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Teesside Archaeological Society | eNews
Dear TAS Members and Friends,
This eNewsletter includes:
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Editorial Review | 2012 Autumn-Winter Programme | 2013 Programme update
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Activities & Events | November Lecture | Elgee Memorial Lecture | Regional Events
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Site Notes | Help identify a Durham find | Low Hauxley Heritage Lottery funding
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Action Stations | Help save the Ackworth Hoard for Yorkshire
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Browser | This month's recommended Browsing, Listening and Reading items
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About TAS | How to Join | eNews Archive
Remember | eNews is free—spread the word about TAS!
Welcome to your November eNewsletter and a reminder about our next lecture on Tue 27 November at 7.15pm in Stockton Central Library. This is a change to the programme since Paul Frodsham has been called away—we hope he can deliver his lecture on archaeological projects in the North Pennines area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) in 2013. Similarly, we hope to welcome Jim Innes after the weather-related cancelation of his Fylingdales lecture in September.
We're fortunate that Phil Abramson has been able to step in at short notice. He's known to many TAS members, not least for his entertaining presentation style! Phil, based in Catterick, will talk about the latest activities in Ministry of Defence archaeology and the great success of Operation Nightingale. More details below.
This year's Elgee Memorial Lecture is hosted by the the Cleveland Naturalists Field Club and the Dorman Museum, Middlesbrough. The annual lecture rotates between the Naturalists, the Cleveland and Teesside Local History Society, the Cleveland Industrial Archaeology Society and ourselves. The 2012 lecture will be presented by Dr Heather Sugden, Newcastle University School of Marine Science and Technology, on the subject of The Big Sea Survey on Fri 7 December at 7.00pm. Read on for more information.
The Dorman Museum is also hosting an exhibition of paintings by David Mulholland (1946-2005) until 30 June 2013. David devoted his considerable talents to painting and drawing the people and landscapes around his home in South Bank near Middlesbrough. His work provides a vital pictorial account of an industrial locality undergoing change. During his later years he moved to Staithes where the main focus of his work turned to the beautiful hills, moors and coastlines of Cleveland. The exhibition includes ninety pictures and drawings | More info
In addition to the regional round-up of news, seminars and events, there's a chance to contribute to saving the Ackworth Hoard for Yorkshire. Tees Archaeology are also now taking pre-publication orders for Stephen Sherlock's A Royal Anglo-Saxon Cemetery at Street House, Loftus, North-East Yorkshire, Tees Archaeology's sixth monograph. You can download the order form below.
Lastly, the TAS 2013 Programme is nearly finished and will be distributed in early December as well as being available on the TAS website. Don't forget the TAS AGM and Members Evening on Tue 29 January 2013, 7.15pm at Stockton Library*. Please contact us if you would like to deliver a short, informal presentation about your project, travels or area of interest.
* See the next section for information about how to travel to Stockton.
TAS Lecture
MOD Archaeology and Operation
Nightingale
TAS Lecture | Phil Abramson | Stockton Library : Tue 27 Nov 7.15pm
Award-winning Archaeological Programme
 Operation Nightingale received a special 2012 British Archaeological Award in recognition of its innovative use of archaeological work to boost the recovery and career prospects of military personnel injured in Afghanistan.
The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) worked with The Rifles to create this opportunity for the soldiers to learn a series of excavation, land survey, drawing and mapping techniques and also to enhance their publication and presentation skills. And eight soldiers are moving on to study archaeology at Leicester University, thanks to the programme. Phil will talk to us about the programme and about his work as MOD Archaeologist.
How to get to Stockon Libary
Stockton Central Library is located off Church Road, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 1TU.
By Rail | Stockton railway station is located at Bishopton Lane, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 2AJ, aproximately 400m from the library. Stockton is served by trains between Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough, Newcastle (via Sunderland), Hexham and Carlisle with connections required for Darlington mainline and Transpennine services via York and Middlesbrough.
By Bus | For local and regional bus services, visit the journey planner at Connect Tees Valley.
Student shuttle between Durham and Queen's Campus via Stockton Town Centre | In term-time a University campus shuttle bus runs between Harvard Avenue (outside Queen's Campus) to Stockton town centre, then to Durham, calling at the Maiden Castle sports centre, the Science Site, New Elvet and the bus station. Daytime services are half-hourly, evening is hourly | More info on services
By Car | Free evening 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.
When you arrive | The lecture room is located to the east of the ground floor library area through two sets of double doors. You can also enter from the rear car park (opposite the Police Station) and turn right once inside. Please sign the visitor's book. Guests are welcome for £3 each on the door—please pay a Committee member. Refreshments are available afterwards. The refurbished library has a cafe upstairs and offers free wifi access.
Elgee Memorial Lecture
 The Big Sea Survey
Free Public Lecture | Dr Heather Sugden | Dorman Museum Middlesbough : Fri 7 Dec 7.00pm
Exciting regional venture funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund
The project is run by Newcastle University's Dove Marine Laboratory and is recruiting volunteers to collect information on species living in our coastal marine environment. The important information collected throughout the duration of the project will be valuable to scientists and coastal managers, helping them to make decisions about the protection of our rich biodiversity. It could provide baseline information on future change that may occur to our marine life due to environmental pressures such as climate change or pollution.
About the Elgee Memorial Lectures
 The Elgee Memorial Lectures have taken place each year since 1968. Dr Frank Elgee was born in 1880 in North Ormesby and was assistant and then full curator at the Dorman Museum between 1904 and 1944. Although he suffered ill health for much of his life, he was an avid archaeologist and geologist. He lived latterly in Commondale, North York Moors and commuted by steam train to Middlesbrough each day. He is best known for his publications: The Moorlands of North-eastern Yorkshire (1912), Early Man in North-east Yorkshire (1930) and Archaeology of Yorkshire (with his wife Harriet W Elgee 1933). His memorial stone, unveiled by the Earl of Feversham, sits on the eastern moors, of which he wrote:
"The moors have satisfied my reason, captivated
my imagination and elevated my heart."
Elgee, H.W. 1991. A Man of the Moors: Extracts from the Diaries and Letters of Frank Elgee.
ISBN 0-9517977-1-9. Middlesbrough: Roseberry Publications.
 How to get to the Dorman Museum, Middlesbrough
Dorman Museum is located next to Albert Park and the Cenotaph just off Linthorpe Road. Middlesbrough railway and bus stations are a 20 minute walk away on a mostly level route.
There are frequent buses 11,12,27 & 63 that travel along Linthorpe Road. Limited parking is available on the street to the front and side of the museum. Please use the postcode TS5 6LA to locate the museum using Sat Nav systems or route planner websites, or visit the journey planner at Connect Tees Valley.
Conferences, Seminars & Events
North Yorkshire County Record Office
in association with the Northallerton and
District Local History Society
County Hall, Walter Brierley and have you seen the green men?
Linda Smith : NYCC Rural Archaeologist
Lunchtime Talk | Northallerton : Fri 30 Nov 12.30pm
The talk will last around 45 minutes followed by a discussion.
Venue | North Yorkshire County Record Office, Malpas Road, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, DL7 8TB | Entry fee £2 including light refreshments
Booking | Contact John Sheehan 01609 771878
Bedale Archaeology and History Society
Recent findings in Swaledale and Arkengarthdale
Tim Laurie and Stephen Eastmead : Swaledale and Arkengarthdale Archaeology Group
Lecture | Bedale : Tue 4 Dec 7.30pm
Stephen will introduce and explain the GPS survey methodology and describe the geophysical surveys. Tim will provide an overview of the archaeological context and preliminary results of the excavations together with an account of the fieldwork undertaken.
Venue | 7.30pm in Bedale Hall, Bedale, North Yorkshire DL8 1AA. Guests welcome for £2 on the door, BAHS Members, Schoolchildren and Full-time Students free.
More Info | Email arch@phonecoop.coop
Northallerton and District Local
History Society
 Revealing the Hidden History of Boundaries
John Parkinson
Lecture | Northallerton : Tue 11 Dec 7.00pm
A survey through time: markers, ditches, walls and hedges; lines, curves, squiggles and kinks and a guide for walkers and travellers on what to look out for in town and country.
Venue | Sacred Heart Church Hall, Thirsk Road, Northallerton, North Yorkshire DL6 1PJ | Guests £2.50, Students under 18 free
Archaeology Seminars at
The University of York
Lecture series open to the public
 The York Seminars are free and open to everyone. They provide an opportunity for guest speakers to present their current research. The seminars usually take place on Wednesdays during the autumn and spring terms. No booking is required.
Venue | King's Manor Room K133, City Centre Y01 7EP | Seminars start at 5.15 pm | Website
Long Newton History Group
2013 Lecture Programme
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9 Jan 2013 | Wynyard Hall: the history of a great house | Norma and Haydn Neal with Barbara Leo
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13 Feb 2013 | Connections: Pompeii and Binchester | Gordon Henderson
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13 Mar 2013 | Stockton at the turn of the last century: Part 1 | Lynn Lamport
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8 May 2013 | History of Aerial Surveillance: From balloons to satellites | Arthur Dodds
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12 Jun 2013 | Raby Castle: Its History and its Inhabitants | Robert Hillary
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11 Sep 2013 | First among Equals: Light-hearted anecdotes from Darlington’s past | Chris Lloyd
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9 Oct 2013 | History of Witchcraft in the North East | Dr Jo Bath
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13 Nov 2013 | Snooping on Snaps: Photographs of North-East life from the Beamish Archives | Julian Harrop
Venue | 7.00pm The Wilson Centre Long Newton, Darlington Road, Long Newton, Stockton-on-Tees TS21 1PE | £2 for non-members
More Info | Dorothy Watkins : houseofwatkins@ntlworld.com | 01642 651028
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Site Notes
Can you help identify this find?
18th Century Lead Cloth Seal from Durham
Gary Bankhead, a post-graduate at Durham University needs some help with the identification of this 18th Century lead cloth seal. The illustration depicts a large two disc seal bearing the weavers/merchants mark: PRESTS LEEDS stamped on to the front; the numerals on the reverse have been scratched on to the seal and probably depict the consignment number, weight or dimensions of the cloth. This seal is one of a number of seals that he has, which suggest a Yorkshire provenance—others come from Wakefield and York.
Gary is currently researching over 266 lead seals as part of his Masters by Research. The cloth seals themselves were recently recovered from the River Wear in Durham City and form part of a much greater assemblage of medieval/post-medieval small finds. The British Museum suggest that the cloth seals from Durham are the largest collection of such objects outside of London and are of national importance. It would therefore be of immense importance to understanding the exact provenance of the Leeds cloth seal—as even this single seal implies merchants, trade, textiles, and the social hierarchy of both Leeds and Durham.
If you can help | Email gary.bankhead@durham.ac.uk
Low Hauxley
Northumberland Coast's eroding heritage
to be saved with Heritage Lottery Fund Grant
 When 4,000 years ago the people living on a windy stretch of magnificent Northumbrian coastline looked for a place to bury their dead, they chose a beautiful spot—a low hillock of dry land above marshes and creeks, in sight of the sea but a kilometre safely inland... | Read more
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Action Stations
Help save The Ackworth Hoard
for Yorkshire
"When this you see, remember me"
 In 2011 the Ackworth Hoard was found buried in a garden inside a pot made locally in Wrenthorpe. It dates from the Civil War and was probably buried between 1645 and 1646, around the same time as the second siege of Pontefract Castle.
The hoard is made up from 52 gold and 539 silver coins, and a single gold ring inscribed with the words:
“When this you see, remember me”.
The earliest coin is a gold half sovereign of Edward VI minted in 1547-9, and the latest are Charles I silver coins minted in 1645-6. Most of the coins are English coins of Elizabeth I, James I and Charles I.
 The Hoard also includes a few Scottish and Irish coins, and even some silver ducatoons from the Spanish Netherlands. These are unusual and linked to the Royalist areas, such as Yorkshire, in the Civil War. They are especially associated with the Queen who raised funds on the Continent. She returned to Yorkshire in 1643 and is known to have visited Pontefract Castle then.
Hoards of coins from the Civil War are not unusual as these were turbulent times. However the face value is very high at £85-12s-0d (Pounds, Shillings and Pence in old money), one of the largest found in Yorkshire. This was equivalent to over 5 years’ pay for an ordinary footsoldier on 10d a day.
It is also unusual in mixing gold and silver coins. Most hoards only have silver coins. This suggests it belonged to someone of some status and wealth, quite possibly a Royalist supporter. It may have been buried to keep it from the Parliamentarian troops who had occupied Ackworth as part of their siege of Pontefract Castle.
How to make a donation
Help keep this important local find in the district by supporting the campaign to raise funds to buy The Ackworth Hoard for public display in Pontefract Museum. Every donation however big or small will help save The Ackworth Hoard for Yorkshire. If contributions exceed the target they will be used to enhance the museum's collections and displays.
Wakefield Council are hoping to raise £5,500 by public donation towards the £54,500 total.
To make a donation by post please send a cheque made payable to “Wakefield Council - Ackworth Hoard” to:
The Ackworth Hoard, Pontefract Museum, 5 Salter Row, Pontefract, WF8 1BA
More Info | 01977 722740 or visit the Wakefield Museum blog
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Browser
The Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Stone
Sculpture : Online
County Durham and Northumberland now available
 A reliable and comprehensive catalogue of Anglo-Saxon sculpture has long been needed—by archaeologists, art historians, historians and place-name specialists, and interested non-specialists alike.
Durham University, under the guidance of Professor Dame Rosemary Cramp, supported by more than thirty researchers spread throughout the country, has coordinated the production of a series of bound volumes documenting the sculpture in almost every English county... | Read more
BBC Radio 3 : Anglo-Saxon Portraits
Vortigern | Barry Cunliffe on the king whom history has
often held responsible for inviting in the first Anglo-Saxons
 Vortigern is one of the few Britons known to us by name from the transitional period between the end of Roman rule in around 400 AD and the consolidation of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in the early 6th Century.
He has traditionally had a bad press, having apparently invited in the legendary Anglo-Saxon brothers, Hengist and Horsa, hoping they would protect the country from barbarian attack. Of course his plan of containment failed. The rest is history.
But Barry Cunliffe, Emeritus Professor of European Archaeology at Oxford, believes Vortigern has been unfairly demonised. Against a backdrop of fading Roman rule, papal attempts to enforce a single version of Christianity, and coastal raids by migrants from across the North Sea, he paints a vivid portrait of a dynamic and individualistic king battling against the odds as one era of British history drew to a close and another began. | Listen on BBC iPlayer
Hidden : 400 Years Underground
Shakespeare's First Theatre, Shoreditch, London
 The Theatre, built in 1576, was the first of the famous London playhouses built in the now iconic polygonal form. Its fame has been further assured because William Shakespeare both acted there and wrote for it. For historians, the Theatre is important because of the wealth of documentary information, much of it derived from legal disputes. These papers also helped to more-or-less pinpoint its location years before archaeologists finally uncovered it in 2008.
This outstanding website gives the history, images, a 3D experience and an excellent four minute video. Turn up the volume and explore the past, the excavation and reconstruction—take a tour through the neighbourhood and the theatre itself!
New : Tees Archaeology Monograph
 Pre-publication Order Form
A Royal Anglo-Saxon Cemetery at Street House, Loftus, North-East Yorkshire
Stephen J Sherlock
Tees Archaeology Monograph Series Volume 6
172pp, 55 illus, 28 half-tones, 30 colour images, 17 tables
ISBN 978-0-9532747-5-8
£15.00 plus £6.00 P&P Available Winter 2012 | Download the order form 
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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.
How to join
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) or any Committee member.
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 preferences, use the links below or email us.
You are also welcome to submit contributions for future newsletters. From time-to-time we'll send you details of activities and events that might be of interest.
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Best Regards,
Spencer Carter | TAS eCommunications |
The Committee welcomes your feedback,
questions, suggestions and news. |
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Love the rich, distinctive heritage of north-east England
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