Ud pDredge

Protocol update

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Autumn 2007

Issue 2

Archaeology Finds Reporting Service Newsletter

As a result of last year's success, BMAPAand English Heritage have extended theAwareness Programme to February 2008.This means that Wessex Archaeology onbehalf of BMAPA and English Heritage willbe presenting the Protocol to many morewharves in England, Wales and even incontinental Europe. We will also visitmarine geophysical and geotechnicalsurveying companies as they routinelywork for the marine aggregate industry.They will then be able to report theirfindings such as uncharted wrecks too.We will be enhancing the remote learningpackage DVD and other learning materialto assist you with identifying objects of archaeological interest; recording andreporting them; conserving and storingthem, and provide contacts to your localPAS (Portable Antiquities Scheme),Museums and County Archaeologists.

Wharf staff, getting to grips with their heritage

More information will be made availableon archaeological metalwork, especiallyiron objects and their corrosion product,concretions. There will be more guidancedocuments on historic munitions and moreissues of the Implementation ServiceNewsletter so the public, professionalsand specialists are informed aboutyour discoveries.There will also be another seminar inSalisbury in the autumn. Let’s continueworking together through the Protocol andthe Implementation Service to continuemaking a valuable contribution to ourunderstanding of submerged archaeology.

2005/2006 Finds Awards

In the wake of the new Protocol introducedin 2005, BMAPA and English Heritage havegranted the first three awards of theprogramme. It was a tough decision for thejudge, head of English Heritage's MaritimeArchaeology Team, Ian Oxley, who assessedthe importance of over 80 significant findsand the performance of over 800 industrystaff involved in the Protocol. The programmehas greatly facilitated the spread of information about new discoveries to thoseorganisations that can make the most of it.The first award was given to the site thathad discovered the most interesting orsignificant archaeological find. For the2005/6 scheme this was the mammothtusk discovered by staff at PurfleetAggregates in Thurrock, Essex in February2006. Dated back to 44,000 years old byEnglish Heritage’s Scientific Dating Section,the finding has significant implications forunderstanding the distribution of thesespecies in northern Europe during thelast Ice Age and so the possible presenceof human communities in the area.The second and third awards were givento the wharf and the vessel displayingthe most professional attitude towardsarchaeological reporting throughout theyear. These were Solent Aggregates Ltd,Bedhampton Quay, where staff had beendisplaying both efficient and enthusiasticapplication of the reporting requirements;and marine aggregate dredger

Arco Humber

operated by Hanson Aggregates Marine,whose staff have been regularly reportingsmall fossil fragments amongst the 8500tcargo of sand and gravel.Further information can be found at:Or please contact Mark Russell:tel:

020 7963 8000

www.wessexarch.co.uk/projects/marine/bmapae-mail russell@qpa.org, www.qpa.org

English Heritage's Head of Maritime Archaeology,Ian Oxley and BMAPA Chairman Kevin Seamanpresenting the award for the most professionalattitude in applying the protocol at a land-basedwharf over the period 2005/06, to the staff atSolent Aggregates Bedhampton Wharf.

Finds from 2007/2008 so far

An animal bone and a metal blade-likeobject were discovered by Roger Burnhamat CEMEX’s Northfleet wharf from a splitcargo. The vessel

Sand Weaver

had dredgedmaterial from licence areas 102 (Humber)and 251 (Lowestoft). Wessex Archaeologyspecialists identified the bone as a mammalradius, from a horse, red deer or cattleand interpreted the metal blade as a tool,possibly part of an agricultural implementsuch as a plough.

Possible uncharted wreck site (identified by M. Fairley,data provided by EMU, image produced by WA)

Three cannon balls were salvaged andreported by UMA. Two were discoveredamongst material from licence area 340off the east coast of the Isle of Wightat Bedhampton Quay by D. Taylor andR. Smith. The third one is discussed onpage 8. From the same load camealmost 300 pieces of unrelatedwreckage of a 1940 aircraftand a human bone wasalso salvaged.A new, partially buried, unchartedwreck was discovered by Martin Fairley,hydrographic surveyor, at Emu Limited,lying at 1.2km NW of dredging area 202.The site was detected during a sidescansonar and swath bathymetry survey onbehalf of Hanson. This is the first reportof its kind for the Protocol, an excitingfinding and outstanding contributionfrom a survey company operating overand around a dredging area.

Iron object, possibly an agricultural tool(found by R. Burnham, Northfleet Wharf.Image coursey of CEMEX)Cannon ball (found by G.Philips,Ridhom Docks. Image courtesy of UMA)

Bone of a large mammal (found by R. Burnham,Northfleet Wharf. Image courtesy of CEMEX)

00100 mm100 mmapprox.approx.