Past Newsletters

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Annual General Meeting is on Tuesday 9th May 8pm Stephens Room, Avenue House

Our President, Dr. Ann Saunders, FSA will chair the meeting. Do come and air your views and comments on your society. After the business meeting, there will as usual be talks and slides about our activities during the past year.

HADAS DIARY

Tuesday May 9th AGM (see above)

Saturday June 24th Outing to North Oxfordshire and the Pitt Rivers Museum

with Micky Watkins and Mickey Cohen

NB – a change from the programme card which says Sussex (a Roman bath-house in Beauport Park). The wooded site has become so overgrown since the death of its excavator last year that we would need `Tarzan’ gear to reach it. Hopefully it would be cleared by next year.

Saturday July 22nd Outing to Dover with Tessa Smith and Sheila Woodward

The bronze age boat excavated. a few years ago has at last been installed at the superb Dover Museum and Keith Parfitt, its excavator, will be there to tell us about it.

Mid July A few days in Orkney – plans are going ahead. Members who have applied will be notified shortly when full details are available. Ring Dorothy Newbury (203 0950) for information.

Ted Sammes evening April 11, 2000 Dorothy Newbury

I would like to thank Tessa Smith, June Porges and Bill Bass for coming to me and sorting out various papers, pictures etc prior to Ted’s evening; and thanks to Vikki O’Connor for organising refreshments, and to Stewart Wild for organising and serving the wine.

The report on the evening will appear in the next Newsletter.

Golden Diadems from Peru by Jeffrey Lester

Most of us are less familiar with the archaeology of the Americas than with that of Europe and the Middle East. It was therefore with particular fascination that we welcomed on March 14th Colin McEwen, Assistant Keeper and Curator of the Central and South American collections at the British Museum. Although his lecture was entitled ” Golden Diadems from Peru”, he was able to range over the surrounding areas of South America to illustrate his theme. The European explorers had been motivated by the search for El Dorado, the Golden City, but metals had been worked long previously in the pre- Columbian period. Metal is known to have been used in Peru as early as 2,000 BC, and developed differently from that of the Old World and included copper, silver and gold and combinations of these. Surprisingly platinum was another material employed. Both beaten gold and the lost wax technique were practised as well as fine soldering and filigree work.

Images were both highly abstract and naturalistic, reproducing forms close to those known by the artists in Nature, particularly Zoomorphy. Peruvian artefacts included, as expected, llamas and jaguars. Many were in the Itasca tradition, as in the use of spirals which represented growth.

There were no written records, even among the Inca, nor hieroglyphs nor codices, so it is impossible to interpret the symbolism exactly. However, it is clear that the pectorals, some very large, were indicators of rank as with maces elsewhere. Some of the human figurines give a clue to the social structure_ Representations of Shamens with eyes closed, suggest the use of hallucinogens and fasting. Certainly there was knowledge of planting and the use of coca leaves with lime. Social activity was represented in groups of dancers. As in every culture, there were artefacts relating to procreating and fertility.

The lecture was lavishly illustrated with slides of intricate objects, some shown at the Exhibition of the Gilded Image at Burlington House Museum of Mankind before they were hidden away in the British Museum. It was refreshing to see on the screen so much from the period 100-1400 AD before it was looted and we look forward to viewing some of these objects in the round when space at the BM permits.

Avenue House Bothy Eric Morgan

Visitors to the Church End Festival on 14th May can visit the Bothy in the Avenue House Grounds, which Finchley Art Centre Trust are currently restoring. The Bothy is featured in London, Sight unseen by Lord Snowdon, published by Weidenfeld and Nicholson, as follows:-

“Inky” Stephens never minded his nickname; Stephens ink provided him with a substantial fortune which he spent on improving his north London estate. He commissioned an Italian architect to extend and beauty his house in Finchley, and in the picturesquely landscaped grounds he assembled an impressive arboretum. At the eastern end he built, in the 1870ties, a bizarre concrete structure known as The Bothy; possibly the first concrete building in Britain since the Roman White Tower at Dover Castle, but now languishing forgotten and overgrown.

The Bothy is one of the earliest reinforced concrete buildings. It is a romantic castellated structure with enclosed courtyards and a walled garden with much potential for enchantment. It has recently been given a Grade II listing by English Heritage. The Bothy is intended to be a place where people from the local community and surrounding area can meet.

HADAS members who go on the July outing may have an opportunity to see the Roman White Tower in Dover

43 Bannard Road
Maidenhead
SL6 4NP

17 April 2000

01628-418555

Mrs Dorothy Newbury 55 SunningfieIds Road Hendon

London

NW4 4RA

Dear Mrs Newbury

Thank you for inviting me to your Ted Sammes Evening which I enjoyed I am glad you found my account of his life at Weston Research and with the Maidenhead Archaeological & Historical Society of interest. Like many of your members, I had no idea of the hardships the family had gone through in the 1930’s. and Matthew Wheeler’s account of their determination to escape debt was as fascinating as the early postcards. When I heard the anecdotes about his work on artefacts and displays it all sounded very familiar. Because Ted appreciated the significance of a flint or potsherd, he thought that we all would. Today’s exhibitions with reconstructions and touch-screens were not Ted’s idea of a museum.

What Andrew Selkirk said about Ted having a chip on his shoulder for not being a graduate. was true also in his professional life. Although he had an encyclopaedic knowledge of the history and technology of the milling and baking trades_ he always felt he could have progressed further with a degree.

Ted sometimes appeared to be a solitary and private person, but he enjoyed the convivial company of friends who had similar interests and I am sure he would have smiled at the evening of memories.

With best wishes to H. A.D.A.S. Yours sincerely

Brian Boulter

Another Sunninga Site? Brian Warren

As a new member I have only recently seen Philip Bailey’s article on “Another Sunninga Site?” and wish to comment on certain points. He suggests that “Sunningas Grove” was within “Enfield Chase”, but if one consults the original 1635, 1650 and 1686 surveys of Enfield Chase (I) the section in question was tracing the boundaries. There one will find, “From thence along by the Hedge of Sunns Grove”. In the 1635 survey (2) it was further recorded “Also the fence of Sunns Grove adjoining also to the said Chace”. As the grove called Sunns Grove was held under Barnet and East Barnet it would have been in Enfield Chase, as that was under the jurisdiction of the Duchy of Lancaster. (3)

In the earlier 1572 survey of Enfield Chase “the Hedge of Sunnsgrove” was recorded as “the hedge of East Barnet”. (4) The hedge of Sunnsgrove continued to the house of William Rolfe (1572), Mr. Hewett (1635 and 1650) and William Pecke (1686) from which one can identify the house as Dacre Lodge later called Buckskin Hall, which was held of the Manor of East Barnet, (5)

I would expect the references to “Monelond” to be adjacent to Old Fold, as the Frowyks were the resident Lords of the Manor from shortly after 1271 until 1527. (6) I have never come across any reference to the Frowyks holding any land near or at Cockfosters.

References: (1) PRO DL42/125, Bodleian Mss Top Middx b2 and PRO DL43 7110

(2) PRO DL42/125;

(3) F.C.Cass. South Mimms, 1877, p71 quoting Newcome’s History of St. Alban”s, p.483 et seq. (4) PRO DL43 7/5 (5) F.C.Cass. East Barnet, 1885-1892, pp:150-152; PRO DL43 7/6
(6) VCH Middx. vol.5 p28

Current Fieldwork by Brian Wrigley

Barnet Gate

We hope to be able to explore this site by small test pits and augering during the summer, before further tree planting in the autumn; we are not however seeking dates for this yet as we have to hold ourselves in readiness for an opportunity at Hanshawe Drive, Burnt Oak (see below) where time may be more of the essence. I should be very glad to hear from anyone interested in taking part in any summer digging available at these sites – my address is 21 Woodcroft Avenue, NW7 2A14 (020 8959 5982)

Hanshawe Drive

We have submitted to the Borough a research design for this, and they have replied that there is no objection in principle, but plans for the landscaping have not yet been submitted, we thus have to await hearing further from them about the future timetable. We are suggesting resistivity testing, deturfing and exploration by test pits of anything which resistivity suggests might be interesting. This to be followed by further digging of trenches to show the stratification if the green does not appear to be a natural feature, which should explain its purpose or expose earlier building remains or evidence of occupation.

London Charterhouse

We completed the resistivity survey in one weekend of the area estimated from the aerial photos the parch marks showed in the grass. We did find an area of slightly higher resistances about where we expected, but not showing any detailed pattern. We understand that such marks in turf are likely to show only features very near the surface, which suggests that probing may be the next useful test and Colin Bowlt is pursuing the possibility of this.

OTHER SOCIETIES EVENTS

– Barnet Local History Society: Talk: Wednesday 10th May 8pm

Herts Tudor Farmhouse. Gillian Gear. Wesley Ha11, Stapylton Road, Barnet

– Camden History Society: Talk: Thursday 18th May 7. 30pm

University College, London. Negley Harte
Burgh House, New End Square, NW3 £1.00 donation

Finchley Church End Festival: Sunday 14th May afternoon

Avenue House grounds, N3 (Bothy and walled garden open)

– Finchley Society: Talk: Thursday 25th May 8pm

History of the Phoenix Cinema. Laurence Lewis

Drawing Room Avenue House, East End Road, N3

– Highgate 2000: A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME: an exhibition of paintings, images, documents and other objects. From Saturday 3rd June to Thursday 15th June. Tuesdays 7.45 to 9pm, Wednesdays to Fridays 1 lam to 5pm, Saturdays 1 lam to 4pm, Sundays 12 noon to 5pm. At the Highgate Literary and Scientific Institution, 11 South Grove, Pond Square, Highgate N6 6BS (020 8340 3343)

London Archaeologist: Talk: Tuesday 16th May 7pm
Excavations at Spitalfields (preceded by AGM). Chris Thomas
6th Floor Suite, Institute of Archaeology, 31-34 Gordon Square, WCI (refreshments 6.30pm)
– London Canal Museum: Talk: Thursday 4th May 7.30pm

The Regents’ Canal; yesterday and today. Dr. Michael Essex-Lopresti.
12-13 New Wharf Road, Kings Cross, London, NI £2.50 (£1.25 concessions) Pinner Local History Society: Talk: Thursday 4th May 8pmThe
Fives Court; a centenary (preceded by AGM) Jim Gollard
Pinner Church Hall, Church Lane (corner High St) £1.00 donation

– Willesden Local History Society: Talk: Wednesday 17th May 8pm
Theatres of Willesden. Terry Lomas.

Willesden Gallery, Willesden Green Library, High Road, NW10 £1.00 donation

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Annual General Meeting is on Tuesday 9th May. Included with this Newsletter are the notice of the meeting and the minutes of last year’s meeting. Please come along and have your say about the activities of what is, importantly, your society. If you think it. should be doing things differently, if you would like more of this or less of that, don’t keep your thoughts to yourselves.

The business meeting will, as usual be followed by talks and slides about our activities during the past year.

HADAS DIARY

Tuesday April 11th TED SAMMES EVENING

This evening will be devoted to Ted Sammes, one of our founder members, who died in November 1998, leaving a very substantial bequest to our Society. Ted was born in February 1920 in Boxmoor. In about I930 his parents moved to Hendon and lived at No. 7 Sunningfields Road. This was the HQ of the local Labour Party of which Ted’s father was the agent. Ted was in the Royal Corps of Signals throughout the war, serving in various overseas campaigns. When he came back he turned his interest to archaeology. For this our Society must be eternally grateful the rest of his life was devoted to archaeology and research into the history of Hendon. The results of his research are deposited in the Barnet Borough archives in Hendon. He organised local excavations, notably Burroughs Gardens and Church Terrace, put on exhibitions, and wrote booklets and reports.

Later, the family moved to a flat in Brent Street, Hendon. Ted never married, and when his parents died and his firm moved to Maidenhead, Ted bought a house there, but he kept on his flat in Hendon until he died. During the last ten years he developed a heart problem and was able to come to Hendon less and less. In the early years of his illness he spent weekends with Victor Jones who kindly brought him to the occasional lecture or meeting.

Several friends of Ted’s have agreed to come and talk to us at this meeting—

Andrew Selkirk, a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, as Ted was.

Matthew Wheeler, curator of the Dacorum Heritage Museum.

Brian Boulter, from Maidenhead, with whom Ted worked in his business life and in Maidenhead archaeology.

Sheila Woodward, our member, who went on many Prehistoric Society outings with Ted. Pam Taylor, another member and until recently a Barnet Council archivist.

Gerard Roots, curator at Church Farmhouse Museum. Ted was a regular visitor and Gerard helped Ted set up exhibitions there.

We hope there will also be time for any anecdotes which members of the audience have to tell.

Sunday 30th April Meeting at 11 am in the Garden Room, Avenue House to plan for National Archaeology Week; to find out more about this, see page 2 below

Annual HADAS long weekend away. A special 2000 effort.

Many people have asked about the possibility of a return to Orkney, where our member Daphne Lorimer lives, and which we last visited in 1978. See the enclosed leaflet about this.

Young HADAS having a LAARC

Monday 21 February saw the turn of the younger members and associates of HADAS to have an outing of their own when Vikki O’Connor arranged a morning’s visit to the London Archaeological Archive and Research Centre (LAARC) at Eagle Wharf Road in Islington, run by the Museum of London. A party of eight, with ages ranging from seven to seventeen, turned up and the day started with a quick visit to Canonbury Tower at Highbury – “quick” because disruptions on both the Piccadilly and the Victoria lines had caused some delay! We then progressed by bus to the Centre. Some of the party had participated in the recent field-walking at Brockley Hill and the visit was aimed at demonstrating what had happened to the many finds that such archaeological endeavours uncover. John Shepherd, who had co-ordinated the visit, was on leave but in his place we were guided by Steve Tucker who was able to make allowances for the age range without unduly diminishing the quality of the tour. First of all we were shown part of the Museum’s reserve collection — the transport section with sedan chairs, taxis, old fire engines and even milk floats. Then on to the archive itself with a sight of the larger building materials which included huge chunks of Roman dressed stone and statuary from more recently demolished buildings. John had arranged for a selection of pottery, building material and metalwork to be displayed which the youngsters were allowed to handle provided they wore the cotton gloves provided. There were no breakages (of course!) and it was pleasing that some of the pieces were recognised as being of the same fabric or finish as items found at Brockley Hill. We were then able to access the archive relating to the much earlier excavations undertaken at Brockley Hill and look at the finds made in the 1950s. Brockley Hill formed a unifying HADAS theme throughout, although the highlight not surprisingly was the much welcomed chance for our younger members to gather around a Spitalfields skull. Thanks were given to the staff at the Centre for the time and care taken over this visit which it is hoped has sown the seeds for future interest in archaeology amongst our younger members.

Another half-baked idea from Bill and Vikki?

We hope not! For National Archaeology Weekend this year we are planning to make and bake some pots. For a start, we have visited Chris Ower at College Farm, the model farm site by Regents Park Road, and Chris has agreed to make space available for us on 22/23 July. We will need some volunteers to help plan the weekend, make some pots beforehand, collect firewood, and help build the clamp kiln. If any members with clay skills can spare a few hours to advise, instruct, participate in the pot-making, please let us know. There will be a planning meeting in The Garden Room (entrance from the park to the rear of Avenue House) the first Sunday after Easter, 11am Sunday 30th April; everyone with ideas for experimental archaeology please come along. New members especially welcome – the usual bribe of free coffee and biscuits!

Ancient Rome was not all that different — or was it? Peter Pickering

B Alfenus, a jurist of the first century BC, wrote the following:-

Some mules were pulling two loaded carts up the Capitoline. The front cart had tipped up, so the drivers were trying to lift the back to make it easier for the mules to pull it up the hill, but suddenly it started to roll back. The muleteers, seeing that they would be caught between the two carts, leaped out of its path, and it rolled back and struck the rear cart, which careered down the hill and ran over someone’s slave boy.

The owner of the slave asked me whom he should site for compensation.

My fellow diggers have no beer Peter Pickering

Or so the junior officer Masclus wrote to Cerealis, his commanding officer, around AD 100. Well, actually he said ‘fellow-soldiers’ (“cervesam commilitones non habunt” — yes, those of you who are old enough to have had Latin drummed into them at school will think that last word ought to be`habunt’; so it ought, but grammar was obviously not taught proper in Britain nineteen hundred years ago.) Masclus asked Cerealis to send some. For the supply available to the HADAS team surveying Barnet Gate Wood see below.

Alan Bowman told the February meeting of the Royal Archaeological Institute about Masclus’s letter and other new writing-tablets from the fort of Vindolanda on Hadrian’s Wall. One fascinating discovery was a reference to one Haterius Nepos, whose name has also been found as a graffito on the Colossus of Memnon at the other end of the Roman world, by the banks of the Nile. Another tablet contains a miscellaneous inventory with prices, including red, green, purple and yellow curtains; Dr Bowman speculated that these luxury items might be connected with the need to entertain the Emperor Hadrian in the style to which he was accustomed when he came to visit his very own wall.

And where they could get by Graham Javes

The Gate public house where we partook of refreshment during the recent resistivity testing is known to have stood at Barnet Gate on the edge of Barnet common in 1703, though it may be much older. There was a gate there to contain cattle and horses on the common. A drawing of 1807 shows the inn as a thatched cottage with a porch, the gate alongside it. An old man from a nearby cottage once told how when the common gate was removed a replica was added to the inn sign to commemorate the fact. Originally the Bell, it has been variously called the Bell on the Common, the Bell at the Gate, the Bell and Gate, and latterly the Gate.

In Picturesque Rides and Walks (1817), John Hassall tells that it had been “kept by a worthy, though humble person, a Mrs Taylor, whose civility and attention gained her the respect of every visitor to her humble mansion. It was, before her time in the possession of her father, and her father’s father, and sorry am I to relate that at an advanced period of life, with her husband a cripple, she has been consigned to a wretched cottage immediately opposite to her comfortable dwelling. This poor creature is one of those dreadful examples of brewers monopolizing the dwellings of innkeepers and publicans”.

Barnet Gate stands on the parish and former county boundary, which ran down the east, (Barnet) side of Hendon Wood Lane. It was known in mediaeval times as Grendel’s Gate, and appears in the boundary clause of no less than two Anglo-Saxon charters. The earlier charter, that of King Edgar, dating from 972-8 granted the land of Hendon to Westminster Abbey; whilst the latter was Ethelred’s 1005 charter granting the future manor of Barnet to St Albans Abbey, as a woodland attachment to Kingsbury, near St Albans. Pamela Taylor (A Place in Time) suggests that to be called after the monster slain by Beowolf in the epic poem this must have been an important place. Some Barnet manor courts were held there. As late as 1354 when the later Chipping Barnet had eclipsed other settlements, the tenants of the vills of Chipping Barnet and of East Barnet were summoned to separate courts on the same day at Gryndlesgate.

We have a few glimpses of tenants of the hamlet. In 1246, the first year of Barnet court records, Alexander de Grundlesgate is presented in court for selling a piece of meadowland to the Bishop of Ely without permission. Three years later it was noted in court that it was not known whether he had paid a fine (merchet) for marrying his daughters. Clearly he was a villein, though one of the elite villeins on the manor, for a few months earlier Alexander of Grendelesgate sat on a jury of inquisition into a land dispute between tenants of the St Albans’ manor of Park. On the same manor in 1241 Raze de Grindelesgate paid ten shillings to the lord for licence to marry the daughter of Norman del Parkstrate and customary payment to take over Norman’s land. Because they both hailed from Grindelesgate doesn’t mean that Alexander and Raze were related, though they could have been. One Simon de Grundgate was a wealthy tenant. In 1295-6 Simon paid 6s 7 1/4d lay subsidy the second highest taxpayer on the manor of Barnet paid only 3s 9 1/4d, whilst the average paid by 34 taxpayers was is 1s 11 1/2d

At the end of the thirteenth century there was conflict on the Barnet manor between the lord and his tenants, a number of whom claimed to be free men and not hold their land by villeinage. In 1334 Alexander de Grindlesgate (this must he a different person) was one who claimed to be free and had been “unwilling to swear as other villeins of the lord”. For several generations the wealthy elite tenants of the manor were to be rebel leaders, as witness their prominence in the Great. Revolt of 1381.

Sources: Graham Jolliffe & Arthur Jones, Hertfordshire Inns & Public Houses, an historical gazetteer, (1995); Birch Cartularium Swconicum, 1290; Pamela Taylor, HADAS. NIL 309; AE. Levett, Studies in Manorial History, (1938); PRO. E179/ I20/5

Council for British Archaeology Sheila Woodward

The CBA, to which HADAS is affiliated, held its Winter General Meeting this year in Carlisle. It was rather poorly attended, probably owing in part to the venue, though that for me was one of the attractions. It was my first visit to Carlisle, a compact little town with plenty of character, and the opportunity to explore its fine mediaeval castle, its small but glorious cathedral, and it’s interesting Tullie House Museum amply justified my 18 hour day! Even the long train journey had its highlights with its splendid views of the snow-capped Lake District peaks.

Following devolution of heritage matters to the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly (devolution to the Northern Ireland Assembly has been temporarily withdrawn), the Council has now to work not only with its own regional groups but also with the Council for. Scottish Archaeology and the CBA Wales. Complications may arise through differing legislation. For example, ‘Cultural Heritage” in Scotland does not necessarily include archaeology and historical environment. In England there is discussion with the Regional Groups about possible boundary changes to tie in with the boundaries of the Government’s regions. London presents a special problem and a possible CBA London group is being considered in consultation with CBA South- East, CBA Mid-Anglia and the Standing Conference on London Archaeology.

There is continuing concern about local government cuts in funding archaeological services. The CBA is monitoring the position and it will continue to make representations against the cuts.

A paper headed `CBA Strategy 2000-2005’ contained nothing startlingly new but set out formally the CBA’s mission and objectives (promoting awareness of the past and appreciation and care of the historic environment) and proposed methods of implementation e.g. research, conservation, education, communication and participation. The meeting suggested that there should be greater emphasis on the co­ordinating role of the CBA.

There was the usual update on the Government’s proposals for Stonehenge and reports from various working groups and sub-committees. The Portable Antiquities Group reported that the Treasure Act seems to have been successful with an encouraging number of finds reported in the first year. However, imports of and return of stolen antiquities continue to be major problems. The Young Archaeologists Club thrives with over 3,000 members, several new branches and a website. The Implement Petrology Group (working on prehistoric stone axes) actually predates the CBA and is now to be constituted as a separate entity which will be affiliated to the CBA.

Affiliation fees, which vary according to the type of organisation and the number of its members, are to be increased from April by about 20%. Individual membership fees have already been so increased.

With an affiliation membership of 500 and an individual membership of 5,760 the CBA remains a force to be reckoned with in the archaeological and heritage scene.

Corrections Department

1. Some members may have seen an article in the Daily Mail on 14th March about our member Daphne

Lorimer’s study of Stone Age skeletons on Orkney and relating it to the size of women’s bottoms to-day. Daphne would like it to be known that she did not think, much less say, what the Daily Mail attributed to her.

2. The Council for British Archaeology have pointed out that their website is http://www.britarch.ac.uk

(without the cba at the end as stated in the February newsletter). It is good to see that our newsletter is studied carefully in York.

Archaeology Out of Town Peter Pickering

That was the title of the open meeting which followed this year’s Annual General Meeting of Rescue, the Trust for British Archaeology.

Those of us whose concern is mainly with towns, where the provisions of PPG16 have greatly reduced the old problem of the unrecorded destruction of archaeological deposits by development. are unaware that such unrecorded destruction is continuing apace in the countryside. And, during our formative years, the conventional wisdom of archaeologists was that metal detecting was wicked, and not to be condoned; `treasure-hunters’ damaged sites and the objects they discovered were valueless because they had been deprived of their contexts.

Helen Geake, an Assistant Keeper at Norwich Castle Museum, has opened our eyes, both with her talk at the open meeting and in her recent article in Rescue News. Agriculture is, in general, exempt from planning control, and so is completely outside the scope of PPG 16, and modern farming techniques — sub-soiling and de-stoning even more than the very heavy ploughs that are now used — bite ever deeper into the ground and disturb (or worse) the deposits. Many of these deposits would be completely unknown but for metal detectorists. Some 30 (thirty) Anglo-Saxon cemeteries in Norfolk are known only though metal detecting; scientific excavation has found under ten. Metal detecting, in general, finds objects that have already been disturbed by agriculture, not deeper undisturbed ones. indeed, detectorists are sometimes pleasantly surprised when a field they had worked over many times before suddenly produces ‘treasure’ after an agricultural operation. Metal detectorists can often get access to fields from which the farmer bars archaeologists, whom he sees as part of the resented officialdom.

As the admirable web-site (www.norfolk.gov.uk/touristnimuseums/museums.htm) of the Norfolk Museums Service tells us, the archaeologists there have a long-standing good relationship with detectorists, and most of the staggering 20,000 archaeological objects identified each year by the Service have been brought to them by detectorists. It is not therefore surprising that the Service has been selected to host one of the six pilot Portable Antiquities Recording Projects.

Although Ms Geake made various suggestions for ways of getting to grips with the problem of the unrecorded destruction of archaeological deposits in the countryside, the burdens they would impose on farmers made them seem unlikely to be adopted generally in the foreseeable future. So the need for co-operation with metal detecting, however unwelcome to some archaeologists, is likely to continue.

An update on Fieldwork by Brian Wrigley

Barnet Gate Wood Meadow Tree-Planting

Since the item on this in the February Newsletter, a very adequate and enthusiastic resistivity and levelling survey team has formed itself, and has surveyed nearly all the tree-planting area. Some patterns were shown up by the resistivity (which could be generally described as streaks running downhill but some could indicate human activity). A small amount of tree-planting started on 28th February but did not reveal anything which explained resistivity differences — the holes went only a few inches down. Further planting will take place, we understand, in the autumn, probably late November, and we shall be ready with our survey results to monitor these although we understand they will still be small holes and no substantial earth will be moved. However, we understand we shall probably be allowed, during spring or summer, to do some exploration by small test pits and angering in places where our surveys show some possible interest. I feel sure the survey team will have an interest in this — even if nothing of archaeological interest shows up, it will help our confidence in our resistivity results if we see what natural features they reflect.

We much appreciate the help and co-operation of Barnet’s Countryside Officer, Mel Lloyd, and the contractor, Keith Gerrard, in arranging this.

London Charterhouse Project

At the time of writing, this project is being planned for the weekend of 18-19 March and by the time you read this we hope that the resistivity survey will have been completed. We have enough volunteers already to form an experienced resistivity team!

Hanshaw Drive (off Thurleby Road, Burnt Oak) — a possible dig

This site is a Barnet Council sheltered housing building which encloses an open area, part of which is a humped-up piece of grass: there is a proposal to level this, and the opportunity arises for some archaeological excavation, which HADAS has been invited to do. The timing is expected, to be sometime in the first half of this year, and Stephen Aleck and I are going to prepare a research design for submission.

This site should be of great interest to HADAS: the green hump is no more than 40 metres from the site where, in 1970, HADAS excavated Roman rubbish pits thought to relate to occupation nearby. (Transactions of the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society 29(1978)).

OTHER SOCIETIES’ EVENTS

PINNER LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY Talk 6th April 8pm. London Roman Roads — Brockley Hill in particular. Harvey Sheldon. Pinner Village Hall, Chapel Lane. Car park. £l donation.

BARNET LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY Talk 12th April Spm. Knebworth House/Lyttons. Jo Birch. Wesley Hall. Stapylton Road. Barnet. The Barnet Local History Society are planning a visit to Knebworth House in July

KENWOOD talk and guided walk Wednesday 12th April 10.30 am The Ancient Boundaries in Kenwood Malcolm Stokes for English Heritage which charges £3.50 (£1.50 cones.) This is open to individuals and groups, but with a maximum of 30 and need to be pre-booked. Vikki O’Connor has reserved half a dozen places so if you would like to come along as part of a HADAS group, please phone her on 020 8361 1350. Otherwise, for information and booking contact Kenwood Visitor Information Centre (near the Restaurant) or the Service Wing Shop telephone 020-7973 3893.

CAMDEN HISTORY SOCIETY Talk 13th April 7.30pm. Hampstead Remembered — various speakers. Burgh House, New End Square, NW3. £1 donation.

LONDON AND MIDDLESEX ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY ANNUAL CONFERENCE Saturday 15th April Museum of London. LAMAS members £3, non-members £4. The programme includes papers about the excavations at London Bridge City and Spitalfields and the Time Team one at Greenwich. Nearer to our own patch will be a talk about the Roman pottery industry in Highgate Wood. Ticket applications and general enquiries should be addressed to Jon Cotton, Early Department. Museum of London, 150 London Wall. EC2Y 5HN. HADAS will have a stall at this conference — any of our members planning to attend are welcome to take a turn on the stall during the lunch break – or just come and say hello!

WILLESDEN LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY Talk 19th April 7.30pm. Street Names in the City – Paul Taylor. Willesden Green Library. Willesden Gallery, High Road NW 10. 1 donation.

FINCHLEY SOCIETY Talk 27th April Spm. Traffic and Transport in Barnet – Robert Hodson. Drawing Room. Avenue House N3.

HELP US BRING IN NEW MEMBERS

Our recent publicity campaigns in the press and through the libraries have been very successful in attracting new members. But we always want more – and you can help.

Enclosed with this issue of the Newsletter are two copies of our poster. All we’d like you to do is ask your local newsagent or corner store to display one in their window.

And if anyone needs more copies, or has any new ideas for spreading the word, please contact our publicity officer, Tim Wilkins.

HADAS HAS ITS VERY OWN WEBSITE

Andrew Selkirk, our Chairman, has set up a website for us at hadas.org.uk If anyone has any contributions, please e-mail Andrew at our new website.

TED SAMMES EVENING – APRIL 11

Ted was a founder member of HADAS, very knowledgeable and helpful, and if he didn’t know the answer to a question, he would do his best to find it. Regrettably Ted died in November 1998, leaving our Society a substantial bequest in his will.

Will any HADAS member or local society who has photographs, slides, articles or reminiscences about Ted, please contact Dorothy or June as soon as possible. Anything archaeological, personal or amusing is acceptable.

Members of other Societies are welcome to come to the Evening, but they should please phone –

HADAS DIARY

Tuesday March 14 Lecture: GOLD DIADEMS FROM PERU by COLIN McEWEN Colin McEwen is Assistant Keeper and Curator of the Central and South American collections at the British Museum. He has excavated in Latin America and has published on Inca state rituals and on Northern Andean archaeology and iconography. He is the author of Ancient Mexico in the British Museum (1994) and a co-editor of Patagonia: Natural History, Prehistory and Ethnography at the Uttermost End of the Earth (1997).

Tuesday April 11 TED SAMMES Evening

Tuesday May 9 HADAS AGM followed by TALK and SLIDES on the year’s activities.

All the above meetings will be in the STEPHENS ROOM upstairs Avenue House, starting at 8.00 pm., followed by coffee and biscuits and chat.

SECRETARY’S CORNER

A meeting of the Committee was held on 4 February 2000. The following items were among those discussed:

1 Terms for a new lease at Avenue House have been agreed.

2 The Society now has its own Website at www.hadas.org.uk

3 Consideration is being given to the investment and use of the Sammes bequest. The Sammes evening will be on 11 April.

4 It is expected that the Society’s book on Commemorative Plaques in our area will be published later in the year.

5 The annual Programme was issued recently and shows a full series of lectures and outings for the year.

6 The AGM will take place on Tuesday, 9 May 2000.

MEMBER’S NEWS

Dorothy has had several requests for Marjorie Errington’s address – now she is in a care home. She would love to hear from old friends in the Society. Here it is:

Greenhill Residential Care Home. Waggon Road, Potters Bar, Herts. EN4 OPH.

Personal Phone 449 8823 preferably after 8.00pm.

PLANNING APPLICATIONS

Application for planning permission has been received for the demolition of the remaining government offices west of Brockley Hill, for the development of 12 acres to build 96 houses. The land borders the present Watling Street, north of the housing development where previous excavations have discovered parts of the original Roman road.

On the opposite side of the road, no. 3 Brockley Hill. Stanmore has applied to build a rear conservatory extension.

In Hendon, the Daniel Almshouses in Church Road, application to build rear extensions has been received.

MORE ARCHAEOLOGY ON THE WEB by ANDY SIMPSON

Since last month’s resume, more archaeological web sites have come to my attention. Perhaps some kind reader would care to check some out and write a review or two?

That popular BBC2 series Meet the Ancestors, presented by Julian Richards, have their site at http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/ancestors/series3.shtml

(although by the time you read this the current series will have finished)

Those wishing to add to their personal library can see if Heritage Archaeological Books can help out; this company deal in out-of-print, remaindered, new and antiquarian books and have something called a secure line for direct payment at www.heritageweb.com; a free bi-monthly catalogue is available.

I shudder to mention the Millenium, but an interesting London based project is The London String of Pearls Millenium Festival’ based on attractions along the River Thames. This features additional access to some 60 institutions for this year only – privileged access, exhibitions, special tours, concerts, parades and new works from Greenwich to Kew, at such places as Lambeth Palace, Royal Courts of Justice, Southwark Cathedral, Ministry of Defence, Public Record Office Horse Guards, and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Details at wwiv.stringofpearls.org.uk

Those with an interest in Midlands’s archaeology can see what is being reported by the University of Birmingham Field Archaeology Unit at http://wwvv.bufau.bham.ac.uk including details of the virtual reality Wroxeter Roman fortress recently created by a team including former HADAS member Roger White who spoke to us last year.

The Birmingham & Warwickshire Archaeological Society have their site at www.bwas.swinternet.co.uk

ARMAGEDDON AND MEGIDDO AUDREE PRICE-DAV1ES

The February Lecture

Mr Sam Moorehead of the British Museum gave a comprehensive review of the history and archaeology of Megiddo. Presumably this is the site of Armageddon or Har-Magedon – translated as the ‘mount of Megiddo’, which was the site of the final battle of good and evil as related in the Bible, Revelations Chapter 16.

“And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven from the throne, saying It is done. And there were voices, and thunders and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell.”

Megiddo is sited in a wadi in Israel at the junction of the route north-south, from Jerusalem to Damascus and east-west from the sea inland. Such a site was frequently fought over and successively occupied. Artefacts discovered in the excavations include flints from 8000 BC., carvings in stone from 4000 BC. and a circular altar place associated with Baal in the Bronze Age.

The site was occupied by Egypt and the site pre-dated Mycenae, but the postern gate is comparable with that at Tiryns and there is a vaulted stone roof – a tholes. A scarab brooch also s hows links with Mycenae.

In 1550 BC. there was renewed Egyptian interest. Tutmosis lll fought there in 1468 BC. and captured 924 chariots and recorded his victory on the walls of the great temple at Karnak. It became the pivotal point for the Egyptians who ruled from there.

In the 10th and 9th centuries the Israelites ruled there, and in the Iron Age a vast water system was created. In 627 BC. the Assyrians made Megiddo their centre and created a grain silo, but there was trouble with the Babylonians. In 110 BC. Josiah, an Israelite king, was killed at Megiddo and this was probably the Armageddon of the Bible.

The site was forgotten until the time of St. Jerome. It was identified in the fourteenth century. In 1890 Flinders Petrie excavated to the south in the Levant. Mud brick houses were built on top and this created a mound. In 1903 -1905 Schumacher investigated and in 1925-39 the University of Chicago conducted an excavation but did not record the contents of the spoil heap. In 1992-96 the British Museum has been involved and the report is expected out this year.

In more recent times, Megiddo was the scene of a battle in the First World War when General Allenby led an attack on the Turks and had on his right flank the native troops with Lawrence at their head. Allenby took the title of Lord Allenby of Megiddo after this.

There is continuing excavation on a site which still has much to reveal, and the enthusiasm, knowledge and experience of the lecturer brought this subject to life.

CAAC – CONSERVATION AREA ADVISORY COMMITTEE from DAWN ORR

(HAMPSTEAD GARDEN SUBURB)

Conservation Areas were set up by legislation in 1968, with advisory committees appointed by Local Authorities to advise planning officers on applications and other planning matters. The ten members, who meet by turns every three weeks, are all voluntary professionals such as architects and surveyors, or ‘lay’ people with specialist knowledge and/or interest in the area, not necessarily residents.

HADAS’s first representative was the late Mrs Brigid Grafton Green, whom I followed in 1983. Long service reflects the interest of the work – the present Chairman, Mr Norman Wheatley, since 1978, several others more than 10 years.

CAAC have not yet seen archaeological remains, but modern extensions require deep foundations

and the West Heath dig is very close—– ‘

ENGLAND’S CATHEDRALS: WATERCOLOURS by PETER HUME

EXHIBITION AT CHURCH FARMHOUSE MUSEUM 4 MARCH – 21 MAY 2000

Mill Hill artist – and former architect – Peter Hume’s project to paint all the medieval English Cathedrals bore fruit in a book published in 1999. The Exhibition displays the original watercolours, as well as photographs of the interiors and details of nearby Cathedrals such as Southwark and St Albans; late 19th Century models of Cathedral buildings, and background historical material. Peter Hume’s splendid pictures make us look afresh at what are arguably the most important surviving buildings of the last Millennium.

OTHER SOCIETIES’ EVENTS

LONDON CANAL MUSEUM talk 2 March 7.30 pm. Working and Living on the Cut – Nigel Hamilton – New Wharf Rd.. Kings Cross NI £2.50/£1.25 concession.

HEATH AND HAMPSTEAD SOCIETY Walk 5 March 2.30 pm. The Heath – Past and Present Michael Harnmerson, Highgate archaeologist – Burgh House, New End Square, NW3

PINNER LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY talk 9 March 8prn.Pinner Events A.D. 1000-20(X) – Research Group – Pinner Village Hall, Chapel Lane car park. £1.

BARNET LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY talk 13 March 3.00pm. Kenwood – Stefan Dreja – Wesley Hall, Stapylton Road, Barnet.

FRIENDS OF BARNET BOROUGH LIBRARIES 20 March 8.15prn My Lord Mayor illustrated talk on some aspects of the City of London – Cyril Dombey, City of London Guide – Church End Library, Hendon Lane. N3

CAMDEN HISTORY SOCIETY talk 23 March 7.30pm. Greenwich Marsh before the Dome – Mary Hills – Burgh House, New End Square NW3

FINCHLEY SOCIETY talk 30 March 8pm. Magistrates in the Community Mike Herlihy – Drawing Room, Avenue House, N3.

BIRKBECK HISTORY SUMMER SCHOOL, 12–16 June: From Rome to Dome – 20(K) Years of London Life, Culture and Development. Whole week £150. per day £35. Apply to Carol Watts, Faculty of Continuing Education, 26 Russell Square, WC1B 5DQ. 020 7631 6652.

BIRKBECK COLLEGE,

6 – 10 March An Introduction to Archaeological Field Surveying.

Sat. 1- Sun. 2 April. An Introduction to Archaeological Fieldwork Techniques. 020 7631 6627 course details.

ANOTHER RESISTIVITY PROJECT FOR THE NEW YEAR IN BARNET; BARNET GATE WOOD MEADOW TREE PLANTING

BRIAN WRIGLEY writes; The English Heritage advisor to the London Borough of Barnet, Robert Whytehead, has notified us of proposed tree-planting by the Forestry Commission at Barnet Gate Meadow (close to the junction of Hendon Wood Lane and Barnet Road, near Arkley), and suggested we might monitor the ground disturbance. We have suggested that preliminary levelling and resistivity surveying might be useful in showing up any anomalies in the surface or subsoil, indicating areas of possible interest. Barnet Borough, owners of the site, would be more than happy to allow

this, and we understand that planting will not start until March..

There is a fairly large area (something like 300 X 40 metres) to cover, for which resistivity testing may take several full days’ work, which needs to be done before the planting starts, so we need help from as many members as possible. Would any members who would like to take part please contact me on 0208 959 5982 or Vicky O’Connor on 0208 361 1350 (Note those new area codes – Ed)

HOT NEWS UPDATE Several of the ‘Digging Team’ ventured up to Barnet gate on a cold and clear Sunday 16th January for a preliminary reconnaissance. It is a very pretty spot, a long, narrow undulating pasture field running down towards the Dollis Valley, with a band of trees on both sides. The low winter sunlight revealed possible ridge and furrow to one side of the field (or is it tractor marks?) and the first few pegs of a base line were laid in and the nearest bench mark located. The

Gate pub is readily accessible for lunchtime refreshment, and the local woodpecker was in good form, thankfully avoiding our ranging poles on this occasion. Brian reports that five members visited on Wednesday 19th Jan, making three runs across the field with the resistivity meter, and getting some

interesting readings – Ed.

UPDATE II – LISTING BUILDING

Local drinkers will be dismayed to hear that the RISING SUN public house, Highwood Hill, a listed building, was hit by a bus (from the uphill direction !!) on Monday 17th and badly damaged.

HADAS DIARY

Tuesday 8th February LECTURE; Armageddon; A History of Megiddo by Sam Moorhead

Meggido is thought to be the site of the biblical Armageddon. It is one of the major archaeological sites in Israel, and has been considerably excavated over the past 100 years. Sam Moorhead is a staff member at the British Museum.

This lecture will as always be at Avenue House, East End Road, Finchley N3, starting at 8pm and followed by coffee and biccies and the chance for a chat and purchase of HADAS publications.

EXHIBITION NEWS

Up on Greyhound Hill, there is still time to catch the excellent current Church Farmhouse Museum exhibition – BARNET: a Century of Change which closes 13th February. This uses photos and artefacts from each decade of the century to chart the changes affecting our lives in the 20th century. Subjects include transport, public services, housing, war, schools, entertainment, and shopping. Strangely enough, your editor found himself drawn to the case containing the trolleybus destination blind, tubestock destination boards for Finchley, railway milepost, and the single line token for the former Mill Hill East – Edgware railway line! The exhibition is based on the new book Barnet: The Twentieth Century ( Sutton Publishing 1999) by our own Percy Reboul and John Heathfield, and available at the museum.

A smaller temporary exhibition, Strange Barnet includes the sheep skeleton excavated by HADAS from the garden at the rear of the Museum in 1999, sharing a case with a mummified cat!

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Brian Wrigley, our esteemed excavation secretary, writes; Sheila Woodward’s report in the last Newsletter of John Creighton’s November lecture makes me feel it essential to apologise for not being able to attend it. It was John, in alliance with his schoolmate my son Stephen, who made me join HADAS in the late 1970’s so that, in accord with insurance requirements, I could come as their ‘guardian’ while they took part in the west Heath dig. While John (I now see) lost interest in the Mesolithic, and Stephen lost his in archaeology generally, I remained a member and having obtained a certificate for doing the training dig at West Heath thought I Should make use of it by taking the Diploma! I have certainly retained my interest in the Mesolithic and Prehistory generally, and indeed the reason I was unable to come to John’s lecture was my Tuesday evening lecture course on prehistoric Britain – which I am taking to bring me up- to- date on what I learned nearly 20 years

ago! Whilst there may be some logic in my absence from the lecture, I still very much regret it!

NEWS UPDATE – AVENUE HOUSE DIGGING TEAM

Bill Bass informs us that two HADAS members, Brian McCarthy and Peter Nicholson, have been attending the Museum of London Specialist Services office at Eagle Wharf Road to help identify the ceramic building material (CBM) collected from the Brockley Hill fieldwalking in 1998.They are there for a English Heritage grant assisted total of five days instruction and sorting spread over a number of weeks. They are being supervised by Ian Betts who has spoken to us before at one of our lecture days. In conjunction with this the Society has just bought a Brunel binocular microscope to study our various CBM and pottery collections.

Other ongoing projects include the site watching and resistivity at Barnet Gate Meadow ( see front page), forthcoming resistivity surveying at London Charterhouse, completion of writing up the assorted digs and surveys at the Church Farmhouse Museum and having a good old sort out at Avenue House and College Farm to address our problems of lack of storage space. We have also bought 50 strong cardboard storage boxes to assist this.

This should all keep us off the streets for a week or two!

ARCHAEOLOGY ON THE WEB

With a growing number of HADAS members ‘on line’ here are some of the new web sites sitting there waiting to be ‘hit’; Thanks to Ann Kahn for some of this info.

The Museums and Galleries Commission (MGC) has completed the second phase of its web site development; The MGC site now includes a new site search facility and over 30 free downloadable fact sheets, and advice about museums issues. Visitors to the site can interact by nominating their favourite museum object. New online for 2000 is the ‘Cornucopia’ web site covering the collections of all 1,700 MGC Registered Museums in the UK, with the aim of giving users all the information needed to contact a museum or make a visit, as well as providing a link to that museum’s own web site. ( www.museums.gov.uk/)

The Public Record Office, Kew has now put its indexes on the internet. Viewers can locate a set of documents and request them to be available when you visit Kew, or view famous documents such as Napoleon’s post mortem report, the first American newspaper, and,-within a couple of-years, the complete 1901 census will also be on the web. ( www.pro.gov.uk)

Information on the Swindon based English Heritage (former RCHME) National Monuments Record – providing details on the Archaeology and architecture of England, including photographs of people and buildings, aerial photography, building surveys, maps, plans and drawings is described at www.english-heritage.org.uk. The National Monuments Record is also involved in the Lottery funded Images of England national project to create a new photographic record of some 360,000

photographs over the next three years – ‘a defining image’ ( external) – of all the listed buildings and

structures in England at the turn of the Millenium. The project website and its selection of images can be visited at www.imagesofengland.org.uk

The Council For British Archaeology – publishers of British Archaeology and organisers of the Young Archaeologists Club- website can be found at http://www.britarch.ac.uk/cba

Our own Chairman, Andrew Selkirk of course has his own publishing venture – see www.archaeology.co.uk for the CURRENT ARCHAEOLOGY website.

At this juncture it would of course be remiss of me not to mention the web site of a certain local

aircraft museum – www.rafrnuseum.org.uk.

HALF-TERM TREAT

Monday 21th February – we will be taking a small group of younger members (7-15 years) to visit the LAARC (London Archaeological Archive and Research Centre) for a short guided tour. This centre is frequently on News Room South East or on the radio, when they process something out of the ordinary. If you, ( or your son, daughter, grandson, granddaughter) would like to join us, please phone Vikki O’Connor on 0208 ( ex 0181) 361 1350 as soon as possible. The tour would be around an hour on the Monday afternoon, and we will be meeting at Highbury & Islington Underground Station for a short bus ride to the centre. The exact timing will be finalised by the time you have read this!

(The Archive is due to be closed to visitors for about twelve months for building work, so this is your last chance till next year!)

PLANNING APPLICATIONS IN THE NORTHERN AREA BILL BASS…..

There has been a proposal to rebuild or develop The Marie Foster Home in Wood Street, Barnet. HADAS conducted an excavation next door to this site at the former Victoria Maternity Hospital in 1993. In addition to much post medieval disturbance we found a probable medieval ditch aligning with Wood Street which may have run under the Marie Foster Home ( if the feature has survived). Other medieval finds have been found in the area over the years….AND TESSA SMITH;

Former White Lion Public House & Edgware Football Club; Construction of 4-story hotel and new access to the football club. Situated on the old Watling Street and adjacent to the old bridge where the Deansbrook crosses Edgware Road. Robert Whytehead of English Heritage is issuing a field evaluation brief.

Hearns Coach Yard, Brockley Hill; Replacement room for drivers. Situated due north of the field 140, where HADAS last field-walked in 1998, and where Roman pottery kilns were fund by Stephen Castle. Robert Whytehead is requesting a watching brief.

Hendon; 19 Rowsley Ave – near to Roman cremation and Church Terrace dig.

39 Meadow Drive NW4 – ditto.

51-53 High Street Edgware – Perrys Show Room to be changed to a supermarket.

VOLUNTEERING AT SPITALFIELDS BILL BASS

As with several other HADAS members I was lucky to volunteer on this extensive and important site of the Priory and Hospital of St Mary Spital in east London. Starting with finds processing, I then managed several weeks between June and October excavating on site. I’d had some experience digging on a Roman and Saxon cemetery adjacent to St. Albans Abbey several years ago but this was something else altogether.

Overall the site was multi-period from Roman to post-medieval with burials, features, floors, streets and structures; my time was spent in the Medieval cemetery. This meant digging skeletons – the hospital inmates, monastic canons, lay sisters and benefactors, just some of the c.8500 excavated over nearly a year by MOLAS, the archaeological contractor. This was described by Julian Richards of ‘Meet the Ancestors’ fame (you may have seen the programme) as ‘archaeology on an industrial scale’. I can only agree. For most of the dig MoLAS employed over 100 archaeologists, plus excavators, mostly on short term contracts for the duration of the dig, also several students and volunteers.

What struck you first overlooking the site was the sheer size of the project, bordered by the old Spitalfields market, Eden house and St. Botolph’s, with a surrounding backdrop of shiny modern office blocks. The excavation was destined to become a carpark for one such building. Then you noticed the hive of activity as people were digging, recording, surveying and carrying the results – bags of Skeletons to be stored before washing, drying and so forth. Apart from the scattering of 82 burials from the underlying Roman cemetery the rest were from the extensive and intensively used Medieval cemetery of the Priory and Hospital. The site has been known about for a long time, indeed MoLAS have been excavating in this area for the last 20 years or so.

On site there were various ways to find a burial including;

· spraying an area with water to show up the burial ‘cut’

· ‘spitting’ with a mattock – i.e. slicing off sections of brickearth a few centimetres thick until finding a burial ( usually the skull to start with)

· or, very often when excavating one skeleton or feature, another burial is disturbed.

· This last point is important as all the burials had to be dug in a stratigraphic manner to enable the correct phasing of the cemetery to be seen, to show for example, where the cemetery was started, how it was used and how intensively over the several centuries it was in use (c.1235 to 1538), although the hospital inmates were buried in a separate cemetery until 1280.

Once a burial was found it was a matter of defining any edges and then extent and completeness of the skeleton. Quite often you were dealing with parts – odd legs, feet, skulls etc – how did these relate to surrounding burials? Often excavators could have several skeletons exposed for some time until the right relationship between them could be found.

Once this had been established your burial could then be carefully excavated by trowel, brush etc. making sure small hand and feet bones-were- situ and looking for evidence of coffin nails or small finds associated with the body. Although there were some coffin burials, most people appeared to be laid to rest with a simple shroud. Any obvious signs of pathology such as bone disease or healed and broken bones would be notified to the bone specialist in case they wanted to see the material before it was lifted.

Once the bones had been uncovered and cleaned in situ it was time to have them surveyed, because of the amount of skeletons and time involved the burials were not individually drawn in relation to a grid but are plotted by ‘pen-mapping’.

I’d seen this done when laying out a grid for a field-walking operation but not on-site such as this. The technique involves a type of laptop computer connected to an electronic theodolite; the theodolite emits an infra-red beam which is reflected by a prism held over different points on the skeleton or feature to be recorded, this giving an instant reading of the burial plotted on to the site grid with its levels, the recording process taking 5-10 minutes, much quicker than by tape and drawing.

Once downloaded onto the main computer all sorts of information about density and relationships could be seen, plotted and printed out. A digital photograph of all skeletons was also taken. While this was going on you would get on with the paperwork such as entering numbers for the cut, skeleton, and fill of the burial, each of these 3 items needing a MoLAS pro-forma context or skeleton sheet to be filled in. Describing various elements of the burial such as orientation, position of the body, limbs, head and condition of the bone and so on, plus the all important stratigraphic matrix. Once recorded the bones could be lifted, which was not always a simple task – the brickearth did not want to give up its dead that easily.

Leg and arm bones were generally 0.K to lift but the ribs, vertebrae ( and sometimes skulls) were often a challenge being fragile and sometimes in poor condition. The bones were bagged and labelled then stored upstairs for washing.

In general there were few finds from the graves themselves, but some important ones included a papal bulla, a lead disc given as a reward by the Pope for charitable works and about five other graves were found with a communion set consisting of a pewter chalice and paten denoting a priest. These were lifted by specialist conservators ‘en block’ for excavation back at the lab.

The above does not take into account digging any of the mass burial pits with 20 or more skeletons in each which was a complex and time consuming job. It was however fascinating to be around and work on such an important and interesting London excavation. Many thanks to all the staff on site especially Dave Bowsher, Nick Holder, Tony Grey ( finds) and Site Director Chris Thomas for their help.

From the Membership Secretary

Hello to the following members who have joined since August; Christian Allen & Lin Liu; Daniel Anglum; Megan Rosen-Webb; Shane Copus; Leslie Hedges; Tricia Roberts; Dr and Mrs John Gorvin; James Boureh; Andrew Coulson; Rose Wilson; Jill Hooper; Elaine Furze; Sonia Mariani; Peter Collins. We have already met most of you at one event or another, and look forward to seeing

more of you this year – and bring a friend!

APACHE AUTUMN AGAIN 1999 DEREK BATTEN

This report is a continuation of my 1998 dig in the Guadelope Mountains, dutifully documented in Apache Autumn 1998. This Passport in Time project had failed to locate the site of Lt. Cushing’s December 1869 fight with the Mescalero Apaches and it was decided to extend the search this year.

I telephoned our project leader, Chris Adams, to be told that New Mexico had received abnormal rainfall this summer, and I could expect the land to be much greener. This had increased the presence of rattlesnakes in the area. Gulp! But I remembered the 1998 Apache advice to bang the ground with a stick to keep the critters away. ( in four days I saw only one snake; a patch head, about two feet long and quite slim).

It seemed a good idea to arrange my itinerary to fit in a visit to the Alamo. The Alamo’s claims to be the cradle of Texan liberty, all presented by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas is well presented, like most American historical locations. There was a time chart outside relating Texan and world events. Of course, I always get angry when read for 1815; ‘European coalition defeats Napoleon at Waterloo’ making no recognition of Wellington.

There are ten of us in the team this year, five from last year and five newcomers. In the four days I can participate, we find two new Rancheria sites but no evidence of Cushing’s attack. On the first day I locate a coscojo – part of a Mexican bridle, and on day three find a number of metal arrow head points. Our big find that day was a Spanish silver coin dated 1884 and showing the head of King Carlos III. On this day we were visited by Mark Rosacker who runs a sanctuary for injured wild animals; he led us on an unsuccessful hike through a canyon in search of a pictograph of a Spanish padre.

So – very little archaeological success but the search continues. We did see several pictographs and petroliths. With luck I might be back in 2000.

COUCH POTATO CORNER

For those dark winter evenings when the trowel is best used for slicing the pizza, the TV programmers have brought back some old favourites;

We are well into the new TIME TEAM series; still to come, all on a Sunday at 5.30pm, are Elvedon – the earliest traces of mankind, on 6th February; Coventry – the missing Cathedral and the diabetic prior, on 13th February; Basing House, Royalist stronghold in the civil war, on 20th Feb; Flag Fen – Bronze Age Burial Practices, on 27th February, Greenwich – The Roman Temple on Watling Street on 12th March, Hartlepool, Nuns in Northumbria, on 19th March, and York – Imperial Mausoleum, Viking Street and Norman Hospital, following up from last year’s live dig, on 26th March. ( Also now showing is the new series of Meet The Ancestors)

From the Membership Secretary

Hello to the following members who have joined since August; Christian Allen & Lin Liu; Daniel Anglum; Megan Rosen-Webb; Shane Copus; Leslie Hedges; Tricia Roberts; Dr and Mrs John Gorvin; James Bourch; Andrew Coulson; Rose Wilson; Jill Hooper; Elaine Furze; Sonia Mariani; Peter Collins. We have already met most of you at one event or another, and look forward to seeing more of you this year – and bring a friend!

JANUARY LECTURE REPORT by Andy Simpson

A packed house enjoyed an excellent talk from long-time HADAS member Okasha El Daly

on `Predynastic Egypt: The Formative Years’. Our lecturer has taught courses on Egypt for 20 years, and in that time has noticed a general lack of interest in pre-dynastic, pre Pharaoh Egypt, covering the period 6600 – 3000BC. The former title for this period, proto-dynastic, has recently been revived. The beginning of this period, c.7000 BC, saw climatic change certainly in Egypt and possibly on a global scale. There was extreme drought in the desert areas. People arrived in the area later to become Egypt some 300,000 years ago, moving eastwards but not up to the Nile – they settled instead around large freshwater lakes such as Napta in Southern Egypt. By 6,700 BC the inhabitants were still hunter-gatherers , with fishing and some agriculture evident. The search for fertile land brought outsiders from Mesopotamia and Arabia, producing a mix of indigenous and incoming peoples including African and near eastern elements. Egypt is 1.070km long, North – South, and 1,270KM wide. The southern part of Upper Egypt – has little green land but much desert. With such a

restraint on land many buildings are built on top of one another, producing tell-like mounds as they decay and are replaced. Parts of Egypt are forested, and there is a large petrified forest in the SE of the country, a half hours drive from Cairo. In Cairo there is a Predynastic site on an early road from the Red Sea.

Ancient King Lists show early Egyptians were aware of this past, referred to in shadowy, supernatural terms of gods and demi-gods supposedly living up to 30,000 years before the first dynasty. This time scale, large though it is, could be correct, though we presently can only trace events back some 7,000 years. The King Lists record the mother’s name, not the fathers, hinting at a matriarchal society. The level of the life-giving, irrigating Nile is also recorded on these lists.

One site visited had in-situ quern stones on the surface with even their grinding stones still intact, and fertile soil buried beneath 2-3 cm of sand. The level of the now lost Lake Napta fluctuated, so wells with carved steps were dug on its perimeter. The rock drawings of c.40000 BC show, very accurately, animals now found further south, such as giraffes and elephants, and also the Ostrich,. which does still survive in the Egyptian desert. Another urban site of 5,200 BC has burials between and beneath the houses with house lined streets suggesting centrally imposed social order.

The occupants worshipped the cow goddess as the cow was one of the earliest domesticated animals. Of the figurines found, 90% are female, again possibly reflecting a matriarchal society. There is evidence of well organised linen workshops, and distinctive bone combs with animal decoration. There is much ceramic material, and bird headed figures – human, or a deity? The Predynastic period entered its final phase c.3,700 BC and features wooden model houses with lintel built doors and windows. The area was still dry – today, parts of Upper Egypt get rain every 30-40 years. One painted tomb shows distinctive boats and animals fighting – possibly a festival. Carvings of this late period suggest some warfare, organised by the kings that ruled by this time, although trade was an important influence on the unification process. Ivory plaques show war scenes on one side and peaceful scenes on the other. There is evidence of the emergence of a middle class – we have the names of senior officials on tablets. This was a most detailed and enjoyable reminder that there is more to the history of Egypt than the Pyramids and ‘King Tut’?

NEWS FLASH – The Iron Age Interpretative centre at Flag Fen, previously visited by HADAS, has been damaged by fire. The museum and visitor centre are untouched, but the post excavation room, containing Francis Pryors’ slide collection and 3 years site archive, is lost. Our Condolences.

OTHER SOCIETIES’ EVENTS by Eric Morgan

LONDON CANAL MUSEUM 3rd February 730pm

The Ice Age: Satisfying the Victorian Appetite for Ice – Dr. Robert David New Wharf Road, King’s Cross N.11 £2.50/1.25 concessions.

PINNER LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY 3rd February 8pm

Emma and Horatia: Like Mother, Like Daughter? Joan Walpole Reilly Pinner Village Hall Chapel Lane car park £1.00 donation requested.

LAMAS Thursday 10 Feb, AGM followed by Derek Keene’s Presidential address; New Thoughts on the Royal Palace in the City of London, 6.15pm Museum of London, London Wall.

WILLESDEN LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY 16th February 8pm HADAS stalwart MARY O’CONNELL is talking on ‘London’s Oddities’

at The Archives, Cricklewood Library, Olive Road, NW2,

HAMPSTEAD SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY 17th February 8.15pm

Evolutionary & Genetic Control of Body Asymmetry Dr Jonathan Cook. Crypt Room St. John’s Church, Church Row NW3.

BERKHAMSTEAD & DISTRICT ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY

Thurs 24 Feb, LOOKING AT ROMAN COINS, David Thorold, Deputy Keeper of Archaeology, Verulamium Museum. 8pm Berkharnsted Collegiate School, Newcroft Wing, Mill Street, Berkhamsted ( £1 donation )

FINCHLEY SOCIETY 24th February 8pm

Organisation, Supply and Retailing at Teseo Drawing Room, Avenue House, Finchley.

16th Local History Day ASPECTS OF THE MILLENIUM Saturday 26 February;

Winston Churchill Hall Ruislip 9.45 am – 4.45pm. Tickets £3 Tel; 01895 635890 from Mary Pache, 20 Rosebury Vale, Ruislip, Middx. HA4 6AQ. (Cheques to R_NELHS with SAE). Speakers include Jim Gotland, who took HADAS on an excellent tour and talk on the origins of Harrow School, and Pat Clark who took us on an excellent tour of Pinner, followed by a visit to Harrow Museum. Topics include The Domesday Survey in NW Middlesex, changes in churches in Tudor Times, Transport and Industry, and housing for the rural working class.

Welcome to the first newsletter of the New Year and Millennium
(even if you think it’s 12 months early), good luck and best wishes for the future.

Ted Sammes – A Generous Bequest

Ted, founder-member and Vice President who died in November 1998 has left the bulk of his Will between two main parties – HADAS and The Maidenhead Archaeological Society, he lived in Taplow in recent years. HADAS has received £60,000 so far with some more to come once details of the Estate have been settled. For the present the money will be banked until a decision is made on its future use. An evening is being planned in April to celebrate Ted’s life and his archaeology, there will be reminiscences from people and friends who knew him and an exhibition of his work, amongst others things. Ted was highly active in HADAS’s early years contributing to the society’s early successful excavations helping to uncover Hendon’s archaeology and foundation.

London Charterhouse Project for the New Year – by Brian Wrigley

HADAS has been asked by Colin Bowlt to carry out a resistivity survey to determine whether a likely feature shown on an aerial photograph can confirm the location of a water conduit built in 1431 by the Carthusian monks. We visited the site in November and identified the area to be surveyed. It would be useful if we could recruit enough volunteers to form two teams; one for the resistivity runs and one to take a series of runs with the level. The project should take one or perhaps two weekends, but as this seems to be a somewhat chilly winter so far, we will wait for slightly warmer weather. In the meantime, any members who would like to take part, please contact myself on 0208 959 5982 or Vikki O’Connor on 0208 361 1350 as we need to draw up a list of people available. Perhaps some of those members who had some training on the Church Farmhouse Museum dig last summer would like to have a go? We would be giving at least one weeks’ notice.

The site is five minutes away from the Barbican Underground Station, close to Smithfield.

HADAS DIARY

Thursday 13 January Lecture: ‘Predynastic Egypt: The Formative Years’ by Kasha El Daly –

Please note that this lecture is on THURSDAY and not on the usual Tuesday.

Most people think of Egypt starting with the pyramids, this evening’s lecture will give an overview of recent works tracing developments from the seventh millennium BCE leading up to the rise of Civilisation in the Nile Valley. °kasha graduated from Cairo University in 1980. Worked as a guide and lecturer until he came to Britain in 1992 and started teaching Egyptology at the University of London.

Tuesday 6 February Lecture: Armageddon and Megiddo by Sam Moorhead.

The first lecture for 2000 will be in the Drawing Room (ground floor) at Avenue House, East End Road, Finchley, N3 Starting at 8.00pm (new time) followed by coffee.

Secretary’s Corner

A meeting of the Committee was held on 3 December 1999. The following items were among those discussed:

1. Continued consideration is being given to alternative more suitable premises. Meanwhile a new lease is being negotiated at Avenue House.

2. As a result of increased publicity, membership has grown to 310. A new leaflet about the Society and its activities has been prepared for issue to new members.

3. The Society is buying a binocular microscope to aid finds processing at a cost of approximately £300.

4. As previously reported, the Sammes Memorial Evening will take place in April.

5. Work on the Church Farm House and Brockley Hill fieldwalking finds continues.

6. There is a proposal for tree planting at Barnet Gate Meadow and the Society has been invited to monitor ground disturbance.

7. There are vacancies on the committee which should be filled by new, active members – particularly young ones! Next Meeting 4 February 2000

In connection with number 1 above, do any members own or know of a secure/dry storage area where we could keep our digging equipment and possibly some finds? Such as a lock-up garage, shed or small room, we would be prepared to pay a reasonable rent for a place perhaps in the Finchley or Hendon area. If so please phone Bill Bass on 0181-449-0165, thanks.

Membership News

Phyllis Fletcher – our membership secretary for many years, has moved to The ORCHARD in Hampstead Garden Suburb_ Her phone number

remains the same.

Mickey Cohen – one of our Newsletter editors and committee members, had an accident in her flat and has spent 3 weeks in the Royal Free. She is now convalescing and hopes to be home soon.

Marjorie Errington – a very long standing member has had to move to a retirement home in Potters Bar, following a year or two of ill-health. A popular member who rarely missed our events, we wish her well in her new home. Her new address and phone number can be obtained from Dorothy or Vikki.

from Dorothy Newbury

Murial Large – has also had an accident and tells us she misses our activities, particularly the lectures.

If any Finchley members could offer her a lift sometimes I am sure she would appreciate it.

Freda Wilkinson – sadly we have to report her death in November. She was almost a founder member, joining HADAS in its very early days. She was an indexer by profession and in her early days was a very active member, excavating at West Heath Mesolithic site and at the Church End dig in Hendon. She was an active member of the Prehistoric Society, travelling at home and abroad on their study tours. She was cremated at Hendon Crematorium where several members attended.
The NEWSLETTER

Dorothy writes to say we are looking for a replacement editor. HADAS is very lucky to have 12 members who are willing to take on this job. Not many local societies have a Newsletter every month. Vikki O’Connor says we have quite a number of new members – do we have one who could fill the place of one who has reluctantly retired ? Or do we have an old member prepared to produce one a year. Copy is sent in by members, then typed or word-processed and sent back to me for printing. We still send Newsletters to members who have moved away to all parts of the country, and is much appreciated by all of them. We are grateful to our members who take on this job – and don’t always get the appreciation they deserve.

NOVEMBER LECTURE Report by Sheila Woodward

John Creighton – Britain in the Shadow of Rome

It was good to welcome John Creighton back to a HADAS gathering. As a teenager he dug on our Mesolithic site at West Heath and so acquired a taste for excavation, though he admits that it taught him that the Mesolithic was not for him! His interest now centres on Iron Age and Roman archaeology and in his lecture he offered a re-interpretation of Roman influence in Britain between Caesar’s invasions of 55 and 54BC and the Claudian conquest and occupation of 43AD.

Taking the famous St Albans Folly Lane burial as his starting point, John Creighton suggested that its depiction as a Celtic Iron Age burial and shrine gives a wrong emphasis. The material culture associated with the burial is clearly Roman. It is accepted that Julius Caesar conquered Gaul but we do not see him as having conquered Britain: he just ‘popped over’. Yet Caesar himself claimed that he had conquered Britain; he had a triumph to prove it.

So, did south-east Britain become part of the Roman world from 55BC? Certainly it ceased to be the ‘unknown quantity’ it had been prior to Caesar’s invasion. It features in the Roman literature of the period and its tribal dynasties are well attested both there and in the tribal coinage. Commius of the Atrebates was Caesar’s ally during the invasion of Britain and though he subsequently changed sides he seems later to have agreed terms with Mark Antony. Coins issued by Commius and his successors began to be Romanised, even to the use of the title Rex for the leader. Similarly, among the Catevellauni, coins of ‘King Tasciovanus’ were being minted by about 20BC. Does this mean, asked John Creighton, that these dynasties from Gaul were ‘planted’ in Britain by Caesar to encourage Romanisation? It is known that Caesar and other conquerors took children of the elite in conquered countries and brought them up as Romans. Returned to their own countries as rulers, they would become allies of Rome.

The design of coins minted in south east Britain after 54BC began to change from traditional abstract patterns to Roman-type imagery such as sphinxes, gryphons and vine leaves. Copies of coins issued by Augustus featuring his equestrian statue and a star (following the appearance of a comet) were produced by the Atrebates. After his victory at Actium, Augustus’ coins used the figure of Victory standing on a globe to express world domination. The Catuvellaunian King Cunobelin issued coins featuring Victory to symbolise his authority in Britain – but his Victory holds a torque instead of a laurel wreath. And when the Roman world under its emperor Augustus at last achieved peace, this was symbolised in the symmetry of its coin designs. A similar symmetry then appears on British coinage.

The Roman custom of educating conquered “princelings” in Rome enabled the future rulers of client kingdoms to get to know each other. It must have created quite an international enclave. For example Juba of Nubia, brought up in Rome, married a daughter of Antony and then became King of Mauritania. Because of such contacts Britain’s copying of coin imagery was not confined to Rome. British coins of the period show links with Mauritania, North Africa and the Black Sea region.

All this Romanisation of late Iron Age Britain would account, in John Creighton’s view, for the suspiciously speedy success of the Claudian conquest 45AD. The urbanisation of south east Britain had already begun: oppida established, coins being restyled, lucrative trade with the rest of the Roman world. Perhaps the cynical Tacitus said it all: “Britons were gradually led on to the amenities that make vice agreeable – arcades, baths and sumptuous banquets. They spoke of such novelties as ‘civilisation’ when really they were only a feature of their enslavement.”

Christmas Dinner

Members enjoyed an interesting tour around Dr Johnson’s House, he lived at 17 Gough Square from 1748 – 1759, and it was here that he compiled the first English dictionary published in 1755. The house contains books, papers, letters prints, and other artefacts from Samuel Johnson’s time. While some of the features have been restored such as wood paneling, staircase and some period furniture, the rooms are kept as ‘working spaces’ for events and the use of researchers. The dinner was held at the nearby Ye Olde Cock Tavern originally built in 1549, 56 HADAS members followed in the illustrious footsteps of previous customers such as Pepys, Dickens, Seridan and Garrick.

Time Team 2000

The team have been recording new programmes for a 12 part series starting in January. Excavations include: a WW2 Spitfire in France, a Pagan Temple in Greenwhich and other sites in Benidorm (!), Coventry, Hereford and Hartlepool.

Also look out for the new season of Meet the Ancestors beginning in January with the first programme on the Roman Sarcophacus found at Spitalfields

Dover Boat

The Bronze Age craft excavated in 1992 by the Canterbury Archaeological Trust during roadworks is now on display at Dover Museum, The 31 ft vessel has been dated to 1550 BC and is thought to have been sea-going. Its plank-sewn construction is broadly similar to that of one found at North Ferriby on the River Humber before the last war. Restoration cost 12.5 million, the vessel now rests propped on a steel cradle in a sealed glass case.

EXCAVATIONS AT BROCKLEY HILL, STANMORE

In the Transactions of the LAMAS 1998 Wessex Archaeology report on an excavation they carried out at Brockley Hill, Stanmore. The site was located to the west of Watling Street (Harrow side) near the southern end of the hill by the A410 roundabout. Investigations were required in advance of housing development on former Ministry of Defence land. The site had suffered heavily by disturbance and truncation from the former MoD buildings and service roads.

In summary, the material they found consisted of ” sporadic” Romano-British activity, of a varied, but somewhat enigmatic nature. There was no evidence of any domestic occupation of the site and no obvious links with the Brockley Hill kilns to the north. Discrete deposits of gravel and concentrations of fragmentary and abraded Roman masonry and ceramics were found adjacent to the road to the south of the site, and this area may have served as a road-maintenance depot. Evidence of industrial activity was recovered in the north of the site, but its precise nature is unclear. The presence of large ponds or wells may be linked with industrial use of the site or indicate that it also served as a watering place for drovers travelling between London and Verulamium “. It was felt that the artifactual evidence indicated a predominantly late Romano-British occupation (AD 240-400), although earlier material had been found, this was thought to be residual/dumped from elsewhere. Other finds included metalwork, worked limestone and a small amount of wood (stakes and planks) from one of the former ponds. Features found included ditches, gullies, pits, slots and post- holes. Illustration unfortunately not available

The pottery and ceramic building material report here is also of interest in view of our (HADAS) recent fieldwalking of the kiln area at the top of Brockley Hill. Their earlier fabrics (AD 60-160) are dominated by Verulamium Region White wares and other unassigned sandy wares with some non-local finer Nene Valley colour coated types and a little Samian ware. This, at a glance, seems to broadly follow the pattern of our fieldwalking pottery, the material from both sites also appear to be fairly abraded Their later fine wares consist of a significant amount of colour coated and parchment pottery from Oxford.

Although not very conclusive the report adds more detail and information to this very interesting area, but our friend, Sulloniacis, still remains elusive.

Cutting comments

A mysterious but almost perfectly preserved underground structure unearthed in Orkney may contain the first Neolithic staircase ever discovered. If the three-storey structure turns out to be from that period, c3000 BC, archaeologists say it will shed fresh light on the Neolithic people’s capabilities. There are in fact three staircases connecting various chambers, one contains an alcove housing an animal skull. John Gater, a geophysics expert, has found evidence of an enormous ditch built around the site. He also believes satellite buildings were scattered near it. Historic Scotland will decide this year (1999) whether to fund a full-scale excavation of the site.

WINE ANYONE

A 300 year intact bottle of wine found by MoLAS archaeologists at the Spitalfields excavation was widely reported when it was opened for sampling by experts. It was one of two found in the remains of the cellar beneath the former house of the Master Gunner of England. The house was demolished in 1682 – allowing this onion shaped bottle to be dated to 1670-1680.

” Slightly volatile, dry and surprisingly fresh” said the experts, ” Somewhere off the west African coast, possibly Madeira, possibly the Canaries…. but it has high acid, good acid, which is typical of the Madeira”, soil “.

IMPRESSIONS OF PERU by Bill Bass

The Spanish conquistadors encountered in Peru a land of bewildering contrasts – coastal desert, high plateau, snow-capped mountain ranges, fertile valleys with rushing rivers, and dense Amazon rainforest. The Inca Empire c1100-1500AD was the largest in the Americas, extending over 4,000 kilometres from northern Ecuador to the heart of Chile. Its wealth was its downfall as the conquistadors plundered riches to fill the coffers of the Spanish crown. Less well known but equally fascinating are the remains of earlier preceding civilisations such the Moche, Wari, Chavin and Paracas. This year I was fortunate to go on my travels again, so during October and November, packed my bags and visited this amazing country, my first time south of the equator. I travelled with a friendly group of 15 people.

Like most people our first contact with Peru is the capital, Lima, which is a massive urban sprawl of some 8 million people. The modern city was founded by Francisco Pisarro in 1535 but there are some remains of pre-Inca settlement such as the Huaca

Huallamarca a restored Maranga temple dating from about 200- 500AD or the recently excavated mud-brick temple of Huaca Juliana about 4th century AD. Many other ruins have already been swallowed up by the capital’s rapid expansion over recent years. We visit the Museo de Oro (Gold Museum) a huge private collection held in a large vault in the suburbs of Lima, consisting of gold, silver, ceramic, stone, clothing and other artefacts belonging to pre- Spanish cultures. With a visit to the main town plaza you can see the contrasts of a modern cosmopolitan city with its historic Spanish colonial architecture, while five minutes around the corner some of the massive problems Peru is struggling with confronts you. Covering the hills that surround Lima are the pueblos jovenes or ‘young towns’, these shanty towns lack electricity, water and adequate sanitation. The thousands that live in these conditions scratch a living as best they can amongst high unemployment and poverty.

Heading south there’s an excursion to the Ballestras Islands an hours boat ride off the Paracus Peninsula. The rocky islands are home to hundreds of sealions basking in the sun while wheeling overhead are many species of sea bird including the guanay cormorant, the Peruvian booby and pelicans. Also seen was the odd penguin (lost from the Antarctic apparently) and a turkey vulture. The birds nest on the offshore islands in such numbers that their nitrogen-rich droppings (guano) collect in quantities large enough to be commercially exploited for fertiliser. This practice dates from at least Inca times. Continuing on down the Pan-American highway through fields of cotton and oranges to the flat and stony pampa of Nazca to view the mysterious lines. The patterns drawn on the plain are thought to date from the Paracas and Nazca period 900 BC to 600 AD, but this is inconclusive and still open to much debate. Theories for there purpose include an astronomical calendar, ritual walkways, appeals to the Gods and so on. They were made by removing the darker sun baked stones from the surface of the desert and piling them up on either sides of the lines, thus exposing the lighter coloured soil. A recent experiment by teachers and students using well-laid plans, geometry, wooden posts and rope drew a spiral in the way that the Nazcas are thought to have done it finishing the spiral in one morning We observed the lines from a (slightly bumpy) light- plane flight, the plain is covered in designs with many being overlapped and reused, some designs represent a variety of giant animals such as a lizard, monkey with an extravagantly curled tail or a condor with a 130 metre wingspan. Others are simple but perfect triangles, rectangles or straight lines running for several kilometres across the desert.

Back on terra-firma we drive to the Cemetery of Chauchilla, here excavated and preserved by the dry heat are the bones, skulls, mummies, pottery sherds and fragments of cloth dating back to the late Nazca period. The mummies sit crouched in their tombs open to the sun, wrapped in burial coats and other textiles, some of the heads have been deformed and elongated, considered a sign of prestige and beauty. Elsewhere bleached bones and artefacts are scattered on the surface as far as you could see.

Before turning inland we visit Puerto Inca, a sheltered bay once the port for Cusco – messages and fresh fish could be carried by teams of chasquis (runners) along an Inca road to the Imperial capital 240 kilometres away, within 24 hours. The Rio Pachitea runs into the bay which is surrounded by a rocky, sandy almost martian landscape, there were extensive ruins of the earlier settlement which we explored.

From the coast we head across the desert and climb to Arequipa (2325m above sea level) the main city of southern Peru. The place is overlooked by El Misti a spectacular snow-capped volcano, many of the city’s buildings date to colonial times, quite a few are built from a very light-coloured volcanic rock called ‘sillar’, the buildings dazzle in the sun earning Arequipa the nickname ‘the white city’. Amongst the Cathedral, churches and colonial houses is the Monastery of Santa Catalina, in fact it was a convent built in 1580 and eventually grew to occupy 20,000 sq m, a city within a city. At its height 450 people lived here (about a third nuns and the rest servants) funded by rich dowries. After about 3 centuries of this, the pope complained that Santa Catalan was more like a club than a convent, he sent Sister Josefa Cadena, a strict Dominican nun, to straighten things out. She arrived in 1871, sent all the rich dowries back to Europe, and freed all the servants and slaves, giving them the choice of staying as nuns or leaving. The complex was opened to the public in 1970 who are free to wander around the narrow twisting streets and tiny plazas, courtyards, cloisters and dwelling rooms. Arequipa has a history of earthquakes – many buildings have been destroyed over the years, one night we experienced a minor earth ‘tremor’ of around 15 seconds, no big deal in these parts but it’s enough to get your attention. A short flight takes us over the Andes to Juliaca which is bustling local town and railway junction, we arrive in the evening. The locals many in traditional dress are making their way home from an anniversary fiesta marking the towns foundation, by foot, bike, tricycle taxi and anything else that comes to hand, all loaded with market produce and various animals, birds and so forth. The local economy is mainly agricultural the vast plains around here are covered in small and large farmsteads. Early in the morning we drive to Lake Titicaca (3820m) at this altitude the air is thin, clear and freezing cold (it warms-up later). Our boat calls at several islands including one of the floating islands of the Uros people. The lives of the Uros are totally interwoven with the ‘totora reeds’ that grow in abundance in the shallows of the lake, their islands, homes and boats are made with the stuff Today, about 300 people live this lifestyle, but the attractions of shore life is eroding this small number. After a fleeting overnight stay at Puno, the lake’s major town, our next stop is to the site of Sillustani. The Colla tribe were a pre- Inca people living around Lake Titicaca, their dead were buried in funerary towers called ‘chullpas’ which can be seen in the Puno area, the most impressive of which can be seen at Sillustani. The towers are up to 12m high and made of massive coursed blocks, some of the towers are unfinished, carved but unplaced blocks and a ramp used to raise them to the correct height are other features to be seen. The site is partially encircled by Lake Umayo – making a serene and peaceful place.

Back at Juliaca our party boards a train heading north for Cusco, it has to edge out slowly as the daily market is in full swing with stalls crammed close to the tracks selling every conceivable goods. An 8 hour journey takes us across the dusty altiplano dotted with llama and alpaca, over the La Raya pass (4321m) and on through fertile valleys to Cusco.

The imperial capital was laid out in the rough shape of a puma probably in the 12th century by the first Inca, Manco Capac, the son of the sun. Today, leading off the picturesque central plaza with its fountains, great Cathedral, and Jesuit church of La Campania are narrow stepped streets which bear witness to the extraordinary skill of Inca
stonemasons – many are lined with precisely interlocked stonework which serves as the foundation for colonial and modern buildings. One of the most impressive structures would have been the Coricancha (Sun Temple) now forming the base of the church of Santa Domingo. This temple in the Inca period would have been lined with some 700 gold sheets, each weighing about 2kg. There were life-size gold and silver replicas of corn that were ceremonially ‘planted’ in agricultural rituals. Also reported were solid gold treasures such as altars, llamas and babies, as well as a replica of the sun. Within months of the arrival of the first conquistadors, this incredible wealth had all been melted down. Walking around today we admired the amazing architecture – tapering walls and closely fitted blocks forming chambers, doors, windows and niches. We also visit some sites overlooking Cusco, one, Sacayhuaman was a massive fortress – making- up the head of the puma mentioned above. Some areas were being excavated, finds included several mummies that were found in previous weeks.

After several days exploring the Sacred Valley, heartland of the Inca empire, we start walking the Inca Trail (or Inca Trial as some have put it). We spent four days the trail walking a distance of
about 44km (27 miles) walking up and down three high passes, the highest being Dead Woman’s Pass’ at 4200m, in between the passes there was Peruvian Flat’ (nothing of the sort). At this altitude I found it very tough going, fortunately we were distracted by visiting sites, admiring the snow-capped scenery, inspecting the flora and fauna – giant cactuses, orchids, wild iris, geraniums which were visited by hummingbirds. The lower hills are lined with beans, onions, figs, tomatoes, pineapples and corn, often we made way for farmers or their children shepherding goats, cows and packhorses along the trek, passing their small crofts with chickens and pigs on the way. At night we camped, it was a bit cold but the clear air and lack of light gave a great view of the Milky Way. Constructing the trail itself was an amazing feat by the Incas, clearing the path, laying the stone and in some places tunnelling through and expanding natural fissures in the solid rock.

On the afternoon of the final day a short steep climb brings to the Sun Gate, in the distance a glorious panorama of Machu Picchu in sunshine surrounded by a wall of mountains, with Huayna Picchu, the steep peak towering over the monument, almost protecting it. It takes an hour to walk from the gate down to the site, Machu Picchu becomes bigger and bigger, it’s a surprisingly large site the promontory covered in stone buildings with agricultural terracing on the surrounding slopes before a sheer drop to the valley below. Returning early the next morning, it’s quiet and we have a guided tour amongst. the temples, houses, Royal Palace, ceremonial baths, tombs and many other buildings. Although known about by a handful of the local Quechua peasants it was Hiram Bingham who brought Machu Picchu to the world’s attention in 1911, since then many theories have been put forward for its construction, but nobody knows to this day why it was really built. But the exceptionally high quality of the stonework and the abundance of ornamental rather than practical sites, show that it must have been an important ceremonial centre.

Peru has had varying fortunes recently, political and civil unrest, high unemployment and heavy flooding due to the effects of El Nino. But the country has a great history and the people appear to be as friendly and cheerful as they can in difficult circumstances. It was a great place to visit.

Other Events

Harvey Sheldon’s series of Thursday night lectures resumes on January 27 2000, the subject is Recent Work on London’s Archaeology: Investigations and Interpretations. At the Institute of Archaeology, 7.00pm, fee £40/£20 concessions (10 lectures) or £5 on the door. Contact Anna Colloms, tel. 0171 631 6627′

27 Jan Heathrow and other West London Gravel Sites – John Lewis

3 Feb The Thames Foreshore – Mike Webber

10 Feb The London Amphitheatre – Nick Bateman 17 Feb Roman Cemeteries – Jenny Hall

24 Feb The Mithraeum and Fort Reconsidered – John Shepherd

2 Mar Archaeology of the Cray and Darenth Valleys – Brian Philp

9 Mar London’s Monasteries – Barney Sloane 16 Mar Saxons in the Strand – Bob Cowie

23 Mar Royal Palaces in London – David Wilkinson

30 Mar Archaeology of the Jubilee Line – James Drummond Murray

Exhibitions

St. Johns United Reform Church will be having an exhibition on

it’s foundation as St Augustines Presbyterian Church & New Barnet Congregational Church both in 1870, to their amalgamation – the creation

of St Johns & the rebuilding of the church; by means of written text, photographs, programmes, record books, plans and so forth. The opening will take place after morning service on Sunday 2nd January 2000 and will then be open on the following Saturdays between 10am to 4pm on 8, 15, 22, 29th of Jan. It will also be open on the following Sundays between lpm to 4pm on 2, 9, 16, 23, 30th Jan. After 30th Jan it will close.

You can still catch these exhibitions at the British Museum: Cracking codes – the Rosetta Stone and Decipherment, until 16th January. Gilded Dragons – buried treasures from China’s golden ages, £6.00/4.00 cons, until 20th February.

Other society’s lectures

6th January The Grand Union Canal – by Ken Moore, London Canal Museum, 7.30pm, Croydon Canal – by David Delaney, New Wharf Road, Kings Cross, Ni. £2.5011.25 cons

10th January

Barnet & District Local History Society, 3.00pm, Social History of Lighting – by Dr. A Lynch, Wesley Hall, Stapyton Road. Barnet.

HADAS DIARY

Tuesday 7 December Christmas Dinner at The Cock Tavern following a visit to Dr. Johnson’s house.

This event is now fully booked and there is a waiting list. If you find you cannot come, let Dorothy Newbury know as soon as possible (203 0950) so that she can re-allocate your ticket.

THURSDAY 13 January Prehistoric Egypt by HADAS member Okasha El Daly

Please note not on our usual Tuesday evening. For the rest of the year lectures will be on Tuesdays as usual. Further details of Okasha’s lecture will appear in the January Newsletter.

BROCKLEY HILL STUDY DAY by Peter Pickering

Some 32 people assembled in the grandly named but rather shabby Training Centre by Avenue House on 30th October for a fascinating and instructive study day. Besides old stalwart members we had dis­tinguished visitors from other organisations, including Fiona Seeley of the Museum of London Specialist Services, and, most gratifying of all, seven people attracted by the publicity Tim Wilkins ‘had got into the local press and libraries, and who joined HADAS on the spot.

Before an excellent lunch (quite misleadingly called ‘sandwiches’ in the original announcement) Joan Schneider and Barry Home, Chair and Secretary respectively of the Manshead Archaeological Society, described their excavations in Dunstable. Dunstable is on the junction of Watling Street and the Ickneild Way and may – or may not – be the place called Duricobrivis in the Roman Antonine Itinerary. Their Society has, over the years, made many discoveries but has as yet found no actual Roman buildings. Particularly fascinating were the skeleton of a Barbary Ape (a pet, perhaps, or the property of a travel­ling entertainer), a burial containing a pot with an inscription inter­preted as ‘Reg_ illus a branch-bearer of Verulamium’ (branch-bearers were devotees of the Asiatic goddess Cybele) and several wells, neces­sary because Dunstable lacks surface water, one of which was 92 feet deep. And, of course, hundredweights of pottery: Barry Home kept us enthralled with his account of the research being carried out on this. He breaks bits off sherds with a fearsome pair of pincers (he assured us that the pottery felt nothing, and was a source of information rather than of intrinsic value), and identifies its fabric from the appearance of the fresh break under the microscope. Then he (or rather his comput­er) compares the distribution of fabrics in one assemblage of pottery with that in others – for instance those from Verulamium – to establish similarities and dissimilarities; this is not as simple as might appear, since pots vary in size, as do the broken bits archaeologists find, so work has to be done in eves, not pieces of pottery. An eve is not what you might think but an Estimated Vessel Equivalent.

Then after lunch Stephen Castle gave us the history of excavations at Brockley Hill from the first, just before the last war, until HADAS’s recent efforts.

Until the site was scheduled as an ancient monument in the late 1970s, the tale was one of opportunities snatched, or missed, in the face of imminent development. (As Mr Castle experienced excavating between 1969 and 1975. For instance, he was opening trenches to the west of the road in a field which was being used by Joe Bygraves, a well-known boxing-champion-turned-farmer, as a dumping site). Kilns have been found, and quantities of pottery, but there has never been a systematic programme of research into what was one of the principal manufacturing centres for pottery in the early centuries of Roman Britain, Mr Castle also showed us pictures of the elegant mansion, belonging to a Mr Napier, which had stood from the late seventeenth to the early nineteenth century just to the north of the area where we walked the fields in 1998. He suggests that a building which stood on the site later occupied by the now-demolished hilltop café was a sum­merhouse associated with the mansion. This would explain the con­centration of post-medieval brick close to this area, and we will bear this in mind when we process the building material from the field- walking.

It was indeed with pictures of that fieldwalking that Vikki O’Connor brought a most interesting day to its end. But that is not the end of the project by any means. Stephen Castle has suggested that inter­ested members could undertake further research on the area, and with this in mind we plan to meet him at Stanmore in the new year – details will be circulated in the newsletter.

Thanks to Tessa Smith and Brian Wrigley for helping to organise the 30th, arid to Sue Whitford, Arthur Till and other willing hands for their help on. the day. Tessa has reminded us that Brigid Grafton Greene, who was HADAS Secretary at the time, was instrumental in getting the area on Bury Farm scheduled – an Act was passed in 1979 which was implemented in 1980.

PROGRAMME NOTES from Dorothy Newbury

New arrangements for lectures

As announced in the October Newsletter, slight changes to timings are being tried, with the lecture starting at 8.00pm, followed by questions with coffee served at the end of the meeting, There was an excellent attendance at the November lecture, probably the largest audience since we moved to Avenue House, and the speaker was very well received. However, I have received varied opinions about the change. Several members arrived after the start of the lecture and some during the talk; some had coffee before the lecture and others during it; some were pleased to get away early while others missed the social time before the meeting. It remains to be seen if the changes settle down. Do note that lectures start at 8.00pm.

Bookings at Avenue House

A policy of “first come, first served” is now used for bookings and our meetings for next year have been fixed for the second Tuesday of each month as usual. However, some meetings will be held in the Drawing Room (which some members find cold, badly lit and impersonal) and others will be in the Stephens Room (considered to be more comfort­able but with difficult access). To ensure that our meetings are held regularly on Tuesday evening we must book several years in advance but – which room?

Programme for 2000

All speakers are now booked and a complete programme will be issued with the January or February Newsletter. We are planning to hold a Ted Sammes Evening in April, with several speakers who knew him well Ted was a founder-member of HADAS and a knowledgeable, dedicated member until just before his death in November last year. If any cur­rent members have particular reminiscences of him on excavations,outings or Prehistoric Society activities, please let me know

“LONDON PARISH MAP” reviewed by Roy Walker

Ann Saunders, HADAS President, is Honorary Editor to the London Topographical Society whose publications have formed the basis of historical research since its foundation in 1880 and have served to awaken an interest in London’s past. This year saw the issue of Publication No 155, “London Parish Map – A Map of the Ecclesiastical Divisions within the County of London, 1903.”

A map of Church of England parish boundaries, perhaps, is not an exciting prospect but consider the changes that have occurred since 1903. The Diocese of Southwark did not exist – the Diocese of Rochester prevailed over those parts not covered by the Diocese of London. Today’s Southwark Cathedral was St Saviour’s Church within the See of Rochester. Certain “detached” parishes were administered by the mother church of a Parish geographically distant due to low population not necessitating a separate church – parts some‑times being on the opposite bank of the Thames. Such a map is therefore invaluable to the family historian trying to reconcile records, parishes, forebears and the modern day Church divisions. And how many times have we looked at parish boundary markers with just initials and dates and tried to identify the parish?

For students of politics and the administrative history of London this map provides a background for, as the guide accompanying the map points out, when the Metropolitan Boroughs were formed in 1900 they were based on groups of parishes which up until then had been responsible for such functions as lighting, paving and street cleansing. They were the predecessors of the present day London Boroughs.

Copies of the map are available from: Roger Cline, Flat 13, 13 Tavistock Place. London WCIH

NEWS OF MEMBERS

Olive Banham, a founder-member, has written recently and although she cannot attend meetings or outings any longer, she still takes a great interest in the Society and enjoys the Newsletter. We thank her for her generous donation to Mini-Mart funds.

John Enderby another founder-member, features in a new book pub­lished by Countryside Books. “Dorset Privies” by Ian Fox is being sold by the National Trust and includes two photos – one of John’s wooden privy which has an engraved headstone dated 1857 for the floor and one of a large night soil bucket which John unearthed from his garden. He attributes his flourishing vegetable garden to the contents of the bucket!

Alec Gouldsmith, once a regular attender at all HADAS functions, now lives in a retirement home in Dorchester. Marion Newbury visited him recently and found him fit and well and very pleased to see her.

Freda Wilkinson has recently moved to Magnolia Court, 181 Granville Road, NW2 2LH (0181 731 9881).

OCTOBER OUTING

Friends’ House, Bloomsbury and the Magic Circle Report by Stewart Wild

On a beautiful autumn morning, some two dozen HADAS members joined Mary O’Connell for a fascinating walk round Bloomsbury. We started at Friends House, opposite Euston Station, purpose built in 1924-25 as the headquarters for the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).

The building comprises a large meeting house, a small meeting house and a library, with other areas leased out as office accommodation. It serves as the focal point for some 25,000 Quakers in Britain and Ireland and about ten times that number worldwide. In the library we were welcomed by Michael Hutchinson, the Assistant Recording Clerk, who spoke about the origins of Quakerism in 1652, and the beliefs of its founder, George Fox.

There were many Christian sects in the 17th century and Quakerism is the only one to have survived.(The appelation derives from a term of abuse aimed at George Fox by a judge at the Derby Assizes in 1651). Quaker testimony consists of Truth, Integrity and Simplicity; there is no organisational hierarchy, no appointed leadership and no formal structure in their meetings and worship. Decisions are reached by con­sensus, not by voting.

The Quakers are very good at keeping records and the library is a ver­itable treasure trove of historical documents, local history and accounts of Quaker meetings. The Librarian, Peter Daniels, was kind enough to show us 17th century pamphlets and records of early Quaker meetings in our own area of Hendon and Mill Hill. The earliest dates from 1692 and by 1733 there are details of monthly meetings at Gutter’s Hedge, later Guttershedge Lane (later Hall Lane) and now Page Street, NW4. We learned about William Penn and the Quaker connec­tions of Penn in Buckinghamshire and Pennsylvania,USA. In modern times, Quakers have been instrumental in many successful business­es, among them Cadbury’s, Fry’s, Rowntree, Huntley & Palmer and Barclays and Lloyds banks.

Back in the sunshine, Mary spoke more about the early days of Euston station and its redevelopment in 1961-62 which led to the demolition of the famous Doric arch, erected in 1838. The station dates from 1837 when two platforms were constructed for the London and Birmingham Railway which offered six trains a day to Harrow and Watford, In September 1838 services to Birmingham began, with a journey time of 5 hours.

Our next visit was to the headquarters of the Magic Circle in nearby Stephenson Way. The building was transformed in 1997-98 into a pri­vate club for the 1,500 members of the most famous magical society in the world, founded in 1905.

We were welcomed by Henry Lewis, a member of the prestigious Inner Magic Circle and curator of the Society’s unique (and entertaining) museum. He showed us the state-of-the-art theatre and a trick or two. Fascinating exhibits throughout the building include pictures, posters, equipment and memorabilia of magic legends like Harry Houdini and Chung Ling Soo. who died in an accident at the Wood Green Empire and was found not to be a Chinaman at all but an American named Robinson.

Outside the Institute of Archaeology in Gordon Square, our guide recalled the Bloomsbury set, that famous group of writers and artists who included Lytton Strachey, T.S.Eliot, Vita Sackville-West, Virginia Woolfe and Clive Bell, and whose unconventional lifestyle led to them being dubbed “couples living in squares and loving in triangles”.

Our next stop, in Tavistock Square, was at BMA House, a Grade II listed building designed in 1911 by Sir Edwin Lutyens for the Theosophical Society. After World War I the uncompleted building was sold to the British Medical Association and was opened by King George V and Queen Mary in 1925. The central courtyard is home to two war memorials: Lutyens designed gates commemorate the 574 BMA mem­bers who fell in WWI and a bronze fountain and surrounding statues honour medical personnel who died in WWII.

En route to our last visit we admired Woburn Walk, a short street designed by Thomas Cuba in 1822 as a shopping mall. As we passed the delightful little bow-fronted shops and restaurants, our attention was drawn to the blue plaque commemorating the home of William Butler Yeats.

Around the corner, in Duke’s Road, we reached The Place, a centre for dance companies. The Place Theatre is the busiest contemporary dance venue in Europe, programming 32 weeks a year of British and international dance. A fine example of secondary re-use: the building started life in 1889 as the headquarters of the Art Union and Artists Rifles, a regiment which served with distinction in World War I.

Until 1967 the building continued to serve as a drill hall and rifle range – the old officers’ mess is now a dance studio while the shooting gallery has been converted into a theatre. Further redevelopment and refurbishing is now under way, aided by q £5million grant of lottery funds. The centre’s fundraising manager, Helen Lewis, showed us round and explained the range of activities that take place in the International Centre for Contemporary Dance. Finally, we enjoyed a light lunch in the centre’s canteen which is conveniently also open to the public.

Our thanks to Mary O’Connell for organising and leading a most informative tour of a fascinating part of our capital city.

RECONSTRUCTING ROMAN LONDON

Peter Pickering reports on a Museum of London Study Day

I saw no other HADAS members among the crowd at this study day on 13 November, the day of the Lord Mayor’s Show, which made walking from St. Paul’s Underground station more entertaining than usual.

The day was a lead-in to the new Roman London display which the Museum plans for next year. I should like to share with other members some of the many new insights I gained from the day.

Professor Millett of Southampton explained the oddity of London among the cities of the Roman Empire as stemming from its origin as a trading centre, to which people flocked as what we now call “economic migrants”. It was not a pre-Roman centre (and indeed for some time its legal status may have been seen as a settlement subordinate to Canterbury), nor was it military in origin.

Julian Hill of MoLAS told us what had already learnt from the large scale excavations at No. 1. Poultry, where the diversity of building types at the very beginning of the Roman occupation destroyed preconceptions of a slow development from small timber-framed dwellings to larger stone ones.

Damian Goodburn set about reconstructing the timber buildings of Roman London, pointing out that even in damp Britain many buildings were of mud brick, that most Roman buildings were prefabricated and that the Romans used only straight timbers, not the curved elements found in medieval buildings. He observed how much easier it was to have privacy and separate areas for separate functions in rectangular Roman houses than in the round houses of pre-history. He showed us the scorch-marks that are evidence for light fittings in Roman buildings. Apparently there were some lamps at knee height, for light when you were sitting down, and some at head height.

Professor Ling of Manchester showed slides of mosaics and wall plaster and illustrated the way in which the Romans set off bright walls with more subdued floors and vice versa. There were some inconsistencies as wall plaster needs renewing while mosaics are virtually indestructible.

Joanne Berry then took us away from London to a house in Pompeii to show how difficult it is to know what the various rooms in a Roman house were actually used for. Just like us, different Romans organised their space and their activities differently and changed them constantly, for example using their garden and their beautifully decorated rooms to store wine amphorae when they went into the wine business.

Then we were told about furniture and soft furnishings. Scenes from funery monuments provide much evidence here as well as archaeological finds. The Romans liked basket-weave chairs and patterned textiles. I must say that I found several of the reconstructions just too tidy and taste­ful in a modern way. It will be interesting to see if the galleries give the same impression when they open next year.

Finally we were taken through the evidence for animals and plants in Roman bond. A. You will be please to know there were no rats and not many mice. You may be less pleased to learn that dead horses, which were not used for human food, were dragged outside the city and left by the side of the road for the dogs and ravens. Finally, their skeletons were mangled by men digging graves to bury dead people.

COMMEMORATIVE PLAQUES

This new HADAS publication, a revised and enlarged edition of “Blue Plaques” published by HADAS in 1973, is now nearimg completion and Joanne Cordon and I have reached the point where assistance from members would be much appreciated, We should be grateful if members could check that the plaques are still in position, notify us if any are missing and (perish the thought!) let us know if there are any lurking in odd corners of the borough that we have missed. If any member could run round their local area to check, please contact me for a list of address­es.

There are 10 plaques in the Barnet area; 7 in Finchley: 14 in Hampstead Garden Suburb; 9 in Hendon and 10 in Edgware/Mill Hill. This includes all plaques, blue, green, white, bronze and black; round and square – not just blue ones.

There are a number of queries to be resolved before copy is complete. Sue Whitford has been beavering away while at home recovering from surgery and has managed to solve some problems. However, details about Kenneth Legge have so far alluded us. Son of Mary Legge,

a former Mayor of Finchley, he was a fighter pilot killed in the Battle of Britain. A plaque to his memory has been placed in Windsor Road Open Space. We do not know his date of birth or death (1940?), where he lived or any details of his service record. Can anyone help with this?

The National Portrait Gallery has agreed that we may repro­duce portraits of our subjects if they have them in their collec­tion but there will be some for whom we have to search other sources. Help here would be appreciated.

We anticipate that Commemorative Plaques should be ready to go to the printers in February to be published in the spring.

Please telephone me if you can help. Liz Holliday

“BARNET – THE TWENTIETH CENTURY”

This new book by the dynamic two – John Heathfield and Percy Reboul was published by Sutton Publishing a few months ago. Price £14.99, it offers a wealth of local photographs complete with informative cap­tions. Some illustrations are from the Local Collection or Barnet Museum but most have been specially taken by Percy for the book.

Grouped in ten sections, each of which is prefaced by a concise intro­duction, the book provides a wonderful record of changes in the Borough. The last section contains ten evocative photographs, one for each decade, illustrating a memorable event or change.

The book will be the focus of a special exhibition Barnet: a century of change which opens at Church Farmhouse Museum on 4 December and runs until 13 February. (Note: the Museum will be closed 25, 26, 27 December and 1,2 and 3 January)

Rush to the Museum and buy your copy – well worth the price!

MAGNIFICENT MINIMART

Report by Dorothy Newbury My apologies for not letting everyone know our final figure in the last Newsletter. Andy Simpson and Bill Bass counted the takings after the MiniMart and we found them to be the best “on the day” total ever – £910 in three hours!

Attendance was higher, due I think to two newspaper adverts and Micky Watkins placing posters all over the local area. We received donations from Myfanwy, Andrew Pares and Olive Banham who could not be with us on the day. I did not sell so much before the sale his year and the adverts and hall hire had gone up in price. Nevertheless, we made a clear profit of £1,125. This would not have been possible without all the help I had sorting and pric­ing in the weeks before the day and of course all the goodies which members contributed.

My thanks to all.

SEAHENGE at Flag Fen Fifty-five uprights from a timber circle discovered at Holme-Next the-Sea in Norfolk have been taken to Flag Fen. After cleaning clay and sea water from the 4000-year old timbers, they are now displayed in clear water tanks. The upturned oak tree which was in the centre of this circle is also on show. The tim­ber circle will be kept at Flag Fen for the coming year to allow preservation work and research to be carried out.

Flag Fen is three (signposted) miles from Peterborough city centre and is open 7 days a week, except from 24 December until 3 January. Details from 01733 313414.

FINDERS KEEPERS A hoard of 9,377 Roman silver denari was unearthe d in August by a first-time user of a metal detector. Trying out the equip­ment in a barley field at Slapwick near Glastonbury, two cousins found the coins just ten inches below the surface. The hoard had been buried about AD230 on land which is thought to have been the site of a villa inhabited by a British family who had adopted the Roman way of life.

The Somerset coroner has ruled that the cousins should receive the coins’ full market value from Somerset County Museum or keep the hoard if the museum can’t raise the money.

MAKE WEIGH

FOR THE DIGGING TEAM

by Vikki O’Connor Processing the fruits of our field- walking last year was just a tad hampered by our two sets of ancient kitchen scales. The measurements coaxed from these temperamental instru­ments by the three or four teams hunched together round the tables in the Garden Room were the subject of some amusement the smaller the objects to be weighed, Anything under 50g was liable to an error of +or – 50g (!) according to our scales. (To be fair, they had probably contributed to many a perfect Victoria sponge. However, Mary, Doug, Jeffrey, Peter. Eric and many others, acquired an ability to profess the weight of objects as light as 5g – we hope that one day they will find a use for this skill.

Now for the good news!

Although HADAS member Louise de Launay moved away from London several years ago, she has maintained an interest in the Society and, as a gesture of support and encouragement, sent a donation to the Committee to help with our activities. The Digging Team got in first! We bought a Salter All- Purpose Weighing Scale – accurate to 5g – with Louise’s donation and will be raising our coffee cups to Louise when we weigh our first pot sherd. Thank you.

EVENTS

Most local societies will be hold­ing festive events in December rather than lectures. LAMAS, however, have a lecture on Thursday 9th December: the George Eades Memorial Lecture by Chris Ellmers, Director-desig­nate of the Museum of Docklands, Shipbuilding on the Thames. Venue: Museum of London, Interpretation Unit, 150 London Wall EC2, 6.30pm fol­lowing the LAMAS AGM at 6.15pm. If you were fascinated by Mike Webber’s account of the Thames Foreshore Project, this talk should be well worth the journey – if you can fit it in between the mountains of mince pies and seasonal get-togethers?

Looking ahead to February, will you be ready to spend £30 (£15 concessions) on yourself for a study day on your favourite topic? Birkbeck College have two one-off events to offer:

Saturday 12th February 10am to 5pm MEDICINE, HEALTH & DISEASE IN ANCIENT EGYPT at the Faculty of Continuing Education, 26 Russell Square, WC1. The day is led by Joyce Filer, presently Special Assistant for Human & Animal Remains in the Dept of Egyptian Antiquities at the British Museum.

Saturday 26th February 10am to 5pm THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE RIVER THAMES: Highway to the Past. Eight sessions cov­ering several aspects of this sub­ject, presented by Bob Cowie, Dave Lakin and Jane Sidell.

Enquiries about enrolment on either of these days should be made to Anna Colloms, Faculty of Continuing Education, Birkbeck College, 26 Russell Square, WC1B 5DQ Tel: 0171 631 6627 or fax 0171 631 6686

OTHER SOCIETIES’ DECEMBER EVENTS

Sunday 5 from 1l am-5pm Christmas Fair at College Farm, Finchley Thursday 9 at 7.30pm Camden History Society at Burgh House, New End Square, NW3 Reminiscences of a Patent Agent by Roger Cline,

Thursday 9 at 8.15pm Hampstead Scientific Society in the Crypt Room, St John’s Church, Church Row, NW3 Mars Revisited by Jerry Workman Tuesday 14 at 8pm Amateur Geological Society in The Parlour, St Margaret’s Church, Victoria Avenue, N3 The World of the Mammoth by Dr Adrian Lister
All these societies welcome visitors and appreciate £I donation

A NEW MEMBER’S IMPRESSION OF HER FIRST MINIMART by Elinor Furman

The whistle blows and the race is on not to the finish line; to bargains in the latest fashions, in used bric-a-brac, books, jewellery, toys, even clothes. Is this the East End? No –

It’s THE ANNUAL HADAS MINIMART The last time so many professional people put on ‘pinnies’, Delia Smith won her first baking contest. Why is it that other people’s cast-offs look so much better the longer we stare at them? Did I succumb? Of course; I’m delighted with my purchases – can’t wait until next year…

It seemed that more people had heard about our goodies and bargains than in previous years. There was a very good attendance.

The ground floor was devoted to food: bread, cakes, and scones – all went quickly. On the opposite table were the meringues, being bus­ily filled with cream; we had sold out by about 2 p.m. Chutney, jellies, jam, marmalade disappeared into shopping bags equally quickly; all this home-made and very good indeed. Last but not least the lunches were doing a brisk trade at the end of the room.

The lunch makers and stall holders were kept busy and, of course, happy, watching the money coming in! I’m afraid Dorothy has not finished doing her sums yet, but she will let us all know in due course.

VOTE of THANKS from MINIMART’S CHEF de CUISINE – TESSA, who writes : .. Thanks to all of you who brought quiches and other lovely goodies. The food selection this year was wonderful, and such good value, I’m sure you all agree. Special thanks to my excellent team of kitchen helpers. Many hands made light work, and it was fun and friendly.

HADAS DIARY

Tuesday, 9th November John Creighton :”Britain in’ the Shadow of Rome’ Changing lifestyles and perceptions between Caesar’s and Claudius’s invasions of Britain.

John Creighton’s first experience of excavation was when he was only 13, on the Mesolithic site at West Heath, the Society’s longest runn­ing excavation. Since then, he went on to conduct fieldwork in Britain, Germany and Spain. He now lectures at the University of Reading in Iron Age and Roman archaeology. About his lecture topic he writes: ‘The way history is often taught, it seems as if Caesar only briefly visited these shores in 55 and 54 BC, and almost a century later Claudius launched a proper invasion of these islands. However, this version is not the only way that the story can be told, and by using archaeological evidence I’d like to paint a rather different picture of the century between Caesar and Claudius.’

OCTOBER LECTURE JOAN EDWARDS

Dr Eric Robinson – The Archaeology of Local Building Materials

We welcomed Dr Eris Robinson to give his previously postponed talk on the use of local building materials. He explained the difficulties of finding suitable materials in North London and Middlesex, as these areas are really in the wider Thames valley, which is composed mainly of ‘London Clay’, with some sand and gravel layers. The Middlesex ‘Alps’, Highgate and Harrow-on-the Hill are not really composed of rock, but ‘Bagshot sands’.

The main local building materials were (1) ‘dagger stones’ ‑rocks found in clay; (2) flint from a lower chalk layer;(3) ‘Reigate Stone’; (4)’Kentish flagstone’ ; (5) ‘Puddingstone’ from Hertfordshire; (6) ‘Ironstone’.

As samples, he described the local churches built with these materials between 1050 – 1250, when stone was first used for building churches. After this, stones were transported over much greater distances, and the need for building purely with stone locally available ceased to be so pressing. William the Conquer­or had made it clear that his cathedrals could only, be built with stone from Caen itself, so thereafter the idea of transporting stone long distances gradually spread. It is not known how the stone from Kent was brought to London, but water transport probab­ly played a part.

Dr Robinson showed slides of churches such as Harrow-on-the-Hill, Monken Hadley, Canons, Hendon, Wexham Park. He showed how the walls were put together with a mixture of the local stones, using combinations of shapes and colours, e.g. flints (bath the white surface and broken to give the black surface) and red-brown iron­stone. Sometimes there is a deliberate pattern such as checker­board, and sometimes the stones are fitted together simply accord­ing to their shapes. Occasional appearances of the Hertfordshire ‘Puddingstone’ in the northern areas, and broken red Roman tiles added variety. Flint walls had to be built slowly to allow each layer to ‘dry off’ before the rest. Quoin stones made from strong­er stones from the West Country were added in later times to stab­ilise the walls.

‘Ironstone’ was a term popularised by Pevsner for a certain mater­ial used in these buildings, but rarely after 1250. This ‘stone’ is made up of sand or gravel, bonded together by iron salts washed in by water seeping or flowing through the sand or gravel. It is now referred to as ‘ferricretel, not to be confused with ‘Ferri­crete’, a modern commercial material.

Another ‘stone’ used in the Branch Hill church in Highgate was ‘failed brick’. This was brick from the vast brick-making area in the west side of Hampstead Heath, which was discarded either as mis-shapen or incorrectly fired.

The local building materials described by Dr Robinson went on being used for farm buildings after their use for building churches ceased.

We can meet Dr Robinson again at a morning lecture and walk round Kenwood Estate on Wednesday,10th Nov. Charge : £2. Details from Visitor Information Centre, Mansion Cottage, Kenwood.Tel . 0171-973-3893

STOP PRESS !! CHRISTMAS DINNER on TUESDAY, 7th DECEMBER IS NOW FULLY BOOKED!! There is a WAITING LIST with Dorothy.

HADAS WEEKEND – SEPTEMBER 3rd to 5th

DAY ONE to PORTSMOUTH RUTH WHITEHILL

September 3rd dawned fine, and after everybody had been picked up we were on our way to Winchester. A quick cup of coffee at the Moat House Hotel revived us and we were met by our efficient guide, GRAHAM SCOBIE. He told us that at one time, there were BO many churches in Winchester that it was reputed you could not walk be­tween them without rubbing your shoulders against the walls. He handed out guide sheets explaining the area and told us about life in the monastery, pointing out where King Alfred, his wife and son were thought to have been buried.

We walked down to the site of the Abbey, which was being excavated by volunteers for the fifth year. It was easy to see where the High Altar had been and to see how far the Abbey extended eastward

Our next stop was the well-preserved PORTCHESTER CASTLE, which has defended Portsmouth Harbour for nearly 2,000 years. Some of us walked round the walls which were built by the Romans, and are the most complete in Europe. Some of us climbed up to the battlements from which we had a good view of the Solent.

After eating our picnic lunch here in the sunshine, we followed a circuitous route to FORT CUMBERLAND. We were met by English Heritage staff, who have taken over the whole fort. From there we went to the Langstone Campus, a high-rise block of twelve floors with eight single rooms on each floor – very modern – not quite HADAS style! However, an excellent dinner was served and we went tired to bed.

DAY TWO ISLE of WIGHT SHEILA WOODWARD

Most islands possess a magical quality: a feeling of separateness that makes them special. The Isle of Wight is no exception and it casts its spell as soon as one approaches it across the narrow water of the Solent (calm as a millpond on the day of our visit). It demands to be explored.

Scenically the Island is delightful with its rolling downs, sandy bays and rugged cliffs. Its attraction has long been appreciated. Dinosaurs roamed there 120 million years ago; their bones are still being found. Stone-Age man left his hand-axes, Bronze Age man his burial mounds and Iron Age man his farming sites. The Romans built villas, the Saxons established burhs and the Normans fortified castles. Medieval monasteries thrived and land and sea trade enabled villages and towns to expand. Charles I was imprisoned on the Island. Queen Victoria built a holiday home there, so setting a trend which has continued to the present day.

In a single day’s visit we could only sample this wealth of delights. Our excellent local guide and archaeologist Kevin Trott ensured that we missed nothing of interest on our drives across the Island out we concentrated our attention on three main sites. The first was the magnificent Roman Villa at Brading, a spacious courtyard house which had its heyday in the 4th century AD. Its occupants lived in sophisticated comfort in rooms bright with painted plaster walls and fine mosaic floors, with under floor heating and even misty green glass in some of the windows. Alas, only fragments of tae wall plaster survive, giving tantalising glimpses of delicately painted floral and woodland scenes. The floors have fared better despite the depredation of wind, flood, agriculture and wild animals. The mosaics are the chief glory of this villa and many of the tesserae are in their original bedding material. Some feature standard Roman myths: Orpheus with his lyre and animals, Perseus and Andromeda with Medusa, Ceres and Triptolemus clutching the plough he is credited with inventing. There are sea-nymphs and tritons and personifications of the four seasons. But there are some less usual depictions such as the famous cock headed man (is he an amphitheatre hunter or a mythical creature?) and the seated male figure with globe, bowl and sundial who is variously identified as astrologer, astronomer or philosopher. The mystery of interpretation only adds to the pleasure of these extraordinary mosaics.

The villa was discovered and first excavated in 1880 by Captain Thorp, a retired army officer, and Mr Munns the local farmer who was “making holes” for an overnight sheep-pen. The site guide book has a wonderful illustration of that excavation, sheep and all The rather rough digging techniques of the period meant the loss of valuable evidence and it is astonishing that so

much remains. The finds from the site include domestic farming and seafaring equipment, building material and structural fitments, all well displayed.

A scrapbook kept by Captain Thorp including drawings made during excavation

is of special interest. A disastrous flood as recently as 1994 highlights the need for the conservation and protective measures now being taken by the local Oglander Roman Trust and English Heritage.

Our second visit was to Carisbrooke Castle, one of the Island’s best-known buildings. Its site is a natural stronghold and was possibly fortified by the Romans and certainly by the Saxons. When the Normans came they built the castle which, though added to and altered over the years, is still recognisably Norman. With its huge motte and keep, its great curtain walls and its massive 14th century gatehouse, it remains formidable though it has not been used militarily since the 18th century. From 1647 it served as a prison for Charles I who, after 3 failed attempts at rescue/escape, was moved to London in November 1648 and executed 2 months later. Two of his children were later prisoners in the castle and one (Princess Elizabeth) died there. Subsequently the castle gently decayed until a mid-19th century restoration after which Princess Beatrice, youngest child of Queen Victoria, became Governor of the castle and made it her summer home. In parenthesis: I slept in the castle in 1948 when for a short time it housed a Youth Hostel. my most vivid memory is of suffering from a nightmare, waking the whole dormitory with my screams and then failing to convince everyone that I had not seen the ghost of the little Princess Elizabeth!

The castle today offers manifold attractions and after eating our picnic lunches in the sunshine HADAS members scattered to do their own thing. The walls could be walked, the motte climbed (71 steps) and the keep explored, the domestic building* and the chapel could be visited, and the Great Hall which now houses the castle museum. The well-house is always popular with its tread-wheel worked by one of a team of donkeys. I am told that at our visit Jennifer “did her stuff” so sparing the English Heritage attendants the ignominy of having to tread the wheel themselves – a not unknown occurrence!

The third site we visited was the Bronze Age Barrow Cemetery at the highest point of Brook Down – “steep climb, NOT for the faint-hearted” said Dorothy’s programme note. I can confirm that it was well worth the effort. The cemetery is known as Five Barrows but there are in fact eight: a linear group of six bowl barrows with a bell barrow (usually associated with male burials) at one end and a disc barrow (usually associated with female burials) at the other. The latter is the only known disc barrow on the Island. The barrows were “excavated” by treasure hunters in the 15th century and further investigated by a local vicar last century. Only broken pottery was found except in the disc barrow which contained a small piece of bronze. There were no secondary (Saxon) burials in the mounds. Seen from below the barrows stand up clearly on the skyline. Looking down from the barrows the view is spectacular with Tennyson Down and Freshwater Bay to the northwest and Brightstone and the coast beyond it stretching to Blackgang Chine to the southeast.

The glorious weather continued for our return drive via Brook (dramatic stories of lifeboat rescues), Brightstone (famed for its dinosaur fossils), Chale and St Caterine’s (old and new lighthouse sites), Ventnor and the Undercliff with its almost tropical climate; thanks to the Gulf Stream) and its traces of a prehistoric shellfish economy. We rounded off our satisfyingly full day with a delicious dinner at the Fishbourne Inn, a modern successor to an ancient fishermen’s hostelry, and then sailed peacefully back to Portsmouth as the stars came out,

DAY THREE BACK to PORTSMOUTH ROSEMARY BENTLEY

When a bomb fell on PORTSMOUTH CITY MUSEUM in 1943, the only ex­hibit which could be salvaged was a set of police truncheons. So for many years thereafter visitors only saw the area as a naval base. The new City Museum, housed in an astonishing Edwardian chateau, formerly a barracks, concentrates on `reconstructions’ – Stone Age to a 1950’s living room, with little of real interest on show. Jenny Stevens, recently appointed curator, has discov­ered a huge collection of artefacts, many uncatalogued, and she intends to produce a ‘hands-on’ exhibition.

Locally born, she began her talk with an historical resume. Port­smouth and Southsea stand on Portsea Island, formerly marshy ground, below a chalk ridge, Portsdown Hill. A Saxon settlement grew into a town, given a charter by Richard I; the dockyard and defence lines were established by Henry VIII. The Solent and Spit-head provide deep, sheltered waters, and the harbour entrance is

so narrow that U.S. aircraft carriers are unable to enter. Still an island, Portsea is now the most densely populated area in Brit­ain, yet a corner of Langstone Harbour (between Portsea and Hayling Island) is a Site of Special Scientific Interest

Sea salt was collected in this area which, much later, became a hiding place for ‘Mulberry’ harbours. One broke its back and still stands there like a colossal shark. fin.

The City Museum’s remit extends 15 miles north, east and west, but there is no local amateur group. Site-watching is contracted out by developers and little has been retrieved. Jenny would like to appoint an officer to watch the whole area. Finally, she invited us to handle some of the pieces she has discovered in the Museum storehouse, e.g. a Bronze Age incense burner, found on Portsdown Hill when the Palmerston Forts were built; a near perfect black flint axe-head; briquetage from the salt pans; and a 32 lbs. cannon ball.

Then, on to the Dockyard, where we all went nimbly up and down the companionways on the /Victory!. When a ship was cleared for action the furniture was sometimes towed astern. French and English capt­ains had an agreement not to fire on those boats !

The Mary Rose is now standing vertical in a shower of chemicals which may last twenty years. The Hall is to be extended by a third walkway so that the outside of the hulk can be seen. The Mary Rose Museum is beautifully displayed and explained but I am sure that many of the small personal finds have been removed. I missed the hurly-burly excitement of 1984. Some went to the Royal Naval Museum, some took a trip round the harbour. I visited the newest exhibit, HMS ‘Warrior’ – built 1860, the world’s first iron-hulled battleship, Imagine a cross between HMS ‘Victory’ and SS’Great Britain’, with mess tables, hammocks, telescopic funnels and washing machines for the stokers’ clothes !!

IODINE AND AN AGE-OLD MYSTERY STEWART J. WILD

Précis of a recent report in Geographical magazine

A geographer in the US has concluded that iodine deficiency may have caused many of the distinctive features exhibited by Neanderthals, as well as helping to explain what became of these early hominids. According to Dr Jerome Dobson, of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, a single genetic difference -one that prevented Neanderthals from processing iodine – may be all that stands between them and us.

Iodine deficiency in modern humans causes goitre, a disfiguring enlargement of the thyroid gland, or cretinism, a worse condition of deformity and mental retardation that can also be caused by the malfunction or absence of the thyroid gland.

The World Health Organisation estimates that about 30 per cent of the world’s population is at risk from iodine deficiency disorders, especially those far from the sea who are unable to take advantage of principal sources of dietary iodine like saltwater fish, shellfish and seaweed.

Neanderthals lived mostly in inland Europe, which is notoriously iodine deficient today, and probably was when the Neanderthals flourished between 230,000 and 30,000 years ago. Dobson claims that excavated Neanderthal bones are very similar to those of modern humans suffering from IDD.

He says that distinctive Neanderthal traits – body size, heavy brows, large muscles, poor dental development and bone disease -are identical to those of modern humans suffering from cretinism. The most striking physical feature of cretins and Neanderthals

is bone thickness; in cretins, arm and leg bones stop growing in length but continue to grow concentrically. Skulls are also similar. In modern humans, Dobson explains, hormones in the thyroid gland enable the body to absorb iodine from food sources. Maybe, he hypothesises, Neanderthal thyroid glands were not well equipped to process iodine, whereas those of Cro-Magnon man, who appeared 40,000 years ago, were.

Non-cretinous populations may have become dominant in Europe from 40,000 to 30,000 years ago because some innovation, most likely trade with coastal settlements, introduced iodine to iodine-deficient regions.

ALFRED THE GREAT: LONDON’S FORGOTTEN KING

Museum of London until 9th January 2000

Educationalists plan to omit information from the future history curriculum on what they think of as the boring old Saxon kings. This small but fascinating exhibition is your chance to see how wrong they are. The publicity leaflet tells us that this is “a major exhibition painting a vivid picture of the only English king to earn the title ‘Great’.

Among the exhibits are finds from the city of Lundenwic in the Strand area, and the recent excavations at Covent Garden; timbers and coins from Alfred’s “trading shore” near present-day Queenhithe; manuscripts; jewellery (including the famous Alfred Jewel); and a selection of Anglo-Saxon weapons (including the “seax”, a short sword (or long knife?)) .

Compared to the awe-inspiring bearded statue of Alfred which stands in Winchester, a contemporary silver penny shows a clean-shaven man with a simple diadem or fillet on his short-cropped hair (*ugh we are told there is no evidence for Alfred’s actual appearance). There is also an amusing photograph of a statue of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert portrayed wearing Saxon costume.

During my visit, a “Saxon” in costume was chipping away at a copy of a tomb slab and demonstrating
his stonemason’s skills to a small, fascinated audience. Entry charge to Museum: adults £5, concessions
£3. All tickets valid for a year. (Web site: www.museumoflondon.org.uk) Deirdre Barrie

Events at the Museum of London which tie in with this Exhibition: “Keeping Alfred Great,- a 30 minute discussion (Rose Johnson and Jill Barnard, Museum of London) on conservation work for the exhibition. Thursday 7 October at 2.30 pm.

Study Day on the latest thinking on Alfred the Great on Saturday 16th October at 10 am.,

Fee: £16, £10 concessions. Tel.Bookings Officer, Museum of London 020 7814 5777

BOOK NEWS

Searching for a Local History booklet ? Don’t know whom to contact

when on a piece of research? Need information on a specific local- ity ? JUST PUBLISHED – ‘Greater London History and Heritage liana-

book’ by Peter Marcan Publications. PO.Box 3158,London.S13 1RA. Tel: 02 7b57 0668. The Millennium Guide to Historical Heritage and Environmental Networks and Publications.

Percy Reboul and John Heattfield have written another book in their series of publications on a ‘Hundred Years of History in Barnet’ in photographs depicting the Borough in the last hundred years.

FURTHER COMMENTS ON THE LEY FIELD PHILIP BAILEY

I would like to respond to the criticisms of my article aired in the last Newsletter. May I start by saying that just because ‘no‑

one has ever been able to reconstruct a detailed medieval field lay­out from documentary records’ doesn’t mean that nobody ever will

In answer to the comment that animals were rarely let into the open fields,I quote: ‘The Oxford Companion to Local & Family History’. Ed. David Hey (1996).

Leys: ‘Individual arable strips were often converted to grass,on

a temporary basis, in order to provide sufficient feed for livestock. These leys could last for varying periods, from two to seven or eight Years; if longer still, they seemed permanent.’

My argument about the Ley Field being in an area which later became known as Barnet Common was really that it was incorporated into Bar­net Common (which was formed from Southaw Wood) and not that it form­ed the basis of Barnet Common. I admit this is not clear from the article. The 19th century maps of Barnet Common needed very little ‘development’, and this is why I didn’t detail it.

In closing, I must say that I was encouraged in my research after the article appeared by Mr Derek Renn, whom I thank, and by Vicky O’Connor who said in a letter to me that ‘ideally our Newsletters would serve to encourage members to undertake projects’ and that

‘no matter how many times we ask for contributions, we are more likely to get a response by example (such as your article)’.

I have to say that from what I have seen, I don’t think Pamela Tay­lor or Jennie Lee Cobban need much prompting, but perhaps I have en­couraged people who are by nature slightly less forward to submit articles to the Newsletter !.

I quote from the manor records :

1280 John le Breton and Katelina his wife rendered LID into the hands of the Lord a certain plot of land in ‘La Leye’ for the use of

1263 ‘A precept is issued to the men of Barnet, both to those of the Leye and to the others …. And the aforesaid men of the Leye rose up with one voice saying that they themselves ought not nor ever had been accustomed to elect a reeve …And they named three or four of the said town who each successively had been reeve in the …

1276 John Henry surrendered all the land which he had in the field which is called ‘Le Layefeld’ together with a grove which is called ‘Cornhegch’ saving for himself two strips of ploughland which he retains to have a road for himself and …

1280 All the tenants in ‘a Leye’ say that they have not had a prop- er summons and therefore refused to come to the court meeting, and it is testified by the sergeant and by the Ville that they had a summons.

SECRETARY’S CORNER – from Committee Meeting of 1st October,1999 Following items were included in the many matters discussed:

Society’s accommodation at Avenue House and storage facilities at College Farm are inadequate. Preliminary consideration is now being given to possibility of alternative premises.

Agreed that Minutes of preceding AGM, Chairman’s Report, Treasurer’s Report and Accounts be sent in future to all members in advance of the AGM.

National Archaeology Weekend considered very successful; congratul­ations to Vikki O’Connor and the other organisers.

It is intended to apply for a Millennium Award for the proposed publication of a book on commemorative plaques in the Borough.

Proposal has been made for HADAS to do some resistivity in Charterhouse Square, where aerial photos have shown a possible medieval foundation.

MEMBERS’ NEWS

Peter Pickering – now PhD., University College, London. Photo in last month’s Newsletter does NOT show him in academic rig; His thesis was entitled ‘Verbal Repetition in Greek Tragedy’, examin­ing ‘when, why and how often the ancient poets used the same words.. and when repetitions might be the fault of copyists ..'(from the Finchley Society Newsletter). Congratulations to old friend Peter.

John Enderby (HADAS founder Member and one of our Vice-Chairmen) together with some local amateur historians in his village of Fontmell Magna, Dorset, has started a national project to record all stream and bridge names,before they are lost forever from local memory. This fascinating enterprise is featured in an article in ‘The Guardian’ of 6th October. Fontmell Magna(once part of the es­tate of Shaftesbury Abbey) dates from the 10th century, and was on a HADAS itinerary,guided by John and Barbara, earlier this year.

Rt. Rev. William Westwood, Bishop of Edmonton (1975 – 1984) and of Peterborough (1984 – 1995) died in September, aged 73. HADAS member Eric Morgan recalls that ‘Bill’ (as he was affectionately known) was a HADAS Vice-President when he was at Edmonton and was widely known in religious broadcasting for his great humour and understanding,

particularly on Radio 4’s ‘Thought for the Day’.

P.S. from Rosemary Bentley re HADAS WEEKEND . . .. Rosemary is willing to lend her copy of the guide book to :US ‘Warrior’ to any interested member — highly commended.

ALSO she thanks Dorothy for arranging perfect weather for the trip and hopes she might be persuaded to organise a millennium ‘weekend away’. “After that she adds ( seriously)

“Who ??? ???”

BARNET COUNCIL MUSEUMS SERVICE – THE FUTURE?

ANDY SIMPSON

Following on from the recent Avenue House meeting, also reported in the newsletter, Barnet Councils’ Recreation, Leisure and Arts Scrutiny Commission held another consultative meeting on the 23rd September at the Town Hall, Hendon, to invite views on the council’s museums service from selected users. This is part of a ‘Best Value Review’ of the council’s libraries, museums and information services, and the purpose of the meeting, chaired by Kitty Lyons, chair of the scrutiny commission, was to discuss both the service as it currently exists and how local residents might wish to see it develop and improve in the future. Your scribe attended as HADAS representative, along with 17 others from the public including representatives from Barnet College, The Barnet Society, Barnet Museum, Finchley Community Forum, Middlesex University, Mill Hill Historical Society anc the RAF Museum, plus a number of Barnet Council officials.

A list of suggested topics for discussion was circulated by the council before the meeting, concentrating on the council-operated Church Farmhouse Museum on Greyhound Hill, Hendon rather than the volunteer-run, but council-supported, Barnet Museum at High Barnet, and Stephens Museum at Finchley’s Avenue House, starting with why do we need a museum in Barnet, and who uses it, and suggested themes for future exhibitions, this museum having a regular programme of temporary displays. Also on the list was the question of how to raise attendances at this registered museum and the effectiveness of existing publicity.

The meeting opened with an explanation of the ‘Best Value Process’ review – a government requirement to review over 4-5 years council operations – looking at what services are provided, for whom, and why, and what improvements might be made, in this case to the Museums service.

A general discussion of possible improvements included the request that the local history collection in the archives at Egerton Gardens, Hendon should be more accessible to the public and a request for more brown signs to indicate the museum’s location, which the council agreed to look into. Further publicity issues included suggestions for a box advertisement in the local free press detailing new exhibitions, opening hours and bus routes, the latter causing particular comment. Barnet College and other local students could for example, offer volunteer help in designing publicity material through project work, and more advertising in libraries, bus stops, tube stations and parks was recommended. The question of lunchtime, Sunday morning or weekday evening opening was raised, possibly using volunteer roster, but when tried previously this had not been a success in terms of visitor numbers. Additional museum staff could theoretically be funded by the presently under subscribed Heritage Lottery Access Fund from the summer of 1999. Better transport links, for, or even between, the museums were also discussed, with the need for better information on access by public transport being stressed. Also, the council seemed quite taken with the suggestion of summer vintage/open-top bus tours between the two museums and would pass this on to their marketing division -this could perhaps include Avenue House and a picnic in Sunny Hill Park or lunch at the Greyhound, all perhaps linked with the nationally organised ‘Open House’ days and even perhaps tours of St. Mary’s Church Hendon and St John’s Church Chipping Barnet.

It was announced that Church Farmhouse Museum will shortly be floodlit at night thanks to a donation from the Friends of Church Farmhouse Museum, who found that the rooms at CFM were very small and restricted when holding functions. The problem of shortage of storage space – a familiar problem to HADAS also – was discussed. Schools play a big part in the life of the museum,

especially during the mornings, being attracted by the permanent displays of period furnished rooms rather than the temporary displays and exhibitions, hence the recent suggestion that one of the

upstairs galleries should be remodelled as a Victorian bedroom, although the feeling was that the whole of the first floor should be retained for temporary exhibitions rather than permanent displays, and not for art exhibitions which in future will hopefully be catered for by the proposed new Borough Arts Centre at Tally Ho, North Finchley and the Bothy in the Avenue House grounds. The ability to display touring exhibitions was again restricted by the size and design of the rooms.

It was commented that the two larger museums complement each other, with Barnet Museum having a wide selection of items in static displays and CFM concentrating mainly on temporary exhibitions and then discussion moved to a possible name change, e.g. should it become Hendon Museum but not Barnet Museum so as not to impinge on the identity and ethos of the existing Barnet Museum, whilst still covering the entire Borough. The majority view at the meeting was that CFM should become `Church Farmhouse Museum at Hendon’ to make it clear it was for the whole Borough and not just the local Hendon Museum.

These points will now be pursued as part of the Council’s ‘Best Value Review.’

BROCKLEY HILL STUDY DAY – Pottery, Potters, Kilns

STEPHEN CASTLE has agreed to speak to HADAS about his excavations at Brockley Hill kiln sites in the 1970s and about his subsequent published conclusions regarding the Roman pottery, as part of our Brockley Hill study day on Saturday 30th OCTOBER. He last visited us in the 1980s and this is an opportunity for newer members to learn more about this scheduled site in the north of our Borough. BARRY HORNE of the Manshead Archaeological Society will be explaining his theory about why the types of Roman pottery which his society have excavated in the Dunstable area do not include wares from the Brockley Hill kilns. YOU will have the opportunity to look at several types of pottery from the Suggett collection which is usually in store, as well as some of the finds from our fieldwalking at Brockley Hill last year, and to examine them microscopically.

If you have any thoughts about the precise location of Sulloniacis then please come along and share them – we need your input. We also hope to see contacts from other organisations, including MOLSS finds specialist Fiona Seeley who has already spent a couple of days looking at our finds.

THE DAY: Saturday 30th October 1999 THE TIME: 11.30am through to 4pm

THE PLACE: The Training Centre behind Hertford Lodge (beside Avenue House), East End Road, Finchley Central. THE COST: £3 towards coffees sandwiches & hire of hall – cheques payable to HADAS.
Contact: Vikki O’Connor, 2a Dene Road, London N11 1ES.

HADAS DIARY

Monday 4th October WALK with Mary O’Connell around the Euston area, visiting the Quakers’ (Society of Friends’) House, the new headquarters of the Magic Circle, and the refurbished “The Place” Theatre. A few places left – phone Dorothy Newbury (0181-203 0950).

Saturday 9th October MINIMART: LOTS OF BARGAINS! – our annual fundraiser.

St Mary’s Church Hall, Greyhound Hill, Hendon NW4. 11.30am-2.30 pm. Please phone Dorothy Newbury (0181-203 0950) if you have items for sale or can help on the day.

Lectures are held at Avenue House, East End Road, Finchley. The Committee has decided to try a new arrangement for the lectures. In future the lecture itself will start at 8 pm, lasting about an hour, followed as usual by questions, with coffee being served at the end of the evening.

Tuesday 12th October Our winter lecture programme begins with Dr Eric Robinson: “The Archaeology of Local Building Materials”

Unfortunately Caspar Johnson is not able to speak to us on Mexico in October, but he still hopes to make it at a later date. In the meantime we are delighted that Eric Robinson, who was not able to speak as expected in April, will now be with us on October 126. All is not lost on the Southern American front as Dr Colin McEwan, the Head of the Ethnography Department of the British Museum, has agreed to lecture in March on an aspect of Peruvian archaeology.

Tuesday 7th December CHRISTMAS DINNER. First a visit to Dr Johnson’s House in Gough Square, followed by dinner at nearby “Ye Olde Cock Tavern” in Fleet Street. Coach, timing details and application form with this Newsletter. Please reply AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

HADAS OUTING TO WEST STOW, FRAMLINGHAM CASTLE AND WOODBRIDGE, SUFFOLK

The outward journey took us past several military airfields – Northolt, Mildenhall and Lakenheath. We also passed through Newmarket (complete with racehorses … not surprisingly!) and Icklingham, an attractive village with many of the buildings constructed from flint.

Our first stop was at West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village. This consisted of a visitor centre and, a short walk away, the reconstructed village. The buildings had been reconstructed for two reasons: firstly they were arranged to demonstrate the Anglo-Saxon social structure (i.e. a hall with six or seven houses all occupied by elements of the same extended family). Secondly, as little evidence of surface structures survives, they were constructed of different styles. This experimental work has revealed one particularly surprising conclusion, i.e. that the conventional view that part of an Anglo-Saxon house was built below ground level is wrong. It is now felt that the pit (usually associated with these houses) was boarded over and did not form part of the living accommodation. Attempts to identify the function of the pit quickly discounted storage (as it was too damp). One novel (and potentially hazardous) idea was that it was to store hay, which duly decomposed, therefore generating heat – underfloor central heating!

During the summer the huts are sometimes occupied by volunteers giving demonstrations on aspects of Anglo-Saxon life. We were fortunate enough to see a demonstration of a wood-turning lathe and to be entertained by a Saxon musician, whose Black Country accent certainly made Andy feel at home! (Appropriately enough, scholars have identified elements of Saxon speech in Black Country dialects -Andy). The visitor centre (recently opened) housed a comprehensive exhibition which went beyond simply displaying artefacts. The emphasis was on the interpretation of the site’s archaeological evidence. We then stopped for lunch at Framlingham. Framlingham Castle, with its impressive earthworks, was built by Hugh Bigod in the twelfth century as a motte-and-bailey and then rebuilt in 1190 by Roger Bigod, Hugh’s grandson. It is the remains of this second castle that can be seen today. The surviving flint curtain wall rises to an impressive 44 feet and is 8 feet thick. There are 12 rectangular towers, which rise a further 20 feet, and a gateway. The wall walk provided the basis for a fascinating and detailed audio tour, much favoured by English Heritage these days. This pointed out interesting architectural details, such as the Tudor six-sided brick extensions to the original Norman chimneys, and outlined aspects of the castle’s history. The walls gave extensive views of the surrounding countryside, and the opportunity to appreciate the extent of the defensive features. The castle was built on a mound with extensive wide and deep ditching, with high counter-scarp banking. Little survives of the internal buildings, although parts of the great hall had been incorporated into a 17th century poorhouse.

Our final stop was at Woodbridge Tide Mill, situated on the River Debden close to Sutton Hoo. This was a weather-boarded building arranged on three floors. It housed an exhibition on the history of the mill and tide-mills in general. By the time we had looked around the mill, the weather had improved considerably and we were able to look around the boatyard (Bass’s Quay, with one house named ‘Little Bass’!) before returning to the coach. This was a very pleasant way to end an informative and successful trip.

This account of the trip comes from your `Yatton Correspondent’. (Yatton is a village situated between Bristol and Weston-super-Mare, on the North Somerset levels). As an old college friend of Andy Simpson, I have been associated with HADAS for a number of years (joining us on two trips, Brockley Hill, Church Farm digging and various real ale research trips – Andy).

Finally, as an ‘outsider’, I can honestly say that my impression of HADAS is that of a well organised and enthusiastic body fulfilling a useful social function and achieving practical results. (Thanks, Greg, your cheque’s in the post.)

GREG HUNT

THE LEY FIELD REVISITED by Pamela Taylor

Without the time currently to go back to the Barnet court rolls, I can’t respond in any detail to Philip Bailey’s piece on the Ley field (September Newsletter), but it’s likely that he’s doing the historical equivalent of fabricating a cloud-capped palace from three postholes. No-one has ever been able to reconstruct a detailed medieval field layout from documentary records – and in the almost total absence of medieval mapping, many have tried. His internal boundaries must belargely invented, and I also have considerable doubts about the external ones.

The development of field systems was not as he states it. As all HADAS members who have learned A Place in Time by heart will remember (memories could be refreshed around pages 63-7) local people did not ‘own plots of the shared land by agreement with the lord of the manor’. Although landholding peasants had long-established customary rights, including inheritance, they had no freehold: the land was and remained the lord’s. Even in this limited context the point is more than a legal quibble, since it helped the high degree of regulation essential to open-field agriculture, which was fundamentally for arable production. In particular, without internal fences, grazing had to be tightly controlled, and animals were normally only allowed into the open fields for limited periods after the harvest, to graze on the stubble.

Open fields and arable were not the only forms of agriculture, and in areas of heavy clay soil such as Barnet, never even predominant. The clay supported trees well but was heavy to clear and plough, and in any case not particularly fertile. Woods were valuable in themselves, combining the provision of essential fuel and building materials with perfectly adequate grazing for pigs, horses and deer. They were rather less useful for sheep and cattle, which needed an abundance of grass or, in winter, hay, and in areas such as Barnet with plentiful woodland but scant water-meadows, pasture was created by clearances. These normally went straight from woodland to small enclosed fields and were never

part of the open-field system. Peasants who were given permission to assail (clear), particularly in the tenth to twelfth centuries and in new settlements, often achieved a slightly greater degree of freedom, but only relatively slightly (`Market’) Barnet was founded c.1100 to capitalise on the new road from London to the north, and its various early designations include both Barnetley and West Barnet. But although it became a town in economic terms, it never achieved autonomy, and its inhabitants remained unfree tenants of St Albans Abbey.

Areas of poor soil and little open-field husbandry are also areas of polyfocal settlement. There were probably two main earlier centres within Barnet, both of which may have suffered from Chipping Barnet’s runaway success. One was East Barnet, hich had the parish church. The other was at Barnet Gate, known throughout the medieval period as Grendelsgate, where the manor courts were sometimes held. This is an interesting name – Grendel was a monster in the Old English epic of Beowulf – and the spot was on Wood Street at the manorial and county boundary. It was also, beyond any doubt, in Southaw – the name continued in use for the remaining adjacent wood.

Throughout the middle ages and beyond, Barnet never ran short of woodland. This was normally divided between the lord of the manor’s enclosed or emparked areas – Osidge was one such – and more general woodland where peasants had some rights (though again heavily regulated) of commoning their animals and of gathering fuel and timber. It was these woodland areas, in Barnet, Finchley and elsewhere, which were gradually transformed into the later Commons. Open fields were also known as common fields, because they were not divided into separate individual parcels and were to that extent, as with the open woodland, enjoyed in common, but the two were not interchangeable categories, and should not be confused.

The Victoria County History volumes for Barnet

and Totteridge are too early to go into agricultural detail, but the more recent volumes which cover Hendon and Finchley are far more generous, and available in all the borough’s reference libraries.

The whole borough is geologically and agriculturally similar, and anyone wishing to diversify beyond A Place in Time should find them interesting, and authoritative. Pamela Taylor

Jennie Lee Cobban also writes

Re article: THESE WERE BARNET’S FIRST ALLOTMENTS (September Newsletter)

Philip Bailey states with great authority in the above article that the Leye or Lay Field occupied the area between Wood Street and Dollis Brook, and Barnet Hill and Bells Hill in High Barnet.

Is this an established fact of which I was totally unaware, or is the article intending to present new evidence to suggest that this might have been the case? If so, I cannot see how the evidence presented in the article warrants such a confident statement. How, for example, have nineteenth century maps of Barnet been ‘developed’ to show the location of this particular field? And what does Barnet Common, which developed out of woodland (as did all commons), have to do with it?

I feel I have lost the plot here, somewhere! ”

MARKET TRADERS BROUGHT TO BOOK … Vikki O’Connor

Barnet Local History Society recently celebrated the 800th anniversary of the granting of Barnet Market’s charter by dressing for the occasion. At a garden party held in the grounds behind Barnet Museum, Master of Ceremonies Richard Selby read the conditions of the charter of 1199 to ‘King John’, ‘Queen Isabella’, whilst the character of the Bishop of St Albans was played by present day rector of St John’s at High Barnet, the Rev. Esdaile. As a medieval gesture, homing pigeons were released, but the two chickens in rustic-looking pens were not! To set the scene several realistic stalls had been hired from a theatrical supplier and be-costumed BLHS members assumed the roles of stallholders. The sundry characters included a blood-spattered medieval tooth puller who bore an uncanny resemblance to HADAS

Committee member Peter Pickering… Jennie Cobban pounced on Andy Simpson and Bill Bass who sportingly agreed to dress up from the contents of her costume case – Andy in bright yellow looking like a ‘Team Barnet’ member, and Bill in a flowing black velvet cape resembled a character from Star Wars. Jean Bayne somehow escaped Jennie’s efforts and assisted with our stall, which profited £25 from HADAS book sales.

Barnet Local History Society was also celebrating the occasion with the publication of 800 Years of Barnet Market by Jennie Lee Cobban and Doreen Willcocks. A copy was presented to William Harding Young, whose family owned the market from 1902 to 1999. When he sold the market in May this year it was on condition that the site remain a stall market for the next fifteen years, but the whole story is told in the book -copies available at Barnet Museum, Wood Street, Barnet. (We have purchased a copy for the HADAS library).

Deputy Mayor Jeremy Davies and the Mayoress expressed an interest in the HADAS stall – Mrs Davies recalled attending an archaeology class at the Hampstead Garden Suburb Institute in the 1960’s taught by Professor Zeuner – there may be a few HADAS members who recall likewise?

Cricklewood Station by Bill Firth

Recent planning applications include two small items for the old ticket office at Cricklewood Station. One is for a 2.4 m. high palisade fence with gates round the site; the other is to change the use of one room to a base for a taxi/vehicle hire service and erection of a refreshment kiosk.

Neither of these items in themselves is very interesting but they indicate the reuse of an old building, which has been empty and rather derelict for some time, and thus its preservation for the present at least.

The old ticket office at Cricklewood Station is believed to be original. I think it is the only remaining Midland Railway building in the borough, but I have not made a detailed check recently. The station was opened as Child’s Hill and Cricklewood on 2 May 1870 and renamed Cricklewood on 1 May 1903.

Glassy, Ghastly and, I say! Vikki O’Connor

The main autumn exhibition at Church Farmhouse Museum is on Carnival Glass but running with it is a small exhibition on Hauntings, Horrors and Oddities in Barnet borough – from the ghost of Nan Clark’s Lane to the Hendon nudist riots. Curious? You have from 26th September to 14th November when all will be revealed!

The Carnival Glass should cause some to mutter ‘Oh, I remember that’, or, We chucked that out years ago’, and some of you may go home to rummage the recesses? Our newsletter editors await your findings with bated breath….

The HADAS digging team deposited Basil the sheep excavated at Church Farmhouse Museum grounds this year with CFM curator Gerrard Roots, as an example of the Oddities (the sheep, not Gerrard!). Being slightly osteologically-challenged, it took half a dozen HADAS members to fit a 55cm skeleton into a 45cm box and at one point it seemed that Basil had six legs. That would have been an excellent reason for burying him/her complete and unbutchered.

SPELLCHECKER STRIKES AGAIN

Computer spellcheckers do not always recognise proper names or a specialized vocabulary, and suggest the nearest word they have in their innards. When Liz Sagues ran the spellchecker over the September Newsletter, the computer obligingly suggested the following surrealistic replacements:

Minimart – minaret, numerate; Johnson – jingoism; HADAS – Hades; Claudius – cloddish.
Hendon – undone; Vikki vodka (!); hillforts.- halfwits, flowerets; neolithic – inelastic,
nihilistic, unethical; dolmen – demon; smithing – smashing; Barnet – baronet, Bronte; Edgware

drawer, dweller; brasses – brushes, bruises; woolmark – womanlike; Boadicea – bodice, bookcase; Newbury – neighbour, nobler; AD66 – ado; Blackfriars – backfires, backstairs; cuppa

coypu, cupola; arcading – racketing, archdeacon; Greyfriars – graveyards, glorifiers; Saxons-stations, sexiness; burgage – bragged, burgled; Spitalfields – hospitalised, Spitfires; on-going -nagging; Fishbourne – fisherman; backfilling – backfiring, backsliding; pikeman – pigment, pediment; portaloos – portcullis; LAARC – lark; SCOLA – scowl, scaly; ribcage – robotic; website – weepiest, wobbliest, riposte.

BROWSERS CORNER

I Details of LOCAL HISTORY COURSES in London for the 99/2000 academic year at this WEA site: office@Jon.wea.org.uk

2 FREE INTERNATIONAL BOOKSEARCH

“no obligation to purchase”: www.argonet.eo.uk/users/male.kbs

3 INSTITUTE OF HERALDIC GENEALOGICAL STUDIES based in Canterbury, have information on training, library, bookshop – visit their site: www.ings.ac.uk

OTHER SOCIETIES’ NEWS/EVENTS

London & Middlesex Archaeological Society’s 34th LOCAL HISTORY CONFERENCE will be on Saturday 20th November at the Museum of London Lecture Theatre between 10am and 5pm -the theme is The Effect of Tudor and Stuart Royalty on the Greater London Area.

Simon Thurley, the high-profile Director of the Museum of London will be talking about Royal Palaces in London; Michael Berlin (who sometimes lectures for Birkbeck in Barnet) will discuss the clash between royalty and the City; Geoffrey Toms, archaeologist and historian is to talk on the royal estates of Greater London, Andrew Cameron of Hounslow Local History Society will speak about the Hounslow area; and Rosemary Weinstein, writer/researcher will discuss the Royal Parks. Tickets, price £4, from LAMAS, 36 Church Road, West Drayton, Middx UB7 7PX, tel 01895 442610. These local history conferences are well-attended and highly informative so, do book early!

POST-MEDIEVAL LONDON

Another date for your diary at the Museum of London – Saturday 27th November, with sessions on the port, life & death, homes, households, halls and palaces. Organised by CBA Mid-Anglia and CBA South-East in conjunction with SCOLA, this event looks like another feast of information.

Booking de ‘tails from Derek Hills, CBA Mid-Anglia, 34 Kingfisher Close, Wheathampstead, Herts, AL4 8JJ.

COLAS on TV

The City of London Archaeological Society were filmed surveying the Thames foreshore recently, as part of the BBC series called The River. This will be screened before the end of the year, possibly in October. Keep an eye open for HADAS committee member Andy Simpson splashing about in the mud.

Barnet Local History Society meet on Wed 13th October, 8pm, The Story of London through its Pubs told by Sandra Lea: Wesley Hall, Stapylton Road, High Barnet

Hornsey Historical Society Wednesday 13th October, 8pm Ice Houses and Ice Cream with Ruth Hazseldine. Venue: Union Church Community Centre, corner of Ferme Pk Rd/Weston Park, London N8

Enfield Archaeological Society 15th October Jon Cotton on Lundenwic: excavations on the site of Saxon London. 8pm at Jubilee Hall, corner Chase Side/Parsonage Lane, Enfield (visitors: donation).

Pinner Local History Society 7th October Popping into Uncle’s, Victorian & Edwardian pawnbroking with Peter Street at Pinner Village Hall, Chapel Lane car park (visitors: El donation)

Berkhamsted & District Archaeological Society Only a half-hour’s drive ‘up the road’ – their next meeting 8pm, October 28th is about Quarrying in Roman Egypt, by Dr Donald Bailey of the British Museum at Berkhamsted Collegiate School, Newcroft Wing, Mill Street, Berkhamsted. Donation of £1 requested.

The Friends of Dacorum Museum and the Dacorum Heritage Trust have organised a Canal Exhibition which is well worth a visit, especially if you have an interest in industrial archaeology. The exhibition will be at Hemel Hempstead Pavilion from 18-23 October and Jubilee Hall, Tring from 25-30 October so, if you are in the area…

St Albans – FREE CITY WALKS – Sundays in October, meeting at The Clock Tower, St Albans -no booking required but PLEASE CHECK WITH THE TOURIST INFO CENTRE BEFORE­HAND (office hours) Tel: 01727 864511

3rd 11.15am Market Place 3pm Historic St.Albans 10th 11.15 Historic St Albans, 3pm St Michael’s 17th 11.15 Coaching Inns, 3pm Market Place

24th 11.15 Coaching Inns, 3pm Historic St Albans 31st 11.15 Market Place, 3pm St Stephens 8pm Halloween Ghost Walk

Kenwood Estate: Wed 20th Oct lecture & walk Autumn leaves, fruits & nuts and Sunday 31st October guides walk of the estate, both with Estate Rangers. Bookings: 0171 973 3893

SCOLA lecture (as mentioned by Peter Pickering in the August Newsletter) Saturday, October 23rd 2.30 pm. Lecture by Professor Graham-Campbell, the Chairman of the Standing Conference on London Archaeology (SCOLA) on LONDON AND THE VIKINGS in the Lecture Theatre of the Institute of Archaeology, Gordon Square; his lecture will be preceded by a brief report on SCOLA’ s activities.

Lottery cash for the London archive

Dr Simon Thurley’s efforts to raise money for the London Archaeological Archive & Research Centre have been fruitful to the tune of £1.1m, reports Vikki O’Connor.

As this Newsletter went to press, Hedley Swain of the Museum of London announced this funding, at a reception at the project’s Eagle Wharf Road premises. It gives the go-ahead for plans to increase storage capacity and create and equip visitor study facilities.

The archive holds finds from a century of London excavations. A large board displays the names of 3,000­ to 4,000 sites and with LAARC’s future assured these mate­rials now have a secure long-term home.

A contributory factor in the Heritage Lottery Fund’s approval was the donations made by other bodies, groups, societies and individuals, and Hedley Swain thanked them for their support, mentioning HADAS along with COLAS, English Heritage, SCOLA, Richmond AS, Surrey AS, LAMAS, London Archaeologist, etc, etc.

The Museum continued its successful policy of bring­ing its news to public attention by inviting a team from BBC Newsroom South East to the reception and putting on show the first-ever wooden coffin found in Roman London, one of two from Atlantic House, Holborn. The imprint of ribcage and spine were clearly visible.

To maintain the current impetus LAARC will actively encourage participation from schools, universities, local societies and individuals, with information flowing two ways. HADAS already has several contacts at the Ar­chive and the future success of the Society will be en­hanced by developing these links.

Fishbourne: the invasion debate continues

As the fifth and final season of the current excavation campaign at Fishbourne Roman Palace, Chichester —visited by HADAS last year— nears its end, dig directors John Manley and David Rudkin have revealed their latest thoughts on the somewhat puzzling complex of build­ings lying just to the east of the palace, reports Liz Sagues.

They agree that the 35-metre long masonry building was most likely a principia (a prestige military headquar­ters building), built around AD50-60, before the palace was erected, and remaining in use for almost two centu­ries. But there is rather less accord on what is represented by the lines of post holes just beyond the north wall, a focus of this year’s work. John Manley’s vote is for a timber lean-to, probably used for storage.

But whatever its exact purpose, all the construction in this area confirms that the palace itself was designed to be inward-looking, with its users enjoying views over the courtyard and garden rather than to the outside world.

A new trench has failed to locate the continued north­ern extension of the masonry building’s western wall, but has revealed a possible military aqueduct.

The 1999 work won’t settle the argument over whether the main Roman invasion force did land at Fishbourne, but the whole issue will be discussed at a Sussex Archaeo­logical Society conference on October 23 (just a few places left — ring 01273 405737 for details). And read all about the dig, most entertainingly, on the Sussex Archaeologi­cal Society website, www.sussexpast.co.uk.

HADAS Diary

Fri-Sun September 3rd to 5thVisit to Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight

Monday October 4: Walk around the Euston area with Mary O’Connell.

Details and application form enclosed with this Newsletter.

Saturday October 9: The Minimart, the Society’s annual fundraiser. Look out your contributions, and volunteer to help on the day.

Tuesday October 12 Our winter lecture season begins with the Archaeology of Mexico, by Caspar Johnson.

Tuesday November 9 Britain in the Shadow of Rome: John Creighton, former HADAS member and digger on the Heath, describes the changing lifestyles and perceptions between Caesar’s and Claudius’s invasions of Britain.

These lectures, and those that follow during the winter, are in the Drawing Room on the ground floor of Avenue House, East End Road, Finchley, N3, at 8PM

Return to Non-Conformity

HADAS is trying to bring to publication the material which George Ingram began to collect for the Society 20 years ago on the Non-Conformist Churches in the Borough of Barnet. George had to give up in 1983 when his sight failed.

As a first stage we are concentrating on Congrega­tional and Presbyterian churches, most of which are now United Reformed churches, and some Baptist churches which are now linked with United Reformed congregations. Later we hope to go on, at least, to the remaining Baptist churches and the Methodist ones.

Some churches on which we are short of information are: The Hyde, Colindale, and Brent Street Congrega­tional in Hendon; Edgware Congregational; North Finchley Baptist; and any which have now closed. Any reminiscences, booklets, letters and photographs would be warmly welcomed by John Whitehorn, 14 Wessex Court, West End Lane, Barnet ENS 2RA

Welcome to HADAS

We had a flurry of newcomers in the early summer, some of whom attended the training dig. We hope to meet the others before too long — at the lectures? Hello to Edward Mansell, Amanda Gill, Nicholas Upton, Anne Margaret­Soer, Rona Jungeblut, Karen Levy, Peter Mattei, Rachel Marer, Susan Loveday, Maurice Spector, Katherine Treadell, Kirsten & Michael Dunne, Alexei Gouldson, Sarah Stewart, Kathryn Jackman, Teresa Smith, Michael Cannard, Brian Davies and Dr Eleanor Scott.

Members much missed

HADAS was represented by several members among the large congregations at Golders Green Crematorium for the funerals of Christine Arnott (on July 16) and John Watkins (on August 7), reports Dawn 011′.

Christine was a stalwart supporter of all HADAS activities from its earliest days — digging, committee work, exhibitions and visits, not forgetting her skills in generating income from challenging collections of bric-a-brac at the Minimart! Even failing health in recent years did not diminish her loyalty and enthusiasm.

John, who died suddenly at the beginning of his sailing holiday, followed his distinguished wartime na­val career with an equally distinguished academic one at the LSE in the Department of Philosophy, continuing vigorously after retirement. He developed HADAS inter­ests with Micky, backing up her committee activities, particularly in arranging outings with Micky Cohen —the coincidence of names did not escape his sense of humour when he was at the helm on their reconnaissance journeys. Indeed his genial presence and genuine interest were much appreciated when the trips were underway.

Our sympathy is extended to Christine’s family and to Micky and hers, along with gratitude for the contribu­tions made to HADAS by Christine and John.

Spitalfields revelations

The scale of the Spitalfields excavation continues to amaze. Bill Bass has been working at the site, and reports the following facts and figures. From a projected 4,500 buri­als, dating from around 1200 to 1500, so far some 3,700 have been excavated, and of those some 1,250 have been processed. They span the age spectrum and include unborn children. A variety of diseases have been noted, and there are some early examples of trepanation. Four men were buried with chalices, so were canons or priests.

The burials apart, a row of shops and dwellings, including cellars, also survives, dated c.1600-1700. Among the finds is a great deal of medieval pottery, and also moulded and carved stone possibly from the priory.

Excavation of this massive site will continue until the end of September, with processing on site probably for another month. After that, the on-going work “will keep someone employed for quite some time”!

Though the site is not open to spectators, there is a display centre. On Saturday September 11, the Museum of London is holding a Spitalfields seminar, with talks, a walk and a guided site visit. It runs from 1.30- 4.30pm, fee £7.50 (no concessions) and must be pre-booked — ring 0171-814 5777 to see if places are still available.

A date for your diary

HADAS Chairman Andrew Selkirk also chairs the Coun­cil for Independent Archaeology whose 1999 annual con­gress will be at Sheffield University on September 10-12. CIA events are inspirational, showing what can be achieved by the non-professional bodies, ie local socie­ties. The theme, Demystifying Archaeology, includes a session on building your own resistivity meter (and hope­fully how to use it!). Further details from Mike Rumbold, 3 West Street, Weedon Bec, Northampton NN7 4QU. Tel: 01327 340855. Bargain price of £65 (residential).

… and a whole lot more

As enrolment dates loom and prospectuses circulate, have you considered the courses available for the new academic year?

Details of Birkbeck courses are available from: Birkbeck College, 26 Russell Square, London WC1B 5DQ. tel: 0171-631 6633, fax: 017-631 6688, e-mail: info@bbk.ac.uk. URL: http:/ /www.hbk.ac.uk. Courses at various cen­tres, a number handy for North London, include the 3-year Certificate in Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology, Egyptology, Field Archaeology and Industrial -Archaeology, 4th year to convert to Diploma, short courses and study days.

Barnet College’s part-time prospectus advertises: Dis­covering London (visits & lectures), History of London Cert, Making of Modern London, Field Archaeology Cert (year 1- Prehistory of S. Britain), and Industrial Archae­ology. Contact Barnet College, Wood Street, Barnet ENS 4AZ, tel 020-8440 6321, website: http:/ /www.barnetacuk.

Some thing went wrong… For those numerically-alert members who have noticed that the number on this Newsletter has moved on too fast from the last one, here’s the explanation. The March and April Newsletters carried the same number, so we’ve skipped one digit to bring things back into the correct sequence.

Of cairns, circles and copper mines

Audree Price-Davies set out to trace early activity in Snowdonia

The Prehistoric Society’s study tour (July 12-17) pre­sented examples of burial cairns, settlement sites, cairn circles, hillforts, iron working and copper mining. It was very well led by Peter Crew of the Snowdonia National Park Study Centre, Frances Lynch of the University of Wales at Bangor and Edric Roberts of the Great Orrae Mines. The conference was housed at Plas Tan Y Bwlch, a country house near Blaenau Ffestiniog which is the Snowdonia National Park Study Centre.

The study of prehistoric archaeology is dependent on an appreciation of the landscape and climate as it must have been. Exposed sites on high ground were probably chosen because there was a more protected environment with trees and shrubs. Over time these have been removed for building and fuel. Denuded of trees, the upland soils have become more acid and peat bogs began to form. The climate was probably warmer and sites which are now inhospitable would probably have been sought after. This was perhaps the case at Cars Y Gedol in Harlech.

At Cors Y Gedol a neolithic burial chamber of the 4th or 3rd millennium BC was seen. The tomb is badly damaged but is surrounded by a well-preserved ancient landscape of settlement sites and fields dating from the late prehistoric, Roman, medieval and later periods.

The chambered long cairn at Gwern Einion had been incorporated into the walls dividing the two yards of a dwelling house, presumably to house sheep or cattle. The site had been pillaged to build stone walls and only the rectangular chamber was intact with its capstone.

The burial chamber at Duffryn Ardudwy was well preserved and is an example of a portal dolmen, and forms a common type of tomb in this region. They stood at the centre of the farmed land, a focus for the commu­nity like a modern parish church. The cairn contains two chambers, the western one an H-shaped portal with high closing slab, a rectangular chamber and sloping capstone. The other chamber is larger but has no en­trance stones. The bones found in the eastern chamber came from a later Bronze Age cremation burial.

The settlement site with an enclosed homestead at Moel Goedog was set into the hillside and at Erw Wen there was a circular enclosure with a central but circle. At moo. Goedog there is evidence of secondary occupation in the medieval period indicating the desira­bility of the site. Ceremonial sites were probably placed where there was a particular view, as at Moel Goedog. Two stone circles, not visible from each other, look out over the estuary. There was an intensity of silence and stillness at this site.

An alignment of standing stones at Waun Oer — eight of them, but with only five visible — is a rare occurrence in Wales, although there are some on Dart­moor and in Ireland. Cairn circles with surrounding stone rings are placed in strategic places which it is now difficult to explain fully.

The cairn circle at Bryn Cader Faner is a small cairn, 8 metres across and less than a metre high, but around the edge is a ring of tall thin slabs set at an angle, projecting from the mass of the cairn, like the rays of the sun. The monument may be classified as a cairn circle, but was probably a burial site rather than a ceremonial one. A hole in the centre indicates the position of a cist or grave, the contents of which are unknown.

Other sites visited were the prehistoric and medi­eval settlement at Cyfannedd and the settlement and standing stones at Bryn Seward, and the burial and ceremonial sites of the 2nd and 1st millennium BC at Y Gryn and Maes Y Caerau. The neolithic burial chamber of the 3rd millennium BC at Capel Gannon, Betws Y Coed, showed evidence that prehistoric populations moved, as it is typical of the Severn-Cotswold group, a type unusual for North Wales.

The 1st millennium hillfort at Pen-y-Gaer had a defensive area of small stones, a chevaux de (rise, on two sides. The views over the surrounding country from the well-defended site were remarkable.

Evidence of iron working was found at the later prehistoric hillfort of Bryn y Castell, Ffestiniog, dated 300BC-250AD. This was a small defended hilltop fort where iron working, both smelting and smithing, seems to have been the main activity. They used bog ore from nearby peat bogs and cut trees for charcoal to fuel the furnaces. At Crawcwellt, an isolated hilltop area, there was also evidence of iron working on a large scale. Again bog iron ore was used and trees cut for charcoal. Both sites were difficult of access, and this suggests that iron working was a highly regarded but secret occupa­tion which turned ore into swords and other items.

The bronze age copper mining site at Great Orme was a warren of narrow galleries where copper was mined by lighting fires to weaken the rock and using hammer stones to break it. The ore was smelted, using tin from Cornwall and the Continent, to produce bronze.

To return to the 20th century, our base, a country house on a wooded hillside with views over the valley, was an ideal site for the study tour, providing comfort­able accommodation and a pleasant social atmosphere. But the weather could have been much kinder.

Illustration: a portal dolmen, reproduced from The Handbook of British Archaeology by Lesley and Roy Adkins (Papermac, 1988).

HADAS went to Gloucester.

Sheila Woodward and Tessa Smith came up with some­thing for everyone on this outing, with a mixture of indus­trial archaeology, Roman, medieval and historical, pep­pered with off-beat moments. It was a recipe for another really interesting day out — with no sign of Dr Foster’s showers.

The 17th century Sherbourne Arms served as our wa­tering hole at the picturesque village of Northleach in Gloucestershire. Built of Cotswold stone, the inn had been enlarged to take in the adjacent blacksmith’s barn and many related artefacts including the original forge were on display. Our coach waited for us in the market place but the market, whose charter was granted by the Abbey of Gloucester in 1220, has now ceased trading.

We had time to look round the church of St Peter and St Paul with its earliest feature, the impressive 100ft tower, built before 1400. Equally impressive was the collection of brasses dating between 1400 and 1584. The memorial brass of John Taylour (1509) is in excellent condition and depicts a sheep, woolpack with woolmark and a crook, the chief trade of the town at that time being wool and weaving. The guide book suggests one should go round the outside of the church clockwise as legend has it that if you go anti­clockwise (widdershins) the Devil might get you…

Docks, lock and Jock

We arrived at Gloucester dockyard to the sound of wheeling gulls, and were given into the charge of two town guides, Nigel Spry and Philip Morris. We split into two groups and avoided each other for the rest of the day! The Gloucester & Sharpness canal leads into the docks, and we crossed over Llantony Bridge, a Dutch-style lifting bridge, just before it lifted for a tripper boat named Queen Boadicea II (originally from London). Gloucester used to rely heavily on water transport for its trade in grain, stone and timber.

We heard how the dangers of the tidal bore on the Severn at Newnham, with 10ft waves travelling at 15mph, had necessitated a safer passage to Gloucester and con­struction of the canal by Mylne and Telford began in 1794. However, the project ran out of money halfway to the Stroud canal, and from 1798 to 1817 it silted up. After the Napoleonic wars soldiers needed work so money was provided to employ them to extend the canal to join the Stroud Water canal—the route to London. Our guide told us that the canal was 16 miles longs, 16 ft wide, 16 ft deep and had 16 bridges — making his job easier? The total cost was £430,000, a 70% under-calculation — shades of the Jubilee Line!

Silting is still a problem and two dredgers operate. Doubtless an embarrassment for someone, when the canal level dropped in 1990 dredger DSND4 tipped over and it took two years to restore it to working order. It’s not easy to relate to these statistics, but 3.5 million gallons of water per hour are pumped in from the Severn, raising the height of the canal one inch per hour. This of course brings in silt, which is dredged up and the slurry is taken up-river and dumped. And once again, water (containing this silt) is pumped back into the canal etc etc etc. As our guide des­cribed the process I couldn’t help but daydream ways of ending the cycle but maybe this way it is ecologically stable?

A corn mill was operating until three years ago, and we noted that the “windows” of a corn warehouse were in fact ventilation openings. These Gloucester warehouses fol­lowed the design of those at St Katharine’s Dock, London.

Clean, smart and unspoilt, the Victorian dock area at­tracts film crews and our guide reeled off a list of produc­tions from the Onedin Line and Martin Chuzzlewit on TV to a film titled Buffalo Bill’s Girls (anyone heard of that one?). Boat builder Tommy Nielson has taken over the repair yards — we passed a boat which had just been re-masted — and sail training takes place. The warehouses have been restored in a continuing development programme and the 1826 Victoria warehouse is now a civic centre complete with mayor’s suite.

The Atlas sailed between the East Indies and London from 1812 to 1822, then was broken up and her bell became the dockyard time bell. In 1939 it was removed because bells sounded for invasion so it was moved to Sharpwater for use as a fog warning. The Civic Trust and Rotary Club (murmur of approval from Dorothy Newbury’s husband Jack at the mention of Rotary Club) bought the bell in 1986 and returned it to the dockyard where it hangs on Victoria warehouse.

Merchants Quay is now a shopping mall, Albert Ware­house is now the Robert Opie Collection of Advertising and Packaging (pure nostalgia), and the Llantony Warehouse is now the National Waterways Museum. However, the heat and need for liquid, even water, led most of our party to cafés rather than museums in the lunch break. And Jock? A fully kitted, or rather kilted, Scot playing Ode to Joy and other popular classics on his bagpipes next to the swing bridge. But why?

We left the docks just as a small boat left the main basin to pass through a lock into-the Severn. The -water level dropped almost as quickly as emptying a bath, but the pumps would have soon put it back. Passing the old Custom House, now a museum for the Soldiers of Glouces­ter, we heard how the Gloucester Regiment are permitted-to wear two cap badges because of the 28th Regiment who once, surrounded by the French, turned half their force round and won the battle.

Close by lay the site of the AD66 Roman fortress. A Norman motte and bailey castle later sat on the site, to be replaced by a stone castle. Gloucester sided with the Parlia­mentarians and was besieged in 1648. By way of retaliation when he came to power, Charles II ordered the town walls to be levelled, so the only Roman part remaining is the south gate and section of wall which survived below ground. The site has been purchased for the Blackfriars development and, when we visited, a couple of trenches were being excavated in the southern area which will add to informa­tion gained from previous excavations. The site has also been used as a graveyard, with thousands buried there. Soon, a six-storey car park will squat where proud build­ings once stood, and metal crates on wheels will transport plastic shopping bags where ancestors were laid to rest.

Heat reflected from the pavements as we toiled down La dybellg at e Street to the cool stone buildings at Blackfriars Priory where our guides had obtained permission for us to visit. Pink stone from the Forest of Dean contrasted pleas­antly with yellow sandstone. The Black Friars of St D ominic came to Gloucester in 1239 and built their priory around a courtyard, church to the north, chapter house with dormi­tory above to the east, the west range including the refectory and the south range comprised a ground floor store (or school room?). Above this room was the library and the friars’ individual study cells — carrels.

We were told the friars were self-taught. That in itself posed questions: had they not brought expertise with them; had the experts died out; who corrected them; did they discuss, argue, fight? The cell partitions were still discern­ible and it was easy to picture someone poring over a book, a shaft of sunlight faded by swirling dust. Silence except for the occasional cough, or was that a HADAS member gasp­ing for a cuppa?

The Priory was obtained by Sir Thomas Bell in 1538 and his wife organised the site for cloth manufacture, employing 300. Sir Thomas adapted the church for his residence,Bell’s Place, but he left some of the Early English arcading which still survives, as do the original 13th century roofs.
Moving a few roads on, we stopped to look at the site of Greyfriars. Merely a shell, it had been damaged in the

siege of 1643. Nearby, we noticed an Aviation Garden with representations of the Gloucester planes, paid for by the Civic Trust.

As we reached the pedestrian precinct at the town centre, was I the only one to look with envy at the free motorised buggies zipping round? From the street some­thing archaeological was visible, and we descended to investigate. It was part of a Roman bastion with sally ports, preserved beneath the modern shopping development.

We learned a little more local history as we moved on. Gloucester and Cirencester fell to the Saxons according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, then in 977 the town was re-fortified when the Danes were thrown out. Ethelfreda had new streets laid out — the burgage plots are still reflected in modern building widths. Some timber-framed buildings have been re-fronted,_one having belonged to John Pritchard…

The Tailor of Gloucester

Nearing the Cathedral, we stopped in an alley at the Beatrix Potter Gift Shop. This wasn’t the tailor of Glouces­ter’s premises but a tourist trap where one had to pay to see the displays. John Pritchard was the actual tailor who had inspired Potter’s story of the clothes made by fairies, and his old shop was in the High Street.

As we approached the Cathedral we heard the clamour of many chisels hitting stone. Over 40 stone masons were working under a large awning on new seating to be erected in the garden of a church near Greyfriars. They each had a block of stone and worked to the design laid out for inspec­tion on the grass next to the Cathedral. They had just that weekend to complete the work, and a percussion band beat out rhythms to keep the masons on the go. One could gain some idea of what building a cathedral would have en­tailed, the air of industry and noise, dust and people going about their trade. Also at work was a woman from one of the town museums, heating and working iron, using equip­ment borrowed from the museum.

And we still had time left for a look round the Cathedral. An Anglo-Saxon monastery on the site was replaced by St Peter’s Abbey in 1089 (on William’s instruction). This was dissolved by Henry VIII and in 1541 the church became a cathedral. We took tea in the welcome cool of the refectory, and re-emerged as a service was ending. Walking round the cloisters, I passed the school-age choristers, some of whom were still singing (the acoustics were brilliant) as they clattered into the Chapter House to disrobe. On the north walkway was the lavatorium, the monks’ washing area with its long, stone basin, and on the opposite side there were (twice in one day!) the monks’ study carrels.

We had arrived to the sound of gulls and, as we left, I noticed outside a newsagent’s a yellow poster with the Gloucester Citizen’s lead story “Drive to rid city of gulls”. I’d rather see gulls than pigeons in Finchley… Comments on a seaside postcard please!

It’s not the Knot: re-enacting the Civil War

Part-time pikeman Bob Michel explains…

The faces may change, but the questions remain the same. They range from the hopeless “You’re Morris Dancers aren’t you? through to “English Civil War —that’s William the Conqueror isn’t it?” to the more perceptive “Aren’t you the Sealed Knot?”. Believe me, there are times in a re-enactor’s life when you wish your replica musket was really loaded!

As in archaeology, public relations is all part of the fun. Luckily for us volun­teer, part-time, pretend soldiers it’s just a small part. Much more of our time is devoted to reproducing as faithfully as possible 17th century military manoeu­vres, living in general and drinking in particular.

Re-enacting with the English Civil War Society (not as snappy as the Sealed Knot, is it?) attracts me in four separate but related ways. Firstly, there’s the his­torical angle to it all. We re-create civil war battles and soldiers’ camps as accu­rately as we can, given the passage of time and budgetary constraints. Uni­forms have to be made of natural materi­als and styles have to be authentic—Doc Marten boots and Russell & Bromley sling-backs are definitely out! Food must be cooked without the aid of Camping Gaz and “killing” and “maiming” on the battlefield must be wrought in good old 17th century ways.

Next, the battles tend to bring out the actor in me. Although the punters are now too far away to ask daft questions — and it’s too noisy anyway — you’re still aware an audience is present. What’s more it has paid to be there and expects to be entertained. As a pikeman my contribution to the proceedings is being a member of a disciplined and highly-skilled team wielding 17-foot pikes. That’s the theory anyway. However, every now and then I seize the chance to break out of the chorus line (as it were) and delight the crowd with my personal brand of 17th century combat.

Thirdly, there’s the blood and guts aspect. Being a pikeman involves preventing the cavalry from getting amongst our musketeers and pretending to kebab op­posing pikemen. But sometimes we get to form a “push of pike”, the real joy. Picture a rugby maul where two sets of forwards pack together to try to send their opponents flying. Simply add a pike per man and there you are! The odd flesh wound does occur; that’s not surprising when 30 men suddenly fall on top of you. But fear not gentle reader, the body armour and helmet take most of the punishment (perhaps American Football would have been a better anal­ogy than rugby). Anyway, we usually take more casualties in the beer tent than on the field.

Which takes me nicely on to my final point — the social side. All this physical activity and answering “no” to the public makes men and women thirsty. Yes, we are an equal opportuni­ties organisation. We believe both sexes have the right to get injured! Alcohol though can help to deaden the pain. A huge marquee becomes our Windmill, otherwise known as the “We never closed” beer tent. Although prone to be a little damp under foot after a few days — as are the portaloos — this is easily the most popular social venue on site. Spirits are high after a hard day’s battling, so in the wee small hours it’s not the place for shrinking violets. Luckily each regiment usually boasts a welcoming camp fire to which the active, but less adventurous, can retire in good order to enjoy fine fellowship and some awful singing.

Changing times at Avenue House

The HADAS library and finds store/processing room has been based at Avenue House for many years, and the future of the site is again under discussion. Andy Simpson reports.

Held in the familiar surroundings ofthe Drawing Room, day-to-day running of the house and grounds. A park the Avenue House Estate Consultative Conference on keeper will also be employed. Such changes would June 30 was a well attended and at times lively meeting. require a separate account to be run for the house —The basic message to come through was that the council, built in 1859 and newly Grade II listed by English as corporate trustee, was aware that there was room for Heritage, along with Hertford Lodge and The Bothy. change, ie by reducing bureaucracy. It was pointed out by Barnet Council Chief Execu‑

The council is not, in the medium term, prepared to tive Max Caller that Hertford Lodge is council-owned relinquish control, but will be advertising nationally and not part of the estate. It might have a future as a fora dedicated Avenue House estate manager, appointed voluntary sector resource centre, rather than as the by the management committee and based on site for Continued on facing page

These were Barnet’s first ‘allotments’ by Phillip Bailey

“open field”, and was a communal field where local people could own plots of the shared land by agreement with the Lord of the Manor (in Barnet’s case the Abbot of St Albans). The strips in the field developed from the way the field was ploughed, ie by oxen. So that the oxen would not need to be turned too often the fields were made long, and they were narrow because that was all that could be ploughed in a day.

The long fields (strips) were usually known as “lands” or by the earlier form “londs”, eg Bakonslonde 1280 (Bacon’s land), Towneslonde 1280 (Town’s land). Sometimes the strips were grassed over fOr livestock to graze on, and were then known as “Ieys”.

This may mean that the name Barnetleys, 1248, had an ambiguous meaning, ie “Barnet-clearing” and/or “Barnet-grass strips”. Some of the Ley Field may have been grassed over at this time for use as pasture. This fits in well with the fact that this part of High Barnet later became known as Barnet Common, which seems to have been used mainly as pasture, retaining its communal status right into the early 19th century.

The only field identified by name here is Newlands,

1817, which was obviously the last “ancient” field to be cut from Southaw Wood, hence its triangular shape. The name dates to the 13th century (Newland 1291, Newlond 1292, Le Newelond 1334). Mays Lane was known as Mayeslane in 1427, but Maieshulle (Mays Hill) occurs in 1271 and the “May” family lived in Barnet as early as 1229. There is even a Maisland in 1288 which was likely to have been found in the Ley Field.

The Ley Field is mentioned in Barnet Manor Rolls as follows: “La Leye” 1246, 1258, 1260, 1263; “La Layefeld” 1276. The map was developed from the 19th century large-scale maps of Barnet Common.

originally proposed register office— a report is awaited following a “citizens’ jury” decision.

After introductions by Councillor Alan Williams, Leader of Barnet Council, conference chair Kathy Mc­Guirk and Max Caller, those attending were involved in some general discussion. This included suggestions for a creche and coffee machine and the danger of any increased hire charges driving people away.

Delegates were then divided (after some opposition from the floor) into three workshop groups, each “ena­bled” by a council employee but using a delegate from the floor to report back at the end. These workshop groups covered marketing and fundraising, facilities for community groups, and management of house and grounds.

Those attending all received packs detailing Av­enue House facilities, booked hours per room (which show a slight overall increase, with 2,240 bookings in 1997-98), room plans (which omitted the HADAS Garden Room!) and statement of accounts and details of the history and present use of the site, which under the will of Henry Charles “Inky” Stephens was be­queathed to the people of Finchley in 1918 and opened to the public 10 years later.

The independent Avenue House Action Group claimed that the site has been mismanaged, with the building and grounds under-used, and issued copies of its own manifesto.

This called for transfer of Hertford Lodge and its outbuildings to the proposed new management of the Avenue House Estate, to be used for the same purposes, and operation of the Avenue House Chari­table Trust by independent trustees drawn from members of the public — rather than Barnet Council being the sole corporate trustee, as at present

All in a popular weekend’s work…

Vikki O’Connor reports on the HADAS activity at Church Farmhouse Museum on National Archaeology Days, July 24-25.

The preparations began the previous Wednesday when we collected the equipment from College Farm and sur­veyed in and laid out our base line and temporary bench marks. We brought in the heavy brigade to de-turf two trenches on the Friday.

Thanks to the efforts of HADAS publicity officer Tim Wilkins, our leaflets in the libraries and a few mentions in the local press have brought in several new members, some of whom joined us on the dig. Our aim was to provide an opportunity for new diggers to “have a go” as well as get “hands on” experience of surveying and using the resistivity meter.

Ian Haigh, Stephen Aleck and Brian Wrigley organ­ised the demonstrations with gusto, despite the blistering heat. The troops took turns in the trenches with helpers firing rounds of orange juice at them when they flagged. Ian Haigh set up his computer in the cool basement of the Museum to demonstrate on both days his presentation of data from the 1996 dig. •

By Saturday lunchtime Trench 8 had yielded an ani­mal skeleton just in time for Anne, the Barnet Press photographer, to snap HADAS digger Nikki Paintin ex­posing the skull. Brian McCarthy, fresh from his volun­teer stint at the Spitalfields dig, directed the removal of the deceased quadruped which, according to the Press, was a dog, but in the Hendon Times admitted to being a sheep. Brian Wrigley and Richard Askew have since examined the bones and confirm it is a sheep.. ‘

HAD AS President Dr Ann Saunders spent Saturday afternoon dispensing refreshments and information to visitors—we recorded a total of 38 over the weekend and these included several HADAS members who came along for a quick site tour. We had put together a small display in Church Farmhouse Museum, showing finds from the several HADAS digs in that area over the past 30-plus years. Our thanks to the curator, Gerrard Roots, for making this, and the dig, possible. Thanks also go to LB Barnet information officer Dave Bicknell for attending and for his support.

Sunday morning saw an enthusiastic early start, but when Hendon MP Andrew Dismore arrived on site, the diggers had gone to the Greyhound next door to look at the clay pipe collection, or was it the beer? Fortunately, our Chairman Andrew Selkirk and his wife Wendy were on hand to welcome him. Andrew Dismore has expressed an interest in local archaeology and we hope to see him at future HADAS events.

By the end of Sunday afternoon, Trench 7 (nearest the Museum) had revealed the Victorian land drain which we had identified in 1996. The Trench 8 team had also exposed the land drain running parallel with the church­yard at the east side of the trench, but on the west side they had come down to a fill similar to the medieval ditch fill. Andy Simpson did a “eureka” when he found a Roman brick, the only Roman find that weekend.

On the Monday, a small band arrived on site, ostensi­bly to do the backfilling, but the morning was spent completing the trench plans and doing some fine-tuning on the trowelling. We confirmed that we had exposed the medieval ditch in Trench 7, but the Victorian drain had cut in and run along the same line. In Trench 8 the fill was indeed that of the medieval ditch. We have extended our knowledge of this feature inasmuch as we no longer believe it could turn east to run behind the churchyard. Also, the resistivity runs between Trench 7 and the Mu­seum indicate a feature which could be interpreted as the continuation of this ditch.

Pottery from the trenches ranged from medieval to late 20th century. The finds have now been cleaned and will during September be classified for our final report. Forty-five people participated in the five days’ work.

I’ve got plans for next year… how about some experi­mental archaeology? Anyone with polite suggestions please contact Brian Wrigley or Vikki O’Connor.

The official full report should be published in the first of the HADAS annual journals next year.

Wet Wet Wet

Not a pop group, but news from Hampstead Heath. Whose idea was it to go there in the summer? From a soggy Saxon ditch survey team over and out till drier times arrive.