Access Cambridge Archaeology ACA Independent Learning Archaeology Field

Access Cambridge Archaeology (ACA) Independent Learning Archaeology Field School (ILAFS)

Timetable for the day 10: 45 am 11: 00 12: 10 12: 35 2: 00 3: 10 3: 50 4: 00 Arrival and registration Lecture and discussion: ILAFS research aims and report writing skills. Toilet break Writing your report Lunch and College tour Tour of the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology Toilet break University talk from a Schools Liaison Officer Feedback forms Departure

Access Archaeology (ACA) What will Cambridge you gain from this lecture? • The concept of independent research • How to think critically on a topic • How to engage with multiple types of evidence • How to write your report http: //www. access. arch. cam. ac. uk/

Access Cambridge Archaeology (ACA) Between 2005 and 2018 ACA have supervised the excavation of 2, 498 archaeological test pits. The Bigger Picture From the test pit excavations we can start to answer the following questions: • What are the requirements for a settlement? • What did settlements look like in the past? • How are settlements influenced by the landscape around them? • Did settlements change in different parts of the country? • What can excavating in these settlements tell us about major historical events (for example: The Black Death) http: //www. access. arch. cam. ac. uk/

The first study of rural settlements: Only in the 1950’s did people start to get interested in ‘ordinary’ settlements. People got interested in deserted villages first because they are obviously old and have a sense of mystery about them Deserted village sites quickly became known by the acronym DMV (Deserted Medieval Village) • Desertion is rarely a sudden event and there are usually many different causes. • In many cases medieval villages are not deserted in the medieval period, but later. • Nucleated villages are more likely to become permanently deserted than dispersed settlement • Settlements which were smaller, poorer, later and remote are more likely to be deserted. ‘Good’ sites hardly ever become permanently deserted.

We need to study sites that are NOT deserted…but how? It is now agreed that people should not just study deserted settlements in isolation, but also looking at Currently Occupied Rural Settlements (CORS) Because : CORS are likely to be more representative of the experience of more people in the past. CORS and DMVs together represent the whole of the medieval settlement pattern, not just one little bit of it.

The solution….

Wiveton Binham Hillington Hindringham East Rudham Paston Terrington St Fulmodeston Gaywood Peakirk Clement Acle Ufford Wisbech St Brundall Mary Hilgay Castor Thorney Carleton Rode Bunwell Sawtry Garboldisham Ramsey Great Gidding Blythburgh Isleham Blo’ Norton Rickinghall & Houghton Willingham Southwold Botesdale Rampton Chediston Cottenham Hessett Walberswick Girton Sharnbrook Riseley Histon & Impington Coddenham Great Clare Long Potton Bramford Shelford Melford Wendens Foxearth Ashwell Ambo Pirton Thorrington Clavering Manuden West Little Mersea Mill Green Great Hallingbury Amwell Althorne Daws Heath Thundersley N 0 Writtle miles 50 Southminster Hadleigh

Wiveton Roman (late 1 st – late 4 th century) Binham Terrington St Clement Peakirk Hindringham Paston Gaywood Acle Wisbech St Mary Ufford Castor Ramsey Houghton Carleton Rode Thorney Isleham Garboldisham Chediston Willingham Cottenham Hessett Girton Swaffham Coddenham Sharnbrook Gt Shelford Bulbeck Potton Toft Long Stapleford Bramford Melford West Shillington Meldreth Wickham. Clare Ashwell Nayland Clavering Pirton Manuden Thorrington Little Hallingbury West Mersea Amwell Writtle Daws Heath (Up to 2014) Walberswick 0 1 -9% 10 -19% 20 -29% 30 -39% 40 -49% 50 -60% 61%+

Wiveton Early Anglo-Saxon 4 th – (late century) Binham 7 th Terrington St Clement Peakirk Hindringham Paston Gaywood Acle Wisbech St Mary Ufford Castor Ramsey Houghton Carleton Rode Thorney Isleham Garboldisham Chediston Willingham Cottenham Hessett Girton Swaffham Coddenham Sharnbrook Gt Shelford Bulbeck Potton Toft Long Stapleford Bramford Melford West Shillington Meldreth Wickham. Clare Ashwell Nayland Clavering Pirton Manuden Thorrington Little Hallingbury West Mersea Amwell Writtle Daws Heath (Up to 2014) Walberswick 0 1 -9% 10 -19% 20 -29% 30 -39% 40 -49% 50 -60% 61%+

Wiveton Late Anglo-Saxon 9 th–late (late century) 11 th Binham Terrington St Clement Peakirk Hindringham Paston Gaywood Acle Wisbech St Mary Ufford Castor Ramsey Houghton Carleton Rode Thorney Isleham Garboldisham Chediston Willingham Cottenham Hessett Girton Swaffham Coddenham Sharnbrook Gt Shelford Bulbeck Potton Toft Long Stapleford Bramford Melford West Shillington Meldreth Wickham. Clare Ashwell Nayland Clavering Pirton Manuden Thorrington Little Hallingbury West Mersea Amwell Writtle Daws Heath (Up to 2014) Walberswick 0 1 -9% 10 -19% 20 -29% 30 -39% 40 -49% 50 -60% 61%+

Wiveton High medieval Early 12 th–mid 14 th century) Binham Terrington St Clement Peakirk Hindringham Paston Gaywood Acle Wisbech St Mary Ufford Castor Ramsey Houghton Carleton Rode Thorney Isleham Garboldisham Chediston Willingham Cottenham Hessett Girton Swaffham Coddenham Sharnbrook Gt Shelford Bulbeck Potton Toft Long Stapleford Bramford Melford West Shillington Meldreth Wickham. Clare Ashwell Nayland Clavering Pirton Manuden Thorrington Little Hallingbury West Mersea Amwell Writtle Daws Heath (Up to 2014) Walberswick 0 1 -9% 10 -19% 20 -29% 30 -39% 40 -49% 50 -60% 61%+

Wiveton Late medieval (late 14 th – mid century) 16 th Binham Terrington St Clement Peakirk Hindringham Paston Gaywood Acle Wisbech St Mary Ufford Castor Ramsey Houghton Carleton Rode Thorney Isleham Garboldisham Chediston Willingham Cottenham Hessett Girton Swaffham Coddenham Sharnbrook Gt Shelford Bulbeck Potton Toft Long Stapleford Bramford Melford West Shillington Meldreth Wickham. Clare Ashwell Nayland Clavering Pirton Manuden Thorrington Little Hallingbury West Mersea Amwell Writtle Daws Heath (Up to 2014) Walberswick 0 1 -9% 10 -19% 20 -29% 30 -39% 40 -49% 50 -60% 61%+

Wiveton Post-medieval (late 16 th–late 18 th century) Binham Terrington St Clement Peakirk Hindringham Paston Gaywood Acle Wisbech St Mary Ufford Castor Ramsey Houghton Carleton Rode Thorney Isleham Garboldisham Chediston Willingham Cottenham Hessett Girton Swaffham Coddenham Sharnbrook Gt Shelford Bulbeck Potton Toft Long Stapleford Bramford Melford West Shillington Meldreth Wickham. Clare Ashwell Nayland Clavering Pirton Manuden Thorrington Little Hallingbury West Mersea Amwell Writtle Daws Heath (Up to 2014) Walberswick 0 1 -9% 10 -19% 20 -29% 30 -39% 40 -49% 50 -60% 61%+

Being part of the research: Completing your ILAFS written assignment AIM: To give you a chance to develop skills and gain analytical writing experience which will help you working for your GCSEs and when you begin A Levels

How to structure your report General information (i. e. not specific to your test pit) Information and ideas specific to your test pit Introduction and background Previous research Aims and methods What are we trying to find out? Data What did we find? Discussion and conclusions about your test pit. What might this mean?

Section 1: Introduction and Background Present the current knowledge For example, some of the things we mentioned at the start of Day 1: • • What are requirements for a settlement? arethe requirements for a settlement? • • - What are the factors that meant people lived here in the first place? How were settlements influenced by by the landscape around them? How - How did the landscape shape the village? What did settlements look like in in the past? What - How can we describe how the villages has changed. Did settlements change in in different parts of of the country? Did - Is the change in this village typical? Was it part of a wider trend? What can excavating in in these settlements tell us us about major historical What events (for example: The Black Death, agricultural revolution, civil war, events changes in in transport) changes - Can we correlate the data with other types of knowledge?

What are the main requirements in choosing a site for a settlement? • • Access to a water supply Away from flood risk areas Defensive Need for building materials (stone or wood) Fertile land (the more crops you can grow the bigger settlement you can support) Flat land (so easy to build on) Fuel supply (wood) Communication routeway (access and trade)

Types of settlement pattern

Historic map of settlement

Modern map of settlement

Compare the historic and modern map of settlement

What happened in the UK during the 19 th century? Settlements forming Pre-1800 Key points: • Good defence • Close to water • Close to woodland • On useful farmland • Flat land • Good communications Settlements forming Post-1800 Key points: • Close to resources (for industry) • Close to port (trade) • Faster communication Why do you think the needs of the settlement changed after 1800?

Achieving our research aims – How do we investigate the past? Where to find this information Details of these sources are also included in your workbooks. • • • Records of archaeological sites and finds are available online at www. heritagegateway. org. uk/gateway Historical evidence may be found online at www. british-history. ac. uk Domesday Book data can be searched online at www. domesdaymap. co. uk/ Portable Antiquities Scheme www. finds. org. uk National Archives online: www. nationalarchives. gov. uk Google books and google scholar Local libraries and museums often have short books about the history of a village. Your school library for books on British history. People- we will swap information later on. Try to use a mix of both internet and published sources (books). All sources must be referenced correctly (I will demonstrate this later). Include 1 -2 pages of information if possible, try to have an overview.

Section 2: Aims Your excavation will tell us: 1) Past activity in your location. Comparing your excavations will tell us: 2) How the whole settlement changed over time. Comparing this to other evidence will tell us: 3) How settlements across the region developed and what impact historic events/ other factors may have had on this. Your aim is an archaeological question Based on what you have already learnt about the village from your research, is there a particular question you could examine more closely? Given your location, what are you likely to find out?

Achieving our research aims – How do we investigate the past?

Methods- how do you propose to achieve those aims? You will need to include a methodology section in your report. Outline the steps you took (look at the back of your record booklet if you forget) and details of how you excavated.

Locating our work

Section drawings

Present your Data! Include: • Pottery (and dates) • All other finds • Photos • Context drawings • Section drawings (at end) • Soil type • Other observations e. g. Was the context disturbed? How does this affect findings? What are you adding to the archaeological record?

VITAL: Pottery report www. access. arch. cam. ac. uk

Photos www. access. arch. cam. ac. uk/photos/******/ e. g. www. access. arch. cam. ac. uk/photos/XXX/19/

Discussion and Conclusions • Bring ALL the results together and interpret them • Answer your aims 1) Past activity in your location. 2) How the whole settlement changed over time. 3) How settlements across the region developed and what impact historic events/ other factors may have had on this.

1) Past activity in your location. Nothing?

2) How the whole settlement changed over time.

3) How settlements across the region developed and what impact historic events/ other factors may have had on this. 1. Physical environment: Factors might include, changing river/ coastlines, geology, topology. 2. Human changes to the physical environment: Deforestation, land reclamation, channelization of rivers, drainage, use of natural resources including agriculture. 3. Access, Trade and Centres of influence: Rivers, roads, rail. Markets, and other trade centres. Indicators of wealth. Religious centres of pilgrimage, power or control. 4. Events: Impact of events at the local (coming of the railway), national (industrialisation) and international (wider trade networks) levels. Other events may be the black death, civil war, reformation, enclosures, or any other.

Conclusion/ Evaluation • Does your research support or disprove your background research of the village? • Did you achieve your research aims? - What question have we been able to answer. - What do we still not know? • Make suggestions for future work which would help us understand the history of your village further.

Discussion: What do you think is important in the settlement?

Share your knowledge! Share the following with the group: • A short summary of your test pit. • Any useful information from homeowners (e. g. was there something on your site before such as a pub, was the land previously built on, how old was the house? ) • Any knowledge about the village Everyone make a note of what is said in your workbooks- it will be useful for your report.

Test pit map

Report structure General information (i. e. not specific to your test pit) Information and ideas specific to your test pit Introduction and background (J 1). What was already known about the history of the village before you excavated? Why do we want to learn about rural medieval settlements? Aims and methods (J 2 and J 3). The reasons why the excavation was carried out? Exactly how you did the excavation? Data. Where was your test pit? What did you discover? Focus on facts of what you saw and recorded, presented in order, context by context. Present changes and finds in your test pit as well as data from other test pits, how did your compare? Discussion and conclusions about your test pit (J 6). Your ideas about what you found and what it might mean. What do the test-pits tell us about the village? How does your data link in with the background information given at the beginning? Your evaluation of how well you think your excavation fulfilled its aims.

Your are here Toilet The door juts out of the wall and has columns either side. Go through the studded wooden doors, through the next set of doors to the right, and down the stairs.

Completing your ILAFS written assignment: getting the best from your work

What you are being asked for: ‘A technical report on a practical project involving data-gathering and analysis…which is structured correctly and which contains no plagiarised material’ • Report must be specific to your test-pit • Must include both written descriptions and images • What the report is not: – An essay on the history of the village – A diary account of the 3 days spent on the ILAFS project – A ‘group’ project - each report must be unique

Resources • Your excavation record booklet pit, with context drawings, finds information, context descriptions, section drawings and notes • Any other information you can find in your library or the internet – the Day 3 booklet contains a list of places to start. • Your photos, memories, ideas and inferences • A report with details of the pottery from your ILAFS (and other sites) www. access. arch. cam. ac. uk/reports. This will be vital to allow you to know about the other test pits. • Advice and information on www. access. arch. cam. ac. uk/schools/ilafs/report

General requirements • You must each complete your own, unique written assignment, although you can work with others who attended the ILAFS in discussing your ideas and planning your report. • The minimum amount of time you should spend on this assignment is about 3 hours. There’s no maximum amount of time we recommend (do as much as you want, within reason!). Minimum recommended word limit is 1, 000 words, maximum is 3, 000. • Assignments must be handed in or emailed to the teacher who accompanied you on the Field School. They can then be emailed to ACA at access@arch. cam. ac. uk. Deadline – 4 weeks after end of ILAFS • Your assignment will be assessed by the University of Cambridge and you will receive detailed feedback and a certificate to mark your successful completion of the Independent Learning Archaeology Field School.

Marking 108 marks possible divided up as follows: • • 54 marks - Report structuring and data presentation 18 marks - Research skills 18 marks - Writing skills 18 marks - IT skills Your report will be assessed against specific criteria as described in the mark-scheme. If you follow all the requirements of the mark-scheme you will gain very high marks. If you leave things out, you will lose marks which may give you a low overall mark even if other parts of you report are very good.

www. access. arch. cam. ac. uk/schools/ILAFS/report

Research skills

Consulting information sources: - Range of books and websites More, and send link to BSCs

Analysing pre-existing information: What should be included? • Origins of village/name • Understanding the natural landscape: Geology, old river courses or coastlines, trade routes. • Historical sources/maps • Previous archaeological research (Both ILAFS - if we’ve dug there before the data is on our website) and community excavations

“The sources have been referenced correctly” • Non-plagiarised (non-verbatim), put into OWN words (unless included as a quotation) • Reference given after each piece of information included from an external source. -Either numbered -Reference given in brackets • Full bibliography (list of references) given at the back of the report

Writing skills

L 1. Correctly structured report: The report is structured entirely according to the guidelines (background, aims, methods, location, data and conclusions), with no sections omitted or incomplete. Written language conveys a sense of purpose and direction, linking one section to another in an effective way which aids understanding. Check for clarity: review your work!!!!

L 2. Correct use of spelling, grammar and punctuation Spelling, grammar and punctuation are almost always correct. L 3. Use of effective writing style Writing style is engaging while still be cogent and accurate in conveying and interpreting data. Writing form and style are adapted to suit different purposes (e. g. factual data presentation vs. more speculative analysis). A wide range of vocabulary (including specialised technical terms) has been used appropriately and to good effect.

IT Skills

M 1. Tables, images, maps and plans have been generated and included digitally Original tables, images, maps and plans have been created by the author making creative use of software features to convey information effectively and engagingly M 2. Effective use of a word processing package to create a professional report The report digitally integrates information from many sources consistently well and uses layout devices such as justification, borders, titles, headings, text and graphics in a clear and consistent way to aid reader comprehension. No overly fancy borders, word art etc. and no larger than size 12 font!

Remember! • From 2016 the completion of a report has been compulsory • The final mark you receive from ILAFS will take into account your grades from all three components of the ILAFS excavation (practical fieldwork, personal learning and thinking skills, and data analysis and report writing) • e. g. A (practical fieldwork) B (learning and thinking skills) C (report writing)= overall GCSE grade B • These three components are equally weighted • If you do not complete a report, you will receive a ‘U’ grade for this element which will drag down your other marks • We prefer if reports can be emailed to us as a pdf. You may post them. Put your NAME and SCHOOL on your report!!!

Resources and advice Any questions? www. access. arch. cam. ac. uk/ schools/ilafs/report access@arch. cam. ac. uk Introduction and background Aims and methods Test pit data Discussion and conclusions