Protocol Archaeological Discoveries
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Tarmac_0292 and Tarmac_0293: Silver Tableware
In September 2009 Justin Apps, Richard Apps and Chris Fryer found a collection of tableware at Ridham wharf. The next month Justin also found a spoon bearing the same crest and hallmark as the earlier finds. These are believed to have come from licence Area 254 which lies in the East Coast region, east of Great Yarmouth. This assemblage consists of fragments of two goblets, one of which bears a crest, three hallmarked spoons, two burnt candle holders and one candle holder displaying classical style faces. Also found were a twisted piece of metal that may represent the base of a goblet or candlestick, or may have been affixed to a wall or other item, and an enigmatic bowl-shaped item, similar to a candle snuffer, that is yet to be identified. Two of the candlesticks appear to have suffered heat damage and it is plausible that this occurred when the items became deposited in the sea. These finds are potentially highly significant. The nature of the items – all tableware, some bearing hallmarks, some bearing a crest or coat of arms – indicates that these are a unique assemblage. There are very few scenarios that would introduce an assemblage like this to the seabed and the most plausible, given the location of their discovery, is that they were lost with a ship. Wessex Archaeology’s Finds Specialist Lorraine Mepham identified from the hallmark that the finds were assayed in 1781 in London. Images of the crest were sent to the Royal College of Arms who identified it as belonging to the Dalrymple family, Earls of Stair. The presence of the Viscount’s coronet plus the hallmark indicates that these are the Arms of John Dalrymple, 6th Earl of Stair (1749-1821). John Dalrymple was well travelled during his lifetime. He was a captain in the 87th foot regiment and served during revolutionary war in America present at successful attacks on New London and Fort Griswold in 1781. On his return to Britain he was appointed minister-plenipotentiary or diplomat to Poland then Prussia. He succeeded his father as 6th Earl of Stair in 1789 and sat as a Scottish representative peer from 1790-1807 and from 1820 until his death. He died, unmarried, on 1 June 1821, at his house in London and was buried in the vault at Inch, Wigtownshire (1). Although John Dalrymple was not lost at sea with his tableware it could have been lost en route or return to Poland or Prussia during his work as a diplomat 1782-87 perhaps as part of a shipwreck carrying his belongings. It is clear at this stage that these finds are some of the most significant to ever be reported through the Protocol and Tarmac staff should be commended for the way they have reported and protected these finds. Source: (1) Abbott, DM. 2004-10 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press
Tarmac_0317: Fishing Weight and Fossil
These stone items were discovered by at Bedhampton Wharf by G. Cooper. They were dredged by the City of Winchester from licence area 395/1, which lies off the east coast of the Isle of Wight. Photographs of the two finds were shown to Wessex Archaeology’s finds specialist, Lorraine Mepham, who identified them as a stone fishing weight and a natural fossil. Finding a fishing weight is interesting from an archaeological point of view because the location of such a find can tell us where people were fishing and information about their diet. Fishing is known to have occurred around Britain since early prehistoric times. Some of the earliest discoveries of artefacts have been made by English Heritage of fish traps on the Isle of Wight coast. Fishing weights may have been used in an inshore environment or have been used further out at sea on fishing gear deployed from vessels. Although the weight has been worked by human agency there is no way of gauging their age, as such items were used from the prehistoric to the post-medieval periods. The stone fossil had interesting striations, resembling rope marks, which required expert clarification that it was in fact a natural object and had not been used by people in some manner. It is thought that it is fossilised sea coral or possibly a distorted ammonite. While this is not an archaeological find, it is important that any discoveries of unusual shape or fabric continue to be reported through the Protocol, as they may prove to be a significant archaeological discovery.
CEMEX_0301: Roman Pottery
This find was discovered on board Sand Fulmar by N Coombs. It was dredged from licence area 107, which lies approximately 14 miles east of Chapel St Leonards, Lincolnshire. This find was shown to Wessex Archaeology’s pottery specialist, Rachael Seager Smith who identified the sherd as part of a type of pottery vessel known as a mortarium – a large bowl with a rim adapted for gripping and often provided with a spout. Grit embedded in the inner surface of these vessels suggests that they were used for the mixing, grinding and pulverisation of food – rather like a pestle and mortar or an ancient version of the electric food processor! This pottery vessel is made from a coarse, gritty sandy fabric. Its surfaces are much worn and almost all traces of the internal grits have been lost but the overhanging rim (shown right) still provides a very good grip for the fingers. It is probable that its surfaces were originally much more orange in colour, and may even have been coated in a thin white slip. It was around 28cms in diameter and would probably have been between 10-15cms high. The style of this bowl suggests that it was made and used during the 2nd to 3rd centuries AD (roughly AD 150 – 250). Mortaria were never common in East Anglia and no pottery vessels exactly comparable to this one have been found on land, but it is likely that it was made somewhere in the region, perhaps in Norfolk, where small numbers of locally-made, greyish mortaria have been found on sites such as Caistor-on-Sea, Brampton, Brundall, Wighton and Hindringham, for example. Given the considerable trade along the east coast to the northern frontier, it is possible that this vessel was lost overboard by local East Anglian traders, although it could even mark the position of a Roman wreck. Other recent Roman Pottery finds include two sherds of Samian Ware discovered in 2008 at Kwinte Bank, Belgium; these two pieces had identical stamps suggesting they were from the same cargo and could indicate the presence of a shipwreck. Few finds of sea going Roman ships are known in northern Europe, so reporting finds such as these could lead to an important discovery.
Tarmac_0316: Anchor Fluke
This artefact was found by Tarmac staff onboard the City of London while working off Great Yarmouth in July 2010. Images were sent to Wessex Archaeology’s maritime archaeologist, Graham Scott, who determined that it was part of a wrought iron anchor with one fluke and no shank. This example measures around 100cm long, with a fluke that is 24cm long. In the image it looks to be a single thin arm, however it is in fact the full length of both arms to the bills. The shank seems to have broken off at the crown and one of the arms has lost its fluke. Because of the degraded nature of the object it is not possible to determine exactly what type of anchor it is or its age. However, with the information available, it is most likely to be a small stocked anchor dating anywhere from the Middle Ages to the 19th century, possibly originating from a small fishing vessel.
TARMAC_0309: Animal Vertebra
This animal bone was discovered at Burnley Wharf by NC Sait. It was dredged by Arco Dee from licence area 124/1A, which lies approximately 11miles SSW of Worthing. This animal bone is approximately 115mm long. Photographs of this find were shown to Wessex Archaeology’s Zooarchaeologist, Lorrain Higbee, who thinks it is likely to a cattle cervical vertebra, or neck bone. It is possible that it is from an Aurochs, the ancestor of modern cattle. The aurochs is an extinct ancestor of domestic cattle although they were much larger with a shoulder height of around 2 metres. Aurochs originated in India, migrating west to Europe around 250,000 years ago. Several highly significant Palaeolithic or Old Stone Age finds have been dredged from the North Sea in recent times and flint artefacts and faunal remains have been found of the South Coast so every new find, such as this one, enhances our understanding of this period.
Brett_0303: Aircraft Remains
These finds were discovered at Brett’s Cliffe Wharf by Ashley Wilkinson. They were dredged from licence area 351 which lies to the east of the Isle of Wight in April 2010. One of the pieces was identified by Andy Simpson at the RAF Museum as part of an engine from an aircraft. It has not been possible on current evidence to identify what type of plane it is from. There are many aircraft downed in the South Coast region, a high percentage of which date to the Second World War. There are no recorded aircraft losses in the region of Area 351 but that is not suprising given the difficulties of keeping accurate loss records in a marine context. All further finds from this region will be closely monitored.
CEMEX_0307: Animal Bone
This animal bone was discovered at Angerstein wharf by L. Medhurst. It was dredged by Sand Falcon from licence area 251, which lies east of Lowestoft. The animal bone is approximately 30cm long. Photographs of this find were shown to Wessex Archaeology’s Zooarchaeologist, Lorrain Higbee, who thinks it is likely to be an ungulate metatarsal or foot bone from an Aurochs, the ancestor of modern cattle, although much larger with a shoulder height of around 2 metres. Aurochs originated in India, migrating west to Europe around 250,000 years ago. This species is now extinct and the last recorded aurochs died in Poland in 1627.
CEMEX_0299: Fossilised Animal Bone
This fossilised bone was found by N. Coombs on board the Sand Fulmar. It had been dredged from licence area 447 which lies in the Thames region, South of Felixstowe. Images of this find were sent to Andy Currant, Curator of Mammals at the Natural History Museum, and he confirmed that it is an animal bone. The bone is a humerus, or upper limb bone, which would have extended from the shoulder to the knee joint. Judging which species it originates from is very hard from photographs alone but given the extent of fossilisation on the bone (which can be seen by its dark colour) and its size, it is possible that it originates from a mammoth.
CEMEX_0300: Shoe Sole
This find was discovered on board the Sand Fulmar by N. Coombs. It was dredged from licence Area 107 which lies in the Humber dredging region. This find was correctly identified by staff on the Fulmar as being the leather sole of a shoe. The shape of the item, as well as the regular stitching around the edges confirm this and this find represents the central part of the shoe. Wessex Archaeology staff studied the find but have not been able to assign a date to it. Soles began being manufactured separately, as this one has been, and sewn on from around the 17th century and today the soles of many shoes are glued on rather than sewn. The regular stitching on this item suggests that it has been manufactured using a machine. Machines capable of stitching the soles to the uppers of shoes were first invented in the mid-1850’s but it was a long time before they were used universally. Based on the evidence above, find CEMEX_0300 is currently thought to have been manufactured at some point within the last 50 years. However, this is speculative and further finds from area 107 may help to identify not only the age of this find, but also how it came to be submerged.
CEMEX_0290: Aircraft Fragments
These pieces of aircraft were found at Angerstein Wharf by J. Keeble, after being dredged by the Sand Fulmar. They were found amongst material from licence area 251, which lies in the East Coast dredging region, east of Lowestoft. Images were sent to the Imperial War Museum where Andy Robinson studied the colour of the paint and the shape of the items to reveal that they originate from United States Air Force – USAF. Images of the finds were then sent to Brett Stolle, an expert working at the United States Air Force Museum, who recognised them as having come from a McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom. This type of aircraft was flown from the mid-1960’s and they are still in use today around the world.
CEMEX_0302: Shark Tooth
This fossilised tooth was found on board the Sand Fulmar by N. Coombs. It was amongst material dredged from licence area 473 East which lies in the East English Channel region, south of Eastbourne, Sussex. Images of this find were sent to the Natural History Museum where they were shown to Oliver Crimmen, Senior Fish Curator, who identified it as a shark’s tooth. The most likely species for the origin of this find is an ancient species of Carcharias taurus, or sand tiger shark. They are not found in British waters today but can be found in coastal water around Australia, the Mediterranean, Africa, Asia and the east coasts of North and South America. CEMEX_0302 is a fossilised example so it is likely to have come from a shark that lived millions of years ago. Similar teeth have been discovered in Kent and are believed to date to the Eocene epoch – some 50 million years ago.
Kendalls_0298: Sword Hilt
This sword hilt was found by P. Stevens amongst material dredged from South Coast licence area 351, which is located approximately 20km east of Ventnor, on the Isle of Wight. This find was correctly identified by Kendalls staff as being a sword hilt featuring a lion. Images of the hilt were sent to the Royal Armouries Museum where James Hester, Curatorial Assistant for Edged Weapons , found two possible parallels in the Museum’s collections. One was a British Bandsman’s sword dating from 1854, the other a French Marine’s short sword dating from 1820. It is not possible at this stage to determine which country produced the dredged example, though we may be able to determine this based on future finds that come from licence area 351.
