Archaeology Project

[ditchfield]

This is a hard question to pose and I'm not sure if this is the right forum.

As part of my Archaeology A-level, I am required to write a personnal study of 4000 words on an original subject. In other words we have to find out something new. The project can be on anything, but it requires fieldwork as apposed to researching from books and coming to conclusions. An example is: last year a student did a project of grave headstones. They compared the images and writing style to art fashions. From this they discovered that the art on headstones is about 20 years behind other forms. So approximately 20 years after the art deco movement began, headstones would start showing this style. This is just an example but I hope it gives you an idea of the type of thing we need to do.

At the moment, we are just starting to think up ideas for the project. It is advisable to study something local so that you can visit and survey (if appropriate). My local area is the Somerset levels and therefore the Glastonbury and Meare lake villages and the related prehistoric wooden trackways, the Meare bow and Shapwick heath (As seen on the first episode of Ray Mears 'Bushcraft'), Glastonbury, Roman salt works, Fussels ironworks (Once makers of quality billhooks), The WWII Taunton Stop line of anti invasion obsticals, and much, much more. I am espessially interested in the prehistoric archaeology of the lake Villages, the Meare bow, and related finds. I was thinking I could do something connected to billhooks as there was a brilliant iron age one found, complete with handle, around the lake villages. There is also the more recent Fussels billhooks. Basket and hurdle making is another tradition that has taken place around here for thousands of years......

I am completely open minded at the moment. All suggestions, espessially those related to bushcraft are well come. I don't mind if the suggestions are outside my local area, all ideas are helpful.

Thanks very much.

 

[Rob]

I wish that they offered that A Level where I went

 

[Tantalus]

hmmmmm i have a sister in wellington

if it is any interest i was intrigued to read that there are representations of the green man in wellington high street (never been down to look .....yet)

i had never heard of him (much) before i visited roslin chapel near here last year

would be interesting to compare styles and perhaps even meanings, links and relationships

the green man is thought to be a pre christian symbol incorporated much like xmas trees into the church "lore"
http://www.rosslynchapel.org.uk/
yeah spelling of roslin varies
a quick google for "green man" will yield a wealth of links

just watch out for too many templar/freemason type stories, history teachers in my experience dont like them much
roslin chapel has also been rumoured to be the resting place of the holy grail amongst other precious relics which have never been found...... historically it has strong links to freemasonry and the crusades but the rest may just be gossip and speculation which is probably best avoided

Tant

edit/ the whole idea of studying mediaeval " bushcraft/every day life " and its associated beliefs and superstitions appeals to me tho

 

[ChrisKavanaugh]

When I was working in my degree it occured to me people know less about their grandparent's time than what happened 10,000 years ago. I was working a modest flint knapping locus located where I attended high school. One of the volunteers had found mid life meaning in archaeology and was caterwalling about all the filthy latino day labourers that had despoiled 'her' site with broken beer bottles. This stunning latina homegirl challenged her to prove it was latinos. Our heroine produced numerous shards that could be I.D.ed as Carta Blanca, Dos Eqquis etc. I intervened and said I could give the very name of the individuals who drank the beer. To stunned looks I said "I did." The location had been my high school secret party spot, out of immediate site and a quick run to my house. My two best friends happened to share a liking for mexican beer. She was about to shift guilt from her racism to my youthfull littering. Just then the last hereditary Chumash Chief and the senior field arcaheologist walked up- each with a Coors in hand. Under my beer midden we found several spent cartridges. Now our heroine proclaimed this was a battle site where poor chumash had been slain by Californios. Consuelo was about to gut her with a Chicana credit card ( knife) when I again explained the spent rounds were 5 in 1 blanks from a movie shoot( my area can be seen in countless films.) Ah, but then we were in our 3rd occupation level and the tradition of basketry was overturned by the discovery of a pottery midden. Now it was Tq-slo ( Eagle eye) AKA Charlie Cook, our last chief's turn to explain this had been a trap and skeet range into the early 60s and Robert Stack used to shoot against Roy Rogers and Clark Gable here.Finally we began locating lovely chert lithic artifacts.After that I seriously entertained presenting a thesis called "The Anthropology of Contemporary Archaeology" and remind people that current mores and social values colour our 'science' no less than the events behind Piltdown. I would talk up the locals and find some local folklore. It is utterly fascinating to see how our past gets modified periodically.

 

[ditchfield]

It is always intreging to notice the similarities between us in modern society with people hundreds of thousands of years ago and of course all the time since. For instance, features called 'conversation rings' are found on all sorts of sites from the paleolithic times and are seen as signs of spoken language. These merely consist of rings or semi-circles of debri usually around a hearth where food remains etc. are thrown behind or left infront of each person and rings are formed. This can be seen at any modern party site, or on the 'college green' where rings of beer cans, crisp packets, dog ends, baccy pouches and rizla packets form around the circle.

Oh the joys of archaeology!

 

[digbum]

Hey ditchfield.

Just read your post so i dont know if you'v started your project yet. Your idea on billhooks reminded me of something one of my uni mates did for his archaeology dissertation.

He is into metalurgy and experimental archaeology and decided to combine the two by producing his own bronze axe from scratch. He built his own forge, smelted the ores, and tested a number of different types of axe mould (sand, clay and wood if i remmember right). He recorded the casting with photos and got himself a couple of bronze axe heads into the bargain too.

Maybe you could cast yourself a billhook and make a diary of the process. If thats no good,what about doing a wear analysis on a reproduction hook?

Be warned tho, my friend got quite addicted and has since become a blacksmith, which pays even less than archaeology.