Sussex Past & Present - Spring 2023

I am so happy to welcome you all to the spring edition of Sussex Past & Present, the biannual magazine for members of The Sussex Archaeological Society. As the days get longer and warmer, this time of year always brings with it real optimism and enthusiasm for what lies ahead.

I am pleased to report that the Society has been successful in securing funds to purchase the Iron Age gold torc found near Pulborough (page 8). I shan’t spoil the article by detailing more here, but the gold torc is of local, regional and national significance. The generosity of members in contributing towards the sum is extraordinary and very much appreciated. I look forward to welcoming those who supported the appeal to a series of related events in the coming months, once we have this item within our collections.

With our sites open and welcoming visitors, and exciting events planned for the year ahead, there is much to look forward to.

However, there are some very real challenges facing the sector. The combined impact of the postpandemic period, global uncertainty and increased cost-of-living is putting enormous strain on the heritage sector, with several properties across the country recently forced to close.

Our wonderful Society is not immune to these challenges but we are determined to emerge stronger and increasingly resilient. We have plans in place to ensure that the incredibly important work we do as guardians of our collective past continues for a further 177 years (and beyond) and it is heartening to see how much support and energy there is, both within the Society and across the sector to adapt to these rapidly changing times.

This is a call to action for us all. As members, you are at the very heart of the Society and have already made such an amazing contribution to Sussex, its heritage and archaeology. But there is much work still to do and a variety of ways to get involved, from promoting our work or fundraising for us through to taking up one of our multiple volunteering opportunities. We are inviting voluntary donations from all who engage with the Society as we simply could not continue to provide our services without generous support. If you are able to make a further contribution towards the Society’s work, please visit www.sussexpast. co.uk/donate to give a further gift.

As I outlined at the beginning,

Leanne O’Boyle Executive Director The Sussex Archaeological Society

this is a time for renewal and looking forward with optimism. Come enjoy our wonderful historic properties. We have a wide-ranging programme of events and activities planned across the summer months. We also have an exciting update on one of our most-loved historic properties, Michelham Priory (page 4).

I am looking forward to the Summer of Shakespeare (page 14), with six performances taking place against the backdrop of three of our stunning venues from June through to August.

We will also welcome Gladiators back to Fishbourne Roman Palace in August and the ever-popular Contemporary Craft Fair at Michelham Priory in July, along with family-friendly events taking place in the school holidays.

For those who prefer more intimate or informal events, we will also be hosting a range of curator talks and guided walks. You can find details in our What’s On Pages (pages 26 & 27). As a member you will also receive regular emails about these events and they will also be listed on the Society’s website, where you can pre-book tickets.

We also very much welcome contributions to this magazine. If you are interested in submitting material for the next edition, out in Autumn 2023, then please send these through, via email, to marketing@ sussexpast.co.uk.

With heartfelt thanks for your continued support.

Editor: marketing@sussexpast.co.uk

ISSN 1357-7417

Issue No 155 | S pring 2023

Features

16 The Physic Garden

Head Gardener James Neal takes us on a tour of part of the grounds at Michelham Priory House & Gardens

18 Downs from Above

A pioneering project has been launched to map the archaeology of the South Downs from the sky

Michelham Priory

20 Authors of West Hoathly

T his season sees a new exhibition open at The Priest House

6 Good Space

Learn about the launch of an innovative volunteering project

Sussex Archaeology: A 175 Year Heritage

A n overview of the Society’s 2023 conference, taking place in November

New opening dates announced for this much loved historic property Torc

A n update on the Society’s appeal to secure the near Pulborough Iron Age gold torc

14 Summer of Shakespeare

Celebrate the best of the Bard this summer with open-air performances at our heritage sites

26 What’s On

L istings of walks, talks and events relating to history and archaeology in our area

28 The Podium

Prof Martin Bell, the Society’s President, on the impact a new wind farm could have on the archaeology of the South Downs

We are delighted to include articles from contributing authors. The opinions they express are their own and do not purport to reflect those of the Society.

Front cover: The daffodils at Michelham Priory. Jon Santa Cruz

New opening dates announced for Michelham Priory

We’re delighted to announce that we are extending the opening dates of Michelham Priory House & Gardens for the rest of the year.

The medieval moated priory will be open as follows:

v 25th May to 30th June –

Thursday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm

v 1st July to 29th October –

Tuesday to Sunday (open on bank holidays), 10am to 5pm

Head Gardener, James, and his team of dedicated volunteers have remained busy throughout

the cooler months, ensuring the seven acres of stunning gardens are looking shipshape ready for visitors to enjoy.

Amongst many garden highlights are the cascading lilac blooms from the vegetable garden wisteria.

A number of events are lined up for summer at Michelham Priory, including Sussex Day on 17th June, Minis at Michelham on Father’s Day and The Sussex Guild Contemporary Craft Show from 28th to 30th July, all included within your membership.

Keep an eye out for future emails from us, as we’ll soon be announcing a series of events and

Michelham Priory House & Gardens

Summer opening hours

25th May to 30th June –Thursday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm

1st July to 29th October –Tuesday to Sunday (open on bank holidays), 10am to 5pm

guided tours led by our dedicated team of volunteers.

Coffee, homemade cakes, light bite snacks, cold drinks and ice creams are available from our pop-up cafe.

We can’t wait to welcome members to Michelham Priory House & Gardens once again, and we’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support. As members of The Sussex Archaeological Society, your support is vital as we work to promote, protect and preserve the heritage of Sussex.

For further details, please visit: www.sussexpast.co.uk/attraction/ michelham-priory/

Good Space is about growing volunteer opportunities with a focus on championing the positive impact of volunteering on mental health and wellbeing.

Founding partners Brighton Dome and Brighton Festival, the Sussex Archaeological Society and Heads On (NHS Mental Health Charity) have developed a Sussexwide volunteering hub that will connect potential volunteers with opportunities provided by art, heritage and sports organisations.

We believe volunteering can be transformational for individuals and organisations. It enables people to connect with others, find purpose and wellbeing, and build skills and experience.

We want people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to enjoy the benefits of volunteering, and we aim to tackle some of the barriers that might have traditionally prevented people from participating.

It’s time to find your Good Space

Organisations benefit greatly from their volunteers’ energy, enthusiasm and inspiration. We help our partners develop and deliver successful volunteer programmes that meet their needs and enable them to increase their impact. We aim to create a more inclusive and connected society, where everyone has the opportunity to realise their potential and positively contribute to their community.

In order to do this we support our partners by sharing best practice and resources that will help them deliver inclusive volunteer opportunities that connect with their communities. Good Space partners will receive mental health and neurodiversity awareness training so that all volunteers can feel supported in their roles.

We are also creating an easy-to-use website that enables individuals to search for volunteer opportunities based on their interests and location and

hopefully de-mystify some of the different roles available in arts, heritage and sport organisations.

Volunteering is not simply about giving back to the community. It’s also about building connections, finding your purpose and wellbeing, and gaining valuable skills and experience. When you volunteer through Good Space, you’ll be awarded digital badges that reveal the skills, abilities and learning involved – so it’s a great way to show potential employers what you can do.

We help everyone connect with volunteering roles that match their interests and abilities and provide lasting benefits – not only for their communities but also for themselves.

To find out more, visit our website at www.goodspace.org.uk and start exploring opportunities in your local area!

Catherine Gill Volunteer Coordinator Brighton Dome and Brighton Festival

Our volunteers are a hugely important part of the Society –we couldn’t operate without this crucial part of the team. This is why we are founding partners of a new, innovative project.

Image: Rosie Powell

Support our work

We are funded by visitors, membership fees and voluntary donations. As Members, you have already made such an amazing contribution to Sussex and its archaeology. You are the heart of the Society and we couldn’t be more grateful for your support.

Without you we could not continue to maintain the properties, care for our archives and libraries or provide services such as our education service, which engages 20,000 children with Sussex’s heritage every year.

The Society receives no regular government funding, which means we rely on the support of our visitors and members to continue our charitable work. Founded in 1846, the Society is one of the UK’s oldest archaeological and historical societies and we invite you to continue play an active part in the preservation of our human story and support our work to promote, protect and preserve the heritage of Sussex.

By making a donation, you will

help keep the heritage of Sussex safe and accessible to inspire generations to come. As well as donating to our crowdfunding campaign, we have other ways to give.

History lovers can choose a bespoke inscription to be engraved on a brick and set into one of the 40 remaining steps at Lewes Castle.

The steps lead up to the Keep at the Norman castle, with its stunning 360-degree views of the town, the South Downs National Park and the Weald.

Whether it’s a tribute to a loved one or your feelings about the Castle, each inscription will remain in full view for visitors climbing the steps helping us preserve Lewes Castle and our other stunning historic sites.

Sponsoring a step with a permanent bespoke inscription costs £1,000. It comes with a year’s membership to the Society and a personalised authentication certificate signed by our Patron, historian, author and broadcaster Tom Holland.

For more information and to sponsor a step email LewesFOH@SussexPast.co.uk or call us at Lewes Castle on 01273 486290

To donate to our crowdfunder, please visit www.sussexpast. co.uk/donate/

We connect the people of Sussex to its past through the places around them, inspiring new futures with the stories of those who have gone before.

Torc of the town

An appeal to acquire and display the ‘near Pulborough’ Iron Age gold torc for Barbican House Museum in Lewes has been successful in reaching its fundraising target.

This exquisite gold torc was found by detectorists near Pulborough in 2019. Dating from the Iron Age (400 –250 BCE), this exciting discovery is of local, regional and national significance.

Torcs were worn around the neck to display status. It is thought that the opening would be at the front, sitting on the collar, with some flexibility to allow the torc to be put on and taken off.

The use of a hollow tube to form the neck ring is unique to this torc and the use of solder to apply the wire ornament is relatively unknown on Iron Age gold objects in Britain. This torc also appears to predate the majority of other torcs previously recorded in Britain.

There are other gold Iron Age torcs recorded in the country and the ‘near Pulborough’ torc displays some technical and stylistic features found on other Iron Age gold work found in England, Scotland and Ireland and as well as continental Europe.

There are three examples of gold torcs reported through the Portable Antiquities Scheme, including the Caistor torc from Lincolnshire and two Leekfrith torcs, from Staffordshire. All three have buffer terminals and solid gold bodies.

These gold torcs have been dated to the fourth to early third century, c.400 – 250 BCE. Similarly,

the filigree style decoration has been found on Continental European torcs, but by comparison the applied decoration on the ‘near Pulborough’ gold torc is much simpler in design.

It is possible that this new discovery may have been an import from the continent or of a local design emulating European example.

Officially declared an item of Treasure and valued late last year, the Society declared an interest in pursuing acquisition and received pledges from a number of national funding organisations.

An appeal for the remaining £2,200 was launched last month to secure this important part of Sussex heritage for future generations.

Thanks to the generosity of supporters, the target was hit within a matter of days. But additional funds are still being sought to ensure the story associated with this piece is shared with members and the wider public through a detailed engagement programme.

Emma O’Connor, the Society’s Museums Officer said: “The acquisition of the Iron Age gold torc is important for our visitors and communities. It is vital to make this culturally and archaeologically significant object available in the county of its discovery.”

Once acquired, the gold torc will be displayed at Barbican House

Museum in Lewes and will be the focus of the prehistory gallery.

The Society plans to hold celebratory events where supporters will be able to view this amazing piece of Sussex heritage.

The gold torc will also be made available to researchers and programmed activities will also include ‘behind the scenes’ gallery talks with the Museums and Finds Liaison Officers.

The Society looks forward to welcoming visitors to Barbican Museum to see the torc as part of its commitment to ensuring that important discoveries remain available to all.

To read more about the “near Pulborough” Iron Age gold torc, visit: www.sussexpast. co.uk/sussex-torc-appeal/

To donate to the appeal, visit the following online link: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/ sussex-torc

Or you can send a cheque made payable to the Sussex Archaeological Society and directed to Emma O’Connor, Museums Officer, Barbican House, 169 High Street, Lewes BN7 1YE.

Do please Gift Aid your donation if you are able to because this increases the value of your gift by 25%.

The Coins of Fishbourne

Greg Campbell, who volunteers within the curatorial team at Fishbourne Roman Palace, has in recent months been helping digitise the coin collection at the site. As he explains, it was time very well spent…

Volunteers can get involved in all areas of a museum. One of them – me – has snapped a high-resolution photograph of the obverse and reverse (front and back, face-side and motif-side) of all 641 coins within the collections of Fishbourne Roman Palace. This includes the ones usually on display in the Palace Museum. The images have then been linked to the coin entries in the digital catalogue (‘Modes’ to the cognoscenti).

The photography followed on from a long campaign to conserve the coins from corroding carried out by the volunteer conservator Jacqui Watson.

Photos are a good way of recording which coin is which and examining a coin without subjecting it to wear and tear. And they are easier to send to outside specialists instead of the specialist coming to Fishbourne. But previously only a handful of coins had photographs, and these were low-resolution preconservation shots.

Some experimentation was needed to get good-quality coinmugshots. Eventually each coin was supported on an empty glass photo-frame, backlit by a slideviewer/lightbox, and front-lit by flash with an A4 paper sheet as diffuser, using a dSLR camera and macro lens in a table-top document-copying mount.

Thanks are due to Becky Stumpe for extracting the definitive list of coins from Modes as part of her Bournemouth University

internship, and especially to Mary Haskins for contributing the new camera and macro lens in memory of her husband Dr Nev Haskins.

Almost all the coins are copperalloy (archaeological term for brass or bronze) with only one of gold (Fig 1) and 66 of silver (Fig 2).

As you would expect for coins that have been used, few are pristine (Fig 3); some are worn down to almost unrecognisable disks.

Not all the coins were Roman: a couple are the irregular ‘handmade’ disk with the swirling designs of the pre-Roman Iron Age (Fig 4), so old that they may have worked more as medals or badges of office than money. Some were pennies of the Middle Ages (Fig 5) and quite a few were Georgian or Victorian, including an 1864 4-Doubles from Guernsey.

All the coins are now conserved and safely back in Sensitive Objects store in the Collections Discovery Centre or back on display in the Palace Museum.

A couple of dozen coins are no longer associated with their original identifying numbers; these will need re-describing by a numismatist, and their descriptions marrying with their descriptions in the digital catalogue.

In the meantime, having reexamined all the marine shells from Fishbourne (his day-job) and photographed all the objects made from bone, this volunteer is quietly re-packaging all Fishbourne’s copper-alloy objects.

Fig 1: gold quarter stater of Tincomarus (25-20 BC) found at Fishbourne East in 1999 (Catalogue No. FBE99/E11914)

Fig 2: Republican silver denarius of L. Plautius Plancus (circa 25BC) found at Fishbourne East in 1997 (Catalogue No. FBE97/E1628)

Fig 3: A typical Fishbourne coin: bronze antoninianus of Gallienus (AD 260-268) found at Fishbourne Palace in 1967 (Type RIC 507: Catalogue No. FB67/E1914)

Fig 4: Silver minim of Tincomarus (25-20BC) found at Fishbourne East, Fishbourne in 1997 (Catalogue No. FBE97/E1626)

Fig 5: silver penny of Edward III (minted AD 1351 or 1352) found at Westward House, Fishbourne in 1992 (Catalogue No. FB92/E413)

The flow of metals, power and identity

Fishbourne Roman Palace and the REMADE project (Roman and Early Medieval Alloys Defined)

The Roman Empire’s production, control and use of metal was remarkable. Smelting was on such a scale that the rise of copper, lead and pollutants in the 1st Century AD are recorded in ice cores drilled in the Arctic.

By working with Fishbourne Roman Palace and other leading heritage organisations across Britain, we aim to ground the overwhelming volume of Roman metallurgy into new local and regional stories.

The REMADE (Roman and Early Medieval Alloys Defined) project is a new initiative that will explore the details of how copper-alloys worked within Roman Britain and beyond, funded by UKRI and hosted at the University of Reading.

It will use chemical analysis to explore the mixtures of metals used in the past, and what they reveal about identity, trade, economy and technology.

Copper was used on its own, but was more often mixed with tin to make bronze, and, famously by the Romans, zinc was added to make brass.

Importantly for our work, there are often tiny traces of other metals captured in the alloys – small amounts of arsenic, antimony, iron, cobalt and others.

We can identify these using high precision techniques such as the University of Reading’s new Microwave-Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometer facility.

The chemical signatures hint at the ‘biography’ of the object –whether it was made by prime metal taken directly from an ingot, or if it had a more complex history of mixing, recycling or alteration

Chemical analysis has often been used to try to link metal to a specific geological source. While this is often still possible, REMADE uses analysis in a more flexible way, where we track changes in the chemical signatures by comparing artefacts from different places, object types (brooches compared to military equipment and coins for example), and across time periods. This allows us to understand the complex ‘flows’ of metal in the past, the intentions of ancient craftspeople, and also the restrictions under which they were working.

Alongside source, we also want to understand the impact of colour, value and hardness of metal on ancient people. Rather than the corroded objects we excavate, the colour of ancient copper-alloys would have been vibrant and often golden, as we can see from these modern reproductions.

The power, contacts, and wealth of Fishbourne Roman Palace make it key to understanding this metallic jigsaw. Its early date comes soon after the hints left by Julius Caesar in his Commentarii de Bello Gallico

“Tin is produced in the midland

regions; in the maritime, iron; but the quantity of it is small: they employ brass, which is imported” (5.12)

Through careful sampling of objects from Fishbourne and its surrounding sites, we aim to test how brass was moving into England and compare it to more traditional local metal technologies.

By the end of the project we will be able to contrast metal from extraordinary sites like the Roman Palace with copper from more everyday dwellings and contexts, and also with direct imports such as coins from the Rome and Lyon mints.

Through thousands of analyses and in-depth collaboration with heritage experts from across the UK, REMADE will make new connections in the present, to help us untangle metal’s fascinating story in Roman Britain.

For further reading visit: www.research.reading.ac.uk/ remade

Peter Bray p.j.bray@reading.ac.uk

Peter Bray, Future Leaders Fellow at the University of Reading, explains how Fishbourne Roman Palace is playing a crucial role in a new research project examining materials of the past – and what that tells us about trade and technology.…

The Sussex Archaeological Society Conference 2023 –Sussex Archaeology: A 175 Year Heritage

In 2021 The Sussex Archaeological Society marked its 175th anniversary. It was an occasion that members were unable to come together to celebrate because of the restrictions of the Covid pandemic. This autumn the Society will host a conference in the heart of the Sussex Downs to mark this great milestone in the organisation’s history.

Sussex Archaeology: A 175 Year Heritage, will celebrate the history of archaeology in Sussex and some of the people who shaped the study, protection and explanation of the past in the county and more widely.

The day will feature passionate heritage professionals and enthusiasts from the present talking about key figures in the history of Sussex archaeology, many of whom are well known, but some less so.

It will be a day to recognise the impact individuals had in the formation of our approaches to the past.

The day is above all an opportunity to come together and celebrate the people who have helped shape our understanding of the county’s past and celebrate the role the Society continues to play as a guardian of our shared heritage.

Booking tickets

Sussex Archaeology: A 175 Year Heritage will take place on Saturday 4th November at the University of Sussex from 10am to 5pm.

Tickets are £30 and included a buffet lunch.

To book tickets and for a list of speakers visit www.sussexpast.co.uk/event/conference-2023/

Summer of Shakespeare

Can you imagine a world without Macbeth or The Tempest? Well, if two of Shakespeare’s friends, John Heminge and Henry Condell, had not gathered his plays together into single publication seven years after his death, experts believe this is what would have happened.

Known as the First Folio, it brought together 36 of his 37 plays. Seventeen of these were printed in his lifetime in smaller quarto editions, but some of the

most famous plays would likely have been lost forever.

This is a particularly special year, marking as it does, the 400th anniversary of the publication of the First Folio. In honour of this extraordinary occasion, the Society is hosting a summer season of Shakespeare plays across our beautiful historic sites.

Bring a chair, a picnic and a glass of something chilled as the shows promise to be a magical treat.

Please bring your own seating and dress for the weather as these

performances take place outdoors and continue in all but the very worst weather.

To book tickets, visit: www.sussexpast.co.uk/ whats-on

Please note booking fees apply.

We’re hosting a number of Shakespeare performances at our heritage sites this summer.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Fishbourne Roman Palace

14th June, 7pm

Tickets £12.50 for children, £19.50 for adults

Hilarious, high-octane production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream for all ages. The HandleBards are a group of cycling Shakespearean actors who carry all of their set, props and costumes on the back of their bicycles.

Macbeth at Lewes Castle & Museum

16th July, 2pm and 7pm

Tickets £20 for concs, £25 for adults

Drama Impact Present two outdoor performances of Macbeth with one of Shakespeare’s most iconic couples.

The Tempest at Lewes Castle & Museum

30th July, 6.30pm

Tickets £12 for children/concs, £15 for adults

Enjoy an outdoor performance of Shakespeare’s The Tempest by SISATA Theatre Company in the Gun Garden.

Romeo and Juliet at Michelham Priory

8 August, 7pm

Tickets £10 for children, £18 for adults

The Lord Chamberlain’s Men invite you to join them this summer at Michelham Priory for the timeless and classic love story, Romeo and Juliet.

The Lord Chamberlain’s Men present this play as the Bard first saw it, in the open air, with an all-male cast and Elizabethan costumes, music and dance.

The Healing Power of Herbs

James Neal, Head Gardener at Michelham Priory, provides a tour of The Physic Garden, a spot which has provided restorative produce for centuries.

The Physic Garden is a much loved part of the garden at Michelham Priory. Nestled behind the house and overlooking the South Lawn, it was donated in 1981 by John G MacCarthy and the Sussex Historic Gardens Restoration Society, which became the Sussex Gardens Trust.

The garden was planted by the then Head Gardener Richard Bickers with the help of a community group from the Youth Training Scheme.

It serves both to enhance the garden experience and provide an imaginative link between the current site as a visitor attraction and the site as a functioning Augustinian Priory, from 1229 to 1537.

Almost certainly, from its foundation as a Priory in the 13th Century, there would have been a working physic garden at Michelham.

It is suspected that it would have been at the location of the current vegetable garden. The Physic Garden is laid out to

display as many herbs as possible and indicate their uses in the medieval period, as described by John Gerard in his Herbal from 1597.

Although, the planting is divided into 11 sections of usages, many of the herbs have multiple uses and could be displayed in multiple sections.

The original Physic Garden would have been laid out as a series of parallel raised beds separated by sanded paths, each bed containing a single herb variety, aiding identification.

An Infirmarer was appointed from the Cannons to tend this garden and it would have been a secure location. The Infirmarer prepared and administered all kinds of medicine to both the religious community and the lay people, preparing an assortment of Ointments, cordials, purgatives, sedatives, cough mixtures, air and floor fresheners and pot herb mixtures for convalescents, as well as drying and storing spare produce.

Each plant had many uses and all parts could be used. Roots, bark and seeds were ground up for powders or soaked and boiled to produce decoctions. Infusions were made by pouring boiled water over fresh leaves and flowers. Poultices were created by mashing fresh herbs with water to bind them into a mass.

Examples include Symphytum officinale Comfrey or Knitbone, used for treating fractures, the pounded root was spread like plaster on the broken limb, it sets dry and holds the bone in place to heal.

Ground Ivy Glechoma hederacea or Alehoof was used in the fermenting process of ale brewing, known as tunning. The plant clarifies and flavours the ale and improved its keeping properties. It was replaced by hops in the early 1600.

Soapwort Saponaria officinalis crushed into boiling water and simmered, creates a liquid soap, a mild detergent suitable for cleansing textiles, such as lace, linen and delicate woollens, for this reason the herb is naturalised in Sussex and has strong historical ties to the county.

A Taste of Sussex at Michelham Priory

Michelham Priory House & Gardens will provide the backdrop to a series of events throughout 2023 exploring the food and drink of Sussex.

v Woodfire cooking –various dates in August. Sessions for under and over 8s.

v Fermenting for Health –September 24th

v A Walk on the Wild Side: an exploration of foraging – October 8th & 15th

v Nectar of the Gods: Sussex Seasonal delights –November 11th

Pre-booking is required for all events.

For details visit www. sussexpast.co.uk/whats-on

A new archaeological perspective: Downs From Above

A pioneering project to map the archaeology of the South Downs from the sky has been launched. Gary Webster, Heritage Officer for Changing Chalk, explains more.

Halting the decline on the internationally rare Chalk Grassland habitat in the South Downs is a key aim of the Changing Chalk project.

“Downs From Above” is one of the projects helping us work towards this. It sees delivery partner Historic England map 190kmsq of archaeology from aerial photos and laser scanning (LiDAR) surveys of the downland to around Brighton and Hove.

A wide range of archaeological features have already been identified, giving us a deep insight into how the chalk has affected the humans living here.

Evidence of prehistoric and Roman arable fields can be seen across the South Downs. These small rectangular fields are defined by lynchets formed as the plough soil accumulated along field boundaries.

In places, such as Balmer Down near Stanmer some of these lynchets survive up to 3 metres high, while others have been almost completely levelled. While these may be difficult to see on the ground, they are revealed by airborne LiDAR which can pick up slight earthworks only a few centimetres high.

Earthworks that have been completely levelled can sometimes

be seen in aerial photographs as cropmarks and features mapped from both sources allow us to reconstruct much of the field pattern that was in use around 2,000 years ago.

Despite the extensive remains of arable fields, this landscape is most associated with sheep farming.

A few medieval or post medieval enclosures used for managing livestock have been mapped and most survive as earthworks. It is, however, the large number of dewponds that give a good idea of the extent of sheep farming across the South Downs.

First World War practice trenches north of Shorehamby-Sea.

Detail of RAF/3G/ TUD/UK/157 V 5095 19-APR-1946.

Source: Historic England Archive. RAF Photography

Their exact age is uncertain, some dewponds are shown on 18th-century maps, and some may have earlier origins; artificial ponds have been identified at prehistoric sites such as the Bronze Age settlement on Plumpton Plain.

However, their greatest popularity was probably during the 18th and 19th centuries. Traditionally made with a watertight clay bottom, the more recent examples were made of concrete. Most are circular and have a diameter of 10 metres to 30 metres. Some are maintained and hold water; others appear complete but are dry.

Some ponds seen in historic aerial photographs have since been built over and others only survive as slight depressions just a few centimetres deep. The distribution of these ponds identified during this aerial survey will allow a better understanding of how livestock was managed on the South Downs.

A landscape of open sheep down was well suited to be occasionally used for army manoeuvres during the 19th century and this continued into the 20th century during the two world wars.

The 1940s aerial photographs show the effect of troop and vehicle movements, fieldworks and live firing after the Downs were requisitioned as an army training area in 1942.

Interspersed with these features were the remains of anti-invasion defences put in place at the start of the Second World War and, north of Shoreham-by-Sea, the earthworks of the practice trenches dug during the First World War to replicate two opposing lines of the Western Front. These features were short-lived and cleared away after the war.

The aerial photographs help

to illustrate this now vanished landscape while the LiDAR shows that some, such as the anti-glider ditches dug across the northern edge of the Downs still survive as shallow earthworks.

The mapped data will be used to enhance existing Historic Environment Records (HER) and has added several new sites.

All the results will be made available online and we’ll be seeking volunteers who are keen to investigate some of the newly mapped sites on the ground.

Changing Chalk is a partnership of organisations working together towards a sustainable future for the eastern South Downs. Led by the National Trust, the partnership is restoring lost habitats, bringing histories to life and providing new experiences in the outdoors.

The four-year Changing Chalk delivery phase commenced in April 2022 and is supported by a £2.23m National Lottery Heritage Fund grant and funding from People’s Postcode Lottery. Through eighteen interconnected projects that connect nature, people and

heritage, it aims to protect and restore the Downs landscape for people to enjoy, for health and wellbeing, for nature’s recovery and climate resilience.

To get involved in this or any of the other opportunities or take advantage of the community grant scheme to fund your own projects, visit – https://www. nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/sussex/ the-changing-chalk-partnership

Top: Dry dewpond on Streat Hill 29321_044 17 Feb 2015 © Historic England Archive

Bottom: Anti-glider ditches on the northern edge of Plumpton Plain. Detail of RAF/106G/ LA/169 2005 9-MAR-1945. Source: Historic England Archive. RAF Photography

The Priest House

The Priest House stands in a traditional cottage garden in the picturesque village of West Hoathly, on the edge of Ashdown Forest.

As the property reopens for another season, resident custodian Antony Smith shares details of a special new exhibition celebrating the authors who have made this beautiful spot home.

In its own quiet way, the village of West Hoathly has nurtured many authors over the years.

The village can even lay claim to a connection with George Bernard Shaw, who visited on several occasions and wrote the play ‘Heartbreak House’ while he was staying in West Hoathly in June 1916.

The Trinidadian historian and cricket writer Cyril (C. L. R.) James, who was the first black West Indian writer to have a novel published in this country, also spent time in West Hoathly, writing ‘The Black Jacobins: Toussaint L’Ouverture and the San Domingo Revolution’, while he was staying at his publisher’s house on the edge of Ashdown Forest and occasionally turning out for the village cricket team.

Spitfire pilot and “Guinea Pig”, Richard Hillary, who wrote ‘The Last Enemy’, which is widely regarded as one of the finest books ever written about the Second World War, stayed with fellow-writer Winifred Fortescue, not a mile from The Priest House, whilst being treated for horrific burns in East Grinstead.

Some were more permanent residents.

The garden writer William Robinson, lived at Gravetye Manor for over fifty years.

Susan Chitty and Thomas Hinde spent most of their married lives in the village, frequently travelling abroad but always returning to the peace and quiet of West Hoathly.

Others, like the contemporary thriller writer Cliff Comber and Jasper Ridley, who wrote a wide range of historical biographies, were born and raised in the village.

But whether it was inspiration or just a quiet place to write, more than thirty authors found something special in West Hoathly. This exhibition remembers them all.

Selected Bibliography:

The Writers of West Hoathly will run as an exhibition at The Priest House until October 31st.

The property is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm and on Sundays from 12pm to 5pm. To book your visit and discover more about The Priest House visit: www.sussexpast.co.uk/ the-priest-house

Lys Drewett

With the permission and blessing of her family, we are sad to announce the death of our friend and colleague Lys Drewett on April 4th 2023.

Lys will be known to many of you as someone who has contributed deeply to archaeology in Sussex, and as a professional widely respected for her archaeological technical illustration, teaching at the UCL Institute of Archaeology and for her role in fieldwork projects in the UK and the West Indies.

To the Society she will be remembered as a committed Trustee who served on Council for the maximum nine-year term permitted and, in recognition of which, she was awarded Life Membership of the Society at our AGM last year.

Lys contributed fully to other aspects of the Society: serving on the Editorial Board, providing expertise in curation and exhibition projects, running workshops for the staff and public as well as carrying out important scientific research into our ceramic collections.

We will remember Lys as

Announcement

Dr Harriet O’Neill

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the recent death of Dr Harriet O’Neill in May 2023.

someone who worked tirelessly to help steer the Society through difficult times, who advocated passionately for the curatorial role the Society plays and as someone who valued and demanded integrity and fair play in archaeological life.

We are shocked and saddened at the loss of Lys and extend our deep condolences to her sons, Joe, Abel and Dan and to the wider family.

In the months ahead the Society will consider with the family appropriate ways to honour the memory of Lys and her contribution to archaeology and the Society.

A funeral for Lys was held on Friday April 28th at Wealden Crematorium in Horam.

Emma O’Connor, Museums Officer, shares personal memories of working with Lys Drewett

I well remember getting to know Lys as she worked at Barbican House on one of the Society’s millennium projects.

This project focussed on one of Lys’ great loves, ceramics and she undertook to thin section a comprehensive range of material from across the Society’s collections. This saw Lys set up a small laboratory in the workshops and she soon became a familiar

Harriet was a Trustee of The Sussex Archaeological Society since 2020 and has been a joy to work alongside.

She brought to the Society her vast experience of art, archaeology and history from her roles at the British School of Rome, The National Gallery and, just before her death, English Heritage. Her passion

and welcome addition to the staff. Many of us stopped by her workbench for a coffee and a catch-up. During this time I got to know Lys well, and amongst many topics covered in our chats we regularly turned to the oddities in the collections, gardening and recipes.

Lys and I worked together on a temporary exhibition of the Society’s ceramics, displaying a diverse range of pottery pieces from across the museums’ collections. Lys was generous in sharing her knowledge, we explored the ‘large pot store’ and modern pottery collections together and I hugely enjoyed and benefited from her expertise. In conjunction with the exhibition Lys also ran a series of pottery workshops for staff and the public. I remember with fondness her patience in trying to help me develop some skills with clay!

Lys was always ready to support the staff however she could. She regularly popped in to visit people, to say hello and find out what was going on and was always appreciative of our work. This desire was obvious in the way she approached her position as Trustee, she worked with great interest, commitment and dedication to the Society as a whole, the collections, staff and volunteers alike.

was infectious, and she brought generosity and kindness in the support she gave so freely.

We are devastated by her loss and extend our deepest condolences to her family and many friends. In due course we will celebrate Harriet’s life and give thanks for having had the opportunity to work alongside her, albeit for too short a time.

FLINT STORY:

How silicon dioxide transformed human life

I remember it so well. I was sitting in the cafeteria at Sussex University before an evening session where I would be tested about my knowledge of archaeological artefacts. I thought I was reasonably secure about pottery and metalwork dates, but flint? I pored over my notes about artefact periods and types in a haze. At that stage, I’d hardly been in contact with any flint tools. It was hopeless.

But fate ensured I had a second chance. I stumbled upon an opportunity to investigate a site for my dissertation scattered deep and wide with prehistoric tools and debris. My contact with them became intense, while my knowledge grew appreciably in a short time.

A few years later, I was asked to give a talk about the Mesolithic period at a local museum, at which one participant asked: ‘What is flint?’. I knew enough to give a feasible answer, but realised I had to know more. There were no sources of information I could find that drew the numerous strands of its phenomenal story together, so I set out to write about its considerable practical and symbolic aspects in the form of a book.

Having visited prehistoric sites and museums in Europe for decades, I knew there were many fascinating stories from the continent that could also be told. My aim has been to appeal to readers who may never have considered prehistory as a subject of interest, but also those who are familiar with it but who’d like to own a book that brings together as much information as I was able to gather in five years and twentyfive chapters.

Flint Story is a personal observation of the indispensable role of flint during prehistory and how it came to be recognised in Europe, encompassing tales

of not only geology and tools, but mines and fire, as well as the studies of antiquarians, collectors and experimenters. It also highlights the phenomenal range of unique objects fashioned with tools, often inspired by symbiosis with nature’s creatures and processes: from cave, rock shelter and portable art to hunting weapons, personal adornment and the first musical instruments. The book includes a guide to archaeological sites and museums, maps, a timeline and a list of online resources. There are 308 pages and 88 colour illustrations within the text.

All this was made possible through obtaining a BA in Archaeology and Landscape as a mature student, an opportunity now sadly denied to us in Sussex since the university closed its Centre for Community Engagement in 2012. I was one of the very last intake. I refused to attend my graduation ceremony and shake the hand of someone who’d axed such a valuable programme of lifelong learning. In a similarly defiant spirit, I’ve decided to shun mainstream publishing, with its stressful deadlines and obligations to participate in the usual circus surrounding book launches, to go DIY.

Flint Story is entirely homemade. It’s about the prodigious people of prehistory, and my wish to share knowledge of them with you, because how they lived still resonates in us today. I hope you enjoy reading it and it inspires you to set off on prehistoric adventures of your own.

Diana Jones

Copies of Flint Story are on sale for £16.99 at Barbican House in Lewes, as well as Much Ado Books in Alfriston, Steyning Bookshop, Worthing Museum and The Novium in Chichester. If you don’t live near any of these outlets, email flintstory@perso.be.

Jean-Loup Ringot: Experimental archaeologist Jean-Loup Ringot plays a lithophone composed of nodules of characteristic brown flint from the Grand-Pressigny region of France

Bone harpoons: Flintknapper Morten Kutschera’s ‘useful and beautiful’ replica Mesolithic and Neolithic harpoon heads and barbed points from Norway, fabricated from deer bone. William Morris would have approved

Laugerie-Basse disc: Experimental archaeologist Florent Rivère’s replica of the perforated bone disc from the rock shelter at Laugerie-Basse, which has given rise to a theory about its use as one of the first cinematic experiences

Bernard Bouffier, a prehistorian from Campement Préhistorique de Bruniquel, prepares to launch a sagaie, or spear, using the added thrust from a propulseur

New book sheds light on Kemp Town’s regency interior designers

Hidden Treasures: The BasReliefs on the Kemp Town Estate tells for the first time the story of the 40 plaster bas reliefs, until now unidentified and unrecorded, which were thought to have been installed by Thomas Cubitt in the houses he built on the Kemp Town Estate in Brighton between 1823 and 1850.

The book was researched and written by Vanessa Minns with photography by Keith Paulin for the Kemp Town Society to mark the bicentenary of the Estate in 2023.

Twenty of the relief sculptures were designed by world famous Danish neo-classical sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770-1834), known as the ‘Master of the Bas Relief’, forming an important and hitherto unknown collection of his work in this country. The plaster panels decorate the entrance hallways and staircases of the houses, and their classical themes give a unique insight into interior design choices at the time of some of the Estate’s earliest residents.

Similar designs in plaster and marble were originally commissioned from Thorvaldsen by Napoleon Bonaparte, Prince Albert and the Duke of Devonshire and can still be found at both Osborne House and Chatsworth, and indeed in many large houses and museums in this and other countries.

Hidden Treasures is profusely illustrated with photographs throughout and accompanied by the stories and locations of each design. The book

Investigations of the Roman settlement at Bridge Farm head into 12th season

Culver Archaeological Project (CAP) has announced the dates of their twelfth season of excavations at the extensive Roman-period settlement at Bridge Farm, Barcombe Mills, near Lewes. They will be back on site from the 29th May for six weeks ending the 7th July.

Once again there is the opportunity for volunteers at all levels of experience (or none) to take part and join the established team of field archaeologists and undergraduate students either on site or in the finds processing unit.

The team also plan to have a public open morning on Saturday July 15th with tours of the site and a display of finds. Full details and volunteer application form can be found on the projects website (www. culverproject.co.uk) together with reports and summaries on the results so far.

The Bridge Farm settlement has a distinctively official character with double ditches enclosing a 2.4-hectare square area with rounded corners at the junction of roads from London, Pevensey and Chichester. It appears to have been occupied for most of the 350-year Roman period leaving multi-layered and phased features.

This season the team will return to the area in the centre of the site opened in 2018 but extended by 20m by 25m to the north last year. This area has a range of large pits and postholes which are posing intriguing problems in the interpretation of their uses and phasing but are yielding an abundance of period finds.

Last Season a further 18,744 sherds of Roman pottery were collected giving a total of 58,251 sherds from this 1400m2 area so far. This includes a

high frequency of fine wares, including colour-coated beakers some with barbotine hunting images, 131kg of ceramic building material including 3,612 tesserae (basic mosaic tiles).

168 artefacts were recorded as Special Finds including dress ornaments, coins and glass; in particular two shards of rare blue ‘snake thread’ glass, possibly of Rhenish origin and a horse head harness strap slide of cast copper alloy, possibly military from the 2nd or 3rd Century.

It is hoped that an exhibition of finds together with images of the excavations may be held at Worthing Museum in 2024.

David Millum MCIfA

will be both a permanent and important record of a previously unexplored aspect of Regency Kemp Town, and a suitable commemoration of the 200th anniversary of Thomas Kemp’s Estate. Keith Paulin

Hidden Treasures:

The Bas-Reliefs on the Kemp Town Estate published 1st May 2023 by Grosvenor House Publishing, 36 pages fully illustrated, price £12.95 available on line from Waterstones, Amazon and other on line booksellers.

Further Investigations at Rocky ClumpMiddle Bronze Age, Late Iron Age and Romano-British finds

Just before the pandemic brought everything to a standstill the Brighton and Hove Archaeological Society (BHAS) were conducting excavations in the field to the south of the copse of trees called Rocky Clump, in Stanmer.

The excavations had revealed a large rectangular enclosure measuring approximately 30 metres east to west, and 20 metres north to south. Within the enclosure, comprised of a series of large ditches, up to 3 metres wide, and almost 2 metres in depth were a series of features. There appears to be a rectangular structure, possibly a threshing shed, a four posted granary building and a deep grain storage pit. The pottery tends to suggest a date of activity of between 50 BC and 50 AD. Among the pottery were some interesting GalloBelgic wares.

In the north ditch, running

Daffodils at Michelham Priory House & Gardens

east/west, were recovered four neo-natal baby burials. The babies had lived for only a few weeks. A single baby burial was also found in a small pit, buried sitting up and facing south/east.

The surrounding ditches were filled with pottery, animal bones and general debris. One excellent find was of a finger ring, constructed of strands of silver wire, and similar in design to a small torc. The one feature missing from the enclosure was for any evidence for a house. The proximity of the baby burials, and the granary building being the main source of food supply, tended to suggest that a roundhouse must be located nearby.

A geophysical survey conducted several years ago produced images with a number of large circular features. One of these features is close to the north/west corner of the excavated enclosure.

In 2021 a new area was opened up measuring 15 metres square. The excavation produced a number of new features, including evidence for a possible dew-pond, surrounded by a flint protective surface, a number of post holes, a small ditch running northwards and two very large pits.

One pit located in the north/ east corner of the site was excavated down to a depth of 1.6 metres, where it became a layer of natural clay. A surface of large flints covered the lower clay surface. Numerous finds of pottery, animal bone, flintwork and fire-cracked flint were recovered from the fill above the large flint layer. A number of quern stone fragments were also found. The pit did have a terraced edge to it north, and it was eagerly anticipated that this was the location of a round house, but this proved to be not the case. The pit appears

to be a natural sink hole, where the depression was exploited for dumping occupation debris, along with large flints collected from the surrounding fields.

A second large pit is located in the south/west corner of the site and disappears under the baulk. This particular pit produced over 150 pieces of struck flint, and from the lower depths pottery that has been dated to the Middle Bronze Age 1400 BC.

While no house platform was revealed the numerous post holes could indicate a possible round house.

A number of larger post holes could be another granary structure. BHAS are planning to return to Rocky Clump in spring 2023. An extension to the site westwards will investigate more of the large prehistoric pit and may hopefully reveal more interesting features.

John Funnell

Photographer Jon Santa Cruz took a series of images featuring our gardening volunteers during a recent visit to Michelham Priory House & Gardens during the display of 80,000 daffodils.

Bishopstone Anglo-Saxon cemetery: publication plans

A working party has been established with the objective of bringing the Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Rookery Hill, Bishopstone, East Sussex to publication within the next three years.

The cemetery and traces of associated settlement were excavated in 1967-8 under very challenging conditions during a housing development at the Harbour View Estate, Bishopstone.

The excavation was directed by David Thomson. Only one object has ever been published, by Vera Evison: a Quoit Brooch style buckle in Antiquaries Journal in 1968.

The cemetery is believed to date to the fifth and sixth centuries AD. Much credit goes to the late Eric Holden who recorded some of the graves and provided the only photographs we have of numbered graves. There is only one general view photograph of the excavation (shown right).

Excavations on adjacent farmland of associated AngloSaxon settlement and earlier activity of Neolithic, later Bronze Age, Iron Age and Romano-British date (including late fourth century AD) were published by Martin Bell in Sussex Archaeological Collections 115 (1977).

A monograph was published by Dr Gabor Thomas in 2010, The later Anglo-Saxon settlement at Bishopstone, which concerns

a successor site in the valley below Rookery Hill.

This combination of a Saxon cemetery and associated settlement, the presence of very late Romano-British activity on the same site and an extensively excavated possible successor later Saxon site in the valley below, make this complex exceptional and the cemetery a high priority for publication.

There is a catalogue of the cemetery finds by Dr N. Stoodley and other significant progress on the cemetery finds has been arranged by David Worsell, of which conservation of the finds by Jacqui Watson at Fishbourne has been

especially important.

There has also been an assessment of the human bones and some isotope and ancient DNA studies. Together these contributions lay good foundations for the post excavation programme.

The undersigned are currently carrying out an assessment of the cemetery post excavation which will lead to the formulation of a strategy by the end of 2023.

We hope that this programme will include new geophysical survey and a community engagement element.

The working party would

be most grateful to hear from anybody who was involved in the original excavation, or has information about relatives who were, especially if there are any photographs of the excavation.

We would also like to contact Mr David Thomson’s wife Mrs Sharon Thomson, or any relative who may have any material relating to the excavation.

If you have any information, please contact m.g.bell@reading.ac.uk

The Bishopstone working party is made up of Martin Bell, David Worsell, Sue Harrington, Scott Chaussee, Mike Allen

Share our passion for the history and heritage of Sussex? Why not apply to become a volunteer for the Society? Volunteers generously give their time to help preserve, protect and promote the history of our region. As a registered charity, we simply couldn’t deliver our mission without them. For a list of current vacancies at our properties and sites, visit:

www.sussexpast.co.uk/ become-a-volunteer

Coming Up

June

Community Stitch Up

9th, 16th, 23rd & 30th June, 12pm

Lewes Castle

£15

Informal textiles and sewing sessions for all abilities with expert tuition, every Friday up to 7th July.

www.sussexpast.co.uk/ whats-on

Outdoor Theatre: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

13th June, 7pm – Lewes Castle

14th June, 7pm – Fishbourne Roman Palace

Tickets from £12.50

Hilarious, high-octane production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream for all ages. The HandleBards are a group of cycling Shakespearean actors who carry all of their set, props and costumes on the back of their bicycles.

www.sussexpast.co.uk/ whats-on

Friends of Anne of Cleves’ House Present: The River Ouse: Source to Sea — a talk by Dr Geoffrey Mead

16th June, 7.30pm

Anne of Cleves House

Tickets from £5

www.sussexpast.co.uk/ whats-on

Sussex Day

17th June, 10.30am to 5pm

Michelham Priory Free for SAS members

Celebrate all things Sussex this summer with a special celebration of food, heritage and pastimes with Sussex Day at Michelham Priory House & Gardens.

www.sussexpast.co.uk/ whats-on

Minis at Michelham

18th June, 10.30am to 5pm

Michelham Priory Free for SAS members

Minis at Michelham, a celebration of this iconic British motor car on Father’s Day.

www.sussexpast.co.uk/ whats-on

Walking Tour of Roman (and Medieval) Chichester (Chichester & District Archaeology Society event)

24th June, 10am to 12pm

£12.50

(£7.50 CDAS members)

Led by James Kenny, Archaeology Officer, Chichester District Council. Meet in front of the Council Chamber in North Street, Chichester, PO19 1LQ.

www.cdas.info

Roman Sussex Wednesday 28th to Friday 30th June, starting on Wednesday evening at our hotel at Emsworth.

A short break Andante Travels tour with 2 evening lectures and visits to Chichester, Bosham, Fishbourne and Bignor. Guide Lecturer: Dr David Rudling.

Tel. 01722 713800

www.andantetravels.com

July

Community Stitch Up

7th July, 12pm

Lewes Castle

£15

Informal textiles and sewing sessions for all abilities with expert tuition, every Friday up to 7th July.

www.sussexpast.co.uk/ whats-on

Outdoor Theatre: Macbeth

16th July, 2pm and 7pm

Lewes Castle & Museum

Tickets from £20

Drama Impact Present two outdoor performances of ‘Macbeth’, with one of Shakespeare’s most iconic couples.

www.sussexpast.co.uk/ whats-on

Contemporary Craft Show with The Sussex Guild

28th July to 30th July, 10.30am to 5pm

Michelham Priory Free for SAS members

From ceramics to glass, printmaking to woodworking, artisans of all types will show their wares and provide live demonstrations.

www.sussexpast.co.uk/ whats-on

Outdoor Theatre: The Tempest

30th July, 6.30pm

Lewes Castle & Museum

Tickets from £12

Enjoy an outdoor performance of Shakespeare’s The Tempest in the Gun Garden of Lewes Castle.

www.sussexpast.co.uk/ whats-on

August

Outdoor Theatre: Romeo and Juliet

8th August, 7pm

Michelham Priory

Tickets from £8

The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, present an all-male cast performance of Romeo and Juliet, with Elizabethan costumes, music and dance.

www.sussexpast.co.uk/ whats-on

Gladiators

12th to 13th August

Fishbourne Roman Palace

Thrilling gladiator combat displays from the 1st century AD with renowned reenactors, Britannia. Awardwinning children’s author, Ally Sherrick, will be joining for book signings and readings.

www.sussexpast.co.uk/ whats-on

East Sussex Living History Festival

26th to 28th August

Michelham Priory

Tickets from £12

Michelham Priory will be transported into the middle ages with the grounds being turned into a living history village. Activities include have a go archery, cooking, and a soldier encampment.

www.sussexpast.co.uk/ whats-on

September

The Archaeology of Sussex (Palaeolithic to 20th century)

Wednesday mornings, starting 20th September, 10.30am to 12.30pm

10-week course

Rottingdean Whiteway Centre

Tutor: Dr David Rudling.

For further information & to book:

www.rwc.org.uk/courses

University of Sussex Archaeological Society

online lecture ‘From industry to agriculture: new Roman and Anglo-Saxon discoveries on the Bexhill–Hasting Link Road’

20th September, 7.30pm No charge, but a donation is welcome

Speaker: Dr Martyn Allen.

www.usas.org.uk

Dangerous Waters & Golden Sands: The maritime history of the Chichester area, by writer and historian Dr Ian Friel (Chichester & District Archaeology Society study day)

23rd September

Eames Farm, Thorney Road, Emsworth, PO10 8DE £30 (£25 for CDAS members)

Covering the area from Pagham Harbour and Selsey to Chichester Harbour, this study day will explore Chichester’s maritime history through both archaeological and historical sources.

www.cdas.info

Simon Stevens: Working with Children and Animals: The Stiances Archaeological Project (Chichester & District Archaeology Society monthly talk)

27th September, 7.30pm

New Park Centre, New Park Road, Chichester

Free for CDAS members / £5 non-members

www.cdas.info

Save the date

October

Jaime Kaminski: Bronze Age finds from Chichester and Sussex (Chichester & District Archaeology Society monthly talk)

25th October, 7.30pm

New Park Centre, New Park Road, Chichester

Free for CDAS members / £5 non-members

www.cdas.info

November

The Sussex Archaeological Society’s Annual Conference

4th November

A whole day exploring the history and archaeology of Sussex featuring guest speakers.

www.sussexpast.co.uk

Jane Clark, Finds Liaison Officer for Sussex: Recording our Past – recent finds from the Portable Antiquities Scheme in Sussex (Chichester & District Archaeology Society monthly talk)

22nd November, 7.30pm

New Park Centre, New Park Road, Chichester. Free for CDAS members / £5 non-members

www.cdas.info

The Sussex Archaeological Society will hold its 2023 AGM on 21st October.

Full details to be confirmed in due course.

Volunteering at our sites

Share our passion for the history and heritage of Sussex? Why not apply to become a volunteer for the Society?

Volunteers generously give their time to help preserve, protect and promote the history of our region.

As a registered charity, we simply couldn’t deliver our mission without them.

We’re currently looking for people to support our work in a range of roles across our heritage sites including welcoming visitors to our properties, providing guided tours, supporting events and gardening.

For a list of current vacancies at our properties and sites, visit: www.sussexpast.co.uk/ become-a-volunteer.

Rampion 2 Wind Farm: securing the future while protecting the past

The Rampion 2 project will create a significant off-shore wind farm, contributing substantially to the UK’s renewable energy future. Locations for the onshore cable are being explored. Our President Professor Martin Bell outlines the archaeological impact of the proposed route.

The alternative Rampion dryland cable route between Patching and Sullington Hill passes through the middle of the densest concentration of Neolithic and Bronze Age archaeology on the South Downs. These comprise many sites of national and international significance.

Of particular archaeological sensitivity are both alternative routes on the west side of Blackpatch Hill and between here and Harrow Hill. 750 metres west of the route is the major complex of wellpreserved Neolithic flint mines on Harrow Hill, where there is also a hillfort enclosure of the first millennium BC. Immediately to the east of the route are another major group of early Neolithic flint mines at Blackpatch, where at least 93 flint mine shafts are known. Eight of these were excavated by the pioneering archaeologist John Pull whose work is reflected in a special exhibition in Worthing Museum.

The Blackpatch mines are some of the earliest monuments of the first farmers in Britain; a recent project has dated them to 3991-3797 cal BC. The flint mines were levelled by bulldozer in the 1950s and the only plan is drawn from a transcription of earlier air photographs. Lidar images indicate that the mines extend to within 150 metres of the eastern proposed cable corridor. Pull also excavated some burials in the area and reported possible traces of settlement. In 2005 Time Team did an excavation as part of a

Channel 4 programme. They did not confirm evidence of a Neolithic settlement but did find ancient tree throw features, suggesting some of those excavated by Pull may have association with ritual deposition. Pull also identified burial mounds in the area and excavation of one of these by Time Team showed that it was Beaker / early Bronze Age; this site lies 150 metres east of the proposed cable line.

Of equal significance is a major complex of middle and later Bronze Age settlements. Three have been partly excavated.

New Barn Down (Curwen, SAC 63, 75) and Cock Hill (Ratcliffe-Densham SAC 91) are Scheduled Ancient Monuments and lie west of the proposed corridor. The partly excavated Cock Hill settlement lies on the west edge of the proposed cable route. However, the fields associated with this settlement are bound to be within the cable corridor and traces of lynchet field boundaries are visible on Lidar, as are marl pits within the corridor which are thought to be associated with the settlement.

Of greatest concern is Blackpatch Bronze Age settlement which lies in the middle of the eastern of the two possible cable routes.

It was partly excavated in the 1950s (Ratcliffe-Densham SAC 91). Since then, the site has been heavily ploughed. But the earthworks are still clearly visible on Lidar images as are some of the pits and hollows which were thought

to be contemporary with the settlement, perhaps ponds. Much of this settlement and field system evidence has been impacted by subsequent agriculture but important evidence is bound to remain below ground.

The excavation of these three settlement sites took place between the 1930s and 1950s; they were pioneering, but small scale, and focused on the core of the settlement area. There is bound to be much more archaeology in the surrounding unexcavated areas, particularly as regards associated Bronze Age fields.

Examination of air photographs and Lidar images of the proposed cable corridor show that throughout the area there are extensive traces of Celtic field systems. These ancient field traces are directly linked by banks to the three excavated middle Bronze Age settlements; they form a key part of that settlement landscape. The fields are likely to have originated by 1600 cal BC and a scatter of Iron Age and Roman pottery on the excavated sites suggests they remained in use until the fourth century AD. Previous reports of ‘Half an hundred weight’ of Iron Age pottery (SAC 99, p 94) must surely indicate a significant, but little understood, Iron Age and Romano-British site at this point.

1km south of the proposed corridor the discovery of Bronze Age metalwork (including Sussex Loops) and Iron Age coins at Patching Pumping Station suggests a probable site of later prehistoric ritual deposition on the floor of the now dry valley which leads south of the cable route.

Work on the cable trench will affect a corridor 50 metre wide. The key point

is that the settlement and field system archaeology of this corridor area, and the immediately surrounding area, is so dense and significant that further, presently undetected, archaeological sites are bound to be present within the corridor. Any impact needs to be carefully assessed in advance of disturbance.

The Sussex Archaeological Society’s 2022 conference on flint mines served to highlight the exceptional significance of these sites but also showed how limited is our knowledge of the Neolithic ecology of the surrounding areas.

The dry valley sediments in the assessment corridor will contain important evidence of the prehistoric environment and are likely to have some of the best preserved and buried evidence for field systems associated with the known concentration of Bronze Age settlement.

The Society is supportive of plans for green energy generation, especially where sensitive to the impact on heritage and wildlife.

It is to be regretted that the alternative route proposed passes through such an archaeologically significant landscape and we hope that serious consideration will be given to the more westerly route originally proposed, if that can avoid areas of such significant archaeology.

If the proposed alternative route is to be adopted then the very highest priority should be given to the thorough assessment of heritage assets within the corridor. In our view extensive excavations would be required and investigations should include sediment accumulations in dry valley fills and all evidence of early field systems within the affected area.

President Professor Martin Bell

The Sussex Archaeological Society

The Sussex Archaeological Society is a registered charity. Reg. Charity No. 207037