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The Society for Post-Medieval
Post-
Archaeology Newsletter 69: Autumn 2009
Editor: Dr Chris King E-mail: newsletter@spma.org.uk
School of Archaeology and Ancient History, Website: www.spma.org.uk
University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH ISSN 1357-8340 Second Series
EDITORIAL PRESIDENT’S PIECE
Welcome to the first edition of your ‘new and improved’ Society The Society’s Council has met three times since our last Newsletter,
Newsletter. After a considerable amount of planning, production of twice in London and once in Edinburgh, as always with (the usual)
the Newsletter has been handed over to Maney Publishing as part of full agendas. I can report that our agreement with Maney, the Leeds-
the new agreement, and we are pleased that this has enabled us to based publisher of our Journal, has been renewed and expanded.
make significant changes to the format. The A4 size will allow us to This will maintain our robust publications schedule, now to include
expand our coverage, and the full-colour design will finally do justice this new-format Newsletter, and Maney will also administer mail-
to our reports of Society activities and other news items. ings, membership administration and subscriptions. Rest assured
that these latter will, of course, be subject to data protection legisla-
In this edition we have a full report on the large and successful ‘Fe09:
tion. While there will inevitably be a few individual glitches during
Footprints of Industry’ conference, hosted by the Ironbridge Gorge
the handover process, we expect these to be rapidly ironed out.
Museum Trust in June. The conference provided excellent opportu-
Council has also separately contracted Maney (through competitive
nities to discuss ongoing issues in the archaeology of industrialisa-
tender) to electronically digitise past copies of the Journal. Once
tion, of central importance to understanding the post-medieval completed, in 2010,
world. Future
these digital ar-
highlights in the
chives will be made
conference pro-
available on-line,
gramme are the
by agreement with
Denmark confer-
the Archaeology
ence to be held in
Data Service.
Odense and Co-
penhagen at the I was delighted to
end of September, attend a gathering
the Newfoundland at the University of
conference in June Leicester, at the
2010, and a call for end of March, to
papers for a assist in launching
planned confer- the publication of
ence in Glasgow in the Society’s latest
September 2010 monograph –
on ‘The Engaged ‘Crossing Paths or
Past: Public, Politi- Sharing Tracks?
cal, Post-Medieval Future directions in
Archaeology’. Delegates enjoying welcome refreshment at the archaeological
study of post-1550
Members should the ‘Fe09: Footprints of Industry’ conference, Britain and Ireland’,
also note the Ironbridge, June 2009 featured in the last
launch of our
Newsletter. Much
forthcoming spe-
credit is due to contributors and its editors, Audrey Horning and
cial issue of the Journal on the archaeology of Québec City on 10th
Marilyn Palmer, in seeing it to publication less than a year after the
November (page 4); the Society AGM, which will be held on 3rd Oc-
Leicester conference which spawned it. In June, it was also a pleas-
tober in conjunction with the Postgraduate Conference in Historical
ure to join the well-attended ‘FE09: Footprints of Industry’ confer-
Archaeology at the University of Leicester (page 5), and the impor- ence at Ironbridge, to present our Society’s 2008 Dissertation Prize
tant announcement of changes to subscription payment methods for
to Eiden Hennessy, for his MA dissertation, ‘Including the Excluded
those members currently paying by standing order (page 3).
Past: The Rural Poor, Ireland, 1750-1860’ (University College Cork).
The Newsletter is still a work in progress, of course, and I hope that Next year, Council has agreed that there will be two separate prizes
members will let me know if there are things they particularly like, for undergraduate and postgraduate dissertations.
or would like to see changed. And I hope that the new design will
Ever keen to promote the Society’s outreach and media exposure, we
encourage even more of you to take up the opportunity of sharing
are grateful to the Québec Government Office, in Pall Mall, London,
news and views with your fellow members, of events you have at-
which has offered to host the launch of volume 43:1 of our Journal,
tended, ongoing fieldwork and research projects, or current debates
on 10 November. This will be an invaluable (English language) publi-
in the field of post-medieval archaeology.
cation devoted to the archaeology of Québec. Members who enjoy
With best wishes, Chris King good company, a drink and a nibble are welcome to attend. Invita-
tions will be limited to a maximum of 50, so please keep an eye on
newsletter@spma.org.uk the Society’s website for further information.
Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology Newsletter 69: Autumn 2009 2
Eiden Hennessey (right) receives his Session 1: Why post-medieval Archaeology?
award for the 2008 SPMA dissertation Papers by David Cranstone on coastal saltmaking and the ‘long In-
prize from Nick Brannon dustrial Revolution’; Lene Høst Madsen on historical archaeology in
Denmark; and Laura McAtackney on the archaeology of the recent
and contemporary past.
Field Trip to Funen
Thursday 24th September
Session 2: The current structure of archaeology in Denmark and
Britain
Papers by Nick Brannon on the development of the Society for Post-
Medieval Archaeology; Anders Myrtue on traditions and prospects
in material culture studies in Denmark; Dave Hooley on approaches
to historic landscape and seascape characterisation in England;
Geoff Egan on the Portable Antiquities Scheme; and Ebbe Hædersdal
on buildings archaeology in Denmark.
Session 3: Across the North Sea
Papers by Mark Dunkley on new approaches to marine heritage
management in England; Frank Allan Rasmussen on the transfer of
maritime technology from Britain to Denmark, 1790-1912; René
Schrøder Christensen on Danish harbours as gateways to Britain;
Símun V. Arge & Dr. Natascha Mehler (presented by Susie White) on
Hanseatic merchants at the Faroe Islands and the trading site á
Krambatangi; and Jens Aage Søndergaard on British influence on
Our website (averaging some 5,000 ‘unique visits’ per month) con- Danish agriculture in the 17th and 18th centuries.
tinues to prove its worth; our invitation to members to self-
Field trip: Odense
nominate as potential Council officers (albeit subject to constitu-
tional election) drew a useful response, and we also expect to recruit
a public relations officer. Portable display stands, for our and others’ Friday 25th September
conferences, and a new SPMA recruitment leaflet, are in the offing, Session 4: Society in Denmark and Britain
utilising members’ design skills. If you have any good quality photo-
graphs illustrative of post-medieval archaeology (which you would Papers by Mette Svart Kristiansen on post-medieval rural settlement
supply free of copyright, but with acknowledgment), please submit research in Denmark; Frank Meddens, Peter Moore, and Russel Cole-
them via the website. And, as always, please spread the word that we man on methods and approaches to the excavation of urban indus-
would welcome new members. trial landscapes; Jon Finch on the great estate as a global landscape;
Kristoffer Jensen on Count Frijs and his industrial monument
Late summer and autumn will be upon us all too soon. I look forward “Bastian”; Brian Kerr on historic garden reconstruction; Dr. Morten
to meeting members at the Denmark conference in late September, Pedersen on the Danish cement industry; and Trine Louise Borake
the innovative postgraduate conference in Leicester in early October on textiles from 18th-century Copenhagen.
(where we will also hold the Society’s AGM), and at the Québec jour- Session 5 Society in Britain and Denmark
nal launch in early November. See you there?
Papers by Paul Belford on excavations at Wednesbury Forge; David
With best wishes, Nick Brannon Higgins on the transmission of goods and ideas in the post-medieval
world using evidence from the clay tobacco pipe industry; Rikke
president@spma.org.uk
Simonsen on the bastioned fortification of Copenhagen; Christopher
Grønfeldt Petersen on burials at the church of Horsens, Denmark;
SOCIETY CONFERENCES: 2009-2010 Stine Damsbo Winther on the cemetery of Almindeligt Hospital; Lise
Harvig & Niels Lynnerup on ethical challenges for the excavation of
contemporary and historical graves in Copenhagen; and Liv Appel
Across the North Sea: on the impact of the Scots and English in Elsinore.
Reception at Odense Town Hall; conference dinner
Later historical archaeology in Britain
and Denmark c.1500-2000 AD Saturday 26th & Sunday 27th September
Copenhagen: Introduction to the Metro excavations in Copenhagen
22nd-27th September 2009 and field trip to the H.C. Oersted power plant.
Odense and Copenhagen CONFERENCE BOOKING AND FEES
You can choose from three options:
A joint conference of the SPMA, Odense City Museums, the University
of Southern Denmark, and the City Museum of Copenhagen , on key resident single room 5150 dkr.
issues in the practice and interpretation of post-medieval resident shared double room 4100 dkr.
archaeology in Britain and Denmark. non-resident 1700 dkr.
Single rooms will be booked with The Plaza Hotel; double rooms will
PROGRAMME be booked with the Windsor Hotel, both very close to the conference
Tuesday 22nd September venue and railway station. If you wish to book a hotel room we rec-
ommend that you use the conference hotels, where we get a good
Welcome reception at The City Museum Møntergården
discount. The one night stay in Copenhagen will be booked by the
City Museum of Copenhagen and will be a normal medium-level
Wednesday 23rd September hotel. The conference fee for resident single room and resident
Welcome address by Jesper Carlsen, Chairman, The Institute for shared double room includes hotel and breakfast 22-27 September;
History and Civilization, University of Southern Denmark; opening all meals during the conference except on Tuesday and Sunday; and
speeches by David Gaimster and Dr. Per Grau Møller. all bus transport during the conference.
Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology Newsletter 69: Autumn 2009 3
SOCIETY NEWS
Members of SPMA and students receive a discount of 200 dkr.
Booking must be done by e-mail to the conference secretary: Anne SOCIETY AGM: 3rd October 2009
Byrum, Odense City Museums, e-mail museum@odense.dk. Please
inform Anne Byrum if you are a speaker at the conference. The Society AGM will be held at the University of Leicester, in con-
junction with the planned Postgraduate Conference organised by the
For the full programme and further details see: www.spma.org.uk Centre for Historical Archaeology (1.45pm, Seminar Room 0/51,
Henry Wellcome Building). See ‘Notes and News’ for the full confer-
ence programme. Society members may also of course attend the
AGM without participating in the conference.
Exploring New World Transitions:
Important changes to membership payments
From Seasonal Presence to Permanent As reported by Nick Brannon, the Society has recently agreed to hand
Settlement over administration of its membership services to Maney Publishing.
All members should have received a letter informing them of the new
payment and renewal arrangements inside the front cover of Post-
Medieval Archaeology 42(2). All members who currently pay by
standing order will need to cancel these and set up a new method of
St John's, Newfoundland
payment for their 2010 subscription (Direct Debit, PayPal, credit or
14th-20th June 2010 debit card, or cheque). If you have any queries, please contact Maney
at subscriptions@maney.co.uk; or Janet Hague, Maney Publishing
Society for Post Medieval
Ltd, Suite 1C, Joseph’s Well, Hanover Walk, Leeds, LS3 1AB, UK.
Archaeology, Memorial University
of Newfoundland and Bourne-
mouth University, UK.
Forthcoming SPMA conference: call for papers
An international conference on the occasion of the 400th anniversary
of the founding of the first English settlement in Canada at Cupers Engaging the recent past:
Cove Newfoundland, in 1610
The conference which will reconsider early phases of colonisation of Public, political, post-medieval archaeology
the New World in the context of wider processes of settlement and
sedentism, in both north-eastern North America and Europe. The 3rd-5th September 2010
conference will be held in St John's, Newfoundland, one of the first
places Europeans exploited in the New World. The conference lan- University of Glasgow
guage will be English.
The recent past is a tangible past – a past which saw the emergence
Conference Themes and development of modern society, a past which merges seamlessly
People move all the time. The 16th to18th centuries were a turbu- with the contemporary world, a past which cannot be divided from
lent time around the North Atlantic, with a great deal of population the present. In engaging with this past we inevitably engage with
movement at every scale: national, regional; rural, urban, suburban; questions surrounding the nature of our own society and the role of
international, transjurisdictional, and especially transatlantic. The archaeology in the present day.
focus of this conference is the tail end of those processes: sedentism. This conference will focus on the contemporary context of post-
How/why/when do people stop moving and turn temporary use of a medieval archaeology – the archaeology of the period from c. 1500
place into permanent occupation? A.D. to the present in Britain and Ireland, Europe and countries af-
Issues to be covered by the conference will include: new settle- fected by European colonialism and imperialism. The conference
ments; seasonal camps; transatlantic exploration; artefacts and eco- will provide an opportunity for archaeologists to reflect on the pub-
facts; environmental impacts and adjustments; displacement, emi- lic context of their engagement with the recent past. Contributors
gration and dispossession; and the demography of seasonal and will analyse, evaluate and debate current and future practice.
settled populations. Papers might explore post-medieval archaeology as ‘heritage’ or
The full conference programme is currently being drawn up and will they might analyse its representation in the media. They might dis-
be advertised on the Society website in due course, along with all the cuss a specific public or community archaeology project as a means
necessary booking information. to reflect on current and future practice. They might discuss
broader initiatives or reflect more generally on approaches to public
For further information, contact: Peter Pope (ppope@mun.ca) or engagement. Papers might focus on the use of post-medieval ar-
Mark Brisbane (mbrisbane@bmth.ac.uk) chaeology in ‘official history’, propaganda and myth-making or in the
creation of alternative histories. They might discuss the relationship
of the subject to its national context(s) and/or questions of rights
(e.g. to artefacts, sites or landscapes).
Proposals for papers on these or other topics relating to ‘publics,
politics and post-medieval archaeology’ are sought from established
and emerging academics and professionals.
A title and an abstract of up to 200 words should be sent to Chris
Dalglish (c.dalglish@archaeology.gla.ac.uk) by 11 December 2009.
Presentations will be 20 minutes in length and will be followed by
discussion.
Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology Newsletter 69: Autumn 2009 4
Post-Medieval Archaeology : forthcoming special Conference report
journal issue on the archaeology of Québec City ‘Fe09 Footprints of Industry’
The internationally significant archae- Coalbrookdale, 3rd-7th June 2009
ology of Québec City will form the sub-
ject for the next issue of Post-Medieval The conference formed part of the year-long celebrations in and
Archaeology. The volume is the result of around the Ironbridge Gorge, commemorating the 300th anniver-
collaboration between SPMA and the sary of the first successful use of coke to smelt iron, at Abraham
Association des archéologues du Québec Darby’s furnace in Coalbrookdale; a process that ensured abundant
(AAQ); its guest editor is William Moss, supplies of a material that was crucial to industrialisation. The con-
Chief Archaeologist for the City of Qué- ference programme was a collaboration between several national
bec. The publication has arisen from the period and thematic societies concerned with the archaeology of
celebration of the 400th anniversary of industrial process and society; the Association for Industrial Archae-
the city’s founding by Samuel de Cham- ology, the Newcomen Society, the Historical Metallurgy Society, and
plain in 1608, an occasion which gave the SPMA. Over 90 delegates attended from the UK, Europe, and
momentum to a number of important North America, and the papers, presented over four days, repre-
archaeological projects in the city and sented something of the diversity of research in European industrial
surrounding region. It contains sixteen archaeology. Following on from last year’s ‘Crossing Paths or Sharing
papers, all translated from French, providing the only modern over- Tracks?’ conference at Leicester University, the Coalbrookdale con-
view of archaeological work in this leading centre of urban research ference programme extended beyond what could have been a nar-
in the English language. row consideration of historic process, to take in the origins of indus-
trialisation, the impact of technology on society during the industrial
~ Volume launch: 10th November 2009 ~ period, and the recording, interpretation, and management of the
heritage of industrialisation.
The issue will be launched at a special reception hosted by the Qué-
bec Government Office, in Pall Mall, London, Places will be limited to The conference was opened by Michael Darby, the Vice President of
50, which will be advertised on the SPMA website. the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust and descendent of Abraham
Darby. Michael’s opening address provided the historical context to
CONTENTS 2009’s celebrations, reflecting on the origins of the museum 50
years ago, with the restoration of Abraham’s furnace at a time when
Introduction: the archaeology of a North American city, the early
employment in industry in the Ironbridge Gorge had begun its de-
modern period in Québec By William Moss
cline.
Before New France
The paper sessions got under way the next day, with a session on the
The natural environment of the Québec City region during the
European origins of industrialisation. Ron Ross (Wilfred Laurier
Holocene By Louise Filion, Martin Lavoie & Lydia Querrec
University, Ontario) explored the origins of industrialisation in the
A universe under strain: Amerindian nations in north-eastern medieval manors of Europe, and Gerhard Ermischer
North America in the 16th century By Marcel Moussette (Archåeologisches Spessart-Projekt) considered the medieval up-
An aborted attempt at settling New France in the 16th century: land industrial landscape of the German Spessart, a centre of glass
Cartier and Roberval's Charlesbourg Royal production that was later romanticised for its picturesque woodland
poverty.
Charlesbourg Royal and France Roi (1541–43): France’s first colo-
nization attempt in the Americas By Richard Fiset & Gilles Samson The afternoon session reflected on the metallurgical inheritance of
The archaeological collection from the Cartier-Roberval Site (1541 Abraham Darby. Brian Awty’s paper highlighted the importance of
–43): a unique testimony to French colonization efforts in the family and personal connections in the development of ironworking
Americas By Hélène Côté at Coalbrookdale during the 17th and 18th centuries, and David
Dungworth (English Heritage) encouraged taking a more cognitive
From myth to reality: archaeobotany at the Cartier-Roberval Up-
approach to the study of metal working, and metal workers. David
per Fort site By Julie-Anne Bouchard-Perron & Allison Bain
Crossley’s keynote lecture, ‘Fuel and power: change in British indus-
Governing New France from the Château Saint-Louis try 1600–1800’, was preceded by the presentation of the SPMA Dis-
The Saint-Louis forts and châteaux site: archaeology in the heart of sertation prize to Eiden Hennessy, (University College Cork) for his
New France By Pierre Cloutier & Paul-Gaston L'Anglais MA dissertation, ‘Including the excluded past: the rural poor in Ire-
land 1750-1850’.
The origins of the Château Saint-Louis, residence of the governor
of New France By Manon Goyette The second day of the conference focused on the impact of industri-
Fort Saint-Louis and other 17th-century fortification works discov- alisation on society, and how change was expressed in buildings,
ered recently in Québec City By Jacques Guimont landscapes, and material culture. Paul Belford’s paper overturned
the idea of the Protestant work ethic as a driving force in industriali-
Administering New France from the Intendant's Palace
sation, at least within the vicinity of Coalbrookdale in the 16th and
The Intendant's Palace site: urbanisation of Québec City’s Lower 17th centuries; the Catholic Brooke family were technological pio-
Town By Réginald Auger, Daniel Simoneau & Allison Bain neers at a time when others of their faith faced persecution. Ian West
The Intendant's Palace site: new insight into its physical evolution (University of Leicester) considered the effect of a new technology –
and initial occupation By Daniel Simoneau artificial lighting – on working practices and the built environment,
and Robert Prescott (St Andrews University) looked at the impact of
Bugs, seeds and weeds at the Intendant's Palace site, a study of an
technology on the Scottish fishing fleet of the 19th century; larger
evolving landscape By Allison Bain, Julie-Anne Bouchard-Perron,
boats, longer nets, and steam capstans for gathering in the catch
Réginald Auger & Daniel Simoneau
made for a successful fleet, but surely sowed the seeds for today’s
Inhabiting New France over-fishing.
Québec in the time of Champlain By Françoise Niellon Charlotte Newman (University of York) reminded us of the unfortu-
The Seminary of Québec site: from New France's earliest farm to nate results of industrialisation, namely unprecedented levels of
its first religious institution By Daniel Simoneau poverty in urban centres, and how changing attitudes towards the
An archaeological view of the French colonial port of Québec By poor impacted the lives and social identities of workhouse paupers
Serge Rouleau in West Yorkshire. Emily Gillott and Andy Gaunt (Nottinghamshire
County Council) spoke about their community archaeology project
The foreshore of the St Lawrence at the Îlot Hunt site in the 17th at Jacksdale, Nottinghamshire, whose residents braved February’s
and 18th centuries: an open dump? By Céline Cloutier
Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology Newsletter 69: Autumn 2009 5
inclement weather to exca- heritage organisations.
vate and record the village’s The conference was
canal basin and housing. unfortunately attended
by relatively few local
A short session on industriali-
authority curators or
sation and imperial tensions
members of staff from
preceded the second keynote
archaeology units
lecture by Marilyn Palmer
(other than those giving
(University of Leicester),
papers); this was
‘New light on familiar objects:
largely due to the cur-
archaeology and industriali-
rent difficult financial
sation in the 21st century’,
climate, and the peril-
which highlighted some of the
ous situation that units,
more nuanced work now
and those who work for
being produced by industrial
them, find themselves.
archaeologists. Richard In particular, the lack of
Hunter and Ian Burrow
current post-graduate
(Hunter Research Inc, New
students and early ca-
Jersey) introduced their pro-
reer scholars among the
ject at the Trenton Steel
contributors (with the
Works, New Jersey; America
welcome exception of
had provided a huge market
Charlotte Newman and
for British metal manufactur-
Ian West) was for me, a
ers in the 18th century, and
worry. I hope this does
independence of production
Delegates enjoying the conference dinner not reflect the current
at foundries and forges like
state of the study of industrial and post-industrial society in
that at Trenton were unwel-
universities; I’m sure that it doesn’t, with MA courses at Bristol,
come, to say the least. Ian Wykes (Staffordshire County Council)
Leicester, Sheffield and York producing a new generation of archae-
spoke about the First World War training camps that were con-
ologists with diverse interests, questioning some of the perceived
structed in 1915 on a massive scale on Cannock Chase in Stafford- interpretations, research priorities, and methodologies associated
shire; the camps housed over 100,000 soldiers training for active
with the archaeology of industrialisation. It just would have been
service on the Western Front, and were built with all the infrastruc-
great to see some of them at this conference.
ture that a large town needed, seeing a rapid turnover of troops of
various nationalities. Nevertheless, Paul Belford and his colleagues at the Ironbridge
Gorge Museum Trust should be congratulated for organising such a
Day three of the conference dealt with the conservation, manage-
popular and successful conference (including a packed programme
ment and interpretation of the archaeological resource. Miles Ogle-
of social events), and I look forward to seeing the publication of pa-
thorpe (Historic Scotland) and Miriam McDonald (RCAHMS) summa-
pers, allowing some of the valuable debates, particularly those sur-
rised their project, recording and protecting Glasgow’s historic wa-
rounding fieldwork methodologies and the greater dissemination of
ter supply network, a great example of historic infrastructure at risk;
research, to continue.
likewise the value of keeping schools, hospitals, railways, or historic
electrical supply, has to be balanced with the need to upgrade to Emma Dwyer
meet modern needs. Helen Gomersall (West Yorkshire Archaeology
Museum of London Archaeology
Advisory Service) highlighted the unique problems faced by curators
and commercial archaeologists engaging with industrial remains,
and the need to communicate with engineers, chemists, and local
societies when researching and interpreting industrial structures
and processes. The discussion after her paper brought out the diffi- NOTES AND NEWS
culties of dissemination; synthetic publication is of great value, but
unfortunately not something that developers are willing to pay for.
Much power lies with curators, who are able to demand better desk-
Postgraduate Conference in Historical Archaeology
based assessments, and specify fieldwork and publication strategies. 3rd October 2009
Will Mitchell and his colleagues (Birmingham Archaeology) took an Centre for Historical Archaeology,
innovative approach towards recording the J.W. Evans Jewellery University of Leicester
Factory in Birmingham, which was taken into the ownership of Eng-
lish Heritage when the owner retired. Thorough recording of the SPMA members are warmly invited to attend this forthcoming con-
buildings and their contents in situ before conservation and repairs ference, which will provide a lively and informal forum for the pres-
take place will allow rooms to be reinstated and presented to the entation and discussion of current postgraduate research in the ar-
public. Norgbert Mendgen (Saarbrüken) introduced the restoration chaeology of the last 500 years, and will highlight the strength and
and re-use of industrial buildings associated with coal and ore min- diversity of the discipline. PhD students will be provided with an
ing, iron and steel working, and glass and ceramics manufacture in opportunity to present their research and gain constructive feed-
the Greater Region, spanning Wallonia in Belgium, Luxembourg, back. This will be an excellent opportunity to hear about current
eastern France and south-western Germany. It has rarely been pos- work within the field and to support new researchers.
sible to use the buildings and structures for their original purpose,
which has led to some radical, but ultimately successful examples of PROGRAMME
re-use. The conference was concluded by a lecture by Sir Neil Cos- 9.50: Welcome by Dr Sarah Tarlow (Director of the Centre for His-
sons, the first director of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum, who out- torical Archaeology)
lined something of the background to its foundation in 1971, when
the former South Shropshire coalfield was undergoing its transfor-
Session 1 (Chair: Dr Audrey Horning)
mation to become the new town of Telford.
10.00: Eve Campbell: Displacement and relocation in early modern
One of the strengths of scholarship in industrial archaeology has Ireland: studies of transplantation settlements in Connacht and Clare
always been the huge amount of work carried out by independent 10.30: Siobhán McDermott: Spoken in stone: flowering flax Tree of
researchers, and the conference papers represented something of Life iconography and the funerary tradition of 18th-century South
the wide range of work carried out by commercial units and national Ulster
Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology Newsletter 69: Autumn 2009 6
11.30: Bob Ruffle: ‘Earthen ware and other odd things’: The (in) tories differs significantly from previous assumptions, most notably
significance of pottery in the early modern household with regard to factory size, working hours and the prevalence of
12.00: Christopher McDaid: The social context for taverns in 18th- night work, none of which increased when better lighting became
century Hampton, Virginia available in the first half of the 19th century.
12.30: Stephania Skartsis: Chlemoutsi: an Ottoman and Venetian Analysis of historical records and physical remains demonstrates the
castle and its pottery key role which the experience in these early factories played in de-
1.00-2.30: Lunch, sponsored by the Society for Post-Medieval Archae-
ology; Poster display
1.45-2.30: Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology AGM
Session 2 (Chair: Dr Sarah Tarlow)
2.30: Annalisa Christie: Were the coastal societies of the East African
coast also ‘maritime societies’?
3.00: Ashley Coutu: Tracing the links between elephants and humans
during the 19th-century East African caravan trade
3.30: Ágústa Edwald: The archaeology of Icelandic immigration to
Canada in the late 19th century
4.30: Charlie Newman: The place of the pauper: the West Yorkshire
workhouse in the New Poor Law era
5.00: Elli Winterburn: Intervention in unequal measure: an archae-
ology of planning interventions of the last 100 years in the 19th-
century residential areas of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Gas works remains, Shaw Lodge Mill,
CONFERENCE BOOKING Halifax, built c. 1830, closed 1922
Attendance at the conference will be free for all currently registered veloping the technology of gas lighting and encouraging its use in
postgraduate students. The conference fee for waged delegates will wider society. However, it also highlights the important contribution
be £20.00. The conference lunch will be provided courtesy of the made by the largely overlooked Argand oil lamp, which lit most fac-
Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology. The Society’s AGM will be tories in the decades before the introduction of gas lighting, a time
held in conjunction with this event, from 13.45-14.30 (venue: Semi- when long working hours and night working were more wide-
nar room 0/51, Henry Wellcome Building) spread; Argand oil lamps continued in use in some more remote
Deadline for booking: 20th September 2009. Booking and payment locations until the railways brought cheaper coal for gas-making.
forms are available at: The introduction of gas therefore did not bring about the sudden
and dramatic changes in the workplace which many contemporary
www2.le.ac.uk/departments/archaeology/research/events and modern commentators have assumed, which calls into question
the claims made regarding its impact on wider society.
For further information, please contact Sharon North: spn4@le.ac.uk
or Dr Audrey Horning: ajh64@le.ac.uk
Finds Research Group: workshop report
Recently completed Ph.D. research ‘Finding the Familiar: Dealing with artefacts
of the modern age’
Light Satanic Mills – the impact of artificial
lighting in early factories University of Sheffield, 9th May 2009
Ian West On 9 May 2009 the Finds Research Group (FRG) held a workshop
entitled ‘Finding the Familiar: Dealing with artefacts of the Modern
School of Archaeology and Ancient History, Age.’ The workshop was intended to provide researchers with an
University of Leicester, December 2008 introduction to the material culture of the more recent past, particu-
larly of the 19th and early 20th centuries. While artefacts of the last
For most of humankind’s existence, life has been ruled by the sun; two centuries have not traditionally been a focus of analysis, the
work and leisure activities were largely restricted to the hours of growing quantities of material culture being excavated and kept –
daylight. Until little more than 200 years ago, artificial light sources particularly from urban sites – as a result of developer-funded ar-
were ineffective for all but the most basic tasks and were, in any chaeology are increasingly forcing British archaeologists to pay
event, unaffordable by most members of society. The changes which closer attention to the period. The workshop was organized by
have created our modern 24-hour culture, in which almost no activ- Claire Coulter of ARCUS, and was attended by people with a broad
ity is constrained by the availability of natural light, have been far- spectrum of archaeological and historical interests, including field
reaching and yet, as this research shows, our understanding of their archaeologists, buildings archaeologists, collectors, post-excavation
impact is imperfect. managers, and museum professionals. The wide range of attendees
This project concentrates on the changes that lighting brought to the was encouraging and highlighted the interest in modern archaeo-
workplace, and applies the techniques of historical archaeology spe- logical research.
cifically to the factories of late 18th- and early 19th-century Britain The first part of the day consisted of a number of short, thought-
where the technology of gas lighting was pioneered. Previous work provoking presentations. The first presentation was given by Alas-
has cast doubt on the technical and economic success of this early dair Brooks of Leicester University. Alasdair used a case study of
use of artificial lighting but analysis of Parliamentary evidence sug- 18th- and 19th-century pottery recovered from Huntingdon, Cam-
gest that by 1833, around 65% of the factories in Britain were lit by bridgeshire to highlight the fact that there is a large gap in the
gas. Many of these factories had their own private gas works and, knowledge of material culture of this date in British archaeology
surprisingly, several of these continued in operation for economic compared to Australia and North America, something which he
and strategic reasons long after public gas supplies became avail- noted was ironic given that much of this material culture was actu-
able. More unexpectedly, this research shows how the impact of this ally manufactured in the United Kingdom.
technology on the physical and socio-economic development of fac-
Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology Newsletter 69: Autumn 2009 7
This gap in knowledge was again highlighted by Linzi Harvey, of vited symposium entitled ‘Poverty in Depth’ which was intended to
ARCUS, and Marit Gaimster, of Pre-Construct Archaeology. Both explore the research potential of this major urban site. The sympo-
spoke from the point of view of commercial post-excavation and sium revolved around five round-table discussions on the themes of
highlighted the fact that there are many types of more modern arte- ‘poverty’, ‘health and sanitation’, housing’, ‘possessions’ and ‘power’.
facts that British researchers sometimes struggle to recognize. Due Participants included Tim Murray and Alan Mayne from Australia,
to the lack of British-focused archaeological publications for this who had worked on ‘Little Lon’ in Melbourne and who had brought
type of artefact, we often have to look toward the internet for the together the contributions in The Archaeology of Urban Landscapes:
websites of amateur enthusiasts. Marit backed up this point by dis- Explorations in Slumland (2001, CUP). Adrian Praetzellis, Mary
cussing case studies from recent excavations of modern sites in Lon- Beaudry, Rebecca Yamin and Diana diZerega contributed from their
don. As sites of a later date are being excavated more often due to experiences of similar communities in the USA, as did various British
redevelopment of industrial areas, there is a need to better under- speakers including Jim Symonds, Mike Nevell and Paul Belford. A
stand the artefacts for their interpretation. series of papers were distributed in advance to act as the basis for
discussion, and Jayne Rimmer of the York Archaeological Trust is to
Lance Mytton provided an informative talk on the history of British
be congratulated on organising all this. Debate was generally very
bottle manufacture from a collector’s perspective. Eddie Birch of the
lively, and continued in the York Mansion House where Marilyn
Historical Metallurgical Society introduced the workshop to the Palmer was asked to deliver a pre-dinner speech designed to per-
United Kingdom’s National Slags Collection, and made it known that
suade delegates to continue their discussions over a formal dinner! I
the collection has recently undergone some redevelopment. The
hope that the Trust might consider making the papers given at the
collection holds samples from over 200 sites; these are available by
symposium more generally available since they were of considerable
appointment for those wishing to undertake metallurgical analysis
interest and could be valuable in persuading other archaeological
of industrial residues. Joan Unwin, archivist for the Company of
units that there is much to be learnt from the upper layers in large-
Cutlers in Hallamshire, discussed the use of bone in Sheffield’s once-
scale urban excavations as well as what may lie beneath.
thriving cutlery industry. Oliver Jessop, also of ARCUS, used a talk
on paper archives to highlight the problem of archive storage and Marilyn Palmer
curation in commercial archaeology. Pauline Webb of the Science University of Leicester
and Industry Museum, Manchester, spoke from the point of view of
museums that specialize in material from the modern period and
their importance in understanding a local past.
New publications
The final session of the day featured a discussion chaired by Sarah
May of English Heritage, in which those present discussed the possi-
Small pieces of history: archaeological remains from Tun-
bilities of setting up a British research group for the material culture
of the modern period. During this talk, it became clear that a re- stall, Stoke-on-Trent by Jonathan Goodwin and David Barker.
search group encompassing all aspects of modern archaeology – Stoke-on-Trent Archaeology Service Monograph No. 2, 2009
buildings, finds, and technology – was needed due to the increasing Price £13.95. v and 69 pages, 214 colour plates, ISBN 978-0-
number of excavations and surveys focusing on the more recent 9550144-2-0.
past. It was suggested that a list be made up of groups and individu-
Available from Noel Boothroyd, Urban Design & Conservation, Stoke
als with relevant specialisms, so that they can be contacted as a
-on-Trent City Council, PO Box 630, Civic Centre, Glebe Street, Stoke-
point of reference, and the development of an online forum for this
on-Trent ST4 1RF; email: noel.boothroyd@stoke.gov.uk; tel: 01782
purpose was proposed. It was largely agreed that, in the first in-
232597; or the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery shop.
stance, the new group should be developed under the auspices of the
already-established FRG to prevent disciplinary fragmentation and This publication draws together some important new finds from a
to help sustain membership of and interest in the group. A small little-researched part of the north Staffordshire Potteries. Tunstall
core working group has been created to look at the practicalities of was the northern-most of the six pottery-producing towns that
developing such a research group in conjunction with the FRG. formed ‘The Potteries’ conurbation, eventually united into the city of
Stoke-on-Trent. This report makes a valuable contribution to raising
For more information on the new research group (which still lacks a
awareness of Tunstall, its factories and its ceramics, and to highlight-
name), please contact Claire Coulter (c.coulter@sheffield.ac.uk),
ing its importance to the wider market. The sites discussed have
Julie Cassidy (JuCassidy@northamptonshire.gov.uk) or Alasdair
produced the first archaeological evidence to indicate what precisely
Brooks (amb72@le.ac.uk).
was being produced in Tunstall, how, and by whom. Some of Tun-
Julie Cassidy stall’s leading 19th- and early 20th-century pottery manufacturers
Northamptonshire Finds Liaison Officer are represented by the finds. The great majority of the ceramics
from these sites are of 19th-century date, confirming the major in-
crease in manufacturing in Tunstall from c. 1800. The main products
are earthenwares and, from the mid 19th century, ironstone-type or
Conference report white granite wares. Tunstall’s fortunes increased as the North
American trade developed, and a significant part of the town’s pro-
‘Poverty in Depth: New International Perspectives’
duction during the second half of the 19th century was devoted to-
University of York, 6th-8th July 2009 wards supplying this market. The importance of Tunstall in this
trade was such that in 1869 an American Consulate was established
25 years after the Coppergate dig which led to the foundation of the in Tunstall. The wares of some of the leading manufacturers for the
Jorvik Viking Centre, York Archaeological Trust, in association with American market have been recovered, notably those of John Wedge
Hungate (York) Regeneration Ltd and City of York Council, has been Wood, Podmore, Walker & Co., William Adams, Johnson Brothers,
able to undertake another large scale excavation as part of the work and W.H. Grindley & Co., adding a new archaeological dimension to
being carried out to create the new Hungate urban neighbourhood. our knowledge of these factories’ wares. Other important finds are
Uniquely, a decision was taken from the start to concentrate on what those wares at the lower end of the price range – those with simple
could be learnt from the 19th-century remains on the site rather under-glaze painted, slip, or sponged decoration. Such wares consti-
than stripping them off to get at the archaeology of earlier periods. tuted a significant proportion of north Staffordshire pottery produc-
One of the reasons for this was that Seebohm Rowntree had included tion, but are rarely marked and, consequently, have been little stud-
the Hungate area in his study of the working-class districts of York. ied. Nevertheless, they too featured significantly in overseas trade,
This has enabled invaluable links to be made between documentary and British-made wares of these types have been found in most
and physical evidence, something that the Hungate team has clearly parts of the world. The discovery of quantities of such decorated
relished. ceramics in meaningful contexts will help to address uncertainties
over sourcing, dating, and understanding these wares, and will help
From 6th–8th July, the York Archaeological Trust organised an in- to encourage a more confident approach to such finds in the future.
Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology Newsletter 69: Autumn 2009 8
CONFERENCE DIARY
17th-19th December 2009
22nd-27th September 2009 Theoretical Archaeology Group 2009
SPMA Conference: Across the North Sea: Later Historical University of Durham
Archaeology in Britain and Denmark, c. 1500-2000 AD
The 31st annual meeting of the Theoretical Archaeology Group. Ses-
Odense and Copenhagen sions include: Archaeology and Englishness; Caring for the Dead:
See under ‘Society conferences’ for full details changing attitudes towards curation; Halt! Who goes there? The
theoretical and methodological considerations of conflict archae-
ology; Living on the edge: scrutinising suburbs; Reanimating indus-
3rd October 2009 trial spaces; The ethics of heritage tourism, archaeology and identity.
Postgraduate Conference in Historical Archaeology The deadline for submission of individual paper abstracts to the
University of Leicester session organisers is 30 September 2009. For full details, see:
http://www.dur.ac.uk/tag.2009/index.html
See under ‘Notes and News’ for full details
16th-18th October 2009 6th-9th January 2010
CHAT 2009: Modern Materials: the archaeology of things from Society for Historical Archaeology 2010
the early modern, modern and contemporary world
Amelia Island Plantation, Jacksonville, FL, USA
Keble College, Oxford
The largest annual international gathering of historical and post-
How does the study of material things contribute to our understand- medieval archaeologists. This year the conference theme is ‘Coastal
ing of the early modern, modern and contemporary world? What is Connections: Integrating Terrestrial and Underwater Archaeology’;
the distinctive contribution of archaeology in these studies? CHAT but as usual the programme includes a huge range of papers on
2009 focuses on the archaeological study of ‘Modern Materials’ – many different topics. For full details, see: www.sha.org
from ‘small things forgotten’ to large and complex technological ar-
tefacts; and from single objects to large, disparate assemblages.
Questions addressed by the conference will include, but are not lim-
ited to: 23rd-24th March2010
Is it helpful to define the archaeology of the modern world accord- Forum Archaeologiae Post-Mediaevalis
ing to its focus upon material things? Prague
How can contemporary and historical archaeology relate to an- A call for papers has been announced for the next international con-
thropological material culture studies? ference of the Forum Archaeologiae Post-Mediaevalis to be held in
Prague, Czech Republic. The main conference theme will be ‘Written
How can we rethink archaeology’s distinctive approaches to study- and iconographic sources in post-medieval archaeology’. The work-
ing things as important tools and resources, rather than simply ing languages are Czech and English, but for non-Czech-speakers a
methods for dry empiricism? simultaneous interpreter will be provided. The presented papers
Once again, the programme includes an exceptionally wide range of will then be published in the series Studies in Post-Medieval Archae-
over 30 international speakers, including well-known figures from ology.
the worlds of academic, commercial and museum archaeology, and
The call for papers is available on the SPMA website:
up-and-coming younger researchers.
www.spma.org.uk; the deadline for submission of abstracts is the
Registration: £40 (including tea and coffee, wine reception, exclud- end of December.
ing accommodation). Places are allocated on a first come first served
basis, so early booking is advised. Registration forms are available For further details, e-mail: zegklitz@archaia.cz
at: www.contemp-hist-arch.ac.uk/news.htm. Please contact the
conference organisers at ChatOxford@gmail.com.
COPY DEADLINES newsletter@spma.org.uk
Final newsletter copy deadlines are 28th February for the Spring
24th October 2009 newsletter and 31st July for the Autumn newsletter. Please send
your news to Chris King; address at head of Newsletter.
Finds Research Group: A celebration of irons!
Their production and uses
The Collection, Lincoln CURRENT MEMBERSHIP RATES
Ordinary members (25 years and older) £27 or US $60
The conference is intended to be an introduction to iron and cover
Joint members (25 years and older) £32 or US $70
both how it was made between AD 700-1700 and how the various
properties of the different irons produced were used, both function- Young person (under 25 years old or full time students) £15 or
ally and decoratively. Speakers to include Eleanor Blakelock, Peter US $35
King, Gerry McDonnell, Sarah Paynter and Dave Starley; there are Membership services for the Society are now provided by Maney.
planned films and demonstrations of a smelt in a bloomery furnace You can pay for your membership online using Visa, PayPal,
and smithing on a reconstructed portable medieval hearth ; an exhi- MasterCard, Maestro, AmEx, and Solo.
bition of pattern welded swords and spears and an exhibition of Go to www.spma.org.uk to join.
xrays and iron objects from the Lincoln Museum collection. Posters
are welcome. The meeting is free for FRG members but will cost £5 SECRETARY secretary@spma.org.uk
for non-members. Dr Audrey Horning, School of Archaeology and Ancient History,
Booking forms will be available from the FRG website University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH
(www.findsresearchgroup700-1700.org.uk) from late August or
will be available from Jane Cowgill, 25 Main Street, South Rauceby, The Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology Ltd.
Registered Company No. (England) 1477528. Registered Charity No.
Sleaford, Lincolnshire, NG34 8QG
281651. Registered Office: c/o Society of Antiquaries of London, Burlington,
Email: jane@envarchcons.demon.co.uk Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BE www.spma.org.uk
