◊ Dear Microburins
The Eston Hills rescue archaeology project has kicked off and, three days in, we have features and flints. The weather has been mixed, but the hearty project team are delighted with progress, well-informed by previous geophysical work kindly provided by AOC Archaeology Group.
Read the ICE AND FIRE Week 1 Site Diary »
In other news, Mesolithic Spence has a job interview scheduled. Cross your fingers and roast a hazelnut for me?
♦ Spence
◊ Dear Microburins
The ongoing problems on Eston Hills and neighbouring farmland will be the subject of a Public Meeting hosted by Anna Turley MP at the Cleveland Inn, 37 Cleveland St, Normanby, Middlesbrough TS6 0LX at 5.30pm on Friday 28 April 2017. Cleveland Police Commissioner Barry Coppinger and ICE AND FIRE project director Adam Mead will also be in attendance.
The meeting is intended to discuss and explore, in an open community forum, both the issues and how cooperation between local government authorities, the emergency services, landowners, schools, residents and businesses might work together more effectively.
Acts of fire-setting, the burning of abandoned vehicles, illegal 4×4 and off-road vehicles, fly-tipping and other anti-social behaviour persist on an increasingly frequent basis, despite ongoing efforts by local services and voluntary organisations, including the Friends of Eston Hills, and media coverage.
The ICE AND FIRE project team and its stakeholders also believe that shifting public opinion – across generations from school children, their parents and people who benefit from tourism and economic footfall – is a local and regional priority. While the project aims to rescue archaeological and environmental assets where they are at risk, the longer term solutions must involve a coordinated effort to make anti-social behaviour entirely unacceptable in a community that values its rich historic, archaeological and natural environment.
More about the project and summer fieldwork »
♦ Spence
I’m very pleased to announce a new engagement, potentially lasting until 2018/19: Archaeological Project Officer (self-employed at TimeVista Archaeology in association with Archaeological Research Services Ltd.).
Project management for phases 11-14 (2016-18) at Black Cat North aggregates quarry, Bedfordshire (Breedon Group) adjacent to the River Great Ouse. Previous phases have included Bronze Age, Romano-British and Anglo-Saxon archaeology. The role, executed to CIfA standards, includes:
Wish me luck!
♦ Spence
◊ Dear Microburins,
A new video on Vimeo released this month about the project in Scotland. Thanks to Caroline Wickham-Jones for sharing.
“Get behind the scenes with archaeologists and scientists as they explore 10,000 years of human history on the Mar Lodge Estate – uncover the links between tiny flint tools, climate change and pit-roast venison.”
♦ Spence
Having had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see an antler ‘headress’ in situ in the 2015 excavation season at Star Carr earlier this year (plus shed loads of flint, wood, antler and bone), here’s a short video from the dig team.
◊ Skulls, Shamans and Sacrifice in Stone Age Britain | Digging Diaries | 13-Jul-2015 Youtube (2min)
The Mesolithic settlement of Star Carr in North Yorkshire has fascinated archaeologists for decades. Nicky Milner and her digging team from York University are embarking on their final ever excavation on site to unlock the secrets of this mysterious landscape. They’ve been filming every moment of discovery to give us a glimpse into our ancient past.
Image | Prof Nicky Milner & Son at Flixton Island, 2014 (Microburin)
♦ Spence
Mar Lodge Estate, Cairngorm mountains, Aberdeenshire | 2015 excavations by The National Trust for Scotland and archaeologists and environmental scientists from the University of Aberdeen, University of Stirling and University College Dublin with earlier than expected 14C radiocarbon dates | BBC News item 09-Jul-2015
Image | BBC Website.
microburin 