Teesside Archaeological Society | News

Dear TAS Members and Friends,

Welcome to this first edition of our monthly e-Newsletter! You are also welcome to submit contributions for future newsletters. From time-to-time we'll send you details of news and events that might be of interest. Do forward the newsletter to friends and spread the word about TAS—see how at the end of this message.

A gentle reminder for our next lecture at Stockton Central Library.

Jennifer Jones will talk about

The conservation of Anglo-Saxon finds from excavations at Street House, Loftus.

Tuesday 24 April at 7.30pm

If you haven't yet visited the award-nominated Saxon Princess exhibition at Kirkleatham Museum, you're missing out—and it's free! You can also read Stephen Sherlock's excavation blog.

Bring a friend | How to find us

Lectures are free for members. We welcome guests and friends for only £3 each at the door. Refreshments are available afterwards. Better still, invite a friend to join TAS—find out how below.

Stockton Central Library is located at Church Road, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 1TU. Free parking is at the rear of the library—turn into the street named The Square towards the river, entering the car park through barriers on the right. Enter the doors at the rear of the building and turn right into the lecture room. Please remember to sign in. We look forward to welcoming you!

About TAS

The Teesside Archaeological Society is an enthusiastic, friendly group who share an interest in the archaeological heritage of the Tees Valley, Cleveland and the surrounding area.

Our rich heritage extends back to the Mesolithic—the 9th millennium BC—with a distinctively north-east take on every way-marker since those distant hunter-gatherers. Our journey spans Neolithic, Copper, Bronze, Iron and Roman eras—yes we have villas, Saxon royalty and Viking hogbacks, Medieval towns, castles, monastic places and pre-Industrial—right up to our more recent past.

We welcome everybody who shares an interest, no matter what level of experience or expertise. There are monthly presentations on the last Tuesday, a summer field trip, an annual bulletin publication and the chance to find out more about field projects, educational events and community activities.

Invite a new member | Spread the word!

Annual membership is a bargain at £12 individual or £20 joint membership, due on 1 January each year. You can pay by post using the application form or at one of our meetings—look out for Mick Butler, Treasurer.

2012 Diary dates

24 April Jennifer Jones	The conservation of Anglo-Saxon finds from excavations at Street House, Loftus
29 May Angus James	Names of the Egyptian Kings
July-August Field Trip	Date and details to be announced
26 September Jim Innes	The vegetational history of Fylingdales Moor
30 October Nicky Milner	Recent Mesolithic discoveries in north-east England
27 November Paul Frodsham	Archaeology in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)
December Elgee Memorial Lecture	Date and details to be announced

New Tees Archaeology monograph | Did the Brigantes really exist?

Stephen Sherlock, now Dr. Sherlock, is well known to Society members, not least for the exciting discoveries at Loftus.

His doctoral thesis is now available as Tees Archaeology Monograph Vol. 5—Late Prehistoric Settlement in the Tees Valley and North-East England (2012) £15.00.

If you missed the chance to purchase a copy at our last meeting, Robin Daniels of Tees Archaeology will be offering more copies and a selection of other publications at our next get-together on Tuesday 24 April 7.30pm, Stockton Central Library. Don’t miss out!

Fieldwork | Time outdoors

If any TAS members are interested in fieldwork such as field-walking, please send an email to Bruce Webb-Ireland. Bruce is looking at various crop mark sites in the Tees area, although subject to agricultural availability and the weather.

Field-walking and a geophysical (magnetic susceptibility) survey were recently completed at an enigmatic site near Upleatham, with some unusual finds, and fine weather! Bruce would like to thank TAS members David Dance, Helen Turner, Jenny Parker, Linda Davies, Melanie Partlett, Ron Huckle and Spencer Carter for a great day. Bruce is currently processing the finds and will give us all more details in a future newsletter.

Please note that you must be a paid-up TAS member to be covered by insurance.

Bookshelf | Reading ideas

Mindful of new members and people new to the Tees Valley area—north and south of the mighty river—here are some reading ideas. If you have any recommendations for members, or indeed a book review, please do send them in for the next newsletter.

Prehistoric and Roman Archaeology of North-East Yorkshire by D. A. Spratt (ed.), CBA Research Report 87 (1993), out of print but some copies available for under £30 on BookFinder.com, and now available to read for free online (CBA).
While discoveries have been made since its last revision, this still remains the definitive read for south of the Tees up to the end of the Roman era.
The North York Moors Landscape Heritage by D. A. Spratt and B. J. D. Harrison (eds.) North York Moors National Park (1996), available to order online for £9.95 plus P&P.
A gentler guide to the heritage south of the river up to the recent past.
PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE, The Archaeology of Northern England by C. Brooks, R. Daniels and A. F. Harding (eds.), Architectural and Archaeological Society of Durham and Northumberland (2002), available to order from the AASDN for around £25 plus P&P.
An overview of the present knowledge and future research agendas for north of the Tees.

Get involved

Festival of British Archaeology 2012
Each year the Council for British Archaeology (CBA) organises the Festival of British Archaeology to showcase the very best of archaeology, by presenting hundreds of special events held by museums, local societies, national and countryside parks, universities, and heritage organisations across the UK.
The Festival presents everyone with the opportunity to share in their local heritage, to see archaeology in action, and to get involved. Find out what's happening in 2012.

Feel free to forward this e-Newsletter to friends and contacts using the forward to a friend feature at the end of this message—they will be able to subscribe securely. To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your contact details, use the links below or email us.

The Committee welcomes your feedback, questions, suggestions and news—and don't forget contributions for the annual TAS Bulletin.

Kind Regards,
Spencer Carter
TAS Email Communications

The TAS Committee 2012

Chairman	Blaise Vyner
Secretary	Linda Davies
Treasurer	Mick Butler
Publications	Jenny Parker
Refreshments	Carole Tyson

The header image in this message is used with permission courtesy of ©Adrian Ashworth. The picture is St Andrew’s Church, Upleatham, Cleveland, a truly beautiful and ancient place. Upleatham's heritage dates back to at least the 8th millennium BC.

If you have a picture of your own that would look good in the newsletter, why not email us?
Please ensure and confirm you have permission to use the image.

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