On this page are reports, in reverse chronological order, on 11 talks that were given at SWAAG monthly meetings in 2023. To jump to any one report, click the relevant link:
Dec – Stones, standards, and standing men
Nov – Stainmore routes, forts, and marching camps
Oct – Isotope analysis
Sept – Bones and more bones
Jul – Ring cairn and stone circle at Sleights Pasture, near Ribblehead
Jun – Famine, pestilence, and the Scots
May – The Roman road across Swaledale
Apr – Iron Age settlement at Gueswick Hills near Cotherstone
Mar – Muker and Kisdon place-names
Feb – Standing stones and stone circles
Jan – Excavations at Carlingill, Lunesdale
Stones, standards, and standing men
Perry Gardner, a SWAAG member, shared some of his PhD research at December’s meeting on Zoom. Recently he has been examining old maps to identify boundaries and boundary markers in Swaledale and Teesdale. The dales are rugged upland areas which have similar climate, geomorphology, hydrology, and ecology. Since prehistoric times their land systems might therefore be expected to be associated with similar patterns of habitation, resource exploitation, and communication.
Perry plotted the locations of curracks, earth mounds, and tumuli separately from those of piles of stones, standards, and standing men and related both to the river systems. This revealed that land demarcation was more extensive and comprehensive in upper Swaledale and ran over longer distances than in central Teesdale. Dating these boundaries is difficult but those in Swaledale may date back to the Early Bronze Age, whilst those in Teesdale are probably much later.
Perry explained that ‘Tuath’ was the communally agreed management of land which preceded enforced enclosure and fencing. This may have persisted longer in Teesdale, only being fully replaced after the Norman Conquest, the imposition of the Honour of Richmond and later the legal creation of ‘Westmorland’ in the 13th century.
J. H.
Stainmore routes, forts, and marching camps
In November 2023, Mike Haken, of the Roman Roads Research Association, returned to give us a fascinating and thought-provoking talk about The Stainmore. Lidar and field observation reveal that this was already a significant routeway across the Pennines in prehistoric times. A wide, braided network of sunken tracks is still visible, reflecting how the line altered as sections became worn or impassable.
Mike also discussed the location and form of the forts and marching camps along the later engineered Roman Road. Five of the sites along the Stainmore are unusual in that they deviate from the typical playing card shape. They also have many more entrances. These differences, together with the analysis of their sight lines, suggest they may have been built to address a foe from the east rather than from the west. We hope to hear more about Mike’s thoughts on the subject on a future occasion!
J.H.
Isotope analysis
In October 2023, we were delighted to welcome back Professor Janet Montgomery, from Durham University. On this occasion she was accompanied by her colleague, Dr Joanna Moore. Together they explained how their isotope expertise is commissioned by commercial archaeology companies, universities, and museums.
To illustrate the wide scope of their work they explored six projects undertaken by the Isotope and Peptide Research Laboratory (AIPRL). Analysis of isotopes in dental enamel enables the geographical origin and diet of an individual to be determined, as well as their health and level of exposure to pollutants.
One of the most fascinating examples was that of Lady Eleanor Talbot, who was alleged to have had a pre-marriage contract with Edward IV. Eleanor was born in Shropshire and was thought to be buried in Whitefriars Priory, in Norwich. Strontium and oxygen isotope analysis of a tooth indicated however that she had lived in the Norwich area most of her life. Further analysis then revealed that the skeleton was male! The evidence was carefully re-examined, but the same conclusions were reached.
The man to whom the tooth belonged was probably in his early 30s and his diet showed a shift towards fish consumption, consistent with a move to a religious institution. At some point several skeletons were probably tipped into the under croft of the priory and later one was incorrectly identified as being Eleanor’s. Fortunately, this evidence came to light prior to the skeleton’s proposed reburial. Sadly, there isn’t room to describe the other examples given in this fascinating talk.
J.H.
Bones and more bones
Several years ago, SWAAG helped Northern Archaeological Associates, now ECUS, to wash bones from their excavation at Hart village, to the north-west of Hartlepool. In September Holly Drinkwater, their Site Supervisor, came to talk to us about the cemetery where they were found. The site was to be developed for housing and whilst trial trenches had recovered some bones, the scale of the discoveries when the main excavation started was completely unexpected.
Although most of 250+ adult burials stem from the early Medieval period, there is evidence that use of the site dates from the Bronze Age. Once the positions of all the burials were plotted it was evident that there was distinct clustering, for example infant burials were concentrated along the western ditch and whilst in the east there were distinct rows of plots containing adults, which might have been family or kinship groups.
There were no burials in the central area suggesting that a building, perhaps a chapel or mortuary, might have occupied the space. Higher status graves were found nearby. There weren’t large numbers of grave goods, as might be expected in a Christian cemetery, however pillow stones, silver coins, counters, beads, tiny silver pins, an antler comb and gold thread were amongst those found. A 7th century name stone for ‘Glaedhild’ was also discovered. Nails, lock plates and hinges were more common as about 58 of the adults were buried in coffins.
Excavation was complicated and sometimes confusing, as later burials were inserted into earlier graves. In other graves bones from more than one individual were placed together in a deliberate but sometimes strange manner. Some bodies showed evidence of disease and injury and one mass grave contained five bodies which had been subject to trauma. Another contained the remains of blackbird wings. Radiocarbon dating will help to date the different areas of the cemetery and isotope analysis will perhaps establish whether those buried there had been born in the local area or perhaps had originated from overseas. Holly brought along some of the finds which are shown below.
J. H.
Ring cairn and stone circle at Sleights Pasture, near Ribblehead
Yvonne Luke gave an excellent talk to us in July, about the prehistoric monument complex at Sleight’s Pasture, near Ribblehead. Ingleborough Archaeology Group have surveyed this unusual site and meticulously plotted all the stones. This has revealed a ring cairn within a stone circle. Little wonder that the antiquarians of old thought that they were dealing with druids! An excavation took place in 1828 and a newspaper article, published shortly afterwards, referred to the recovery of an antique drinking cup, a bronze spearhead, and a flint.
These finds suggest multiple use of the site from the Neolithic to the middle Bronze Age. No bones were recovered. The site has been robbed out on one side and the stones used in field walls along the Richmond to Lancaster turnpike road which runs nearby. There is some 18th century documentary evidence to suggest there may have originally been two cairns in the area. The site also has curious, unexplained lobes which abut the stone circle, one of which lies on a cardinal point. Research into the site continues.
J.H.
Famine, pestilence, and the Scots
Our June talk was given by Alan Mills, who discussed the impact of famine, pestilence, and the Scots on Swaledale and the North Riding in the early fourteenth century. During SWAAG’s “Swaledale Big Dig”, very little pottery from the late medieval period was found in the test pits in Reeth and surrounding villages, suggesting that this was a period of population decline. The Black Death was one factor but there were other events that affected population numbers. The Great Famine occurred between 1314 and 1323 because of catastrophic harvests, caused by successive years of bad weather, which coincided with outbreaks of bovine pestilence. In northern England problems were compounded by Scots raids, which followed the victory at Bannockburn in 1314.
Alan and Judith used the lay subsidy returns to estimate the economic impact of these events. The lay subsidy was a tax on personal ‘moveable’ property, levied by the Crown, at specific dates. Calculating the total amount raised in a particular year gives an estimation of the country’s wealth at that time. By comparing the returns for different English regions in 1313, 1322 and 1327, Alan and Judith were able to gain a measure of detrimental effect famine, pestilence and the Scots raids had on the North Riding. Alan and Judith’s research was published in the Local Historian and a copy of the full report will soon be available on this website.
J.H.
The Roman road across Swaledale
Mike Haken, of the Roman Roads Research Association, returned to talk to SWAAG about the Roman road, which runs across Swaledale from the fort at Bainbridge. He began by explaining that there were three classes of routeways in Roman times and pointed out that the cross-section of a ‘typical’ Roman road, with a paved stone surface and trench alongside, isn’t found by archaeologists in this country.
One of the earliest maps showing the Roman road is John Warburton’s map from 1720, which shows the route of the road as four straight lines. Recent knowledge of its exact route comes from analysis of LiDAR and from field observations. Most of the route can now be traced, with exception of the section between Crackpot and Feetham. Modern roads and trackways follow its line, although road ‘drift’ has occurred over time.
Having looked at the likely sight lines used by the Roman surveyors, Mike thinks the road was probably surveyed from north to south and that it began from Binchester, rather than Bowes. It was planned about 40 years before Hadrian’s Wall. The purpose of the fort at Bainbridge and the road itself is uncertain. Did Bainbridge occupy a strategic spot in the valley, controlling movement between the agricultural land downstream to the Vale of York and the more rugged upland to the west? There does not appear to be a routeway down Wensleydale to the Roman fort at Catterick. The assumption is that Roman roads connected places, but they were also built to obtain resources. Mike didn’t think the Romans wanted lead from this part of the Dales, but they might have needed peat to use as a fuel in the fort, in the absence or scarcity of timber. The Cam High Road runs south-west from Bainbridge towards Wether Fell, where peat excavation is known to have taken place in the 19th century.
J. H.
Iron Age settlement at Gueswick Hills near Cotherstone
The weather was dreadful for our first face-to-face meeting of 2023, but it was lovely to meet again after spending the winter months on Zoom. We welcomed several new members who had braved the wind and the rain. Tony Metcalfe talked to us about Altogether Archaeology’s dig at the Gueswick Hills, near Cotherstone. SWAAG has previously assisted with the geophysical surveying of this site and will be doing so again this year.
The structures uncovered in the trenches last summer continue to confirm that this was a substantial Iron Age settlement, protected at one stage by a palisade. Occupation continued through into the Romano-British period, and we were able to see some of the finds dating from that time, which Tony brought along to the meeting. Tony has invited SWAAG members to become involved with this summer’s dig. See the SWAAG activities section for more information.
J.H.
Muker and Kisdon place-names
Our talk in March was given by SWAAG member Will Swales, who discussed the origin of the place-name Muker. Menhaker or Meuhaker is first mentioned in 1274 and is generally accepted to derive from the Old Norse mjór-akr meaning ‘a narrow newly-cultivated field’. As places were often originally described with reference to a person’s name or a geographical feature, Will thought it strange that that Muker wasn’t described in relation to the most prominent feature in the area – Kisdon Hill. He then explored other possible interpretations of the name Muker, together with a consideration of the name Kisdon and the hill’s physical appearance. Will pointed out that Kisdon is the name given to several other geographical features on the opposite side of the valley at High Kisdon, Kisdon Scar, Low Kisdon and Kisdon Bottom. He suggested that as these are all located at some height above the river Swale the name might refer to a feature of, or in, the valley below.
Standing stones and stone circles
February’s talk was given by SWAAG member Jane Harrison. She spoke about the archaeological landscape of Kilmartin Glen, in mid-Argyll. This little-known and remote area contains one of Scotland’s largest concentrations of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments. There are cairns, cists, a henge, stone circles and standing stones, as well as rock art. The first animal carvings in Scotland were found there in 2021. The area continued to be important into the historic period. The hillfort of Dunadd was a power base for the Dál Raita, who established trade links across Western Europe.
J. H.
Excavations at Carlingill, Lunesdale
Our first talk of 2023 was given by Jan Hicks, of Lunesdale Archaeology Society, who spoke about the group’s excavations at High Carlingill. This is a settlement site on the eastern slopes of the Lune valley, close to the Roman Fort at Low Borrowbridge. It was occupied from the late Iron Age into the Romano-British period. This was a particularly interesting talk as SWAAG members were able to compare the site with that at The Hagg.
J. H.
