Ladybridge Farm, near Thornborough: Fieldwalking (interim report)
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1.0 Introduction & Acknowledgements
This document presents the interim results of an archaeological fieldwalking investigation at Ladybridge Farm, near Thornborough, North Yorkshire. This report relates to the first phase of this investigation, the second phase is likely to be undertaken in the late summer of 2007, after which a full report will be issued.
The fieldwork was carried out in April 2007, immediately following the ploughing of the southern half of the site. A total of 1,750 artefacts were recovered and three-dimensionally located. The vast majority of these artefacts proved to be of post-medieval or modern date, but an assemblage of 259 lithic artefacts (232 flint, 1 burnt flint, 26 chert) was also collected. This lithic material appears to be confined to the higher areas of the site, predominantly the southwest corner. The post medieval and modern material is distributed widely across the site, suggesting its introduction through manuring.
The authors would like to thank the landowners, Mr A. Almack and Miss I Almack, for their patience and support and for allowing access to the site. Thanks also go to Tarmac Northern Ltd, especially Alan Coe, for their support of the project.
2.0 Site Location, Topography & Land Use
The site is located to the east of Nosterfield Quarry and approximately one kilometre to the north of Thornborough village (see Figure 1). It is bounded to the north by a watercourse, 'Ings Goit', to the west by the road to Carthorpe, to the south by the B6267, and to the east by a farm track. The area enclosed by these boundaries is approximately 44 hectares.
The underlying geology of the area is formed by fluvio-glacial gravels. The ground slopes gently from the southwest corner of the site (c .43m AOD) towards a small pasture field on the eastern boundary (c.41m AOD), and slopes further down in the north to approximately 40m AOD.
The topography has been previously modelled using survey data provided by Tarmac Northern Ltd (see Figure 2). A refined model of the southern part of the field has been generated from the data collected during this fieldwalking exercise (see Figure 3) and this will be integrated with the previous model following fieldwalking of the northern half of the field. For the purposes of this interim report the previous topographic model has been used in the artefact distribution figures.
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| location | previous topographic model | revised topographic model |
3.0 Planning Background
Planning permission was granted for the extraction of gravel at Ladybridge Farm, Moor Lane, Nosterfield, North Yorkshire on the 16th January 2007. As a condition of the permission a programme of archaeological works will be implemented in mitigation of the development. The scope of these works is outlined in the mitigation strategy submitted with the planning application (Timms 2006). The initial phase of fieldwork required that the site be subject to a programme of total coverage fieldwalking.
4.0 Archaeological Background
4.1 Introduction
The site has previously been subject to extensive archaeological evaluation and investigation. In 2003 an archaeological evaluation comprising fieldwalking, geophysical survey, test pitting and machine trenching was undertaken by Field Archaeology Specialists (FAS 2005). In October 2005 a second phase of archaeological trenching was undertaken by On Site Archaeology in response to concerns raised by English Heritage and North Yorkshire County Council (OSA 2005). The results of this work identified a thin scatter of early prehistoric features located on marginally higher ground in the southwestern corner of Ladybridge Farm.
A topographic model created of the site suggested that the area to the northeast would have been marshland and unsuitable for either occupation, settlement or burial until the land was drained in the post-medieval period.
4.2 Previous Fieldwalking
In 1996 and 2003 the University of Newcastle undertook a programme of reconnaissance fieldwalking (Harding and Johnson 2004). The fieldwalking was undertaken in three separate fields which make up the Ladybridge site, covering a total of 44.4 hectares. In each field the fieldwalking was undertaken in a series of 15m transects which provided a coverage of 13.3% of the area. Only 24.2 hectares of Field 50 was fieldwalked which resulting in a total of 33.4 hectares of the potential 44.4 being investigated.
Material was recovered in stints and located using a total station theodolite. In total 78 pieces of flint were recovered of which 71 were worked. The worked lithics covered a broad date range and were generally located across the southern third of the Ladybridge site.
In 2003/4 a second phase of fieldwalking was undertaken by Field Archaeology Specialists as part of the archaeological evaluation of Ladybridge Farm (FAS 2005: 23-34). A total coverage technique was implemented and 100% of the site was fieldwalked (44.4ha). All visible finds were recovered and located using a total station theodolite.
A total of 1,460 finds were recovered during the fieldwalking programme. The majority of the finds were ceramic (625) or ceramic building material (545), with a further 290 finds, of which 215 were lithics, 73 were modern glass and the remaining 16 modern metalwork. Of the lithics recovered, 13 were natural pebbles and 202 were worked. The worked lithics showed a general distribution across the southwestern third of the site area and again covered a broad date range.
A direct correlation between the flint scatters and sub surface features was not recorded in either the test pitting or subsequent evaluation. The fieldwalking had identified a general area of activity spread across the southern part of the site.
5.0 Aims & Objectives
The purpose of the fieldwalking exercise is to provide a comparative data set to compliment the previous work and to recover additional information from the area which will be subject to further archaeological investigation in the area of extraction. It is anticipated that the resulting information will help to refine the characterisation of the area.
The survey data gathered during the course of the investigation will also enable the refining of the current topographic model of the site.
6.0 Methodology
The site was divided into fifty metre grid squares, and each individual square sub-divided into two metre wide traverses using ranging rods and tapes. Each traverse was then walked and all visible artefacts bagged and secured to the find spot with a nail. Each artefact was issued a unique finds number, and its location recorded using a total station theodolite using Ordnance Survey National Grid coordinates.
Following the fieldwork, all artefacts were processed and identified. Artefact information and the relevant Ordnance Survey grid coordinates for each artefact were entered into a database. A number of queries were then run on the data in order to extract the information used to generate the distribution plots in this report.
Ground conditions and visibility during the fieldwork were good, with bare exposed ground at the beginning of the survey, and minimal crop cover at the end. The dryness of the soil, however, resulted in reduced colour contrast between artefacts and the surrounding soil.
7.0 Results
7.1 Introduction
A total of 1,750 artefacts were recovered during the fieldwalking programme. The vast majority of these are ceramic sherds (713) and ceramic building material (378). The remaining artefacts comprise animal bone (181), plastic (8), flint (233), chert (26), glass (112), metal (17), natural stone (33), clay tobacco pipe (46) and a further 3 miscellaneous finds.
7.2 Ceramics
With the exception of five unglazed sherds, which are possibly of medieval date, the ceramic assemblage is of post-medieval or modern date. The pottery assemblage comprises a mixture of transfer printed wares, glazed earthernwares, china and undiagnostic fragments.
The assemblage of ceramic objects consists of clay tobacco pipe (predominantly stem fragments) and a single porcelain figurine head.
The date and distribution of the ceramics suggests that the artefacts have been introduced as a result of manuring, and correspond well with the distribution encountered during the FAS fieldwalking investigation (see Figure 5).
7.3 Ceramic Building Material
The ceramic building material includes tile, brick, drainpipe, and land drain fragments, all of which are post-medieval or modern in date.
The distribution of cbm fragments, as found in the FAS investigation, reflects that of the pottery, again suggesting manuring as the primary source of material (see Figure 6). A cluster of cbm on the spur of higher land at the east of the field mirrors a similar cluster from the FAS investigation, while a broader spread at the northwest of the current investigation area does not seem to have been apparent during the FAS investigation.
7.4 Other finds
Apart from a possible hone stone and a possible tesserae fragment, the remaining non-lithic finds are all post-medieval or modern in date. The distributions of some classes of material are illustrated in Figures 7 - 9.
7.5 Lithics
The worked stone assemblage comprised 258 pieces of worked flint and chert. In addition one fragment of un-worked burnt flint was also recovered. The constituent elements of the worked stone assemblage are shown in Table 1.
Type |
Total artefacts |
Chert |
Flint |
|---|---|---|---|
Arrowheads |
2 |
2 |
|
Blades |
15 |
15 |
|
Chunks |
7 |
3 |
4 |
Cores |
18 |
5 |
13 |
Flakes |
192 |
18 |
174 |
Scrapers |
24 |
24 |
|
Totals |
258 |
26 |
232 |
Table 1 Showing the type and quantity of worked stone artefacts recovered during fieldwalking.
The arrowheads include a possible petit tranchet derivative, which is broken along one lateral edge. The other is a barbed and tanged arrowhead, which has also suffered damage to one of the barbs. The transverse arrowhead can be ascribed a broad date spanning the late Neolithic while the barbed and tanged example has affinities with early Bronze Age contexts (Green 1980).
All the blades are made on flint. Six are broken. Of the six broken examples, one is patinated, one burnt and one shows evidence of utilisation; however, given the harsh soil conditions (nominally the high stone content) such evidence for use could quite easily have been edge damage occasioned by post-depositional processes. Of the nine complete blades four show signs of utilisation represented by micro-denticulation along one lateral edge. In a couple of instances this may have been caused by post-depositional processes, however, on two pieces the micro-denticulation is far too regular and extends completely along the edge of the pieces. One blade appears to have been burinated and the small size and shape of one complete blade suggests an early date for the artefact which can be assigned to the Mesolithic or early Neolithic.
The flint and chert chunks are on the whole very small in size, irregular in form and undiagnostic to any specific reduction strategy. In that respect it is difficult to assign them to any specific core type and they probably reflect the ad hoc removal of flakes with little or no formal platform creation or preparation, and no attempt to rejuvenate or maintain striking surfaces. One of the chert chunks has evidence for working in the form of flake scars and also has abrupt retouch on one edge indicating that the piece had bee re-used as a tool at a later date.
The cores indicate the use of a number of different reduction technologies within the assemblage. Among the flint cores are four types that represent conventional approaches to core reduction, including one core worked from multiple platforms and three worked from a single platform. A small unidentified core which has been re-used as a hamerstone was also recovered. In addition to these are two cores associated with a rather different reduction technique involving the levallois method of reduction. The latter involves the reduction of cores from a plane of intersection, which leaves a characteristic pattern of flake scars on two principle debitage surfaces (Inizan et al 1992, 48). In addition to these two cores is a core fragment which also displayed characteristics associated with the levallois reduction technique. This method of stone working is characteristic of late Neolithic worked stone traditions. The other cores could belong to any phase of the Neolithic.
In addition to the levallois type core fragment six other core fragments that could not be assigned to any specific reduction technology are also present.
Only one of the chert cores can be assigned to a reduction sequence, this being an example worked from multiple platforms. The remaining two are unidentifiable to any specific reduction technique and although they display characteristic flake scarring it is possible that this was a result of post-depositional processes. Two unidentifiable core fragments are also present.
Of the 192 flakes just under 50% are broken, and in the majority of cases this is probably the result of post-depositional processes. The majority of the flakes represent debitage produced during the reduction of cores, including fourteen chips (flakes < 20 mm in length) representing the finer trimming and preparation of striking platforms. There are a small number of flakes that could be attributed to specific reduction strategies associated with the thinning and edge trimming of possible bifaces. The number of flakes associated with the maintenance of cores during working is also limited and includes one conventional rejuvenation flake and one probably associated with the rejuvenation of a levallois type core, although it could also be a flake removed from a biface but the large dimensions suggest otherwise. Utilised flakes include formal pieces such as an awl, a notched flake, a flake retouched as a knife and three bifacially flaked fragments. The latter group comprises a fragment from a projectile, a fragment from a scraper and part of a blade from a biface. Less formal utilised pieces include serrated edged and miscellaneous retouched flakes. Patination among the flakes is fairly limited and two of those that do appear to be undergoing re-cortification have been re-used. Finally seven of the flakes have been burnt.
The twenty-four scrapers are represented by a number of different forms. By far the most common are thumbnail scrapers (46%), which have early Bronze Age affinities. Other forms represented are discoidal, end, side and end, horseshoe and miscellaneous types. The majority of the scrapers show small irregular scarring on their objective ends indicating that they had seen heavy use. One scraper has been burnt after it had been produced while a further four are broken. Interestingly one of the thumbnail scrapers is made on a patinated flake, indicating the possible on site manufacture of tools from flint that might have already been of some age.
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| all finds |
pottery | ceramic building material | glass |
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| metal | animal bone | lithics | lithics by type |
8.0 Discussion & Conclusions
The earliest evidence for occupation activity from the field walking area is represented by an assemblage of worked stone comprising both flint and chert artefacts. The flint assemblage shows a dispersed distribution in the southwest corner of the fieldwalking area. This distribution is similar to that identified during earlier phases of fieldwalking (FAS 2005) and was taken to represent occupation during the prehistoric period in that part of the site.
The presence of patinated pieces, which may represent some chronological distinction, and the slight evidence for stone working techniques that reflect Mesolithic and early Neolithic occupation in the area, suggest an earlier date to a small part of the assemblage. Nevertheless, the majority of the assemblage probably dates to the later Neolithic and earlier Bronze Age. The range of waste and formal tools represented in the assemblage indicates the working of stone through the use of distinctive reduction techniques that are broadly attributable to those periods (Durden 1995; Edmonds 1995).
With the exception of a small assemblage of possible medieval pottery sherds, the majority of the artefacts represent ceramic and ceramic building material of a late post-medieval/ early modern date. It is likely that this material along with the medieval pottery entered the archaeological record through manuring in the recent past.
9.0 Bibliography
Durden, T. 1995. The production of specialised flintwork in the later Neolithic: a case study from the Yorkshire Wolds. In the Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 61 : 409-432.
Edmonds, M. 1995. Stone Tools and Society . London: Batsford.
FAS 2005b. Unpublished report: Archaeological Evaluation, Ladybridge Farm, Nosterfield, North Yorkshire. York: Field Archaeology Specialists Ltd.
Green, H. S. 1980. The Flint Arrowheads of the British Isles . Oxford: British Archaeological Reports (BAR 75).
Harding, J. and Johnson B. 2004. Unpublished Report Fieldwalking at the Thornborough monument complex, North Yorkshire 2004. Newcastle: University of Newcastle.
Inizan, M. L., Roche, H. and Trixier, J. 1992. The technology of Knapped stone. Meudon: CREP.
OSA 2005. Unpublished report: Additional Archaeological Evaluation at Ladybridge Farm, Nosterfield. York: On Site Archaeology Ltd.
10.0 Archive
The animal bone, natural stone fragments and plastic artefacts have been recorded and subsequently discarded. The remaining archive is currently held by AD Archaeology, and will be retained until the northern part of the field has been investigated.
Following the completion of the northern area, a discard policy will be agreed with the relevant museum, and the remaining artefacts deposited with the museum on completion of full publication.
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