Launch of National Museum of Royal Navy

Published on 18 September, 2009 in News. Closed

VictoryWessex Archaeology was very pleased to attend the launch of the National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN), which combines the museums of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Royal Navy Submarines and Fleet Air Arm. The new unified museum is intended to provide a strategic focus and improve the profile of naval heritage and collections, whilst continuing to develop the four sites (Portsmouth, Southsea, Yeovilton and Gosport).

Wessex Archaeology is frequently involved in the investigation of RN heritage – ships, submarines, aircraft and dockyards – so the new NMRN is very welcome. Speeches by the Government Minister and the First Sea Lord emphasised the important role of maritime heritage in today’s society and were followed by a rolling broadside from HMS Victory and a performance by the Royal Marines Band.

There is more information about the NMRN launch at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, and a clip of HMS Victory’s broadside at The News.

Three more WA Staff qualify as Commercial Divers

Published on 15 September, 2009 in Diving and Staff. Closed
Photo courtesy of the Underwater Centre, Fort William (www.theunderwatercentre.co.uk)

Andrea on her dive course. Photo courtesy of the Underwater Centre, Fort William

Wessex Archaeology has three newly qualified commercial divers. The trio, Nic Bigourdan, Andrea Hamel and Kevin Stratford – all Archaeologists in our Coastal and Marine team - have spent five weeks at Fort Williams’s Underwater Centre in Scotland training for their HSE Surface Supplied commercial diving qualification. Although we have supported several staff carrying out such training in previous years, this is the first time that Wessex Archaeology has fully funded the commercial course.

Wessex Archaeology has been a registered commercial diving contractor since 1996 and is a full member of the Association of Diving Contractors. Our diving team includes two supervisors, one of whom is also qualified as a Diver Medic.

Equipped with surface-supplied equipment, digital video and acoustic tracking, WA carries out many forms of archaeological diving work. Investigations range from detailed surveys of historic shipwrecks for government heritage agencies, to checking suspected archaeological sites amongst anomalies identified by marine developers.

EPPIC Placements Underway

Published on 7 September, 2009 in EPPIC Placements. Closed

Stuart ChurchleyTwo one-year professional work placements at Wessex Archaeology’s coastal and marine section are currently underway. One post, for a marine geophysicist, was filled by Patrick Dresch. Patrick, who did his initial BA in anthropology at Kenyon College, Ohio, recently completed a masters in maritime archaeology at Southampton University after several years working as a field archaeologist.

The other post, for a coastal and marine archaeologist, was taken by Stuart Churchley. He was awarded his BSc in maritime archaeology by Bournemouth University, followed by two years gaining experience working on the Newport Ship in Gwent, helping with ship model reconstruction and conservation.

The placements are funded by English Heritage and administered by the IfA. They are designed to allow Patrick and Stuart to develop their skills while working on a range of strategic and development-led projects. So far Patrick has been learning about marine geophysical processing and has also spent a week in Ilminster on a land-based  geophysical survey. He found what appear to be anti-tank traps dating to World War II.

Stuart has also been experiencing marine geophysical survey during the investigation of several protected wreck sites off Kent. During his placement he’s also been helping with the presentation of outreach projects at large public events and was recently involved in testing seabed sampling methods in order to better understand submerged Palaeolithic landscapes in the southern North Sea.

Wessex Archaeology will undertake the Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey of the South East

Published on 22 June, 2009 in News and Projects. Closed Tags: , , , , , , , .

Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Surveys (RCZAS) aim to determine the nature and extent of archaeological remains within the coastal landscape. The RCZAS programme is particularly important when the effects of coastal erosion and the impact of development, which are causing irreparable damage to the coastal heritage, are considered. This highlights the importance of thoroughly recording each monument or feature and undertaking the associated research prior to this landscape alteration. Furthermore, the assessments aim to serve as a basis for understanding landscape change and development, and contribute towards improved management of the coastal historic environment in the future.

Dover CastleThe study area that Wessex Archaeology will investigate is located in the south-east of England, and is one of the last Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Surveys (RCZAS) to be initiated. Along with the other RCZAS completed for other areas of the UK coast, this project has been commissioned by English Heritage, who intend to complete a full archaeological survey of the entire English coast by 2013.

The area that we will investigate covers a distance of over 200 miles of coastline from Redbridge at Totton in Hampshire in the west to White Ness, Kingsgate in Kent in the east. It extends seaward to six nautical miles and inland to either one kilometre or to the five metre contour line (dependent on which has the furthest distance from the coastline).

The project is split into two separate phases. Phase 1 encompasses the desk-based assessment of the area, which includes not only the compilation and analysis of known archaeological sites in the area, but also the analysis of relevant aerial photographs held in the English Heritage archives at the National Monuments Records. The scanning of these photographs and digitising of apparent archaeological features will feed into the National Mapping Programme, providing an extensive amalgamation of the UK’s archaeological/military remains that are visible from the air. Phase 2 consists of the field assessment and aims to ground truth and supplement the results from the initial phase. This phase will also conclude with the compilation of the final report.

Using aerial photographs, historic maps and charts, existing archaeological and historical records, analysis of some ground elevation data called LiDAR, together with a walkover survey of the area, we hope to build up a comprehensive catalogue of the types and extents of archaeological remains that exist along this extremely diverse and culturally interesting coastline.Wreck of the Amsterdam

Several external sources will provide us with existing archaeological, historical, and military information already known to lie within our study area, including the National Monuments Record (and the National Mapping Programme), local Historic Environment Records and Sites and Monuments Records, and the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office. And in turn, the results that we will generate from the project will be given back to these sources to supplement and enhance their records. This is an excellent means of gathering and sharing locally, nationally and potentially internationally important data that can be accessed by all.

From the 500,000 year old human remains at Boxgrove to the intense military activity in and over the Straits of Dover during World War II, it is likely that all archaeological and historical periods will be represented on the South East coast by a huge variety of archaeological features.

We will be regularly updating the Splash page with news on the project’s progress, so be sure to watch this space!

European Maritime Day

Published on 20 May, 2009 in News. Closed

Trajan\'s ForumWessex Archaeology marked European Maritime Day by attending the Stakeholder Conference organised by DG Maritime Affairs of the European Commission. The conference in Rome included a special workshop on Raising awareness of common maritime heritage as a cultural pillar of the integrated maritime policy.

European Maritime Day shows the importance of the sea and oceans in everyday life throughout Europe. The wide-ranging papers presented at the workshop covered many different aspects of maritime heritage. Key points of discussion concerned the role of heritage in re-connecting society with the maritime industries upon which it depends, and maintaining a broad definition of ‘marine environment’ that encompasses its historic features and landscapes.

Wessex Archaeology has produced a flyer on our role in integrating heritage with marine industry.

Iona I

Published on 13 May, 2009 in Shipwrecks. Closed Tags: , , , , , , , .

In March 2009, at the request of Historic Scotland, Wessex Archaeology’s dive team investigated the wreck of the Iona I, a paddle steamer lost in 1862 in the Inner Clyde Estuary near Greenock.

The Iona I was built on the Clyde in 1855 by Glaswegian shipbuilders J. & G. Thomson. Dubbed, the ‘Queen of the Clyde’ the Iona I achieved considerable fame as a fast and well appointed passenger steamer operating in the Firth of Clyde for David Hutcheson & Company.

During the American Civil War the vessel was bought by a businessman, probably Mr D. McNutt, to run goods to the Confederate States through the Union naval blockade. After having been converted for this purpose, and whilst leaving the Clyde on the start of its first transatlantic crossing, the Iona I was involved in a collision with another vessel. Contemporary accounts suggest that the Iona I sank rapidly by the stern, but that the vessel was probably intact as it left the surface.

Pipe on the wreck of the Iona I

The wreck currently lies on a silty seabed in almost 30m of water, about 100m south-east of the Whiteforeland Buoy in the Firth of Clyde Channel, off Greenock and Gourock. The vessel survives partly intact on a roughly south-west to north-east orientation. The central 25m of the wreck is the best preserved part of the site as here the vessel survives up to upper deck height, with boilers, crankshafts and what appear to be engines surviving in situ. Elsewhere the vessel is less well preserved and does not survive to deck height.

Listen to a podcast recorded by our dive team whilst exploring the wreck of Iona l.

Wessex Archaeology have also investigated the wreck of the Iona I’s sister ship, the Iona II. Read more about the Iona II.

Location

The site is situated in the Upper Clyde Estuary, off Greenock and Gaurock. It lies within the Firth of Clyde Channel, approximately 100m south east of the Whiteforeland Buoy. The following position for funnel base 2013 has been obtained from the multibeam swath bathymetry data supplied by Clydeport and
has been confirmed by tracked diver survey:

EPPIC Placement in Marine Geophysics

Published on 30 March, 2009 in Uncategorized. Closed

IFA logo resizeWessex Archaeology’s coastal and marine section is hosting a one-year professional work placement in Marine Geophysics in 2009-10, administered by IfA and funded by English Heritage.

During the placement the post-holder will participate in marine geophysical surveys and develop skills in archaeological interpretation of sidescan, magnetometer, sub-bottom and bathymetric data. The post-holder will be involved in relating geophysical results to geological, geotechnical, palaeo-environmental, documentary, diver-based and other archaeological sources, and in contributing to reports and other deliverables.

The training will be delivered on a mentoring/tutoring basis whilst working with teams working on a range of strategic and development-led projects. The placement may contribute towards an appropriate vocational qualification.

Details of the placement can be found on the IfA website.

Applications for the placements should be made to the IfA. The closing date for applications is 20 April 2009.

Two Coastal and Marine Placements in 2009-10

Published on 2 February, 2009 in Uncategorized. Closed

IFA logo resizeWessex Archaeology’s coastal and marine section is hosting two one-year work placements in 2009-10, administered by IfA and funded by English Heritage.

One placement is for an archaeologist, who will be involved in a wide range of desk- and field-based investigations; the second placement is for a geophysicist, focusing on marine geophysical survey and interpretation.

Details of the two placements can be found on the IfA website.

Applications for the placements should be made to the IfA. The closing date for applications is 27 February 2009.

Key Discovery Scoops Top Award

Published on 11 November, 2008 in Awards. Closed Tags: , , , .

The discovery of the Stone Age Hand axes from the North Sea was awarded the Best Discovery Award in the prestigious British Archaeological Awards held at the British Museum on Monday.

The hand axes, described by Phil Harding as ‘massively important’, date back tens of thousands of years. They were used by Stone Age hunters at a time in the Ice Age when water was locked up in the ice caps and the North Sea was dry land. The axes were found in gravel that was dredged from the seabed near Yarmouth but landed in Holland.

Their discovery gives decisive proof for a submerged landscape that experts thought had been destroyed. It was thought that rising sea levels had swept away all traces of this Ice Age world. The discovery of the hand axes, announced earlier this year, surprised the experts and caught the public imagination around the world.

The international collaboration that ensured the axes were reported was acknowledged by the judges who awarded the prize jointly to Jan Meeulmeister, the amateur archaeologist and fossil hunter who identified the finds; the British Marine Aggregates Producers Association who run the scheme for reporting archaeological remains found in dredging for sand and gravel at sea; and Hanson Marine Aggregates Ltd who promptly stopped dredging in the area the finds came from. The judges also praised the collaboration between the Dutch and English government archaeology services.

Awarding the prize Alison Taylor said ‘The find was reported across the world on TV, radio and in newspapers, while the thousands of online hits demonstrate that this find really engaged with the public’s fascination with archaeology. Overall this was, and continues to be, an excellent archaeological project.’

Dr Antony Firth of Wessex Archaeology who run the reporting scheme for the British Marine Aggregates Association and who nominated the find commented ‘This award is thoroughly deserved. It recognises the vision of the industry in introducing and supporting this voluntary scheme. Having the scheme in place meant that the significance of the hand axes was recognised and action was taken internationally and promptly. As a result a find of crucial importance was saved.’

CPD Course on Marine Development-led Archaeology

Published on 16 October, 2008 in News. Closed Tags: , , .

LeafletThe University of Oxford Department for Continuing Education is offering a one-day course on Marine Development-Led Archaeology on Thursday 23 October 2008. The course is presented in association with the Archaeological Training Forum and is supported by English Heritage.

The aim of this course is to provide participants with an overview of marine development-led archaeology and the range of solutions that can be applied to investigating possible impacts.

Staff from WA Coastal and Marine are contributing many of the course components, and discussion will be led by English Heritage and ALGAO.

Follow link to find details of the course, or download the course leaflet: marine-development-led-leaflet-new-jl-v