined the team on the Saturday showing the visiting public how archaeologists and metal detectorists can responsibly work together.

The days were part of ‘Dig for History Week-end’ which also included evening lectures. The programme was organised jointly by Canterbury Christ Church University and Kent Libraries and Archives and was supported by Canterbury Archaeological Trust. It was the first step to building a community Archaeology project in Folkestone under the direction of the Folkestone People’s History Centre.

Find out more about the FPHC on 01303 850 614 and lah16@canterbury.ac.uk

Whitefriars Roman Tower Exhibition

In 2003 during the final phase of the Canterbury Whitefriars archaeological excavations, Marion Green (CAT Education Officer) invited Peter Scutt (then newly appointed Land Securities Whitefriars Manager) onto the public viewing platform to see the enthusiasm that the project had generated among local residents and tourists. Over four years of excavation, the discoveries had attracted 55,500 visitors and much media coverage and we were keen to sustain public interest when the digging stopped. Discussions began then, as to how we might achieve this together.

It was the discovery of a rare Roman tower early on in the excavation project which was to eventually provide the opportunity to develop a permanent exhibition space. The tower is an integral part of the Roman town wall, a Scheduled Monument, and of national interest. A decision was taken to preserve it in situ and incorporate it into the new building development. English Heritage, Canterbury City Council, Canterbury Archaeological Trust, Land Securities, HBG contractors and Chapman Taylor architects all worked together to develop a specialised building which enclosed the tower and allowed display space.

Additional costs in altering the new building were grant aided by the Historic Fortifications Network (managed by Kent County Council), English Heritage and Canterbury City Council. The Trust designed the exhibition of photographic and reconstruction images, information boards, on-screen loop presentation of the Whitefriars 2000 year old story and cases of excavated objects.

The Whitefriars Roman Tower exhibition was launched in June 2006 by the Lord Mayor Cllr Pat Todd and afterwards guests enjoyed an excellent buffet lunch laid on by the Whitefriars Centre management. Pizza was amazing!

Marion Green with her security (!)

Visitors are able to view the tower and the displays from the street frontage and Canterbury Archaeological Trust welcomes this opportunity to show case its work.

Rebecca Newhook, a member of the original excavation team said, “It is great to see these discoveries out in the open and not in a box. A lot of people will pass this site and the display team has done an excellent job.”

Thanks Rebecca!

Rare Roman plaque discovered in Canterbury

A remarkable find has created a puzzle for experts at Canterbury Archaeological Trust after being dug up during an excavation in advance of a new housing development.

A Roman funeral plaque – the only intact one ever discovered in the city – was uncovered just as the team of archaeologists were getting ready to hand the site over to David Wilson Homes.

The plaque was found just below the surface, lying face down on top of the skull of an inhumation burial. The skeleton was of an adult male aged between thirty and forty years.

There appears to be three lines of text on the plaque, the first two of which probably contain the name of the deceased. At present these cannot be determined with accuracy. The third line however does contain part of the word Pientissime and probably part of the word vixit. The first of these words translates as 'most faithful', the second refers to the age of the individual at death.

It was discovered on the site in Market Way, Canterbury, by excavation director Dr Richard Helm. Experts at the Trust's headquarters are convinced the plaque is from another burial and was re-used in antiquity – offering the tantalising prospect that other graves are close by.

Other archaeological features point to the possibility of there being a Roman cemetery nearby. However, it will not be possible to say for sure unless the excavation is extended – giving the archaeologists a chance to find out and possibly solve the mystery of who the plaque was originally intended to commemorate.

Even without further investigations on the site, the plaque is being hailed as a genuine treasure that will make it into the reference books on Roman Britain.

One of the Canterbury Trust's Roman experts, Chris Sparey-Green, said: "Without a doubt this is an important find. Only fragments of three other inscribed plaques have ever been found in Canterbury. This is the first complete one and, as such, is unique."

Trust Director Paul Bennett said: "The whole site has proved of great significance. There is a distinct flint scatter from the Mesolithic and Neolithic period showing occupation in the Stone Age.

"We have also discovered the best evidence so far of late Iron Age or Roman field systems on the edge of the city. There are pottery and tile kilns on the site showing that industrial activity was taking place during the Roman period.

"We have also uncovered evidence of several Anglo-Saxon sunken-featured buildings dating to the 8th Century AD – meaning there was farm-steading going on here.

"We even have ecological evidence, which will enable us to say what was growing in the area around 13,000 years ago – at the end of the last Ice Age.

"This plaque is the icing on the cake, and is very exciting."

Brian Sutherland from David Wilson Homes said: "we are very excited to be involved in such an important find and share the archaeologists enthusiasm for this discovery. We are pleased to be able to work with the Canterbury Archaeological Trust to reveal the history of the area and preserve it for the future".

Rare Astrolabic Quadrant discovered

During watching brief work in 2005, Andrew Linklater, one of the Trust’s very experienced Site Directors, discovered this copper alloy astrolabic quadrant. The object was discovered amongst deposits relating to a previously unknown late medieval structure, to the rear of, and pre-dating, the present sixteenth century building known as the ‘House of Agnes’ in St. Dunstan’s Street, Canterbury.

The instrument, probably of late fourteenth to early fifteenth century date, represents one of the finest and most important archaeological copper alloy artefacts so far recovered from Canterbury. Due to its rarity and importance, this object is currently undergoing a programme of full conservation, followed by a comprehensive detailed examination and study by a world-leading specialist of such instruments. Once this analysis and study has been completed, we will be in a position to produce an in-depth report on the object.

Until then, limited research has revealed the object to be a type of scientific instrument known as an astrolabic quadrant, an adaptation and improvement of the earlier Islamic astrolabe.

Consisting of a flat copper alloy plate cut into a quarter circle, an X-ray photograph of the object revealed that one side is engraved with degree scales around its outer edges, whilst spanning across its surface is a series of varying curves, some containing the names of the zodiac star constellations. By aligning the sun through two pinhole sights on one edge of the instrument, an attached plumb bob (now missing) would swing and align against across the circles and the edge calibrations, which with a little calculation could, for example, show your position in latitude on navigational maps.

On the opposite side, is a series of concentric circles that are divided into segments by a series of radial spokes subdividing the circles into a series of individual fields, each containing either singular, or groups of, numerals and symbols. This is surmounted centrally by a rotating figure of a bird with outstretched wings, each appearing to act as pointers to the numerals and symbols in the surrounding segmented circle. Though not fully understood at this time it would appear to represent a simple computing device with the user rotating the bird so that the tip of one of its wings pointed towards one of the symbols groups in the outer circle. The tip of the second wing would then point to a corresponding second symbol in the inner circle, thus forming a simple computation device.

Until the detailed specialist analysis is completed, the exact function of the instrument remains uncertain, although possible multi-functions could include navigation, land surveying and time keeping via the constant movement of the sun and stars.

links: astrolabes.org • epact

CAT website selected to join British Library web preservation project

The British Library is a founding member of the UK Web Archiving Consortium consisting of The British Library, JISC (Joint Information Systems Committee), the National Archives, the National Library of Scotland, the National Library of Wales and the Wellcome Library. The Consortium is undertaking a two year pilot project to determine the long-term feasibility of archiving selected web sites.

Canterbury Archaeological Trust has been invited to participate in this project by allowing the Consortium to archive our website, selected by the British Library to represent aspects of UK documentary heritage. If the pilot is successful the archived site will subsequently form part of the BL permanent collections, remaining available to researchers in the future. Users will benefit from having access to material that is no longer available on the live site and the Consortium will aim to take the necessary preservation action to keep the CAT site accessible as hardware and software change over time.

To view the archived copy go to http://www.webarchive.org.UK/subject/14.html

A Royal visit for the Dover Boat

Trust staff welcomed Her Majesty the Queen to the Dover Bronze Age Boat gallery during her visit to Dover in July 2005. The award-winning gallery has attracted many thousands of visitors since it opened in 1999, though perhaps none quite as famous! Trust Director Paul Bennett and Field Officer Keith Parfitt (who discovered the boat) were presented to Her Majesty, whilst Deputy Director Peter Clark showed the Queen the boat in its environmentally-controlled display case and explained the nature of the vessel. ‘The Queen was clearly very interested and well-informed’ he said after the visit ‘she asked a number of technical questions about the construction of the vessel and the voyages it might have made’. The Queen is not the first Royal visitor to the Dover boat gallery; Prince Charles also paid a visit to the museum in 2000.

Jon Iveson, Curator of Dover Museum, introduces Peter Clark, Director of the Dover Boat Research team, to the Queen.	Deputy Director Peter Clark answers the Queen’s questions about the boat.	Keith Parfitt, discoverer of the Dover Bronze Age Boat, is introduced to Her Majesty.

Little Dig goes to the Netherlands

Canterbury Archaeological Trust's 'Little Dig' first appeared at THE BIG DIG excavations at Canterbury Whitefriars in 2002. It has since been a Young Archaeologists Club activity for National Archaeology Week and featured at a family Roman week-end at Richborough Fort. In July 2005 this popular activity appeared at the Kent Festival at Lisse (between Haarlem and Amsterdam), perhaps best known for its tulip bulb fields. The Kent Festival is a new venture from the House of Britain, an established Dutch tour company, in partnership with Kent Tourism Alliance. The aim was to promote the county of Kent as a number one destination for short break holidays to Britain. To this end,the Trust was invited by Canterbury Museums to work with the Museums and Canterbury Cathedral to help represent the city. The partnership between the Museums and CAT is a natural one as together they aim to promote local history and archaeology and the two organisations have worked together on many occasions. The Rupert Bear* display from the Museum of Canterbury (which included making puppets) showed an alternative face of the museums service while some traditional hands-on digging at the Little Dig kept the young visitors engaged and a digital display of the Whitefriars BIG DIG entertained the grown-ups. The event was successful and good fun – despite some dodgy weather!

*Rupert's creator, Mary Tourtel (1874-1948), studied at Canterbury Art School.

Archaeology Club visits Canterbury's Tannery site

The developers, Bellway, arranged the group visit which included an introduction from construction manager Bob Korten about the new development, an insight into the nature of archaeological remains from CAT Education Officer Marion Green, an overview of the archaeological work being carried out at the tannery site from CAT archaeologist Simon Pratt – and a whole table full of snacks! A very enjoyable end of term.

Simon begins analysing one of the bore hole cores from the site. Over 200 such samples will be taken throughout the project.

KIAD chooses Canterbury Archaeological Trust for design project

James Wood, a final year student at the Kent Institute of Art and Design chose to create a new Canterbury Archaeological Trust Resource Centre for the 'Comprehensive Design Project'module of his degree course. The site he chose was that currently occupied by Barrett's car showrooms and offices on the corner of St Peter's Street and Pound Lane near Canterbury's West Gate.

Viewing the results of the Archaeology Centre design project at KIAD Degree Show 2005.

James came to CAT's offices in Broad Street to assess our present needs and encourage us to think about what we would like in terms of an ideal site. The results of James' imaginative project were on display at the Degree Show summer 2005. So if anyone out there would like to fund a really exciting development project...and donate the land of course... let us know!

A vision of the St Peter's Street elevation to the centre
(right of West Gate).

Kent History Show

In June 2004, the Kent Archaeological Society held a History show in Maidstone Museum where members of the public could come and see the work of 43 Archaeology and History related groups from across the county. It was an ideal opportunity for individuals to see the range of activities and for the contributors to meet up. The Mayor of Maidstone opened the event (and was not averse to handling some 1000 year old poo at the KAS Education Committee stall...)

Victorian mosaic at Whitefriars inspires local craft work

During the Whitefriars excavations, a beautiful Victorian mosaic floor was uncovered in the upper layers of the 'Roman rampart' trench near Riding Gate. It lay just beneath the modern ground surface. The decorated floor formed part of the Dane John Academy, a 'Boarding School for Gentlemen' built in the mid-19th century and now the Bus Station administration office sits on the site.

The mosaic design caught the eye of Tina Parker of 'Abbey Patches', a quilting group based in Minster in Thanet, Kent. We gave Tina photographs of the find and sample tile fragments and she spent several months planning and constructing her quilt which was displayed with others at an exhibition of the Kent 'Oast Quilters' in Canterbury on Whitsun week-end.

The mosaic floor translated into a quilt.	Detail.	Tina with her design plans.

NATIONAL SCIENCE WEEK 2001

Once again Canterbury Archaeological Trust joined up with Canterbury Museums, University of Kent Research School of BioSciences, Canterbury Christ Church University College and a host of invited guests to present a four-day medley of History, Archaeology and Science.

PAGANS TO RAY-GUNS included lots of attractions...Did you come along and join in?

Canterbury Archaeological Trust manned two hands-on stalls: