Islands in a Common Sea
Archaeological fieldwork in
the Isles of Scilly 2006
St Mary’s & St Martin’s
Jacqui Mulville
May 2007
Historic
Environment Service
Cornwall County
Council
ENGLISH
H E R I TAG E
The maps in this publication include material reproduced from the Ordnance Survey Landline and 1:25,000 maps with the permission of the
Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office ©Crown copyright/database right 2007. An Ordnance Survey/EDINA supplied service.
Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution and/or civil proceedings. Persons viewing this mapping
should contact Ordnance Survey copyright for advice where they wish to licence Ordnance Survey mapping for their own use. Cardiff
University, CF10 3XU, Wales, UK.
Licence no. ED 275492
Isles of Scilly 2006
Acknowledgements
This study was funded by the British Academy, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Sustainable Development Fund and carried
out by the School of History and Archaeology, Cardiff University and the projects team of the Historic Environment Service
(formerly Cornwall Archaeological Unit), Environment and Heritage, Cornwall County Council.
Help with research and/or logistics and planning was provided by Amanda Martin and Sarnia Butcher at the Isles of Scilly
Museum, St Mary’s, Dave Mawer and Julie Love of the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust, St Mary’s, Ken Rose, St Martin’s, Vivian
Edwards, Rod Bluff, St, Martin’s, Terry Perkins (and his boatmen), St Martins, British Academy and Ted and Barbara Moulson,
St Mary’s, Peter, Penny and Diccon Rogers of Lunnon Farm, St Mary’s, Andrew May of Normandy Farm, St Mary’s, Vanessa
Straker English Heritage Regional Science Advisor, Henrietta Quinnell. The team is obliged to Ian Morrison, Vanessa Straker
for approving the project designs and to the Duchy of Cornwall for permissions to undertake the fieldwork. Jane Marly, Royal
Cornwall Museum, Truro, Alison Bevan at the Penlee Museum, Penzance and Carl Thorpe, HES have assisted the assessment of
the Knackyboy Archive and we thank Henrietta Quinell (Exeter University) for her useful comments on our pottery. Thanks also
to Robert Jones and Sue Virgo (Cardiff University) logistical and fieldwork support.
The field team was Jacqui Mulville (Cardiff University), Charles Johns (HES), Ian Dennis (Cardiff University) and I would like
to thank Steve Mills (Cardiff University) who conducted the topographical survey and the Gis 3D data manipulation (Cardiff),
Amelia Pannett (Archaeological consultant) for the flint analysis, Tim Young (GeoArch) geophysical survey. Thanks to all the
students from Cardiff University for their hard work in sometimes extreme weather conditions; Rory Barclay, Sally Brown, Jessie
Collins, Aidan Farnan, Dave Fung, Julia Geall, Amy Hunt, Matt Jones, Jo Lewis, Maura von Oshen, ‘Champ’ Pitfield, Cat Richards,
Rob Smith. Jill Campbell (Cardiff University) catalogued the finds and helped produce the illustrations, Dr Louise Joyner (Cardiff
University) supervised the ceramic petrographical analysis, John Morgan (Cardiff University) produced the photos of SFNO 1
and Keith Lowe for the donation of the Iron Age base sherd.
The views and recommendations expressed in this report are those of the author and are presented in good faith on the basis of
professional judgement and on information currently available.
Cover illustrations
Upper image: Show and tell on St Martin’s.
Centre image: Samson.
Lower image: To and from site by jet boat.
Back cover: Knackyboy Cairn, looking southwest.
Isles of Scilly 2006
Contents
1 Summary
6
2 Introduction
6
2.1
Islands in a Common Sea
6
2.1.1 Project background
2.1.2 Research themes
2.1.3 Proposed Work
2.1.4 Resources
6
6
8
8
3 Results 9
3.1
Evaluation of a Bronze Age Cairn at Knackyboy Carn, St Martin’s NGR SV 92360 15860
9
3.1.1 Background
3.1.2 Aims
3.1.3 Methodology
3.1.4 Vegetation Clearance
3.1.5 Exposed Archaeological Material
3.1.6 Find Assemblage
3.1.7 Interpretation
3.1.8 Topographical survey
3.1.9 Test pit methodology
3.1.10Analysis of the Knackyboy Archive
3.1.11St Martin’s Coastline and other finds
9
12
14
14
14
17
17
17
18
23
23
3.2 Normandy Farm – Trial trenching
3.2.1 History
3.2.2 Aims
3.2.3 Methodology
3.2.4 Trial Trenching
3.2.5 Finds
3.2.6 Environmental Samples
3.2.7 Interpretation
26
26
28
28
28
34
35
35
3.3
Isles of Scilly Lithic Archive: morphology of the collection and potential for further work
3.3.1 Background
3.3.2 Aims
3.3.3 Methodology
3.3.4 Results
35
35
36
36
36
3.4 A Comparative Ceramic Petrological Analysis of Local Clay Sources and Prehistoric Pottery
37
3.4.1Background
3.4.2 Aims
3.4.3 Methodology
3.4.4 Results
37
37
38
38
3.5 Outreach and Sustainability
3.5.1 Aims
3.5.2 Outputs
3.5.3 Impact
38
38
38
38
Islands in a Common Sea
3.6
Future Work
3.6.1 Knackyboy Cairn
3.6.2 Normandy Farm
3.6.3 Analysis of the Isles of Scilly Museum Lithic Collection
39
39
40
40
4
Conclusion
41
5
References
42
6
5.1Primary sources
42
5.2Publications
42
Project archive
43
Isles of Scilly 2006
List of Figures
Fig 1 Location map. Reproduced from the Ordnance Survey (type of map e.g. Landline; 1:25,000)map with the permission of the Controller of HMSO, © Crown copyright/database right 2007. An Ordnance Survey/EDINA supplied service.
Fig 2 Location map, Knackyboy Cairn, St Martins.
Fig 3 Knackyboy Cairn, chamber and contents (after O’Neil 1952).
Fig 4 Urn, Knackyboy Cairn, Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro.
Fig 5 Cremated human remains, from Urn XLV?, Knackyboy Cairn, Penlee Museum, Penzance.
Fig 6 Sequence of activity at Knackyboy Cairn (after Robinson 2006).
Fig 7 Looking for Knackyboy Cairn, pre-clearance.
Fig 8 Knackyboy Cairn, after clearance.
Fig 9 The view from Knackyboy Cairn.
Fig 10 Plan Knackyboy, showing area of dense finds distribution.
Fig 11 Topographic survey, Knackyboy Cairn.
Fig 12 Location of test pits, Knackyboy Cairn.
Fig 13 Test pit sections, Knackyboy Cairn.
Fig 14 Plan of test pit, Knackyboy Cairn.
Fig 15 Plans of test pits 10 and 12 showing stone linear features.
Fig 16 Test pit 12, showing the stone alignment.
Fig 17 3D view and cross section of Knackyboy Cairn showing the ancient topography beneath later wind blown sand deposits.
Fig 18 Reconstruscted Urn V from Knackyboy Cairn (TRURI: 1950.40).
Fig 19 The three adjoining rim sherds from Urn XLV, PEZPH1975.771.
Fig 20 Examples of decorated sherds from Knackyboy Cairn. (1) Twine impressed decoration. (2) Comb impressed decoration.(3) Twisted cord impressed decoration. (4) Bone? impressed decoration.
Fig 21 Preliminary interpretation of Geophysical survey in fields at Lunnon and Normandy Farms, St Mary’s (Tim Young). Magnetic highs–grey; magnectic lows–black solid lines, iron objects–black circle. Resistivity high–pink, resistivity lows blue. Limits of magnetic of machinery–thick dashed black lines, direction of cultivation–thin red lines, limits of cultivation–red dashed lines.
Fig 22 Resistivity and gradiometer survey at Normandy Farm, showing where the trenches were located for excavation.
Fig 23 Plan and north view of trench A, Normandy Farm, St Mary’s.
Fig 24 Trench A, context 3, compacted stone cluster, also showing the location of context 6 and SFNO 1.
Fig 25 Context 4, first appearance of the stone group at the north end of trench A
Fig 26 Photograph and section of cut 19 and context 6 at the end of the stone cluster context 3.
Fig 27 Photograph of SFNO 1, showing the interior and base, with circular basket impressions on the underneath.
Fig 28 Photograph of SFNO 2 and context 11.
Fig 29 Photograph of SFNO 2 and context 11.
Islands in a Common Sea
Fig 30 Plan and section of trench C.
Fig 31 Photograph of Trench C looking west, showing large stones (context 15) in the foreground.
Fig 32 Photograph of the dowel joint from SFNO 1.
Fig 33 Photograph of Scourse extracting clay from glacial deposits near White Island, Butter Porth.
List of Tables
Table 1 Finds from Knackyboy Cairn.
Table 2 Sumary of the finds from St Martin’s.
Table 3 Conext and finds list from the Normandy Farm excavations, St Mary’s.
Abbreviations
AONB
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
CAU
Cornwall Archaeological Unit (now HES)
CRO
Cornwall County Record Office
EH
English Heritage
FMW
Field Monument Warden
GPS
Global Positioning System
HER
Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Historic Environment Record
HES
Historic Environment Service, Cornwall County Council (formerly CAU)
HISAR
Cardiff School of History and Archaeology, University of Cardiff
IOS
Isles of Scilly
ICOS
Islands in a Common Sea Project
NGR
National Grid Reference
NMR
National Monument Record, Swindon
OS
Ordnance Survey
PRN
Primary Record Number in Cornwall HER
RIC
Royal Institution of Cornwall
UCL
University College London
Isles of Scilly 2006
1 Summary
This report presents the results of the second season of fieldwork undertaken inthe Isles of Scilly in July
2006 by the Islands in a Common Sea project; a partnership between the Cardiff School of History and
Archaeology, Cardiff University and Cornwall County Council’s Historic Environment Service.
The project seeks:
• to reinvigorate archaeological research into the archaeology of Scilly;
o to further develop knowledge of the early environment, society and settlement on the
islands;
o to explore the relationship between the Isles of Scilly and the Southwest British mainland
o to enhance understanding of the archaeology of the Atlantic façade; and
o to continue research into social, cultural and economic responses to physical and climatic
marginality on islands
• to promote sustainable use and development of the historic and natural environment
Sites investigated or recorded in 2006 include a Bronze Age entrance grave at Knackyboy Cairn, St Martin’s
and a series of geophysical anomalies at Normandy Farm, St Mary’s (Fig. 1). The artefacts from Knackyboy
Cairn, held at a number of museums, were assessed. The lithic archive held within the Isles of Scilly
Museum was also examined and clay from Butter Porth, St Martin’s was sampled for comparative ceramic
petrological analysis.
2 Introduction
2.1
Islands in a Common Sea
2.1.1 Project background
In 2003, Jacqui Mulville of the Cardiff School of History and Archaeology at the University of Cardiff
and Helen Smith of the Archaeology Department at the University of Bournemouth proposed an initial
five year research project based on the Isles of Scilly. Having been part of a large multi-period research
project in the Outer Hebrides for the past fourteen years and they now sought to extend their work along
the Atlantic Seaboard.
Consequently a meeting was held in Truro between Dr Mulville (JM) and representatives of English Heritage
and Historic Environment Services (HES) to discuss the potential for the ‘Islands in a Common Sea’ project,
Scotland. Following further e-mail correspondence between JM and Charlie Johns (CJ) a second meeting
of interested parties was held at the HES offices in January 2005 attended by Gill Arbery (English Heritage
(EH)), Veryan Heal (HES), Charlie Johns (HES), Jacqui Mulville (Cardiff School of History and Archaeology
(HISAR)), Trevor Kirk (Carmarthen College), Gary Robinson (University College London (UCL)), Helen
Smith (University of Bournemouth), Vanessa Straker (EH) and Helen Wickstead (UCL).
2.1.2 Research themes
• Although there is a large body of archaeological work available for the Isles of Scilly no recent
research excavations have been undertaken and the proposed research project would aim to reassess
the results of previous archaeological investigations, define new areas for research and undertake
targeted fieldwork and laboratory analysis with a particular focus on the chronology.
• The project would consider a range of issues on the Isles of Scilly with particular reference to their
relationship with the Cornish mainland. it would allow the project team to extend their work and
compare and contrast northern and southern Atlantic maritime communities in prehistory and
Islands in a Common Sea
91855
96855
18210
86855
18210
81855
Butter Porth
St Martin's
Bryher
The Old Stable
Knackyboy
Cairn
13210
13210
Tresco
Eastern Isles
Samson
Normandy
Farm
St Mary's
Annet
8210
8210
Gugh
0
St Agnes
Coordinate system
British National Grid
OSGB 1936
Elevation OS datum Newlyn
Base map: OS Landline
Western Rocks
81855
86855
2km
91855
96855
Figure 1. Location map of the Isles of Scilly and the sites investigated.
would be of particular relevance in the light of on-going discussions on the effect of climatic
marginality on cultural and economic strategies on northerly islands.
• The project would bring to bear a number of traditional and more recent techniques from survey to
biochemical analyses, plus the use of documentary and ethnographic sources. There has been some
important environmental reconstruction work (see Scaiffe 1984, 2006, 2007; Ratcliffe and Straker
1996, 1997) but there is great potential for future work, particularly in relation to understanding
sea level change in the archipelago. The Hebrides project produced, and continues to produce,
numerous publications and has undertaken innovative inter-disciplinary research involving many
universities; this approach would be continued and developed on the Isles of Scilly.
• The project will explore the use and management of the fragile land and seascapes in relation to
changes in environment, settlement, social organisation, population, architecture and treatment
of the dead through time plus the relationship of the islands to the adjacent areas of mainland
Cornwall (and further afield) at different points in time. The timing of the initial colonisation of
the islands and of the subsequent cultural and natural developments on the islands is of particular
interest.
Isles of Scilly 2006
2.1.3 Proposed Work
Initiating an on-going review of the potential for re-analysis of existing material was the first stage of
the project. This review, which commenced in autumn 2004 and remains on-going, built upon the recent
recommendations of Ratcliffe and Straker (1996; 1997) and appraisals of the changing island environment
(Ratcliffe and Straker 2001; 2002).
The second stage, which commenced in 2005, involved further archaeological survey plus targeted excavation
based on the Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment (Johns et al 2004), which assessed coastal threats and identified
sites at risk identified. Work in 2006 focused on a number of inland sites identified in the 2005 fieldwork
season as warranting further investigation, analysis and management. This report only covers the work
undertaken on St Martin’s and St Mary’s during the July 2006 season as part of the Isles of a Common Sea
project, the Samson based work is dealt with in the companion report (Johns, Berry and Edwards 2007).
Future work will continue to seek funding to investigate and record a number of sites in order to inform
future management plans for the island monuments and landscapes and to undertake research that will
enhance and extend the knowledge of archaeological sites.
Field work, where appropriate, draws upon a range of on- and off-site techniques appropriate to modern
field archaeology; many of which have been tested in the context of the Western Isles.
2.1.4 Resources
This part of the project is lead by Dr Jacqui Mulville (Cardiff University) and Charlie Johns (Senior
Archaeologist HES, with special responsibility for projects in Scilly). The University provided staff time,
publicity materials, field and analytical equipment and services, student excavators and initial fieldwork
funding. External advice and/or subsequent additional funding was sought from other partners such as
English Heritage (Inspector of Ancient Monuments (IAM), Regional Science Advisor (RSA) and Field
Monument Warden (FMW), Cornwall County Council, the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust (IOSWT), the
Isles of Scilly Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the British Academy (BA) and other research funding
bodies. The project also draws on the knowledge of a number of people who have a research history on
the Isles of Scilly, such as Vanessa Straker and Helen Keeley and works with the knowledge base of the local
community.
The project seeks to involve community and local interest groups and provide appropriate feedback on the
project through a web site – the 2006 fieldwork can be found at http://www.cf.ac.uk/hisar/archaeology/
about_us/Scilly/scilly_2006.html as well as general interest publications, talks, leaflets, educational resources
etc, in addition to producing traditional academic publications. The project will complete and publish
work regularly, and as a minimum interim reports will be completed prior to undertaking any subsequent
fieldwork. The project leaders also hope to organise a conference/fieldtrip on the islands during the initial
five year period. The aims of the 2006 fieldwork were
• To initiate research into Knackyboy Cairn, St Martin’s, the monument and its setting as well as the
analysis of the excavated archive.
• To examine, characterise and compare the potential clay source for of pottery manufacture on St
Martin’s with pottery recovered from the islands.
• To investigate geophysical anomalies on Normandy Farm, St Mary’s lying close to the Iron Age cist
cemetery on Lunnon Farm.
• To examine the lithic archive held in the Isles of Scilly Museum.
Islands in a Common Sea
Building outline
General line
Vegetation limit
Mean high water
Mean low water
Slope limit
Butter Porth
0
170
340m
St Martin’s
Old Stable
Knackyboy Cairn
Figure 2. Location map of tSt Martins and Knackyboy Cairn.
3 Results
3.1
Evaluation of a Bronze Age Cairn at Knackyboy Carn, St Martin’s NGR SV 92360 15860
3.1.1 Background
On St Martin’s lies a large prehistoric chambered cairn overlooking the steep southern slope of the island
(Fig. 2). This is the scheduled entrance grave Knackyboy Cairn (NM no 15520). (An entrance grave is a
roughly circular cairn of stone and earth, revetted by a kerb of boulders and containing a chamber whose
walls are constructed of orthostats or coursed walling and covered by large capstones. The chambers of
these monuments usually occupy the centre of the mound and are accessed via an entrance within the kerb).
Entrance graves have a very limited distribution within the British Isles, being restricted to the Isles of Scilly
and West Penwith, Cornwall. On Scilly, 96 entrance graves are recorded on the Sites and Monuments Record,
compared with five on the Cornish mainland (Ratcliffe 1989). Further afield, similar tombs have been
recorded in the Tramore area of south-east Ireland, and lesser numbers of vaguely comparable monuments
are known in the Channel Islands and Brittany.
In 2005 team members of the Islands in A Common Sea project visited the area of the monument and
attempted to locate it. This was hampered by head height gorse which severely restricted access to the area
and the position of the monument could not be determined with any accuracy. Knackyboy is one of the
largest, and possibly the most intriguing, of the tombs on the islands. A project to clear the monument to
enhance its presentation and management and to re-present the information from earlier excavations for the
benefit of the wider community of locals, visitors and archaeologists was developed.
10
Isles of Scilly 2006
3.1.1.1 Monument Description and History
First recorded as a tumulus in 1891, Knackyboy Cairn is one of only five examples of this particular type
of tomb excavated since 1939. The site was first excavated by A and J Gibson in 1912 and one or two urns
recovered (Daniel 1950). Following the removal and reuse of the capstone(s) (to manufacture gate posts)
the contents of the cist were partially destroyed, leaving only a small section intact. The site was excavated
by Lewis in 1947 and by O’Neil in 1948 but due to the untimely death of the latter, it was never fully
published.
This monument is one of the largest prehistoric cairns on Scilly and survives reasonably well with the earlier
antiquarian activity limited to the chamber and a section of the mound to each side. This monument was
Figure 3. Knackyboy Cairn, chamber and contents (after O’Neil 1952).
included on the schedule in 1972 and amended in 1996. At the time of fieldwork the monument lay within
a field, no longer cultivated, covered with dense gorse and bracken.
Knackyboy is one of very few chambered cairns where undisturbed internal features have been recorded.
The 1947-8 excavations in, and immediately around, the chamber revealed the cairn’s internal structure
(Fig.3) and provided a good understanding of the complex sequence of funerary and ritual activity. These
initial excavations made a valuable contribution to our knowledge of tomb usage and added further to the
importance of the unexcavated parts of this cairn.
During the 1940’s excavations, over 200kg of pottery was recovered from a series of stratigraphic phases
of deposition. This included twenty-two complete pots (Fig. 4), with associated cremated human remains
(Fig. 5), bronze metalwork and glass beads. Knackyboy reportedly contains one of the largest groups of
individuals found in a single tomb in British Prehistory, with O’Neil (1952) estimating that up to 60 people
11
Islands in a Common Sea
Figure 4. Cremation urn from Knackyboy Cairn, Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro.
Figure 5. Cremated human remains, from Urn XLV?, Knackyboy Cairn, Penlee
Museum, Penzance.
12
Isles of Scilly 2006
were placed within the chamber. This quantification was based on the premise that 6o separate vessels,
each holding a single individual, could be identified. Such quantification is fraught with problems; many of
these were identified only from small sherds and the fabrics are extremely variable, within one vessel making
it impossible to easily assign sherds to a particular urn. It is also unclear whether these sherds come from
whole pots placed in the chamber or they were incorporated as broken sherds (Robinson pers comm.).
An interim report was published in 1952 and full analysis and reporting remains to be undertaken. The
site archive is divided with various parts held at the National Monument Record Office, Swindon, the
British Museum, the Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro, the Penlee Museum, Penzance and the Isles of Scilly
Museum, St Mary’s.
3.1.1.2 Monument Construction and Use
Knackyboy although excavated was never fully reported upon, an interim was published (O’Neil 1952) but
full analysis was never completed due to the untimely death of the excavator. The following account of
the sequence of events is derived from Robinson (2006). The first evidence for human activity at the tomb
is a flaked flint axe dating to the Neolithic, deliberately placed under the entrance to the chamber prior to
construction. The tomb builders took advantage of a large outcrop of bedrock to form part of the chamber
with the other chamber walls made of rubble set in a mortar. The surrounding cairn was made up of stone
and soil and bordered by a kerb. The chamber was originally covered with large capstones, but these were
removed (see above).
The first material positioned in the chamber was a number of cremation urns, placed upon stone slab
flooring (see Fig 3). These stood in two rows of three urns (numbered I to VI on the diagram), with a
further urn (XVI) just in front of them. Standing in the centre of the tomb was a single urn (VII) and whilst
all the urns contained cremated bone, the central urn also contained a glass bead, with another star-shaped
faience bead lying close by. Spread around and over these urns was a mixture of cremated bone and soil,
fragments of urns, bronze objects and four more glass beads. Later another eight urns were added, three
were placed down the middle of the chamber (IX, X, XIV) with the others to each side, a further four glass
beads were found during excavation. Outside the tomb, two urns protected by stones were found placed
within the body of the cairn (XVII and XVIII). This sequence of events is summarised in (Fig 6, after
Robinson 2006).
Before radiocarbon dates were available for Scilly, the artefact assemblage from Knackyboy Cairn was the
sole means of dating and drawing cross-comparisons between prehistoric pottery assemblages on the islands
(Robinson 2006). Material from the tomb has not been directly dated but the placement of urns within the
chamber is thought to have occurred in the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age due to the presence of the
faience bead (Burgess 2001; Newton and Renfrew 1970; Parker Pearson 1999). There is also some evidence
for the earlier deposition of pottery, O’Neil noted material lying beneath the stone paving but provided no
description of this material (Robinson pers comm.). This pottery has not been identified in the archive but
could be similar to the much earlier, possible Early Neolithic- Hembury Ware found at North Hill (ibid).
This occurrence may relate to the primary use of monument or earlier pre-monument activity.
3.1.2 Aims
The aim of the project was to ‘rediscover’ and re-present the Knackyboy entrance grave, to establish the
condition of the monument and to undertake survey of the monument and its surrounding landscape, and
to assess the potential of the archive for full analysis. Funding for this work came from Cardiff University,
the British Academy and the Sustainable Development Fund for Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
13
Islands in a Common Sea
The sequence of events at Knackyboy Cairn
c.1400-1100 cal BC
Event 9: A bucket shaped urn is placed in the cairn
Event 8: The chamber in sealed with rubble
containing a bucket shaped urn.
Event 7: Bucket shaped urns form the final layer
within the chamber.
c.2200-1800 cal BC
Event 6: Plain and incised
globular vessels placed over
event 5.
Event 5: A thick layer of ash and cremated bone laid down. This
contained metalwork and faience beads.
Event 4: A series of vessels placed
upon paving within chamber
Event 3b: Paving laid within the chamber
c.3000 cal BC
Event 3a: Deposit of black soil within the chamber
Event 2: Construction of Knackyboy Cairn
Event 1: Flaked flint axe placed on ancient land
surface
Figure 6. Sequence
of activity at Knackyboy Cairn (after Robinson 2006).
The project has eight general research and site management aims. These are:
1. To clear vegetation from the area of the monument.
2. To establish the extent of the site.
3. To better understand the character and condition of the archaeological remains in this area by
topographical survey, supplemented by test pit and auger survey outside the scheduled area.
4. To recover any exposed archaeological material that could not be preserved in situ.
5. To link the results of this project with previous fieldwork.
6. To establish the location, nature and quantity of the Knackyboy archive. To enhance our knowledge
of funerary monuments, settlement and land use in prehistoric Scilly.
7. To inform future management decisions.
8. To disseminate the results of the project.
14
Isles of Scilly 2006
3.1.3 Methodology
The methodology was based on the project design, modified to take account of local circumstances,
conditions and availability of equipment:
• vegetation (bracken and established gorse) was cleared from around the monument using a mechanical
cutter (operated by Viv Richards) and within the scheduled area was cleared by hand;
• surface finds were recorded and removed;
• a scaled drawn and photographic record was made of the cairn;
• a topographical survey was made of the monument in its setting using EDM;
• the setting of the monument was examined through twelve hand excavated test pits supplemented
by auguring.
3.1.4 Vegetation Clearance
Knackyboy Cairn was obscured by impenetrable, dense gorse and bracken cover (Fig. 7). After mechanical
and hand clearance of the vegetation the monument became clearly visible as a large ovoid mound,
incorporating an earthfast boulder, 19 m north-west to south-east by 16 m north east to south west, rising
to 0.9 m to a flattened upper platform as indicated in the scheduling document (Fig. 8). The spectacular
setting of the monument became apparent with unobstructed views across Crow Sound to the other islands
(Fig 9). Any activity, such as the use of a cremation pyre, close to the monument would have been highly
visible. The area of the excavated chamber was visible as a slight depression in the ground; however another
large pit dug into the side of the monument has no previous excavation records associated with it. There
was little visible evidence of the possible kerb recorded by O’Neil and mentioned on the schedule.
3.1.5 Exposed Archaeological Material
During the clearance of above ground vegetation it became apparent that a significant quantity of pottery
and some cremated bone remained present on the surface of the monument. A small scatter of pottery
was recovered from across the mound; however one small area of the site @ 0.20 x 0.16 m, lying close to
the earthfast rock (Fig. 10) produced the majority of material.
Figure 7. Looking
for Knackyboy Cairn, pre-clearance.
Discussions with the leaseholder (Mr K. Rose) indicated that once the 1940’s excavations had been completed
the site was not backfilled, but rather the chamber remained as a void. Perceiving this to be a danger to stock
the previous tenant filled in the chamber with spoil and disposed of a multitude of ‘small stones’ found in
a pile away from the site.
15
Islands in a Common Sea
Figure 8. Knackyboy
Figure 9. The
Cairn after clearance.
view from Knackyboy Cairn.
16
Isles of Scilly 2006
Finds area
N
0
Figure 10. Plan
4m
of Knackyboy Cairn, showing area of dense finds.
The field had been subject to ploughing since the excavation had taken place. Although it is unlikely that the
monument itself has been disturbed, its proximity to a large earthfast boulder would make this difficult, it is
possible that the remains of a spoil heap were ploughed over.
Upon consultation with English Heritage it was decided that the recovery of obvious surface pottery and
cremated bone was appropriate. The presence of a significant quantity of material on a recently exposed
and now newly accessible monument would attract the attention of the public, be removed from the site by
visitors and possibly encourage digging into the monument.
The material recovered from across the mound was bagged together; however when it became apparent that
one area was very rich in finds, the material from this area was bagged up separately and labelled. Pottery
from the surface of this small area was removed, but it was apparent that further buried material was
present. This area was covered with about 0.1m of soil, as it was felt that any further removal of material
was inappropriate at this time.
3.1.6 Find Assemblage
The pottery recovered ranged from 0.012 m to 0.01 m in size, with 80% coming from the root disturbed
area next to the natural outcrop at the end of the of the old excavated chamber. In all there were ninety-two
sherds (four decorated), fifty-one fragments under 0.015 m, nine rim sherds, one base and four decorated
17
Islands in a Common Sea
Area
Base
Rim
Side
Lug
Fragments
Modern
Worked Human
Flint
Pottery
Stone
Bone
Surface Find at outcrop
1
Surface Find at outcrop
1
32
Other
Cremated fragments;
7 femur, 5 longbone,
1 vertebra
Unstratified
Disturbed Finds
1
9
101
1
9
102
Test Pit 12 Context 7
Total
Table 1. Finds
51
4 decorated sherds
1
3
0
51
0
5
0
from Knackyboy Cairn.
sherds (Tab. 1). The decorated sherds have comb impressed patterning on them similar to the urns recovered
from O’Neil’s excavations. There was also a noticeable discoidal flint recovered from the surface 38 by 36
mm. This did have wear and fine retouch suggesting a dual use as a cutting tool and for scraping. Along
with ceramic and flint finds cremated bone fragments were also recovered from the surface of the cairn.
There were thirty two cremated human bone fragments. All of the finds are probably from previous earlier
excavations and were either not recovered or not kept by the excavators and then re-incorporated in the
back fill of the excavated areas.
3.1.7 Interpretation
Accounts of the first excavations undertaken by the Rev, Lewis indicate that he stopped digging after
recovering the first one hundredweight of pottery, and the second excavation (O’Neil 1952) refers to over
200kg of pottery. It is likely that, in the face of such a mass of material, antiquarian collection practises
focused on the more complete vessels, rims and bases. Thus this material recovered from the surface is likely
to be that cast aside by earlier excavators. Although a number of cremations in pots were reported, many
of these pots were smashed in 1912 and later reports describe a mass of cremated material (earlier spills or
pyre material?) lying around the cremation urns. The cremated bone is probably material found lying on the
surface in the chamber which, once again due to antiquarian collection strategies, was probably cast aside.
3.1.8 Topographical survey
By Dr Steve Mills.
A topographic and archaeological survey of Knackyboy Cairn and its immediate environs started in
2006. The purpose was to generate data suitable for reconstructing present and past land surfaces on
and immediately around the cairn, including surface details of the cairn itself and to spatially fix-in the
archaeological investigations (test-pits) beyond the cairn. To enable the survey data to be compatible with
Ordnance Survey mapping products, control points on which the survey was based were established on the
ground and their National Grid co-ordinates determined by reference to buildings nearby with known coordinates. The elevations of the control points were established by reference to an OS spot height on the
track outside of the Community Hall.
The survey was conducted by members of the Cardiff team using a Topcon 303 total station. The topographic
survey consisted of a series of parallel north-south transects spaced 1 m apart with X,Y and Z readings
taken along the transects at 1m intervals. For practical reasons of access and time, the survey was limited to
the area cleared of gorse around the cairn. The survey can be spatially expanded as required in the future.
In addition to the topographic survey, the north-south and east-west base lines and the surface corners and
maximum depths of all the test pits were surveyed. Data from the surveys were added to the project GIS
to generate representations of the modern topography (Fig. 11).
18
Isles of Scilly 2006
92335.411599
92355.411599
92375.411599
92395.411599
92415.411599
92435.411599
15933.406572
92315.411599
15933.406572
92295.411599
30.4
30.4
15893.406572
15893.406572
30.4
15913.406572
15913.406572
30
31.2
30.8
31
15873.406572
15873.406572
31.2
31.6
31.6
Control points
31.8
Cairn rocks
Scheduled extent
15853.406572
15853.406572
30.8
Topographic survey
High : 32.383
metres above sea level
29.6
15833.406572
Low : 29.230
0
5 10m
Contours
20cm intervals
92295.411599
92315.411599
92335.411599
92355.411599
92375.411599
92395.411599
92415.411599
92435.411599
Figure 11. Topographic survey of Knackyboy Cairn.
3.1.9 Test pit methodology
By Ian Dennis.
A series of twelve 1 x 1m test pits were dug in a T shape, twenty five metres away from the centre of the
cairn and 5m from the scheduled area. Eight of these were aligned to grid north and spaced 4m apart (test
pits 1-8), at the southern end of the transect one test pit was placed to the west of the axis (test pit 10) and
one to the east (test pit 9). A further two pits were dug, these were located to the south of the monument
towards the seaward edge test pits 11 and 12 (Fig. 12). Test pits were excavated to a depth of approximately
1.20 m. Upon reaching the required depth and no old land surface becoming visible, auguring was then used
to establish the depth of the buried land surface. Data from the test pits were added to the project GIS to
generate representations of the ancient topography.
3.1.9.1 Test Pit Description
Test pits 1 to 8 (contexts 1, 2, 3, & 4, Fig. 13) were on the N-S transect with test pit 9 lying to the east. The
strategraphic sequence in all these pits was similar: context 1, the top soil, was found in all the test pits and
was a light-grey brown, fine sandy soil with roots and decaying vegetation and averaged 0.25 m in depth.
Context 2, was a white-grey fine wind blown sand, clean, with few root inclusions and an average depth of
0.30 m. Context 3, was golden yellow-brown sand, more compacted than 2 with an average depth of 0.55
m. Context 4 was an almost black compact dry sandy layer with small stone inclusions visible when cleaned
back. This context is probably the old land surface prior to the deposition of the wind blown sand. As to
19
Islands in a Common Sea
92335.411599
92355.411599
92375.411599
92395.411599
92415.411599
92435.411599
15913.406572
15913.406572
15933.406572
92315.411599
15933.406572
92295.411599
8
7
15893.406572
15893.406572
6
5
4
3
2
9
1
15873.406572
15873.406572
10
Control points
Base line
Test pits
Cairn rocks
Topographic survey
0
5 10m
High : 32.383
metres above sea level
15853.406572
15853.406572
Scheduled extent
11
Low : 29.230
15833.406572
12
92295.411599
92315.411599
92335.411599
92355.411599
92375.411599
92395.411599
92415.411599
92435.411599
Figure 12. Location of the test pits, Knackyboy Cairn.
what date this context derives from was difficult to ascertain as no finds were recovered (Fig. 14. Test pit,
context 4).
Test Pit 10 (Contexts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 8, Fig. 13) was excavated to a depth of 1.20 m when the old land surface
was uncovered (4), lying upon this was a stone alignment Context 8, (Fig. 15). Context 1 the top soil, was
0.22 m in depth. Context 2, the white-grey fine wind blown sand was 0.39 m in depth. Context 3, the golden
yellow-brown sand was 0.74 m in depth. At context 4, the black compact dry sandy layer excavation ceased.
Context 8 the stone linear alignment, a possible field boundary wall, was found running north to south on
the bottom of the test pit lying upon context 4. This comprised of rounded stones approximately 0.20 m in
length and 0.16 m high. No finds were recovered.
Test Pit 11 (Contexts 1, 5, and 6, Fig. 13) was located to the south of the cairn. This was excavated to a
depth of 0.43m: context 1 was the same as the other test pits and was 0.18m deep. Context 5 was equivalent
to context 2 and only 0.20m in depth before coming down onto context 6. Context 6 is also equivalent to
context 4 the buried land surface. No features or finds were found in this test pit.
Test pit 12 (Contexts 1, 7, 9, 10 and 11, Fig. 13, Fig. 15) was located on the most southerly point of the
hill just before the land surface drops away down a steep rock face, leading down through fields the beach
below. The pit was also shallow: context 1 has the same composition as the other test pits but was only
0.10 m in depth. Context 7 was a dark orange brown sub-soil with small granite inclusions, very dry and
crumbly having a depth of 0.36 m. This pit also had a linear stone alignment, context 10, which comprised
20
3
2
1
21
3
2
1
1
3
2
3
2
1
Buried Land Surface
Test Pit 8
Buried Land Surface
Test Pit 2
Figure 13. Test pit sections, Knackyboy Cairn.
Buried Land Surface
Test Pit 7
Buried Land Surface
Test Pit 1
3
2
1
Test Pit 9
3
2
1
Buried Land Surface
Test Pit 3
3
2
1
3
2
1
Test Pit 10
0
Buried Land Surface
Test Pit 4
1m
3
2
1
6
5
1
Test Pit 11
Buried Land Surface
Test Pit 5
3
2
1
Dark band of sand
7
1
Test Pit 12
Buried Land Surface
Test Pit 6
Isles of Scilly 2006
Islands in a Common Sea
of squared and rounded stones up to 0.20 m in
length and 0.15 m wide (similar context 8 in test pit
10). Context 10 was not fully excavated but overlay
or cut context 9; this is similar to context 7 but
was lighter in colour with fewer inclusions. The
depth of context 9 was not established. Context
11 lying to the east of the stone alignment (10) was
orange-reddish brown in colour and again similar
to contexts 9 and 7 but slightly more compact with
small stone inclusions (Fig. 16).
There were five finds from this test pit; all lay at
the bottom of context 7 just above contexts 9 and
11. These were a flint re-facing flake 39 mm x 30
mm, hard hammer struck and derived from glacial
deposited pebble flint, three flint chips under 15
mm, one burnt, and a small fragment of prehistoric
pottery (probably of Bronze Age origin). The linear
stone feature (10) although similar to that in test pit
10 (8) is made up of more angular stones with a
stone free core (9) within it. Further excavation of
this feature will help in its interpretation.
3.1.9.2
Interpretation
As a result of the test pits it became apparent
that inland of the monument are thick deposits
of windblown sand, in some areas up to 2.2 m in
depth, overlying an earlier land surface. This depth
Figure 14. Context 4, the buried land surface visible at the
of
sand increases with distance from the monument,
bottom of test pit 1.
but even at the closest point to the monument, 5 m
from edge of the scheduled area, the windblown sand was still at least 0.9 m in depth (test pits 1, 9, & 10).
By using the data from the auger holes from the test pits lying outside the schedule area, the topographic
surface survey and the data from O’Neil’s excavations within the scheduled area (O’Neil 1952, 35) it is
possible to estimate the depth of the buried land surface running up to the cairn on a N-S axis (Fig. 17 cross
section of land). This reconstruction demonstrates how much more prominent Knackyboy cairn was in the
landscape prior to sand deposition.
Test Pit 12
This data and visual examination Test Pit 10
suggests that the monument itself
10
10
is covered with a depth of sand,
which may account for the lack of
visibility of the kerb. Seaward of
8
the monument there had been less
4
10
9
deposition of windblown sand.
N
The presence of a large quantity of
8
windblown sand was not predicted.
10
The distribution of the sand
deposits suggests that material
0
1m
was/is carried up onto this high
point in winds, but deposited at Figure 15. Plans of test pits 10 and 12 showing linear stone features.
22
11
Isles of Scilly 2006
Figure 16. Test pit 12, showing the stone alignment.
Knackyboy Cairn
Present day surface
N
Tp 8
Tp 7
Tp 6
Tp 5
Tp 4
Tp 3
Tp 2
Tp 1
Tp 11
Old land surface
0
16m
N
S
Figure 17. 3D view and cross section of Knackyboy Cairn showing the ancient topography
beneath later wind blown sand deposits.
23
S
Islands in a Common Sea
the top of the slope as turbulence reduces the wind speed and its carrying capacity. Material may also be
reworked into lower lying areas. The presence of large quantities of sand would account for the continuing
difficulties experienced by the landowner in raising a crop on such free-draining land (K. Rose pers comm.).
There are accounts of the island of St Martin’s being abandoned in the 1700’s due to large sand blows (Johns
pers comm.) and recent work on the sand dunes lying above Barr Point on St Mary’s (Johns et al 2006) have
revealed the substantial deposition of windblown sand on the Isles during recent times (610, 1864, 1914
and 1918).
3.1.10 Analysis of the Knackyboy Archive
Visits to the three main museums holding material from Knackyboy have been made (thanks to Amanda
Martin, Jane Marley and Alison Bevan). Truro Museum holds the largest collection of material with 34
boxes containing pottery and cremated bone, with five reconstructed urns (Fig. 18) (TRURI: 1950.40 excavation material from Knackyboy Cairn; four boxes of sherds and urns, two boxes of urn sherds, seven
boxes of pottery, thirteen boxes of urns, one box of flint, pottery, charcoal, a faience, bead and bone and
one box of rim sherds, excavated by O’Neil in 1948. TRURI: 1956.3 - five burial urns and 1 base sherd
from Knackyboy Carn. TRURI: 1959.36 - urn fragments from various sites in the Isles of Scilly, including
Knackyboy, found by Gibson and O’Neil in 1952). Penlee Museum, Penzance, holds only a small amount
of material, previously on display (PEZPH1975.771, a cremation urn, 0.15 m high containing cremated
material (Fig. 4), a second bag of cremated bone assumed to be associated with the urn is also present (Fig.
5) and PEZPH1975.772 - 3 pieces of adjoining rim sherds of a Knackyboy urn XLV (Fig. 19). The material
held in the Isles of Scilly Museum is a number of reconstructed vessels kept on display and the glass and
faience beads.
The Knackyboy vessels exhibit numerous impressions of perishable items, including material coiled, twined,
woven and spun/twisted and demonstrate both the use of these items in decoration and the regular use
of mats and/or baskets (Fig. 20). The impressions were the subject of a study lead by Mary Ann Owoc
(Mercyhurst College, Pennsylvania), presented on a poster displayed in the Isles of Scilly Museum, St
Mary’s. The wide range of cordage types present on the Knackyboy pottery demonstrates the presence of
many spinners and distinct, local cordage manufacturer households on the Isles of Scilly. This supports an
interpretation of multiple urn burial episodes at Knackyboy as suggested by O’Neil 1952 (Owoc, poster,
Isles of Scilly Museum).
An assessment of the Knackyboy archive at Truro is being undertaken by Jessie Collins under the guidance of
Jacqui Mulville and Carl Thorpe. Five of the thirty-four boxes of material have been examined, quantifying
pottery and noting the decoration present. This work will be completed in May 2007 and will be included
in future reports.
3.1.11 St Martin’s Coastline and other finds
A small number of finds were recovered eroding out of the beach section along the shore lying below
Knackyboy Carn, i.e. Lawrence’s Bay, and at Old Quay (see Table 2). In addition Mr K. Lowe donated a large
base sherd of an Iron Age vessel recovered from under the Churchtown Farm during building works.
24
Isles of Scilly 2006
Area
Location
Old Quay
Modern
Midden
Old Quay
Beach
Old Quay
Buried
soil
Old Quay
Pit
Campsite
Beach
Beach
Lawrence’s
Bay
Downwash?
Find
No
Base
Rim
Side
Lug
Fragments
Modern
Worked
Flint
Pottery
Stone
1Shell, 1Iron Bar,
7 Iron Fragments
1
3 Charcoal
fragments
4
1
8
1
7
Churchtown
Farm, St
Martins
Table 2. Sumary
Other
Eroding from
section
Iron Age Base
Sherd (Donated
by K. Lowe)
of the finds from St Martin’s
Figure 18. Reconstruscted Urn V from Knackyboy Cairn (TRURI: 1950.40).
25
Islands in a Common Sea
Figure 19. The 3 adjoining rim sherds from Urn XLV, PEZPH1975.771.
1
2
3
4
Figure 20. Examples of decorated sherds from Knackyboy Cairn. (1) Twine impressed decoration. (2) Comb impressed
decoration. (3) Twisted cord impressed decoration. (4) Bone? impressed decoration.
26
Isles of Scilly 2006
Figure 21. Preliminary interpretation of Geophysical survey in fields at Lunnon and Normandy Farms, St Mary’s (Tim
Young). Magnetic highs–grey; magnectic lows–black solid lines, iron objects–black circle. Resistivity high–pink, resistivity
lows blue. Limits of magnetic of machinery–thick dashed black lines, direction of cultivation–thin red lines, limits of
cultivation–red dashed lines.
3.2
Normandy Farm – Trial trenching
By Ian Dennis.
3.2.1
History
Geophyscial survey and fieldwalking at Normandy Farm (Fig. 1) as part of an investigation into the setting
of the Iron Age Cist cemetery at Lunnon Farm in 2005 revealed a series of geophysical anomalies and a
scatter of prehistoric flint and pottery (Mulville and Johns 2007).
Results of the magnetic gradiometer and resistivity survey demonstrated a number of features (Fig. 21).
Firstly it was possible to see the influence of modern raised beds in the SE part of the survey, secondly
areas towards the southern and particularly the northern corner showed a much quieter response (possibly
indicating deeper soil) and finally there was a zone oriented WNW-ESE across the central part of the survey
with significant but somewhat irregular featuring. The latter comprised of zones of elevated magnetic
gradient, from 2-5m in diameter, separated by narrow linear negative magnetic anomalies (Young 2007).
These geophysical features were difficult to interpret, because of a lack of comparative data. The patchy
areas of elevated magnetic gradient resembled the response of discontinuous midden deposits on other
sites, and the zones of elevated ground resistivity might indicate areas of stone-rich deposits, such as hut
circles. However, these geophysical anomalies may also have been generated by fracture patterns in the
granite bedrock, with variable amounts of soil cover. Ground-truthing of these geophysical anomalies by
excavation was a suggested priority for future fieldwork.
27
Islands in a Common Sea
Figure 22. Resistivity and gradiometer survey at Normandy Farm, showing where the trenches were
located for excavation.
28
Isles of Scilly 2006
3.2.2 Aims
The evaluation had four general research and site management aims. These were:
1. To groundtruth the geophysical anomalies by trial trenching
2. To better understand the character of the archaeological remains in this area;
3. To inform future management decisions.
4. To disseminate the results of the evaluation.
3.2.3 Methodology
The methodology was based on the project design modified to take account of local circumstances, conditions
and availability of equipment:
• Three machine and hand dug trial trenches were excavated in the area of known geophysical
anomalies
• a scaled drawn and photographic record was made of the trenches.
• archaeological material was recovered for dating purposes
3.2.4 Trial Trenching
The targets for trial trenching were chosen on the basis of the geophysical survey (Fig. 22). These were
the strong positive resistivity features towards the west of the survey on Normandy Farm (Trench A) and
the weaker negative resistivity anomalies and fairly strong magnetic anomalies, close to the gap in the field
boundary towards the NE margin of the survey (Trench B and C). Trenches were located close to the edge
of the field in order to minimise crop disturbance.
A mechanical excavator operated by Diccon Rogers was used to remove the majority of the overburden with
the lower levels excavated by hand. The plough soil was cleared down to levels were archaeological material
and features become apparent. These features were cleaned and any archaeological material lying upon their
surface recovered, due to time constraints further investigation was not possible. The trenches were then
photographed, planned and the position of the trenches located using GPS before they were reinstated.
3.2.4.1 Trench A (contexts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, & 19)
This trench was 2 m wide, 8.60 m long with a depth of 1.2 m and orientated north to south over a strong
anomaly. Context 1, top soil, was a fine cultivated sandy light grey brown layer approximately 0.15 m in
depth. Lying below this was the sub soil, dark grey brown in colour, fine and sandy (2) with a depth of
0.40 m (Fig. 23). After the removal of contexts 1 & 2 and further excavation a number of features became
apparent (Fig. 23). Context 3 was a compacted stone cluster, consisting of medium to large rounded and
angular stones, projecting out of the east section towards the centre of the trench (Fig. 24). This feature
was not fully excavated, but a number of sherds of a probable middle to late Bronze Age origin were within
this context (Tab. 3). Towards the north end of the trench lay another group of stones (4), 3.2 m long on
a north to south axis (Fig. 25). The stones were again both angular and rounded, medium to large in size.
Context 5 (Fig. 23) was a light orange brown mottled sandy soil with occasional yellow flecks, a mixed
disturbed context with flint and pottery finds. This lay immediately below context 2 and directly above
the local natural. A pit 0.82 m x 0.36 m was found at the end of the stone cluster (3), context 19 (Fig. 26).
The fill (6) was a dark reddish brown sandy soil, compact but with a fine texture. This contained an almost
complete pot (65 sherds) with a matt impressed base (Small Find Number SFNO 1, Fig. 27) and a well used
quartz hammer stone.
29
Islands in a Common Sea
Trench A Plan 1 & section 6
N
S
1
2
3
5
4
4
3
Section 9
6
4
auger Hole 2
19
11
5
auger Hole 1
auger Hole 3
2
0
2m
Figure 23. Plan and north view of trench A, Normandy Farm, St Mary’s.
30
auger Hole 4
Isles of Scilly 2006
Context
Surface
Find
No
Base
Rim
Side
Lug
Fragments Modern Flint Worked
Pottery
Stone
Unstratified
Other
5
Trench
A
Unstratified
3
A
2
6
A
3
A
5
A
6
1
A
6
4
A
11
2
B
Unstratified
B
9
2
2
2
9
4
1
3
2
25
12
4
25
2
42
2
19
1
(all part of an individual
pot - Figure 27)
1
5
1
1
3
Glass Stopper
2
B
10
4
9
B
12
4
1
1
B
13
9
11
1
C
7
1
3
C
8
3
C
16
9
C
17
Table 3. Conext
3
5
1
3
Red Bead (Beady
Pool?), 3 Fragments of
Charcoal
3
2 Sheep upper molars
1
and finds list from the Normandy Farm excavations, St Mary’s.
Due to time constraints the pit was only partially excavated to a depth of 0.34 m (Fig. 26). Augering through
the base determined the natural ram to lie a further 0.20 m down. At the south end of the trench another
area a dark reddish brown patch with ash and charcoal flecks (11) (Fig. 28) was identified. This also had
pottery associated with it SFNO 2, again this could only be recorded and not fully excavated. Four auger
holes (Fig. 23) through context 5 located the depth of the natural ram at between 0.22 m and 0.33 m.
3.2.4.2Trench B (contexts 9, 10, 12, 13 & 14)
This trench (Fig. 29) over 1m wide, 7m long and 0.80 m deep and orientated on a north south axis was
located over a large circular resistivity anomaly (Fig. 22). The top soil (1) was 0.30 m in depth and context
9, the sub soil equivalent to context 2 in trench A, 0.37 m in depth (Figure 29, section 4). Removal of these
overlying layers revealed two features. A dark brown humic soil with medium to large stones lying on top and
within the deposit (14) was found at the south end of the trench. This does not appear to directly match the
edge of the large circular anomaly picked up by the resistivity survey. No finds were recorded from the top
of this context and due to time constraints it was not excavated. An auger hole established that this context
was 1.20m in depth, overlying the ram. Context 10 at the north end of the trench has the same description
and is equivalent to context 5 in trench A, is separated from context 14 by a grey brown sandy silty soil with
yellow flecks and pea grit inclusions (13) (Fig. 29, plan 3). A number of ceramic finds of Bronze Age date
and worked flint were found within this context (Tab. 2). Finally a yellow band of clay/natural ram (12)
1.0m long and 0.1 m wide, running east to west, was lay between contexts 10 and 13 and may be re-deposited
natural, flint and ceramic finds were associated with this context (Tab. 3). Four auger holes indicate that this
context (Fig. 29) was between 0.84 m to 1.24 m deep overlying the natural ram.
31
Islands in a Common Sea
Context 6
Pot SFNO 1
Figure 24. Trench A, context 3, compacted stone cluster, also showing the location of conext 6 and SFNO 1.
Figure 25. Context 4, first appearance of the stone group at the north end of trench A.
32
Isles of Scilly 2006
Trench A Section 9
N
S
19
6
Ram
0
1m
Figure 26. Photograph and section of cut 19 and context 6 at the end of the stone cluster context 3.
0
10cm
Figure 27. Photograph of SFNO 1, showing the interior and base, with circular basket impressions on the underneath.
33
Islands in a Common Sea
Figure 28. Photograph of SFNO 2 and context 11.
Trench B Plan 3 & Section 4
N
S
1
9
auger Hole 1
auger Hole 2
auger Hole 4
auger Hole 3
10
13
14
12
0
2m
Figure 29. Photograph of SFNO 2 and context 11.
34
Isles of Scilly 2006
3.2.4.3 Trench C (contexts 7, 8,
Trench C Plan 2 & Section 5
15, 16, 17 & 18)
Trench C was aligned on an east to W
E
west axis (Fig. 22). The trench was
1
0.80 m wide, 4.0m long and 0.7m
deep (Fig. 30 plan, section 5). As for
7
trenches A and B, the upper contexts
1 and 7 (0.38 m deep) were equivalent
to contexts 2 and 9 (Fig.30). Context
18
15 a large grouping of stones and
16
16
15
17
auger Hole 1
16, the material associated with the
15
stones, was located at the east end of
auger Hole 3
auger Hole 2
the trench (Fig. 31). The stones were
large rounded blocks measuring up
0
2m
to 0.40 m by 0.35 m, with smaller
rounded and angular stones also Figure 30. Plan and section of trench C.
present. Context 16 was a grey brown
colour with small stone inclusions, a fine texture and smooth consistency. Augering to the natural ram
indicated the deposits were 0.34 m deep overlying the ram. This context had a number of Bronze Age
pot sherds found within it (Tab. 3). The full extent and nature of these deposits was not resolved as no
further excavation was undertaken after initial recording was completed. At the west end of the trench lay
context 17, a dark grey brown soil with a few small stone inclusions. This context only had one find, a flint
flake. After augering the natural ram was found to lying 0.76 m under context 17. Between contexts 16 and
17 lay contexts 8 and 18. Context 18 was again similar in
description, consistency and texture to contexts 5, 9 & 10
from the previous trenches. The auger hole demonstrated
that the natural lay 0.28 m below. Bronze Age pottery, flint
and sheep teeth were recovered from this context (Tab. 3).
3.2.5 Finds
Table 3 shows a summary of the finds. Trench A, context
6 contained numerous sherds of a single inverted vessel;
the external rim diameter was 0.28 m, and base diameter
0.26 m. The majority of the base and sides were recovered,
the majority of the rim remains in situ. The base was made
of two layers; the lower, outer layer is of coil construction
with circular basket impressions remarkably similar to that
recorded at Nornour (Robinson 2006, 406) and Knackyboy
(Urn X, O’Neil 1952). The extension of the basketry
impressions up the side of the vessel base, suggeststhis
was formed in a shallow basket. The second, uppermost,
layer of the base is of slab construction and was used to
reinforce the joint between the body and the base. This
was finger smoothed during construction. The sides of
the vessel also appear to be of slab construction. No body
decoration was visible but the vessel was smoothed by being
organically wiped. Very little carbonisation or sooting was Figure 31. Photograph of Trench C looking west,
noted on the exterior of the vessel however deposition of showing the large stones (15) in the foreground.
35
Islands in a Common Sea
0
5cm
0
5cm
Figure 32. Photograph showing the dowel joint from SFNO 1.
0
5cm
carbonised material had occurred on the interior base. There is an unusual feature on this vessel in that the
lug was joined by a dowel joint to the main body of the vessel (Fig. 32).
A second decorated base was recovered from Trench A, context 5.
Trench B contained two small rim sherds.
Petrological analysis is awaiting completion.
The flints recovered were small flakes and debitage.
3.2.6
Environmental Samples
An environmental sample was taken from the fill of pit 19, context 6, associated with the inverted vessel,
ESNO 1. This is sample undergoing laboratory analysis but preliminary assessment suggests it contained
charred plant remains.
3.2.7 Interpretation
The ground-truthing at Normandy Farm revealed evidence of an archaeological source for the geophysical
anomalies. Evidence of a Late Bronze Age (Late Second Millennium to Early First Millennium BC) activity
was recovered from a number of features and finds in all three trenches, this included a near-complete
inverted food vessel placed over a pit, a hammer-stone and worked flint. This material suggests settlement
activity but due to time limitations the site could not be further characterised and requires more work to
fully establish its nature.
36
Isles of Scilly 2006
3.3 Isles of Scilly Museum Lithic Archive: morphology of the collection and potential for further
work.
By Dr Amelia Pannett
3.3.1 Background
The Isles of Scilly Museum holds a large collection of lithic material. These collections comprise of material
collected across the islands by a small number of local enthusiasts during the early 20th century, as well as the
archives from a number of excavations. Little recent work on the museum material has been undertaken and
it was decided that an examination of the archive would be informative. This work builds on the analysis of
lithic material recovered from eroding beach cliffs on St. Martin’s, fieldwalking at Lunnon and Normandy
Farms and material recovered from the section at Pendrathon during fieldwork in 2005 (Pannett 2007).
3.3.2 Aims
• To examine the archive and report upon the content (source material, production techniques, tool
types and date) and potential of the archive.
3.3.3 Methodology
The archive was visually assessed with information on the morphology, importance and potential of the
archive noted.
3.3.4 Results
Aside from the excavated material, all of the lithic assemblages are unprovenanced, with material often
divided into collections of tool types from different locations across the islands rather than from specific
findspots. Nevertheless, the material does provide an important insight into the lithic technologies used, as
well as providing tentative dating evidence which can be used to complement and enhance our understanding
of the prehistory of the islands. Only a proportion of the archive was available for study, however around
3000 pieces were examined, which should offer a representative sample of the Scillonian lithic resource.
3.3.4.1 Morphology of the collection
The predominant raw material identified in the collections is a fine grey flint, often with flaws and, where
cortex survives, appears to derive from a beach pebble source. Nodules of comparable material were collected
during this research on White Island, north of St Martins, and further sources are known to exist on Tresco
and Bryher. Other raw material forms were recognised, but these also derived from beach pebble sources.
There is no evidence to suggest that materials other than local sources were utilised.
The collections are dominated by tools, although debitage is also present but with a notable lack of
microdebitage and angular shatter – undoubtedly a result of the collection strategies employed and the
distinctive and highly recognisable nature of tools such as scrapers and arrowheads. Scrapers dominate the
tool assemblages, and vary considerably in form and quality. Some were clearly manufactured as expedient
pieces – an irregular heavy flake roughly retouched to create a simple scraping edge. In other cases, round
corticated pieces had been carefully retouched using pressure flaking to create a finely finished scraper. End,
side and thumbnail forms were recognised. In isolation these pieces are not particularly diagnostic, and could
range in date from the late Mesolithic to the Early Bronze Age.
A number of plano-convex knives were identified, all manufactured on large flakes, with invasive pressure
flaking along one edge of the dorsal surface, and rounding the distal end. These are characteristic of the
Early Bronze Age.
Several arrowheads were examined, including barbed and tanged, oblique, chisel and triangular forms. All
37
Islands in a Common Sea
date to the later Neolithic and Early Bronze Age. Two possible leaf-shaped arrowheads were also recognised,
but both were very rough and could actually be poorly manufactured triangular forms.
A large number of flakes and blades had abrupt retouch along one or both lateral edges, and several showed
tentative evidence for use in the form of edge damage. A number of notched flakes and blades were also
recognised. Abrupt retouch had been utilised in the manufacture of awls and borers, a range of which was
represented in the collections. In a small number of examples, a double tool form was recognised, with a
scraper edge on one end, and the opposite end retouched to form a borer. These tool forms are, again, not
particularly diagnostic of a period, and could date from the late Mesolithic to the Early Bronze Age.
Clear evidence for Mesolithic activity was present in the archive, with several collections of blades, many of
which showed characteristic signs of Mesolithic technology: platform preparation and dorsal scars patterns
indicative of the use of a carefully prepared blade core. Crested and truncated blades were also recognised,
together with two roughly manufactured microliths.
3.3.4.2Importance of the collection
Despite the unprovenanced character of the examined lithic archive, it has provided important details about
the nature and potential of the resource on Scilly. The range of tools recovered by collectors is interesting,
and adds further to the currently scant evidence for Mesolithic occupation in the islands. Evidence for the
later Neolithic and Early Bronze Age is abundant, as was expected, but there is little, if any, evidence for the
early Neolithic. It is possible that such evidence is present, but currently invisible within the collections due
to a lack of clearly diagnostic pieces (such as leaf-shaped arrowheads) and full working assemblages.
3.4
A Comparative Ceramic Petrological Analysis of Local Clay Sources and Prehistoric
Pottery
3.4.1 Background
The work of Scourse et al (2006) on the extent and
impact of the last glaciation on the geomorphology
and sedimentology of the Isles of Scilly revealed
a glacial till deposit lying between St Martin’s and
White Island at Butter Porth (Fig. 33). The till, a
finely ground sediment load deposited by glacial
action, is identifiable as a red/orange clay deposit
lying just below the sand in the inter-tidal area.
Local knowledge and common practise by local
potters indicates that this till is a good source of
clay for the production of pottery. Although often
implicated as the source for archaeological ceramic
production no data on the composition of the clay
source and local pottery has yet linked this clay to
the finished product.
3.4.2 Aims
1. To characterise the potential clay source using
polarising light microscopy. The clay will be
levigated and formed into briquettes which will
be fired to 650°C, 750°C and 850°C.
2. To characterise the fabrics represented in Figure 33. Photograph of Prof. Scourse extracting clay from
the pottery recovered from Knackyboy and glacial deposits near White Island, St Martin’s.
38
Isles of Scilly 2006
Normandy using polarising light microscopy.
3. To ascertain the clay paste recipe/s for the excavated pottery and to deduce the technology of
production.
4. To compare the petrological analyses of the potential clay source on St Martin’s with the excavated
pottery at Knackyboy Boy and Normandy Farm.
3.4.3 Methodology
A sample of clay (deriving from a glacial till) was obtained from Butter Porth. Samples of fired Butter Porth
pottery wasters were donated by a local potter and both these samples are in the process of being compared
to examples of prehistoric pottery from the Isles of Scilly. This work is being undertaken by Julia Geall
under the supervision of Dr Louise Joyner (University of Cardiff).
3.4.4 Results
This work is on-going and will be completed by June 2007. A full report on this work will appear in the
future.
3.5
Outreach and Sustainability
3.5.1
1.
2.
3.
Aims
To improve the accessibility of the Islands’ archaeology to the public.
To plan for future work in the Islands.
To promote sustainable use of the natural and historic resources
3.5.1 Outputs
1. Publicity posters, leaflets and a website have been produced (see appendix A)
2. The archaeological project at the monument formed part of National Archaeology Week activities.
3.5.3 Impact
St. Martin’s has no guardianship monuments (i.e. those managed and presented by EH) thus management
of the archaeological resource relies upon the tenants/Duchy of Cornwall. Due to a number of factors
many monuments had become inaccessible thereby reducing the impact and value of the archaeological
resource. Knackyboy, as one of the largest and most intriguing tombs on the islands is pivotal in
understanding and appreciating the prehistory of the islands. Initiating the clearance and ‘re-discovery’
of the tomb and its archive were vital first step in promoting the continuing management and presentation
of St Martin’s archaeology as a sustainable resource.
The presence of a team of working archaeologists, coupled with the revealing of a previous ‘lost’
monument was of great interest to both residents and visitors. Numerous favourable comments were
recieved on the improved accessibility to the mound. The view from the cairn is outstanding and the
experience of visiting the locale provided many with an appreciation of this monument in relation to the
other islands. This project has contributed to an increase in interest in some of the other, less visible,
monuments on the island are, coupled with the appointment of a Field Monument Warden (FMW), is
leading to the clearance of more sites under the Stewardship schemes. We aim to survey and report
on one of these (Cruther’s Hill) in 2007. The assessment of the Knackyboy archive will allow us to
accurately cost for future analysis of this material for publication and presentation.
The ‘show and tell’ evening when all the team were available for three hours to discuss the Knackyboy
project was a well-attended and enjoyable evening. We also presented our wider work on the archaeology
of the Isles of Scilly (e.g. the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty funded Samson project, Johns et al
2007) as well as discussing archaeological methods and techniques in general. We provided site tours
on a daily basis which proved very popular and visited the local school, with a follow up site visit by the
children. We hope to build on our educational links in 2007.
39
Islands in a Common Sea
The project paid for the monument to be cleared of vegetation using local labour and local knowledge,
thereby providing income for the islanders and invaluable help for us. By involving the local community
closely we gained in our understanding of the more recent history of the monuments and in turn we
provided a longer term view of island life.
The project focused on sustainability and we used local food resources (vegetables, meat and fish),
ecological methods of transport and recycled wherever possible.
The Isles in a Common Sea Project coupled with the recent appointment of the EH FMW and the cooperation of the IOSWT is helping to develop holistic sustainable solutions for managing the historic
and natural environment. Most importantly the value (economic, social and personal) of the islands
endemic historical resources can be demonstrated to those, both on and off island, charged with their
care on a daily basis and on whom their survival will depend.
3.6
Future Work
3.6.1 Knackyboy Cairn
3.6.1.1 The analysis of the existing Knackyboy Archive.
A preliminary assessment of the archive is underway and the results of this will inform future plans for
an analysis of the archive in its entirety. Although cremated material with associated charcoal exists the
province has often been lost, or the material appears substantially disturbed making it problematic in the
reconstructions of population information and radiocarbon dating. The small amount of material that can
be linked to the sequence of urn deposition would benefit from full analysis and dating and an application for
radiocarbon dating will follow. The substantial quantities of pottery recovered are awaiting analysis. Some
of the vessels were reconstructed by Mrs O’Neil (O’Neil 1952,), and whilst providing a good indication of
vessels form these do not meet modern conservation or display standards and could usefully be deconstructed
and reconstructed more appropriately (e.g. as in the Wiltshire Bronze Age Ceramics Project). A number
of other vessels await reconstruction and the full set of material, the only surviving examples of Scillonian
material with contextural information, could form the basis for a museum display.
A full analysis of the pottery would take into account clay sources, construction methods, decoration,
residue analysis and dating of any organic materials. Analysis should reveal the proportion of each of the
individually identified urns recovered and if any other vessels were present. Of the remaining groups some
is no longer accessible; local accounts of numerous recovered beads do not tie up with the few published
examples, and earlier recovered metalwork has been lost. Further attempts to locate, reunite and interpret
the Knackyboy Archive will continue.
3.6.1.2 Continuing research into the site.
The degraded nature of the archive, the antiquarian methods used and the present condition of the
monument suggests that that a modern re-excavation of the antiquarian activity (to include an intensive
sieving program) could reap rich rewards. The date of the construction of the monument is unknown, and
the later insertion of cremation urns both within the chamber and in the body of the cairn suggests the reuse of the monument.
The dating of the Scillonian entrance graves remains a crucial goal in developing our understanding of
the origins and development of the Neolithic and Bronze Age. Thus the re-investigation of Knackyboy
would aim to obtain securely date contextualised material for scientific dating (e.g. radiocarbon or OSL).
Alongside any work concentrating on the chamber, as in previous excavations, there would be an extension
of the focus of archaeological work to examine the setting and wider use of the area around the monument,
for example, to further examine the possible location of a pyre site (e.g. the promontory lying seaward and
slightly down slope of the monument).
40
Isles of Scilly 2006
The ingress of windblown sand onto the interior of the island appears to have preserved an intact earlier
landscape (Fig. 17), possibly with associated archaeology. The topography of the buried land surface will be
further explored by augering (outside the scheduled area) during fieldwork in 2007. Establishing the date of
the sand deposition using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating is planned through a collaborative
project with Dr Helen Robert, Aberystwyth University. Once the date and topography of the surrounding
ancient land surface is established further projects to explore its potential will be developed.
Work to clear and survey monuments lying along the coast in similar settings, such as Cruther’s Hill, will allow
a more detailed examination of the inter-relation of monuments. In particular, Knackyboy and Cruther’s
Hill form a good focus for an examination of the chronological and spatial relationship between the single
entrance grave and the multiple cairns (four recorded) lying on the adjacent hill. These monuments are
already being cleared by the land owner and will be surveyed in 2007.
The presence of quantities of visible archaeological material on Knackyboy may be a management problem
in the future, particularly as the remaining vegetation rots down. An assessment of the continuing exposure
of material across the site will be made in 2007.
3.6.1.3 Continuing access and management of the monument
The leaseholder is keen to maintain the monument and the local community have offered to support the
elderly and infirm tenant in this. It is hoped that in the future the new Scilly FMW will be able to facilitate
this. The removal of vegetation this year cost the project something in the region of £140, however future
costs should be much lower and in line with the £60 available for monument management.
3.6.2 Normandy Farm
The land at Normandy Farm has been returned to bulb production and no work on this area has been
agreed with the landowner in the near future. The trial trenches have confirmed that the geophysical survey
was responding to a number of archaeological features and demonstrates significant activity in this area.
Additionally the recovery of the inverted relatively complete ceramic storage vessel overlying on infilled
features may point to deliberate sealing acts. The site would merit further investigation with a larger area
stripped and features excavated to further characterise the site and plan for its future management. This
work could be part of a larger project to establish the extent of archaeological activity on Lunnon and
Normandy Farms. The site is not at further risk from plough damage unless future agricultural management
practises or land use changes.
The material from the site will be conserved with samples extracted for possible residue analysis and/or
dating and archived.
3.6.3 Analysis of the Isles of Scilly Museum Lithic Collection
3.6.3.1 Potential of the collection
The unprovenanced nature of much of the archive means that more detailed study would only be of limited
value. However, there are assemblages held within the Museum archive from excavations such as Halangy,
Knackyboy and Little Bay, which have not been examined in any detail or published. These would benefit
from full analysis, adding to our knowledge of the sites, and would also provide an opportunity to examine
full working lithic assemblages. The information that could be gleaned from the examination of assemblages
containing a full range of debitage and tools would add significantly to our knowledge of the prehistory of
the islands. Debitage, the waste material produced during tool manufacture, will provide information about
the nature of knapping technologies, and has the potential to clarify the typological dating of particular tool
types.
41
Islands in a Common Sea
3.6.3.2Potential for further fieldwork
Aside from the examination of excavated lithic assemblages, there are a number of known findspots which
could be systematically investigated in order to recover complete in situ assemblages. At Old Quay on St
Martin’s, lithics have been recovered from a possible buried land surface that is eroding from the cliff edge.
A further scatter of lithics have been recovered from a discrete area in a garden) on the south side of the
island (the Old Stable, Fig. 1); this has produced a small assemblage of material including two scrapers.
Both these assemblages would benefit from further assessment and in 2007 the Old Stable will be assessed
using a test pitting strategy to determine the extent and nature of the in situ material. Fieldwalking in
available fields may also be undertaken to identify further scatters and determine their distribution within
the landscape.
4 Conclusion
The second season of Islands in a Common Sea benefited from the logistical experiences of the previous
year with further challenges, such as working on uninhabited islands and undertaking more outreach work,
overcome. Once again this all proved very successful and has laid the groundwork for future campaigns.
The potential of the Knackyboy archive and further work on and around the site itself is beginning to be
revealed. The discovery of scattered pottery and cremated bone as well as the unconsolidated nature of the
monument suggest that further work to appropriately manage the monument for the longer term needs to
be undertaken. The archive itself will be the focus of a grant application for full analysis and conservation
with the hope that the entire assemblage can be united and returned to the Isles of Scilly for display. The
on-going ceramic analysis is a good start into understanding local pottery production on the islands. The
potential of the island’s lithic archive has highlighted the need for provenanced material to be analysed,
particularly to locate the sources of the possible earlier Neolithic tools. The work at and Normandy Farm
has enabled us to identify a potentially important and previously unrecorded Bronze Age settlement site.
Further work to characterise this site needs to be undertaken.
42
Isles of Scilly 2006
5
References
5.1
Primary sources
Ordnance Survey, 2003. LandLine Digital Mapping at 1:2500 (licensed digital copy at HISAR)
5.2
Publications
Burgess, C. (2001). The Age of Stonehenge (2nd edition). London: Dent.
Daniel, G. E. 1950 1950 The Prehistoric Chamber Tombs of England and Wales Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge
Johns, C., Larn, R., Tapper B.P., 2004. Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment for the Isles of Scilly. HES, Truro
Johns, C. and Mulville, J. 2007 Archaeological fieldwork in Scilly September 2005 HES.
Johns, C., Berry, E. and Edwards, B. 2007. The Samson Buildings Project 2006-7, Samson, Isles of Scilly. HES. Rep
No 2007R015.
Johns, C., Scaife, R. G. and Rhodes, E.J. 2006 Bar Point (SV915130) In J. D. Scourse (ed) The Isles of Scilly Field
Guide, QRA, 63.
Newton, R. G. and Renfrew, C. (1970). British faience beads reconsidered. Antiquity 44 199-206
O’Neil, B. H. St J. 1952. The excavation of Knackyboy Cairn, St Martins, Isles of Scilly. Antiquaries Journal,
32, 221–34.
Parker-Pearson, M. 1999. The Early Bronze Age in J.Hunter and I.Ralston. The Archaeology of Britain: An
Introduction from the Upper Palaeolithic to the Industrial Revolution. London, Routledge
Pannett, A. Lithics in C. Johns and J. Mulville Archaeological fieldwork in Scilly September 2005 HES.
Ratcliffe, J. and Straker, V., 2001. ‘One giant leap: speculation on Scilly’s changing seascape and landscape’. Paper given
at Atlantic Connections & Adaptations: Economies, Environments and Subsistence in the North
Atlantic. Glasgow.
Ratcliffe, J. and Straker, V., 1996. The Early Environment of Scilly. CAU, Truro
Ratcliffe, J. and Straker, V., 1997. ‘The changing landscape and coastline of the Isles of Scilly: recent research’,
Cornish Archaeology 26, 64-76
Ratcliffe, J. and Straker, V. 2002. ‘The changing landscape and coastline of the Isles of Scilly: recent research’,
in A Aberg and C Lewis (eds). The Rising Tide: Archaeology and coastal landscapes. Oxbow Books.
Ratcliffe, J., 1993. Fieldwork in Scilly 1991 and 1992. CAU, Truro
Robinson, G., 2006. The prehistoric island landscapes of Scilly. Unpublished PhD. University of London.
Scaife, R. G., 1984. ‘A History of Flandrian Vegetation in the Isles of Scilly: Palynological Investigation of
Higher Moors and Lower Moors Peat Mires, St Mary’s’, Cornish Studies, II, 33-47
Scaife, R. G., 2006. Holocene palaeoecology, environmental archaeology and inter-tidal peats in JD Scourse
(ed) The Isles of Scilly Field Guide. QRA.
Scourse, J. D., Hiemstra, J. F. and Evans, D.J.A. The glacial landscape of NE St. Martin’s and White Island.
In J. D. Scourse (ed) The Isles of Scilly Field Guide, QRA, 102-3.
Young, T. 2007 Geophysical Survey in C. Johns and J. Mulville Archaeological fieldwork in Scilly September 2005
HES. Rep
43
Islands in a Common Sea
6
Project archive
The project’s documentary, photographic and drawn archive is housed in the Archaeology Section, HISAR,
Cardiff University, CF10 2TN. This archive will be deposited at the Isles of Scilly Museum, Church Street,
St Mary’s, Isles of Scilly, TR21 0JT.
Artefacts and environmental material retrieved during the project are stored in the Archaeology Section,
HISAR, Cardiff University, CF10 2TN and will be deposited at the Isles of Scilly Museum, Church Street,
St Mary’s, Isles of Scilly, TR21 0JT.
44