Drought reveals the lost footprints of history from the air

OpenMind · Post by **OpenMind** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 12:25 pm

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... w_21082006

By Nic Fleming

(Filed: 21/08/2006)

While the summer drought has left fields and gardens parched, it has opened up aerial architectural treasures across the country.

Photographs taken from light aircraft have revealed hundreds of unknown or long forgotten sites. Archaeologists now face a busy autumn, interpreting images that will help shed light on how people lived up to 6,000 years ago.

Dr Toby Driver, of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, said: "It has been a hugely successful year for aerial archaeology. We may not see another like it for a decade.

"I now have months of work to go through the discoveries, notifying local archaeologists and ensuring that some of the most remarkable sites are visited on the ground and studied further."

Among the most significant finds are two 6,000-year-old Neolithic causewayed enclosures near Walton, Radnorshire, and near St Athan airfield, in the Vale of Glamorgan.

They are thought to be among the first large communal monuments built by prehistoric Britons and were probably used for markets, festivals and feasting.

Faint rectangular markings in a field near the Cana Barn Neolithic henge, at Hutton Moor, North Yorks, were discovered last month.

They are believed to be the remains of a rare 5,000-year-old cursus, a narrow rectangular earthwork enclosure from the Neolithic period presumed to have had a ceremonial function.

Another striking image is of the outline of a lost medieval church, with semi-circular apse, in the Vale of Conwy, once part of a township dating from the 11th or 12th centuries.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of aerial archaeology in Britain. A picture taken by Lt Philip Henry Sharpe, of the Royal Engineers' balloon section, over Stonehenge in 1906 showed clearly how even slight earthworks could be picked out and more easily understood from above. Developments in aircraft, camera and film technology during the two World Wars allowed the RAF to photograph almost all of the country as part of its national survey in 1946. Very dry summers, which occur on average once a decade, provide ideal conditions for aerial archaeology. Crops grow taller and greener above trenches dug as part of ancient barrows or hill forts because extra water and nutrients are found there. Conversely, buried walls or raised stone areas that were part of Roman villas or roads can deprive plants of nutrients and show up as yellow patches on greener backgrounds, known as parching. Deep green crop markings photographed at Claverley, near Bridgenorth, Shropshire, showed up parallel ditches in a field of sugar beet. They probably surrounded a late prehistoric settlement.

A similar example is the appearance of dark lines showing the site of a newly discovered Iron Age or Roman period farmstead at Greenrigg, Cumbria. Recent analysis of aerial photographs in that area show that British tribes maintained aspects of their ways of life during the Roman period.

A good example of the opposite parching effect was shown up near the village of Burgh by Sands, in Cumbria, where the walls of a 13th century manor house showed up clearly next to a now invisible section of Hadrian's Wall.

What may be a lost medieval village was discovered as crop marks, with field plots and a central road, near St Donat's, in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Scores of Bronze Age round barrows, or burial sites, have become visible, including some impressive examples at St Donat's. Local archaeologists speculate that they could be the graves of Beaker people - farmers and archers who settled in Britain around 2,500BC and who wore stone wrist guards to protect their arms from their bowstrings.

Three early medieval rare square barrow cemeteries have been discovered close to Caernarfon and Bangor, in Gwynedd, and near Corwen, Denbighshire.

Small Roman forts have been found guarding strategic passes near Llanerfyl, in northern Powys, and near Bala, Gwynedd.

Parts of the Roman town and military base of Corstopitum, near Corbridge, Northumberland, have been shown up with clarity not seen in decades, as were the remains of a nearby mausoleum outside the town boundaries.

Discoveries have also been made in Scotland. For example, at the major Roman fort of Carpow, south of Dundee, previously unknown details about the internal fixtures of the structure have been revealed.

Dave Cowley, of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, said: "Excavations, while important, are slow, expensive and look at a tiny proportion of a site. Aerial archaeology allows us an overview of the whole ground plan, which can also teach us a great deal about how these people lived."

Â© Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2006.

Marie5656 · Post by **Marie5656** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 12:29 pm

Well, I am impressed. Thanks for sharing.

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 12:31 pm

Marie5656 wrote: Well, I am impressed. Thanks for sharing.

A grreat article - althought I had visions of dinosaur paws in the riverbeds

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 12:33 pm

I hope that people like the "Time Team" don't go trampling willy-nilly over

important sites and digging everything up.

CheshireCat · Post by **CheshireCat** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 12:38 pm

Are the photos on the web? I would love to see.

OpenMind · Post by **OpenMind** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 12:46 pm

ArnoldLayne wrote: Yeah good article OM.

Wonder if the Royal Engineers, Balloon Section still exists

I might re-enlist if it is

For a tour of duty every 10 years, eh?:D

OpenMind · Post by **OpenMind** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 12:47 pm

CheshireCat wrote: Are the photos on the web? I would love to see.

I have no idea. The article was posted by The Telegraph and they didn't show or point to any.

Lulu2 · Post by **Lulu2** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 12:49 pm

How thrilling for the scientists involved! WHERE ARE THE PHOTOS? DO THEY WANT CHESHIRE & ME TO COME & TAKE SOME????

CheshireCat · Post by **CheshireCat** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 12:54 pm

Lulu2 wrote: How thrilling for the scientists involved! WHERE ARE THE PHOTOS? DO THEY WANT CHESHIRE & ME TO COME & TAKE SOME????

Yes Pleeeeeeese!

woppy71 · Post by **woppy71** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 12:54 pm

Bill Sikes wrote: I hope that people like the "Time Team" don't go trampling willy-nilly over

important sites and digging everything up.

Yep, I agree. It really bugs me when a smiling Tony Robinson smiles and says "....and we've only got three days to do it in!".

History and archaeology is far to important for people to go rushing around a site digging here and there, then buggering off after three days. Let the people who have the time do the research.

OpenMind · Post by **OpenMind** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 12:56 pm

Lulu2 wrote: How thrilling for the scientists involved! WHERE ARE THE PHOTOS? DO THEY WANT CHESHIRE & ME TO COME & TAKE SOME????

What a great idea. Go for it guys. Take as many FGers as poss.

CheshireCat · Post by **CheshireCat** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 12:59 pm

woppy71 wrote: Yep, I agree. It really bugs me when a smiling Tony Robinson smiles and says "....and we've only got three days to do it in!".

History and archaeology is far to important for people to go rushing around a site digging here and there, then buggering off after three days. Let the people who have the time do the research.

I love Tony Robinson though! Baldrick!

Lulu2 · Post by **Lulu2** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 1:01 pm

COOL! Now...how do we hire a balloon? :-6

CheshireCat · Post by **CheshireCat** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 1:14 pm

Lulu2 wrote: COOL! Now...how do we hire a balloon? :-6

Do they have life jackets for baloons? :-2

OpenMind · Post by **OpenMind** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 1:21 pm

CheshireCat wrote: Do they have life jackets for baloons? :-2

Yup. It's called a Space Hopper.

CheshireCat · Post by **CheshireCat** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 1:29 pm

OpenMind wrote: Yup. It's called a Space Hopper.

Very Funny!

(I did a face plant on one of those about twenty years ago!)

OpenMind · Post by **OpenMind** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 1:31 pm

CheshireCat wrote: Very Funny!

(I did a face plant on one of those about twenty years ago!)

Did it grow?

CheshireCat · Post by **CheshireCat** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 1:37 pm

OpenMind wrote: Did it grow?

GOOF!!

OpenMind · Post by **OpenMind** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 2:24 pm

CheshireCat wrote: GOOF!!

Sorry, couldn't resist that.

But that must have been really unpleasant, to say the least. I never got on with them.

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 2:27 pm

That was ag reat article, about some really interesting sites they have found.

(wouldn't a balloon ride over them sound so much fun?)

CheshireCat · Post by **CheshireCat** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 2:29 pm

OpenMind wrote: Sorry, couldn't resist that.

But that must have been really unpleasant, to say the least. I never got on with them.

I got nothin' but love for ya! :-6

I never could figure tose things out either! I a huge clutz.

OpenMind · Post by **OpenMind** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 2:41 pm

chonsigirl wrote: That was ag reat article, about some really interesting sites they have found.

(wouldn't a balloon ride over them sound so much fun?)

A balloon ride would be really great. And we could go down low to get some great photos.:-6

Lulu2 · Post by **Lulu2** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 12:17 pm

Cool idea, if I do say so myself! We can dress like DRUIDS and chant as we float soundlessly over the Henge.....(note to self...pack champagne. Druids probably didn't drink it, but it'll do in a pinch.)

CheshireCat · Post by **CheshireCat** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 12:54 pm

Lulu2 wrote: Cool idea, if I do say so myself! We can dress like DRUIDS and chant as we float soundlessly over the Henge.....(note to self...pack champagne. Druids probably didn't drink it, but it'll do in a pinch.)

I like the way you think! :-6

OpenMind · Post by **OpenMind** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 12:58 pm

You're just a bunch of New Age Druids.:rolleyes: Don't forget to pray to the Sky God before launching your balloon, or you're sure of making Him angry for invading His space.

CheshireCat · Post by **CheshireCat** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 1:28 pm

The FG Druids! :-6

Lulu2 · Post by **Lulu2** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 2:18 pm

Does anyone mind if I digress and tell a travel tale? When we went to see Stonehenge, it was a perfectly BRITISH day--November, grey, off & on rainy and gusty-windy, exactly what you'd want to see the place. If you've not been there, they've arranged the support buildings so you can't see the car parks/souvenier stores/loos, etc, and you just approach it as if it were the only structure there. Very well done!

We fell in with a local guide named Margaret. She LOOKED like the sort of person you'd think would be the descendent of a pagan...wild, curly reddish hair, huge blue eyes and a very "otherworldly" look about her. She told us about gathering with a group on certain nights/solstices to honor the people who built the henge.

Cool! We liked her right away!

She talked about the "lines of power" which ran around the plain and how several were strategically located under the henge. To demonstrate, she offered two copper rods for anyone who wished to test it out.

Yours truly, being (as ye know) a weeee bit of a skeptic, took the rods and followed Margaret's instructions, walking from point A toward point B.

People...I swear to you....I was holding those rods loosely and making my way along when the tips of the bloody things PULLED DOWN TOWARD THE GROUND! My brother nearly spit! Obviously there's some sort of force running there....it worked in the way "water wizards" find potential wells, I guess.

SO--when we land our balloon near Stonehenge, we'll have to look up Margaret and borrow those copper rods.

CheshireCat · Post by **CheshireCat** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 2:24 pm

That's wild LuLu! Oh lets look up Margret for sure!