Archaeology Protocol Annual Report
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
2005-2006 Protocol for reporting finds of archaeological interest Annual Report to BMAPA 2005-2006 November 2006 Prepared by Wessex Archaeology British Marine Aggregates Producers Association and English Heritage Protocol for reporting finds of archaeological interest Annual Report to BMAPA 2005-2006 November 2006 prepared by Wessex Archaeology Project Background dredging licence applications. However, BMAPA recognised that it would be more consistent In April 2003, the British Marine Aggregates and effective to introduce a single, unifying protocol and in August 2005 BMAPA and EH Producers Association (BMAPA) and English introduced a protocol applicable to all BMAPA Heritage (EH) jointly published Marine members, covering all wharves, vessels and Aggregate Dredging and the Historic production licence areas. Environment: Guidance Note. The Guidance Note sets out the character and importance of The Protocol was prepared by Wessex the marine historic environment and describes Archaeology (WA) in consultation with BMAPA, best practice in dealing with archaeological EH and other interested parties. BMAPA matters in the course of planning marine member companies have voluntarily committed aggregate dredging in English marine waters. It to implementing the Protocol across all includes details of measures to mitigate the existing operations. It is hoped that non-BMAPA effect of marine aggregate dredging on the companies will also adopt the Protocol historic environment, including the voluntarily. implementation of protocols to report and deal with finds made in the course of dredging. Protocol Protocols for reporting archaeological finds emerged as a mitigation option as it became The Protocol provides for finds being made by apparent that watching-briefs by members of staff employed by aggregate archaeologists, either on board dredging dredging companies on the seabed, on board vessels or at wharves, were likely to prove dredging vessels, and at wharves. ineffective because of the scale and character of the dredging process. Protocols are intended Under the Protocol, staff report to a local ‘Site to provide a ‘safety net’ for reporting finds Champion’ on the vessel or at the wharf and that occur once dredging is in progress, and the Site Champion compiles a preliminary are in addition to measures to avoid areas of report. The Site Champion passes the report on archaeological sensitivity through desk-based to the ‘Nominated Contact’, a single identified assessment and field evaluation. person within each company (see table below). Such protocols have formed part of the The role of the Nominated Contact within each mitigation strategy set out in several company is to inform EH of the find as soon as Environmental Statements for individual possible, and to pass on the reported details, 1 preferably within two working days of receiving information from the Site Champion. The EH’s role is, on receiving the report, to advise Nominated Contact is also required to advise the Nominated Contact of the actions to be other dredgers operating in the same area to taken. EH will also liaise with various agencies, keep a particular watch for finds and, if the institutions and individuals with responsibilities seabed position of the find is reasonably and interests in respect of the marine historic certain, to implement a Temporary Exclusion environment and finds from the sea, and pass Zone (TEZ) until archaeological advice has details of the find on to the National been obtained. TEZs may only be revoked if it Monuments Record (NMR) and appropriate local can be concluded that no important wreck or Sites and Monuments Record/Historic other feature is present. TEZs may be Environment Record (SMR/HER). formalised as a longer-term Archaeological Exclusion Zone (AEZ) if the presence of a wreck WA is currently carrying out aspects of EH’s or feature is confirmed or if no conclusion can role as part of an Implementation Service be drawn and the company does not wish to commissioned and supported by BMAPA. resolve the situation by further investigation. BMAPA Company Nominated Contact Position Britannia Aggregates Ltd Richard Fifield Marine Resources Manager DEME Building Materials Ltd Frank Rimell Resident Manager Hanson Aggregates Marine Ltd Robert Langman Resources Manager Kendall Bros (Portsmouth) Ltd Richard Kendall Northwood (Fareham) Ltd Brian White General Manager (Lafarge Aggregates Ltd) (Malcolm Whittle) Norwest Sand & Ballast Ltd Nick Brown General Manager CEMEX UK Marine Graham Singleton Marine Resource Manager United Marine Aggregates Ltd Andrew Bellamy Resources Manager Volker Dredging Ltd Richard Fifield Marine Resources Manager 2 Implementation Service The Implementation Service encompasses The provision to carry out any additional work elements of EH’s role in the Protocol that are falls outside the terms of the Implementation concerned with recording and passing on Service although the companies may make information about reported finds, and limited arrangements with WA to carry out further decision-making regarding archaeological work at an additional cost. Advice on sources actions in respect of reports that can clearly of funding can be provided by WA. be addressed without contention. WA is also responsible for disseminating the The Implementation Service does not cover information reported through the decision-making where a higher level of Implementation Service to the NMR and local curatorial involvement is required (i.e. where SMR/HER and other interested parties such as: reports result in TEZs that are likely to warrant further investigation and/or formalisation as an x EH Maritime Team; AEZ). x The Crown Estate; x EH regional offices; At the core of the Implementation Service is a x local government archaeological web-based reporting system. Nominated officers; Contacts have secure access to web pages on x Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) which they can record details of finds reported Finds Liaison Officers; by Site Champions and through which they can x the Receiver of Wreck; receive advice. x the Ministry of Defence. Each report received through the web-pages is Through the web pages WA can generate a assessed by WA staff. Contentious discoveries report compliant with the Monument Inventory are forwarded promptly to EH for further Data Standard, a content standard for heritage curatorial assessment. Reports considered non- data sets that sets out what sort of information contentious are dealt with by WA staff. should be recorded. This report can then be forwarded via email to the above parties. Scanned drawings, digital photographs and other files may be uploaded to the website for Feedback is sent to the wharves and vessels in the purposes of interpretation. In certain the form of an A4 poster providing an circumstances WA may request that the find is archaeological and historical context for the made available for closer inspection but, in discovery and outlining its importance. most cases, recovered finds are held by the companies. If permission is given by the Nominated Contact details of the finds are also made Advice is sought from accredited specialists publicly available through WA’s web pages. within and external to WA regarding both interpretation and any additional works Further information about the Protocol and the required to stabilise, conserve or record Implementation Service may be found at: recovered finds. This advice is passed to the Nominated Contacts along with guidance on x http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/project resolving issues of ownership and disposing of s/marine/bmapa finds. 3 Awareness programme poster and training 4 Raising Awareness During 2006 WA undertook a programme of placed on the questions commonly raised by education and awareness raising to accompany aggregate company staff. the introduction of the Protocol. The Awareness Programme was funded through the The first was held in Salisbury in April 2006 and Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund (ALSF) and focused on marine aggregate dredging comprised: operations in the West and South West. The second was held in York in July 2006 and x visits to BMAPA company wharves and focused on dredging in the North and the third vessels; was held in London in October 2006, focusing x visits to benthic and geophysical survey on dredging in the East and South East. companies; x workshops for Nominated Contacts, The workshops demonstrated the importance Site Champions and other interested of finds reported from industry, and the parties including archaeology contribution such reports are making to our professionals; understanding of the past. The workshops also x the development of a DVD-based provided an opportunity for discussion and the remote training package for BMAPA exchange of experience and views. company vessels. During the course of the Awareness Programme Visits were undertaken to 30 wharves, 3 vessels WA took part in a number of seminars, and 4 survey companies and made use of a meetings and outreach events to introduce the combination of formal and informal Protocol to a wider audience and to illustrate techniques, including presentations, group the importance of the artefacts reported discussions and one-to-one discussion as through the Protocol. These included: appropriate to circumstances and facilities. x EH Outreach Seminar (Savile Row, Specific information was provided to staff on: London 14/02/06); x PAS AGM (British Museum, London x the nature of the marine historic 16/03/06) environment; x EH ALSF Seminar (Savile Row, London, x