Historic Towns Project
To assist co-ordinator David Green with his efforts on the Marlow section of the Historic Towns Project, we will be inviting both local photographers and collectors of photographs in an attempt to accumulate a selection of new and older photographs that will give an accurate feel for the Town of Marlow. So why not come along to see the pictorial records of the Town and, if you have any of your own, please bring them along too. We will gather in the Garden Room, Liston Hall, Liston Road, Marlow at 8.00pm.
Happy Valley Walk
Walk around Happy Valley, Marlow, in association with the Chiltern Woodlands Project.
The walk will cover Happy Valley and the area including the Pullingshill Wood World War 1 trenches, and will be guided by John Laker and other members of AiM.
Archaeology within Wycombe District
Archaeology in Marlow are going to be presenting a talk to Wycombe Arts Festival
Newsletter April 2009
Click to download the newsletter (pdf format)
Forensic Sciences in Archaeology
Dr Williams has a background in forensic anthropology. She has a PhD in Forensic Anthropology from Sheffield University and joined Cranfield University at the Shrivenham Campus in 2004 as a post doctorial researcher working on the determination of age at death from bone for forensic purposes and in 2006 became a Lecturer in Forensic Anthropology. She has worked for West Yorkshire Police as a forensic analyst.
Dr Williams explained that improvements in DNA reconstruction can be retrospectively applied and forensic technology development can be applied to archaeology, helping to identify cause and date of death and can also be used for facial reconstruction imaging. Anna then went on to describe and show us slides of various sites and finds that had been identified using forensic science.
Her first case was from Prof. Martin Biddle’s excavations of Repton and Anna was allowed to identify the cause of the death of one of the Vikings found there, he had been wounded in the femur with a sword. Lindow Man, the bog body in Wilmslow was very well preserved, he had many injuries, each of which could have caused his death separately and it was therefore thought there may have been a ritualized killing.
At the Battle of Towton, during the Wars of the Roses, 28,000 people died in the 1461 war and in 1996 a mass grave was excavated and forensic techniques were able to identify and separate all the bones. She advised us that the bones showed strenuous exertion whilst growing and it was assumed this meant the men were trained from an early age for battle. Before 1949 it was not so easy to identify dates, radio carbon dating was very important as was dendrochronology and mass spectometry. Bone fluorescence can be used to date bones, but there are other factors that affect this.
Dr Williams then went on to tell us about some of the investigative work undertaken on Tutenkamun. In 1968 the body was radiographed, in 2005 it was CT scanned, when over 1700 images were taken. Anthropological analysis showed he was 18 – 20 years old, 170cm tall. Bone fractures are thought to have occurred after death and not the cause of death.
Dr Williams concluded that archaeology will continue to benefit from scientific advances made in the forensic area.
Thanks to Anna for her very interesting talk.
Archaeological Investigations at Sutton Hoo
A report on the Talk
The Archaeology of Sutton Hoo and the Treasures Found There
Thursday 19th March
This was a superbly presented and illustrated talk by Dr Angela Evans, retired head of the Anglo-Saxon Department of the British Museum.
Sutton Hoo, often thought of as a treasure laden ship burial excavated about 70 years ago is much more than that. A major series of mounds, sited on ground overlooking an important river valley was the burial place for the upper echelon of local Anglo-Saxon society, the leaders, the warriors, their relatives and some of their animals have been unearthed over the years.
Many of the mounds appear to have collapsed but further investigation has revealed that they were robbed out in times past. Furthermore recent excavations (1980s – 1990s) uncovered much new material from existing and previously uncovered burials.
Dr Evans’ knowledge of the major artifacts uncovered across northern, middle and eastern Europe and beyond to Asian regions has enabled a better understanding of trading routes of this period in history. The raw materials, processes of manufacture, design, embellishment and decoration all contribute to the creation of patterns of movement and the advancement of peoples towards the British Isles.
The sheer quality of the workmanship and craftsmanship in the items on display and stored in the British Museum, the choice of base materials and the complexity of decoration make it quite obvious that these were grave goods of important people.
Heaving a 90 foot boat to its hilltop resting place must have been an enormous organizational task. The items revealed on excavation show how incredibly technical and developed (despite the lack of specialized tools and equipment) this society had reached. How lucky we are, that ancient graves, with the burial goods, i.e. the necessities for the next life, can still be found and researched and continue to give us more and more information about our ancestors.
Dr Evans’ presentation was not to be missed, her awareness of the Sutton Hoo site to date, is impressive, her knowledge of its history even more impressive. She sold the whole concept of Anglo-Saxon life brilliantly to a limited, but very interested, audience.
Gerry Platten
History and Archaeology of Piggots Wood
Thursday 12th March – History Walk
Pigotts Wood, North Dean, starting at 2pm a guided walk for 2 hours with John Morris to look at the archaeological features found in this interesting ancient beech wood. Please contact John on 01844 355503 or email woodlands@chilternsaonb.org to book. Donations welcomed!
http://www.chilternsaonb.org/events_detail.asp?ID=29501260
Field Trip to St Albans Abbey
Field Trip: St Alban’s Abbey led by Geoff Crockford and Nigel Hughes
We’ll dowse the Abbey and also the grounds of Verulamium park. The park stands on the site of the Roman city of Verulamium, excavated by Sir Mortimer Wheeler in the 1930s. Roman city walls, a mosaic floor and a hypocaust can still be seen. We shall also investigate the mysterious Iron Age earthworks and a long barrow. This will be a fascinating site to visit with a pair of expert guides.
Please check the Thames Valley Dowsers Events page for more details
Bisham connection to Byzantium 330-1453 Exhibition
If anyone is interested in the history of Bisham Abbey and/or is thinking of going to the Byzantium 330-1453 exhibition; on at the Royal Academy of Arts, Piccadilly, until 22 March, you might be interested to know that the uncle of a resident of Bisham Abbey is featured in the exhibition.
Katherine Grandison lived at Bisham with her husband William Montacute, Earl of Salisbury from c.1337 until her death in 1349. Her uncle, Sir Otho (Othon) Grandison, was a close friend of Edward I and accompanied him, when as Prince Edward, he went on crusade to the Holy Land in 1270. It is this uncle who is represented in the exhibition, on a spectacular altar frontal of red silk, embroidered in gold. His tiny figure is shown kneeling before the Virgin and Child flanked by St Gabriel and St Michael. There is speculation that this was one of his gifts to Lausanne Cathedral where he is buried.
So, If you visit the exhibition, look out for item 256, labelled rather strangely, a Funerary Cloth, on loan from the Historisches Museum, Bern. Maidenhead Civic Society has recently been given permission by the Director of Bern Museum to include a photo of Otho on the altar frontal, in a forthcoming publication about the Grandison family.
Archaeology in Marlow would like to thank Ann Darracott from the Maidenhead Civic Society for this information.
More information about the exhibition, which closes on 22nd March, can be found at http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibitions/byzantium/
More information about Maidenhead Civic Society can be found at http://www.maidenheadcivicsoc.org.uk/
Woodland Archaeology Day 28th February 09
Training Workshops led by John Morris held in Pigotts Wood, North Dean, near High Wycombe, Bucks (about 4 miles north of High Wycombe, on road to Speen from Hughenden Valley). Meet at Pigotts. Start at 10.30 am until about 4.00 pm
This popular one day course has now been running for ten years and will include an illustrated talk, maps and books, a guided woodland visit to see and identify archaeological features found in Pigotts Wood, and in the afternoon a mapping exercise in the wood. Costs £30 for volunteers and woodland owners, £40 others. Please contact John on 01844 355503 or email woodlands@chilternsaonb.org to reserve a place.
http://www.chilternsaonb.org/events_detail.asp?ID=29501257
