Professional Documents
Culture Documents
of volunteer
archaeology
and training
August
2009
Past Horizons
Adventures in Archaeology
Zulu Bulgarian B r i s l ington Time Team Looting
Legends Frescoes Project America Bulgaria
Issue 9
August 2009
Editors:
Felicity Donohoe
Maggie Struckmeier
Layout:
Maggie Struckmeier
Graphics
David Connolly
Past Horizons
Traprain House
Luggate Burn
Haddington
East Lothian
EH41 4QA
Contributors:
Elize Bekker
14 Fresco Hunting in Western Bulgaria
Since 2008 Balkan Heritage has been cataloguing beautiful Orthodox frescoes found in
Ivan Vasilev
Ken Taylor the crumbling remains of mediaeval churches and monasteries in western Bulgaria. With
Krassimira Luka the help of volunteers they aim to bring these frescoes to the attention of the world.
Time Team America
Annie Evans
Note
Past Horizons can give no endorsement
of any listed project or guarantee the
accuracy of the information supplied.
The editors accept no responsibility
for any loss, injury, or inconvenience
sustained by anyone using the resources
contained within this magazine and/or
the websites mentioned herein. When
considering a project, be sure to contact
the director with any questions you might
have about conditions, travel, health
issues, etc. Check for references from
previous participants, seek advice where
possible and select a project that will be
of the greatest benefit to you, the project
and the team.
past horizons 2
Contents
32 Time Team America
A look at the five-part series of the brand new Time Team America.
Re g u l a r s
4 Editorial 42 Dig Cook
Rocky adventures in Croatia and Culinary escapades from Annie Evans.
Scotland.
45 Viewpoint
6 News David Connolly discusses the benefits of
News stories from around the world. viewing the familiar with a fresh pair of
eyes.
40 Dig In
A selection of archaeological volunteer digs 46 Back Pages
and field schools for 2009/2010. Indiana Jones and the world of advertising.
3 past horizons
past horizons 4
Ro c k y Ad v e n t u r es...
editorial
I t’s been an exciting few months for us, with an ongoing
archaeology project in Croatia to take forward and a
Scottish hill fort to excavate.
O n c e a g a i n , t h e hard stuff was to haunt us as hidden just underneath the turf and
a t h i n l a y e r o f soil was - you guessed it - bed rock! Not surprisingly, trowelling
o n b e d r o c k w as not such an enjoyable experience, made worse by brushing
a w a y l o o s e s o i l which constantly blew onto our faces.We were quite a sight
a t t h e e n d o f e ach day not to mention the telltale smell from kneeling in fresh
d u n g l e f t i n t h e trenches by our woolly neighbours. Still, what’s a bit of dirt
b e t we e n f r i e n d s? Everyone had a great experience and although we only found
a f e w p o t b o i l e rs and one post hole we all went away with good memories.
Maggie Struckmeier
editor@pasthorizons.com
5 past horizons
Vo l u nte e r s U n e a r t h U n i q u e S h r i n e at Vi n d olanda
The Vindolanda altar has a fine relief on one “When they arrived they were complete novices.
side, typically showing the god standing on a By the end of the week they ha d made a direct
bull, the other side having the traditional jug contribution to British archaeo logy which has
and patera. Its Latin inscription reads ‘To added a new and exciting dimension to our
Jupiter Best and Greatest of Doliche, Sulpicius understanding of religious space inside the
Pudens, prefect of the Fourth Cohort of Gauls, walls of Roman auxiliary forts.”
fulfilled his vow gladly and deservedly’.
With no literary references to Dolichenus,
Although most altars and shrines were placed knowledge of the religion is based on around
outside, this altar, standing at around 110 cm 300 surviving inscriptions and sculptures from
high, was found inside the fort in what may be a different parts of the Roman E mpire of which
smal l shrine built close to the wall. 20 are known in Britain. Several dedications in
the inscriptions state that the worshipper had set
Dr. Andrew Birley, excavation director, said, them up ‘by the command of the god’, commands
“We have some 560 volunteers who take part in most likely passed on by priests in the service
the excavations at Vindolanda every year, from of Dolichenus to the cult’s converts.
Apri l to the middle of September. The Temple/
shrine to Jupiter Dolichenus and the associated The god, called Juppiter Dolichenus by the
altar s were discovered by a couple that were Romans, was originally known as Hadad, an
on week one of their very first excavation. ancient weather god of the Semitic peoples of
They had an incredible exper ience uncovering the Middle East, and as Teshad to the Hittites.
the altars, assisted by the Vindolanda Trust’s He was regarded as all-powerful and identified
archaeological staff. with the traditional chief Roman god, Juppiter
Optimus Maximus. He is generally portrayed
standing on a bull holding an axe in one hand
and a thunderbolt in the other.
7 past horizons
Kw a Zulu N a tal
South Africa
past horizons 8
Zulu
Exploring Legends
B y Elize B ecker
9 past horizons
View f ro m t h e fa r m h o u s e a cco m m o d a t i o n f o r volunteers over the eMak hosini valley
T h e N g o b e s e l egend dates back around 200 for which they earned a regio n a l h e r i t a g e
y e a r s a g o w h e n their forefathers, reluctant to award, has now resulted in fundra i s i n g e ff o r t s
b e i n v o l v e d i n conflict, dwelt in caves high to ensure the group of caves is m a d e m o r e
u p i n t h e r e m o te and rugged Thaba Ntuzuma accessible as both a pilgrimage s i t e a n d a s
m o u n t a i n s . T he location afforded security, part of a tourism trail.
s t r a t e g i c a d v a ntage and somewhere to herd
t h e i r c a t t l e a n d grow crops in peace. King In advance of this proposal t h e r e g i o n a l
S e n z a n g a k h o n a , a nearby Zulu chief, was heritage agency has commissione d a d e t a i l e d
d e t e r m i n e d t o lure these people out. He sent archaeological examination of the c a v e s . T h e
h i s w a r r i o r s t o roast an ox close to the caves first stage, now completed, con s i s t e d o f a
a n d u n a b l e t o resist the smell, the Ngobese reconnaissance survey by archa e o l o g i s t s t o
e m e rg e d t o j o i n the feast and were promptly determine the extent of surface le v e l m a t e r i a l
c a p t u r e d . B y t h e King’s orders they were told that included pottery, bone and me t a l , w i t h t e s t
t o s t a y o u t o f t he caves from that day onwards trenching revealing a metal axe o f p o s s i b l e
a n d a s r e n o w n e d brewers encouraged to share 19th century origin. This materi a l w i l l f o r m
t h e i r s e c r e t s w ith the rest of the Zulu people. part of a comparative study wit h f i n d s f r o m
Siklibeni Homestead of King Sen z a n g a k h o n a
I n 1 9 9 9 a g r o u p of Ngobese decided to mount an in the nearby eMakhosini valley t o c o n f i r m
e x p ed i t i o n t o t he Thaba Ntuzuma mountains. if the artefacts are contemporar y w i t h e a c h
D u r i n g t h e s e a r ch they discovered some well- other.
h i d d e n c a v e s p erched on either side of a steep
g o rg e . E x p l o r i n g the interiors they came across The eMakhosini valley, now a h e r i t a g e p a r k ,
a n u m b e r o f s u rface artefacts such as grinding contains some of the most importa n t h i s t o r i c a l
s t o n e s a n d w o oden spoons. Their discovery, sites of the region including m a n y o f t h e
past horizons 10
Projec t team archaeol ogis t test pitti ng and sur veying
g r a v e s a n d h o m esteads of the early Zulu kings. engineered his half brother ’s (th e n o m i n a t e d
S i k l i b e n i , l i k e most of these royal homesteads, heir) assassination and took the Z u l u t h r o n e
w o u l d h a v e f o llowed a traditional blueprint by force, thus casting aside th e t r a d i t i o n
o f ‘ b e e h i v e ’ s haped huts of patriar c h a l rule
a r r a n g e d i n a c r escent on a and replacin g i t w i t h
s l o p i n g p i e c e o f land with autocracy. F r o m 1 8 1 8
t h e c a t t l e , r e presenting onwards Sh a k a b e g a n
f a m i l y w e a l t h , housed in a relentlessly expanding
r i t u al l y i m p o r t ant central his power by t h e p r o c e s s
area or Kraal. of conquest, b l o o d s h e d
and tribute o v e r t h e
S i k l i b e n i i s s ynonymous smaller, wea k e r r e g i o n a l
w i t h t h e s t o r y o f the illicit tribes, many o f w h o m
relationship between were assimila t e d i n t o t h e
K i n g S e n z a n g a khona and burgeoning Z u l u N a t i o n .
S h a k a ’s m o t h er. Nandi.
Shaka, the King’s first son, His father, t h o u g h , d i d
w a s a p p a r e n t l y born out not have a g r e a t a m o u n t
o f we d l o c k a n d although Ph o to g ra p h of Zulu homestead taken in 1903. of followers d u r i n g h i s
m o t h e r a n d s o n lived at (Co u r te s y o f O k inawa S oba) reign which l a s t e d f r o m
S i k l i b e n i f o r a time they 1781 - 1816. T h e Z u l u , o n e
w e r e e v e n t u a l l y forced to make their home branch of a larger clan, were rela t i v e l y f e w i n
e l s e w h e r e . O n the death of Senzan gakhona numbers at this time and in that re s p e c t i t m a y
i n 1 8 1 6 , h o w e v er, Shaka returned in strength, be easy to dismiss Siklibeni as u n i m p o r t a n t .
continued
11 past horizons
H o w e v e r, i t s cultural significance as the
‘ s e e d - b e d ’ o f t he future Zulu Nation and the Get Involved
s h a p i n g o f m o dern South Africa raises its
s t a t us d r a m a t i c ally.
A l a rg e p a r t o f t h e p ro j e c t i s d e vo te d to
te s t p i t e xc avat i o n s, re s c u e p ro ce d u re s,
S i n c e S i k l i b e ni also represents the old re h a b i l i t at i o n o f t h e te s t p i t a re a s, a n d t h e
t r a d i t i o n o f k i n gship which existed before the co l l e c t i n g a n d c a p t u r i n g o f d at a . Vo l u nte e r s
s u d d e n c h a n g e to autocratic rule, the chance w i l l b e l e d by o n e o r t wo p ro fe s s i o n a l
t o s t u d y a s i t e like this is extremely exciting. a rc h a e o l o gi s t s.
I n i t i a l t e s t p itting has already revealed
s e c t i o n s o f h u t floors, hearths and grinding D ate s : b e t we e n J u n e a n d S e p te m b e r 2 0 1 0
s t o n e s a n d , a l o ng with the Ngobese cave site,
t h e n e x t p h a s e of the project will move onto Co s t : £ 9 9 5 fo r t wo we e k s u p to £ 2 , 6 7 5
full excavation. fo r 1 2 we e k s ( at 2 0 0 9 p r i ce s. 2 0 1 0 p r i ce s
to b e co n f i r m e d ) . Th e co s t i n c l u d e s
a cco m m o d at i o n a n d fo o d b u t n o t f l i g ht s o r
T h e a r c h a e o l o g ical potential of Siklibeni, and
i n s u ra n ce.
i n d e e d t h e w h o le eMakhosini valley, is huge
a n d th i s p r o j e c t provides a real oppor tunity to Fo r f u r t h e r d e t a i l s g o to :
b e p a r t o f i t . T h ere is always plenty of work to ht t p : / / w w w. t rave l l e r s wo r l d w i d e. co m / 0 8 a - s o u t h -
d o , w h i c h v a r i e s according to the pha se of the afr ica/08-sa-we -archaeology.htm
p r o j e c t . I t i s a i med at those who want hands-
o n e x p e r i e n c e before moving onto university
b u t a l s o w e l c o mes anyone who has an interest
i n t h e a r c h a e o l ogical research activities.
A rcha e o l o g i s t s a n d vo l u n te e r s te s t p i t t i n g a n d sieving
past horizons 12
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anyone wanting to begin a career in
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13 past horizons
Above : T h e a l t a r s p a ce i n t h e c hu rc h a t t h e 1 1 t h centur y A rchangel M ichael monaster y in Tran.
R igh t : D o c u m e n t i n g f re s co e s i n S t . Pe t ka c hu rc h, Balsha.
past horizons 14
Fresco Hunting an expedition to the
M ediaeval Churc h e s o f We s te r n B u l g a r i a
B y I van Vasilev
T
h e p a s t o ral landscapes and small villages
o f t h e h i ghlands of Western Bulgaria are
j u s t a n h our ’s drive away from the capital
S o f i a . H o w e v e r, the differences between the
b u s t l i n g m o d e r n city and the peaceful countryside
a r e s o p r o n o u n c ed that you might be forgiven for
t h i n k i n g y o u h ave travelled back in time. The
c r a c k s o n t h e a s phalt roads are filled with grass,
l a v i s h v e g e t a t i on inhabits the now empty yards
a n d t h e f e w l o cals you might happen to come
a c r o s s w i l l i n v i te you into their house in the old
f a s h i o n e d w a y f or a drink or a snack.
continued
15 past horizons
A D eë s i s f re s co f ro m t h e 1 3 - 1 4 t h ce n t u r y c hu rc h o f St. Peter near Berende. A D eësis fresco is a traditional iconic representation
of Ch r i s t e n t h ro n e d, ca r r y i n g a b o o k a n d f l a n ke d by the Virgin Mar y and St.John the Baptist whose hands are raised towards
Christ i n s u p p l i ca t i o n . T h i s f re s co h a s s u s t a i n e d deliberate damage during the O ttoman rule, with the eyes and mouths of
the th re e f i g u re s s c ra tc h e d o u t .
past horizons 16
1 3 - 1 4 t h
c e n t u r y
Church of
the Blessed
V i r g i n
s i t u a t e d
high on a
cliff near
Razboishte.
17 past horizons
However, the professionalism and d e v o t i o n o f
the project’s participants, and th e e x c i t e m e n t
of the local people who belie v e t h a t t h e
expedition is God’s message for t h e r e v i v a l o f
their region, have motivated Bal k a n H e r i t a g e
to upgrade the project’s framewo r k . T h e y a r e
now working towards concrete p r o p o s a l s f o r
conservation and restoration of s o m e o f t h e
monuments and are applying for f u n d i n g .
Documenting
frescoes in St.
Petka church,
Balsha.
past horizons 18
Presentation
on O r t h o d ox
iconography
at the 10th
centu r y Rila
mona s te r y.
19 past horizons
S tarting Ou t
B y Ken Taylor
A l l b e g i n n i n g s h a v e o r i g i n s . To a n
ar c h a e o l o g i s t , t h i s i s a d e l i g h t a s i t i s p a r t o f
th e q u e s t f o r k n o w l e d g e , b u t t o a w r i t e r i t i s
di ff i c u l t d e c i d i n g w h e r e t o b e g i n t e l l i n g t h e
s t o r y. A l l o w m e t o s e t t h e s c e n e.
past horizons 20
O u r a r c h a e o l o g y project is located in Brislington, once a small village in Somers e t ,
s o u t h w e s t E n g land, but now swallowed up by the city of Bristol. It has its poin t s
o f i n t e r e s t , a p artially documented history and archaeological remains that sugge s t
c o n t i n u o u s o c c upation for millennia. As such there is nothing intrinsically remarkab l e
a b o ut t h e p l a c e. It could be almost any parish in England, but an enthusiast fin d s
i n s pi r a t i o n e v e rywhere making the most of what there is.
B e fo re t h e b e ginning
Vic tor i a n te r ra ce d h o u s i n g s we p t ove r t h e g re e n f ields of Brislington village as it was subsumed by the cit y of Bristol.
Photo: Ke n Ta y l o r
21 past horizons
The R i ve r Avo n s n a ke s a ro u n d t h e n o r t h e r n b o u n dar y of Brislington, and also formed the boundar y bet ween the ancient counties of
T h e y a l s o a p p r eciated the fact that the least We knew we’d need a legal c o n s t i t u t i o n ,
a t t r a c t i v e l o o k ing sherds are often t he most auditable accounts, excavation i n s u r a n c e ,
a n c i e n t a n d i n t eresting. Data Protection Act registration, a D i s a b i l i t y
Discrimination Act-compliant we b s i t e a n d s o
E n c o u r a g e d b y volunteer field archa eologist on.
a n d ra d i o p r e s e nter Perry Guidrey, I accepted
t h e k i n d i n v i t ation from Jonathan Rowe, We were in a classic catch-2 2 s i t u a t i o n .
B C H S c h a i r m a n, to write a paragraph for Before we could set up a group to a t t r a c t a n y
t h e i r n e w s l e t t e r to announce the setting up members, we needed enough mem b e r s t o f o r m
o f a p i l o t C o mmunity Archaeology Project a team that could set up the group !
( C A P ) c a l l i n g f or people to contact us to have
t h e i r o w n g a r d e n finds identified.
past horizons 22
Gl o ucestershire a n d S o m e r s e t . I m a g e : R o s i e To m l i n s o n Brislington Brook from Pack horse Bridge. Image: Ken Taylor
23 past horizons
En d o f t h e b e ginning The rest is histor y
Wi t h f i v e o ff i c ers elected in as many minutes, In the same month Kate Iles, assi s t a n t c u r a t o r
B C A P w a s b o r n on March 3, 2009, one year of Archaeology at Bristol Muse u m , s h o w e d
a n d a d a y a f t e r the pilot project was formally us the archives from an excav a t i o n o f t h e
a n n ou n c e d . ‘dissolved’ mediaeval chapel of S t A n n e , a n
ongoing focus of BCAP’s interes t .
Join Up
B r i s l i n g to n Co m m u n i t y A rc h a e ol o g y Pro j e c t
( B C A P ) a i m s to p rov i d e a f ra m e wo r k w i t h i n
w h i c h to p ra c t i ce a rc h a e o l o g y. Wi t h a w i d e
va r i e t y o f o n g o i n g p ro j e c t s, lo c a l p e o p l e
c a n b e s u re to s e e t h e i r n e i g h b o u r h o o d i n a
d i f fe re nt l i g ht .
A g o o d ra n g e o f l o c a l k n ow l e d g e, a b ro a d
n e t wo r k o f co nt a c t s a n d grow i n g e x p e r i e n ce
i n a l l a s p e c t s o f a rc h a e o l o g y, B C A P c a n o f fe r
a d v i ce a n d p ra c t i c a l s u p p o r t to a nyo n e w h o
i s i nte re s te d i n e x p l o r i n g t h e i r l o c a l h e r i t a g e.
B C A P a l s o we l co m e s m e m b e r s w h o w i s h to
t a k e a l e s s a c t i ve ro l e o r s i m p l y k e e p i n to u c h
w i t h w h at ’s g o i n g o n .
past horizons 24
Lo o k i n g to t h e future
25 past horizons
The Looting of
Ratiaria
B y K rassimira Luk a
S
i t u a ted on the banks of the Danube in north
w e s tern Bulgaria sits the ancient city of Colonia
U l p ia Traiana Ratiaria, once considered one of
t h e m o s t i mportant Roman and Early Byzantine centres
i n t h e r e g ion.
past horizons 26
Romania
Vidin
Ratiaria
Serbia
Sophia Bulgaria
Black
Sea
FYROM
50 km
Greece Turkey 30 mi
© Daniel Dalet
Bulgaria
27 past horizons
Evidence of the scale of l o o t i n g a t Ra t i a r i a . T h e re d a r row i n t h e s e co n d i m a g e p o i n t s to a s k u l l t h a t h a s b e e n d i s ca rd e d by a tomb robber.
past horizons 28
t h e r e m i t o f i t s r egional museums are to ‘search The problem is not new, however. I t h a s b e e n
f o r, s t u d y, c o l l ect, acquire, store, document ongoing for at least 10 years and o c c a s i o n a l l y
a n d p o p u l a r i s e cultural monuments’ , and in the Bulgarian government is f o r c e d i n t o
a c c o r d a n c e w i t h the current Culture Heritage taking action. In 2001, in respon s e t o p u b l i c
A c t ‘ t h e m a i n activity of the museum is to pressure, the government set o u t a s e r i e s
p r o t e c t a n d e x hibit movable and immovable of recommendations requirin g Dimovo
c u l t u r a l a r t e f a c ts’. Municipality and the Region a l H e r i t a g e
Museum of Vidin to take actio n r e g a r d i n g
T h e R e g i o n a l Museum, therefore, has a duty Ratiaria.
o f c a r e t o t h e monuments under its control.
L o o k i n g a t R a t iaria the evidence of looting is Of course,they are only recomme n d a t i o n s a n d
t h e r e f o r a l l t o see but in actual fact there is the various bodies involved are n o t o b l i g e d
n o n e e d t o e v e n visit the site. Recent aerial to act upon them. Indeed, promis e s t o b u i l d a
p h o t o g r a p h s a vailable on the internet show police station on the site never m a t e r i a l i s e d
a l m os t t h e w h o le area scarred with bulldozer and funding for a monument war d e n w a s c u t .
t r a c k s . R a t i a r ia is being systematically Of those actually caught in the a c t o f i l l e g a l
d e s t r o y e d u s i ng everything from shovels excavation and tried before the re g i o n a l c o u r t
t o h e a v y - d u t y machinery with standing in 2000 and 2001 each person’s c h a rg e s w e r e
m o n u m e n t s r e d uced to rubble, tombs broken dropped. Eight years later, despit e e x t e n s i v e
i n t o a n d h u m a n remains and pottery scattered coverage by the Bulgarian new s p a p e r s t o
a l l a r o u n d . I t i s in a precarious state yet no- highlight the problem, not one o f t h e 2 0 0 1
o n e w i l l t a k e r esponsibility for it. directives has been implemented . T h e o n l y
continued
29 past horizons
p e o p l e w h o b e nefit from the inactivity of Those who want to see this situa t i o n c h a n g e
t h e l o c a l a u t h o rity and the Regional Historic must act immediately, directly an d p o s i t i v e l y.
M u s e u m o f Vi d in are those who plunder and The Bulgarian Archaeological A s s o c i a t i o n
t r a d e i n a n c i e n t artefacts. along with other interested grou p s h a v e s e t
themselves the goal of attracting t h e a t t e n t i o n
D e s p i t e n e w government laws explicitly of the international community a n d t o r a i s e
l a y i ng o u t h o w sites should be protected the funds to protect Ratiaria in the s h o r t t e r m .
t e m p t a t i o n t o earn substantial amounts of In the longer term it is hoped t o i m p l e m e n t
h a r d c u r r e n c y i s simply too great. Organised a programme of research, interp r e t a t i o n a n d
c r i m i n a l s t r a n s port artefacts through Germany consolidation.
a n d t h e n o n t o the world collectors’ market
w h e r e B u l g a r i an antiquities are in high The potential to save this site l i e s w i t h a l l
d e m an d . R a t i a r ia, it seems, is the tip of the of us but unfortunately it is nea r l y t o o l a t e .
i c e b e rg . S a d l y, Bulgaria is being drained of Bulgaria still has many wonderf u l t r e a s u r e s
i t s h e r i t a g e a t s uch a rate that the antiquities to be proud of but these resour c e s a r e b o t h
m a r k e t i s n o w flooded. Volodia Velkov, head fragile and finite. It is important t o s u p p o r t t h e
o f t h e B u l g a r i an police unit charged with fight to protect Colonia Ulpia Trai a n a R a t i a r i a
c o m b a t i n g o rg a nised crime, said in 2 007 that and ensure this significant archae o l o g i c a l s i t e
t h e l o o t i n g o f h istoric monuments in Bulgaria survives this terrible destruction.
g e n e r a t e s b i l l i ons of dollars per year. The
p o t e n t i a l t o e a r n such vast sums of money leads K ra s s i m i ra Lu ka i s t h e d i re c to r o f t h e B u l g a r i a n
t o t h e c o n c l u s i on that unless there is proper A rchaeologocal Association (BAA)which was formed
i n 2 0 0 0 w i t h t h e a i m o f s t i mu l a t i n g a rc h a e o l o g i ca l
p r o t e c t i o n , v u l nerable sites like Ratiaria will
re s e a rc h i n B u l g a r i a a n d t h e B a l ka n s.
n o t s u r v i v e t h e onslaught.
Ever y year the B AA organises an international field school based around the subjec t of Roman archaeology
Find B AA at: http://w w w.archaeology.archb g.net
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able to see the video.
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past horizons 30
YO U C A N H E L P S AV E R AT I A R I A
The BAA is ask ing for a €1 donation per person to help save R atiar ia.
31 past horizons
Chelsea Rose is the excava t i o n
team leader. Her research fo c u s e s
on the Frontier Gold Rushes o f t h e
nineteenth centur y.
T i m e Te a m
America
past horizons 32
O riginally hired
as the Time
Team Amer ica
sketch ar tist and
its only non-
archaeologist
member, Colin
Campbell was
later chosen to
host the series.
P
art extreme adventure, part hard
science and part reality show,
Time Team America takes viewers
deep into the trenches of America’s
most intriguing archaeological sites.
33 past horizons
F O R T R A L E I G H , NOR TH C AROLINA
past horizons 34
Experimental archaeologist
S cott Jones creates a replica
tool at the Topper site in S outh
Carolina.
TO P P E R , S O U T H C AROLINA
I n t h e n e x t e p i sode, the team wades into the The tool making technique used a t To p p e r a n d
s w a m p s o f S o u th Carolina to look at evidence other Clovis-period sites has b e e n l o o s e l y
o f N o r t h A m e r ica’s first human inh abitants. associated with the 17,000-year-o l d S o l u t r e a n
D e b a t e c o n t i n u es about when and wh y people culture in France. Although not c o n c l u s i v e ,
f i r s t c a m e t o t h e American continent: did they this may suggest that these early i n h a b i t a n t s
f o l l o w b i g g a m e 13,000 years ago or did they migrated from Europe on a tr a n s - A t l a n t i c
a r r i v e e v e n e a r lier than that? route rather than crossing the Be r i n g i a n l a n d
bridge that connected what is no w A l a s k a t o
I n t h e 1 9 3 0 s , distinctive stone spear points Siberia during the last Ice Age.
w e r e d i s c o v e r ed near Clovis, New Mexico.
S i n c e t h e n , t h e Clovis culture has represented Clovis tools vanished within 500 y e a r s . S o m e
t h e b e s t e v i d e nce for occupation of the New archaeologists believe their di s a p p e a r a n c e
Wo r l d a t a r o u n d 13,000 years B.P. from the record reflects the natura l p r o g r e s s i o n
of early culture on the America n c o n t i n e n t .
C l o v i s h u n t e r-gatherers lacked permanent Another hypothesis suggests a c o m e t m a y
s e t t l e m e n t s , b ut some archaeologists believe have exploded over North Americ a , t r i g g e r i n g
t h e C l o v i s p e o ple regularly travelled to the a mini-Ice Age and wiping out m o s t o f t h e
To p p e r s i t e i n South Carolina to make tools large animals the Clovis people h u n t e d .
o u t o f t h e s t o n e they found there.
continued
35 past horizons
NE W PHILADELPHIA, ILLINOIS
past horizons 36
Jeff Brow n d e s ce n d s i n to a
cliffside g ra n a r y l e f t i n t a c t
by the Fre m o n t I n d i a n s o n e
thousand ye a r s a g o.
Members o f t h e Fre m o n t
culture were ‘scatter hoarders’:
rather th a n ke e p a l l o f t h e i r
stored fo o d i n o n e p l a ce, t h e y
split the i r s u p p l i e s u p i n to
many loca t i o n s.
R A N G E C R E E K , UTAH
37 past horizons
Sif ting t h ro ug h s o i l a t Fo r t J a m e s, S o u t h D a ko t a . The team searches for remains of the stone for t built by the United States
Cavalr y i n 1 8 6 5 . A H u t te r i te fa r m i n g co m mu n i t y now owns the site and children from the communit y come along to get a
first-ha n d l o o k a t t h e h i s to r y b u r i e d b e n e a t h t h e prairie.
F O RT J A M E S , SOUTH DAKOTA
past horizons 38
Past Horizons
where quality matters
toolstore
www.pasthorizons.com/shop
SPEAR &
JACK- Tyzack
SON
39 past horizons
D i g In A selection of
archaeological
and conservation projects
Heritage Conservation Network (HCN) is developing a hands-on project to restore a kullë house
in collaboration with community groups and agencies. Young Albanian professionals and youths
from surrounding Balkan countries will work with HCN’s international volunteers to learn the
hands-on skills needed to save the structures. Work will include tasks such as re-setting stones,
applying interior and exterior plaster, and wood working such as hewing beams and relaying
wooden floors. Volunteers will also refurbish iron elements while learning about traditional
techniques for producing iron nails and hinges.
Excavation - The work will consist of the excavation of a number of burial monuments. The main
objective is to acquire materials for dating and geochemical analysis in order to establish when
the monuments were built and to infer information about diet, mobility and origins of prehistoric
populations. This data will be related to environmental data in order to examine how prehistoric
people in this area responded to climatic and environmental change, specifically the drying of the
Sahara around 5000 years ago. All excavated monuments will be systematically recorded in order
to provide a record and gather information about funerary practices and prehis toric lifestyles.
The excavations will be directed by experienced field archaeologists with extensive experience in Western
Sahara and elsewhere.
Reconnaissance survey work - The reconnaissance team will focus on the identification of new archaeological
sites and locations for environmental sampling. Recording of new sites, principally funerary, will form a major
part of the reconnaissance work. The aims are to expand the inventory of archaeological sites in order to
examine the type and distribution, and to ide ntify and sample environmental materials for subsequent dating and
laboratory analysis. The reconnaissance team will be based at Tifariti but will spend several days at a time in
the field, camping in the open.
Although the excavation and reconnaissance teams will be in close contact while in the field, for logistical and
practical reasons it is not possible to swap from one team to the other.
past horizons 40
M o n g o l i a - A rchaeology in M ongolia
Through a settlement pattern study, the project aims to understand the nature of the social and
economic organisation of Late Bronze Age societies of central Mongolia, a region believed
to be occupied at the time by mobile pastoralists. Located in the grasslands of Central
Mongolia, the research area is dotted with impressive stone built burial and ritual sites dating
to the second and first millennia BCE, and continues to be inhabited by horse-riding nomadic
pastoralists who have maintained much of their traditional lifestyle.
J o rd a n - A b i l a Archaeological Projec t
Abila is best known as one of the cities of the Hellenistic league known as Decapolis, and then as
the home of five prominent churches during the Byzantine period. The site has yielded beautiful
mosaics including that of a grand path from the north-south Cardo Maximus leading up to the
entrance of the impressive tri-apsidal basalt church. This, with six other basilicas and three water
tunnels, shows that the population at Abila during the Late Roman and Early Byzantine periods
was quite considerable.
Th a i l a n d - O r i gins of Angkor
The rural village of Ban Non Wat in Northeast Thailand is one of the most important sites for
understanding indigenous societies of the Empire of Angkor. Very few sites have been examined
as extensively, nor yielded as many finds from the relevant archaeological ages. Help reveal
how Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Age peoples here were affected by their environment, changing
climates, development of agriculture, technological advances and by contact with those from
other lands.
41 past horizons
Recipes for Archaeologists
There are plenty o f p e o p l e w h o f e e l to ripe stone fruit such as peaches, a
that dessert is the m a i n c o u r s e i n a n y d e l i c i o u s d e s s e r t s u c h as t h i s c a n b e
meal and in my e x p e r i e n c e h u n g r y prepared in a few minutes:
archaeologists are n o d i ff e r e n t .
Cut peaches in half, discard stones,
Annie Evans I make the good o l d c o m f o r t f o o d a n d p l a c e h a l v e s o n a f l a t t r a y. P u t
The Dig Cook desserts such as b r e a d a n d b u t t e r spoonfuls of prepared marzipan paste
pudding, steamed s y r u p s p o n g e a n d into the stone hollows, brush with
crumble that ma k e s t h e m o s t o f melted butter and grill till peaches
seasonal fruit. For l u n c h t i m e s I u s u a l l y are warm and glistening and marzipan
serve lots of fresh f r u i t i f i t ’s a v a i l a b l e has softened. Serve with cream or ice
and save the desse r t s f o r d i n n e r, s u c h cream.
as chocolate puddin g a n d s t i c k y t o ff e e
pudding with caram e l s a u c e , w h i c h a r e Of course, many other seasonal fruits
always big hits. can be used for dessert, and plums,
nectarines, apples, berries and cherries
If bread is plentif u l , l e f t o v e r s l i c e s all work well with the addition of a
or loaves can be m a d e i n t o b r e a d a n d luscious crumble on top.
butter pudding, and i f y o u h a v e a c c e s s
FRUIT CRUMBLE
Serves 8
500 grammes dried fruits (apples, pears, figs, peaches, grapes, prunes, dates)
1 cup water
½ cup sugar
300 grammes good yoghurt (Greek)
½ cup rose water (or brandy)
150 grammes pine nuts (toasted)
past horizons 42
S E L F - S AU C I N G STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING
C H O CO L AT E PUDDING WITH C AR AMEL SAUCE
S e rves 8
Pudding
P u dding
250 grammes stoned dates
1 5 0 grammes d ark chocolate (chopped) 300 mls water
6 0 grammes bu tter 11 / 2 t e a s p o o n s b i c a r b o n a t e o f s o d a
11 / 2 cups milk 125 grammes butter
11 / 2 cups self-raising flour 200 grammes dark brown sugar
¼ cup cocoa powder 3 l a rg e e g g s
200 grammes self-raising flour
G r ease an 8-cup capacity ovenproof d i s h . 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
P l a ce chocolate, butter and milk in a sa u c e p a n
a n d melt carefully over medium hea t u n t i l Caramel Sauce
s m ooth.
200 grammes dark brown sugar
S i f t flour and cocoa into a large bowl a n d s t i r 200 mls cream
i n chocolate mix until well combined. P o u r 150 grammes butter
i n t o prepared pan and set aside. 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
43 past horizons
© Cousland Local History ProjectJohn I Brown
Throughout September, Archaeology Scotland will be laying on hundreds of free activities all over
the country in a public festival of Scottish archaeology.
You can be an archaeologist for the day, learn how to make fire like your ancestors did, or enjoy
one of the many lectures, exhibitions or guided walks designed to bring you closer to the sites and
monuments of Scotland’s past. There is now a separate programme of events just for schools as
well as information and resources for schools wanting to create their own celebration of Scottish
archaeology.
past horizons 44
V i ewpoint
S eeing the f a m i l i a r i n a n e w l i g ht
I
take great delight in l i s t e n i n g t o s t o r i e s a b o u t l o c a l h i s t o r y. T h e r e i s m u c h t o l e a r n
from people who k n o w t h e i r a r e a e x t r e m e l y w e l l , b u t t h e r e a r e o f t e n q u e s t i o n s
that they would lik e a n s w e r e d a n d I a l w a y s t r y t o h e l p i f I c a n . I f f e a s i b l e , I
suggest that we work as a g r o u p d r a w i n g t o g e t h e r e v i d e n c e f r o m a v a r i e t y o f s o u r c e s
using a combination of o b s e r v a t i o n , h i s t o r i c a l r e s e a r c h a n d a r c h a e o l o g y.
My first experience u s i n g t h i s m e t h o d i n v o l v e d t h e r e s i d e n t s o f C o u s l a n d i n
Midlothian, Scotland. O u r s e a r c h f o r a n u n n e r y s o o n t u r n e d i n t o a c o m m u n i t y
e x c a vation around a small castle and man s i o n h o u s e i n t h e c e n t r e o f t h e v i l l a g e a n d a l o s t 1 8 t h c e n t u r y
p o t t e ry in a near by field. We haven’t ye t f o u n d t h e e l u s i v e n u n n e r y a n d w e h a v e s t i l l t o c o n f i r m t h e
p o t t e ry, but along the way we have made m a n y n e w f i n d s a n d h a v e s u c c e e d e d i n b u i l di n g u p a m o r e
d e t a i led history of the village.
David Connolly is the direc tor of Br itish Archaeological Jobs and R esources (BA JR)
Web: http://w w w.bajr.org
45 past horizons
Back Pages
Pa s t H o r i z o n s T V c o l l e c t s h eritage-related videos from around the world,
ran g i n g f r o m c o m e d y t o a d v e rtising, short videos from site staff to more
de t a i l e d p i e c e s c o n v e y i n g t e chniques and approaches. Over the next few
iss u e s B a c k P a g e s w i l l b e c hoosing a theme and featuring three classic
ex a m p l e s f o r y o u r v i e w i n g p l easure.
Di e t Co k e
Bu rg e r K i n g
For a full range of video s g o to :
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Un i te d K i n g d o m Lo t te r y
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Burger
past horizons 46
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Chocolate
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Doritos
47 past horizons
PAST HORIZONS
Journal of Volunteer Archaeology
Share
your Projects
with the World
Past Horizons is a unique online publication aimed at anyone who has an interest in archaeology
and heritage conservation. Our remit is to inform people about projects around the world where
you can participate either as volunteers with no previous experience, students looking for more
fieldwork experience or professionals who need a break on an exciting excavation.
Articles are written by project organisers or the participants in the project giving unique insights
into what to expect. Topics range from the discovery of mysterious features in Cornwall to rock art
survey in Nicaragua, restoring Ottoman period houses in Albania and surveys in the deserts of
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