Registered Charity No. 105565 NEWSLETTER 143 February 2017 Registered220162016 Charity No. 1055654

Treryn Dinas Cliff , Porthcurnow. Copyright James Kitto Photography 2016.

The President’s piece from Nicholas Johnson

I took the opportunity to visit the excavations at Castle this summer. This place never ceases to amaze…the special quality of the houses that were revealed, and the extraordinarily high status of the tableware found in pieces on the floors has ensured that English Heritage will continue to support this project in 2017. It has been, and will continue to be, a great opportunity for members to get involved at an iconic site.

Mentioning Tintagel reminds me of Charles Thomas, and that we are planning a conference in his honour at the AGM (8 April 2017). Speakers will talk about sites and areas of research associated with Charles. These will be published by the Society, along with other reminiscences that others may wish to contribute.

One of the projects that he was associated with came to an end at the end of November. As President of the Society I was asked to host the launch of the publication of Archaeology and Landscape at the Land’s End, at The Exchange gallery in . This was the culmination of archaeological survey work by Cornwall Archaeological Unit between 1980-2010. The Lord Lieutenant launched the book, with Mark Harold (National Trust), Dan Ratcliffe (Historic England) and author Philip Marsden also giving their thoughts and congratulations. It was a bumper weekend. The CAS Conference followed the next day. Andy Jones and Henrietta Quinnell had arranged a very full day of talks. The first two sessions were given by authors of the book and covered the chronological development of the West Penwith landscape. The last session covered other subjects in West Cornwall. All places at the conference were taken and the bookstand sold out of the new publication. All enjoyed a great day and many thanks are due to those who helped make it so successful.

Like many of you I was shocked to hear that A level Archaeology was to be dropped from the curriculum. GCSE had been dropped some years ago. I wrote to both AQA and the Secretary for Education on behalf of the Society. My letter and the replies have been posted on the CAS Facebook. We now know that, whilst History of Art has been saved, Archaeology has not. It is difficult to remain optimistic when the confidence that we all felt that archaeology was at last a mainstream subject, has proved to be in vain.

And yet there are other reasons to be optimistic. The number of Area Correspondents continues to grow and we welcome Linda and David Edyvean as our latest recruits. Colette Beckham with Richard Hardy of the Cornwall AONB talked at the last AR meeting about the scope, objectives and plans of the AONB. She described plans for 'scrub-busting' with the help of student volunteers, and recognised that ARs would have invaluable knowledge about Scheduled Monuments and other sites that might merit attention by carefully supervised volunteers. This is an exciting extension to the Monument Watch project and we will provide the AONB with the links to the ARs in the AONB. Not only is CAS helping to identify monuments at risk, and monitoring them, but also is now helping to take them off the Heritage at Risk Register.

I have been attending the Heritage Kernow Board meetings on behalf of the Society. It was agreed that the Conservation Principles published by English Heritage in 2008 and adopted by the whole heritage sector, would also guide Heritage Kernow.  The historic environment is a shared resource  Everyone should be able to participate in sustaining the historic environment  Understanding the significance of places is vital  Significant places should be managed to sustain their values  Decisions about change must be reasonable, transparent and consistent  Documenting and learning from decisions is essential There was also some robust discussion around the issue of the lack of public involvement in the Scheduling process in contrast to Listing which goes through normal Local Authority consultation. The project to write a Statement of Significance for the historic environment of Cornwall is on time and will be available in 2017. This will be a great step forward in highlighting just how important is the historic environment of Cornwall.

We are all worried that the Planning system is badly understaffed, and is now much more biased in favour of fewer restrictions on development than hitherto. As many of you know the Cornwall Local Plan (www.cornwall.gov.uk/localplancornwall) has at last been adopted, and perhaps it may come as a surprise that the section dealing with the historic environment is rather good! We have Dan Ratcliffe and his staff at County Hall to thank for ensuring that heritage remains a significant part of Planning policy. I think it is worth quoting what the policy on the historic environment actually says:

Development proposals will be permitted where they would sustain the cultural distinctiveness and significance of Cornwall’s historic rural, urban and coastal environment by protecting, conserving and where appropriate enhancing the significance of designated and non-designated assets and their settings. Development proposals will be expected to: • sustain designated heritage assets; • take opportunities to better reveal their significance; • maintain the special character and appearance of Conservation Areas, especially those positive elements in any Conservation Area Appraisal; • conserve and, where appropriate, enhance the design, character, appearance and historic significance of historic parks and gardens; • conserve and, where appropriate, enhance other historic landscapes and townscapes, including registered battlefields, including the industrial mining heritage; • protect the historic maritime environment, including the significant ports, harbours and quays.

Development within the Cornwall and West Mining Landscape World Heritage Site (WHS) and its setting should accord with the WHS Management Plan. Proposals that would result in harm to the authenticity and integrity of the Outstanding Universal Value, should be wholly exceptional. If the impact of the proposal is neutral, either on the significance or setting, then opportunities to enhance or better reveal their significance should be taken. All development proposals should be informed by proportionate historic environment assessments and evaluations (such as heritage impact assessments, desk-based appraisals, field evaluation and historic building reports) identifying the significance of all heritage assets that would be affected by the proposals and the nature and degree of any effects and demonstrating how, in order of preference, any harm will be avoided, minimised or mitigated. Great weight will be given to the conservation of the Cornwall’s heritage assets. Where development is proposed that would lead to substantial harm to assets of the highest significance, including undesignated archaeology of national importance, this will only be justified in wholly exceptional circumstances, and substantial harm to all other nationally designated assets will only be justified in exceptional circumstances.

Any harm to the significance of a designated or non-designated heritage asset must be justified. Proposals causing harm will be weighed against the substantial public, not private, benefits of the proposal and whether it has been demonstrated that all reasonable efforts have been made to sustain the existing use, find new uses, or mitigate the extent of the harm to the significance of the asset; and whether the works proposed are the minimum required to secure the long term use of the asset. In those exceptional circumstances where harm to any heritage assets can be fully justified, and development would result in the partial or total loss of the asset and/or its setting, the applicant will be required to secure a programme of recording and analysis of that asset, and archaeological excavation where relevant, and ensure the publication of that record to an appropriate standard in a public archive. Proposals that will help to secure a sustainable future for the Cornwall’s heritage assets, especially those identified as being at greatest risk of loss or decay, will be supported.

Of course so much depends on whether there are enough staff to advise and the willingness of Councillors to fight for our heritage, but at least the policy says the right things! It is up to us to quote these words back to if we feel the need to object to any particular development.

This is Adrian Rodda’s last Newsletter as editor. I would like to thank him, on behalf of all of us, for his work in editing 32 Newsletters since 2007. This is an amazing achievement, done with great style and kindness and always managing to pull together interesting and informative numbers. Editing is a difficult task at the best of times and yet he has managed to beg, encourage or cajole recalcitrant authors to submit copy in a persuasive yet kindly manner. Editors, less patient than he, might have flicked the safety catches off their revolvers long before!

I hope very much that you all had a happy Christmas and I that you will enjoy the full calendar of events we have lined up for 2017.

In the October Newsletter below the photograph of Tregeseal Stone Circle I reported that it was the eastern circle of a line of 3 similar to the Hurlers. Well, Cheryl Straffon has kindly and gently put me right on that misconception. It is an example of believing everything that gets into print. Now, here’s a challenge. Can you find other examples in this edition of the Newsletter of misleading assumptions, either from publications or local legends? No prizes, but there are two more. Cheryl gives you a clue to one of them.

Cheryl wrote: I fear that I may have been responsible for the notion of there having been 3 circles originally at Tregeseal. Two are certainly recorded, but the idea of a third one comes from some aerial maps that Vivien Russell showed me about 30 years ago, taken by the RAF during the war. They showed some crop marks of a circle due west of the other two, but it was much smaller and looked more like a cairn circle or the remains of a hut circle. I mentioned it at the time in an early issue of “Meyn Mamvro”, and since then it seems to have gone into general knowledge as the "third circle" at Tregeseal. Much like the "fourth circle" at the Hurlers!

FROM YOUR OWN Members who have visited it will know that me because Mawgan Porth comes under CORRESPONDENTS: DECEMBER 2016 this important collection covers periods the remit of the Old Cornwall from the Mesolithic to the Iron Age. Society. The peat deposit was last Our network of CAS Area Representatives However, planning permission has been mentioned in a list in ‘Report on the monitors Cornwall’s archaeological granted, so the museum will have to be Geology of Cornwall, Devon and West features. It is coordinated by Peter rehoused in a smaller building, albeit Somerset’ by Henry De La Beche Cornall and covers every parish. Reports nearby. The owners wish the museum to published in 1839. There is no information are sent to Emma Trevarthen, who continue, in memory of their father; and of when it was last exposed prior to 2016. manages the county’s crucial Historic Sally is working with Margaret Hunt to Environment Record, and Ann Preston- find ways of reorganising the displays. Jones, who is Historic England’s Heritage The museum will reopen in due course. at Risk Protection Officer. Our President is fully supportive of the work done by our In Mid-Cornwall, there has been Area Reps, seeing it as a vital means of considerable activity in Valley. helping the depleted number of Surveys of the Treffry Viaduct/Aqueduct, archaeological professionals dedicated to leats, tramways and other features are researching and protecting Cornwall’s rich being carried out in order to produce a bid heritage. This is the first monthly briefing to the Heritage Lottery Fund. It is hoped to to keep you informed about our work. submit the bid in March 2017 and, if successful, the money will fund vital One of the joys of Monument Watch is the conservation works and improved access chance to visit some beautiful places, in this World Heritage Site. The When I visited the site with members of such as Old Kea churchyard, shown photograph below shows the Viaduct and, the Newquay Old Cornwall Society below in Sheila James’s recent in the bottom left, the launder that once Archaeology Group – Steve Hebdige, photograph. It shows the mission chapel carried the Charlestown leat over the Denise Marshall and Marilyn Thompson a (HER 18867.2) and a cross shaft set in Carmears leat. local came over and complained about it – the base of an original churchyard cross ‘It should be cleared away. It makes the (HER 18870). The chapel was built in beach look such a mess!’ Other 1862, following the demolition of the people told us it was oil from the medieval church in 1803 due to changes wreck of the Torrey Canyon. in population in Kea parish. The 15C tower of the old church (HER 18867) still stands in the churchyard.

Vigilance is essential if our unique historic environment is to be protected. It is well Sadly, there are threats to our worth consulting the Historic England archaeological heritage. Development is Heritage at Risk Register for 2016: one, although it is to be hoped that https://historicengland.org.uk/images- We had to do something before the area Cornwall’s newly adopted local plan will books/publications/har-2016-registers/. If was washed away by the sea or covered help relieve the pressure. Richard Heard you have any concerns, or new over with sand – here was a valuable has monitored the north-eastern parts of information, about any archaeological piece of ‘knowledge’ that needed Cornwall for many years. He is concerned feature, please contact the Area recording. Phil had found hazel nuts, about Binhamy Castle, near Stratton, Representative for the parish. If you do wood, a portion of beetle wing and some which is a medieval moated manor house, not know who that is, please contact our deer skull bones amongst the peaty first recorded in 1335. He reports that it secretary. remains of the ancient forest that had has been under threat ever since the been submerged by the sea long ago. He th adjacent farm was sold for housebuilding. Roger Smith, 17 December 2017 and his wife kindly brought the finds over Now it is overgrown and vulnerable. There to show Steve and me and at the moment are hopes that a trust might be set up to The Submerged Forest at they are in a fridge in my kitchen for protect the site. Ever the optimist, Richard Mawgan Porth by Sheila Harper eventual display. When we visited the would love to hear from someone with beach we also noted nuts and wood and I spare cash to help fund an endowment to collected a group of small friable shells ensure the survival of this important In September I got a message from Phil from the deposit. I sent a photograph of medieval site. Any offers? Ellery (President of Old them to Janet Ridout Sharpe, BSc ARC Cornwall Society) that the peaty remains whose speciality is shells. She suggested Sally Ealey has long been involved with of an ancient forest had been uncovered Radix balthica (common pond snail). the Poldowrian Museum of Prehistory. on Mawgan Porth beach. Phil contacted dating –as long as the nuts come from a inside with the Festival of Archaeology. sealed layer. Dr Grant of Southampton Thus, a small but eager group of Area University advised us to apply for a grant Reps including, Emma Trevarthen (Senior via CITiZAN – an organisation that Archaeologist, Cornwall & Scilly Historic encourages recording and notifying Environment Record) joined Dr Andy discoveries of anything ‘interesting’ on Jones on Saturday 23rd July 2016 for an the coast. The cost of a dating is over educational and enjoyable tour of one of £300. Cornwall’s most abundant and diverse Scheduled Monuments

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There were some other shells but they were not ‘in’ the deposit so could have come from anywhere, unlike Phil’s deer skull etc. – so we couldn’t count them. We are on a learning curve. Pond snails imply little freshwater rivulets and streams Dr Andy Jones and Area Reps at Minions running through the forest. The piece of beetle wing case was identified by Maria We started by looking for the Minions Justamond, an invertebrate expert, as Mound. There is one indicated on the two most likely belonging to a ground beetle. first edition OS Maps of the area, but it now lies within a garden. A second large mound lies to the west, and both seem to be tied into the Hurlers complex. Andy went on to explain that it would have been one of several large and inter- visible cairns in the landscape surrounding the Hurlers, all placed Phil Ellery and his finds. though at a respectable distance. Smaller and far more numerous cairns are then Dr Grant has offered to do a pollen found on lower lying ground. We were analysis for us. This meant Denise amazed to hear that Moor alone Marshall, Marilyn Thompson, Steve and I has over 350 cairns and barrows of taking cores for him from the peat layer. I around 50 differing construction types. bought some drain pipe which we used Examples from excavations across Britain to take the cores with and store them in We have visited the site a number of times show that both cairns and barrows have for sending to Southampton. I have been with the NOCS group. We found that been reused and adapted down through acquiring information about submerged organic material like the nuts and wood time. In Cornwall around a third of those forests around Cornwall. It is apparent that were in patches. The site lies on a layer of excavated have no burial or cremation there are not many dates for the North pebbles overlying sand. The pebble layer associated with them. Cornish coast. It is important to have as reaches over a large part of the beach. much information as possible concerning There are other outcrops of the peat – but Moving from the Hurlers to Rillaton the rise in sea level since the last Ice Age they are mostly very thin and patchy. Barrow, the classification of this and a date will also give us a better There are different types of peat as well – monument type was explored, a cairn is picture of the area at some point in the some is very sticky and contains clay. The made up mostly from stones, whilst a past. By noting similarities with dated sites site needed surveying so I acquired a barrow is mostly of earth. Technically it is possible the Mawgan Porth peat ‘Dumpy’ level, stand and rule. NOCS then, Rillaton Barrow should be Rillaton deposit dates to around 4000 years ago member Mervyn Mitchell is teaching us to Cairn! Andy discussed the amazing when humans, beavers, wild boar and use the equipment. Steve has made a discovery found here in the 1830’s and wolves roamed the area –but we won’t metre square enclosing a 10cm grid. He went on to explain that the now famous really know till a dating has been done. and Denise have photographed the area gold cup was adapted for standing up by we have chosen to record through the having is base bashed in, possibly whilst HER Monument Watch Training grid. More wood has been found - twigs being in the ‘care’ of the Royal Household. and small branches and bits of beetle. We Day 2016 Barrows & Cairns Originally it was a drinking cup that could have collected material to look through to not be put down due to a conical base. see what is in the peat. I have also .It was suggested earlier this year that the Jane Stanley’s paintings of the finds from encouraged local people to see the peat annual training event for the CAS Area Rillaton were admired and discussed. layer. Reps and Monument Watch Team be a themed one. For the first theme cairns and We then climbed Stowes Hill and barrows were chosen, Cornwall’s resident witnessed an all too common occurrence The next step will be to get a date for the expert on these monuments was hereabouts, cairn building and stone deposit. We have been advised that hazel contacted, Minions as a location was balancing using stones from the walling nuts would be good material for carbon selected and the event was timed to co- structure of the tor enclosure. These were carefully de-constructed in order to stop to the great field of relative sites and tomb. The term “Giant’s” is often found to copycat occurrences, and the reasons for antiquities surrounding us: early chapels, be linked with such structures. We the choosing of this location by the local lans, Ogham inscriptions, grass marked travelled there by car but Charles’s Neolithic population were discussed. After pottery, mensas, Chi-Ro symbols, crosses experience showed it not to be so. leaving the ‘ritual’ space the northern etc. ‘habitation’ enclosure was explored and a On showing him other features such as more natural, but equally common threat Knowledge thus digested was followed by “crows” (rhymes with sows as in pigs) built to the scheduled monuments of this area car-sharing visits throughout Cornwall to in the thickness of hedges, and “Round discovered, bracken! numerous relevant sites for further Chimneys”, he noted a rare feature – a discussion. This, the only archaeological winnowing floor, a line of rough granite Although extensive spraying with Asulox tuition that this writer has ever blocks laid in the corner of a field on the and scrub clearance with hand tools has experienced, so clearly and hill, forming a level raised triangular area been carried out over the last ten years by enthusiastically delivered, unforgettably once used for threshing corn using a flail; both the local commoners association and extended our knowledge of the subject. the wind funnelling into the corner of the the Caradon Hill Area Heritage Project Furthermore the course included the field blew away the husks. bracken has covered well over half of the practical exercise of joining with members monument including a summit ring cairn of the Cornwall Archaeological Society in In his absence away from Cornwall which made locating it a little tricky. After the excavation of the 10th century chapel Charles requested me to collect any discussing the terrible effect the bracken of St Ia at Troon,in Charles’s home parish sherds of pottery I should find at Sandy rhizomes has on anything under the of , in 1966. The writer’s diary Lane, Gwithian, to add to his collection. I ground other threats to this monument for May 13th that year states: was also able to give him various sherds type were discussed. of grass marked pottery which were found, “I went to Troon with Rev. Tom Shaw unsolicited, in 1970 at the recently We then headed back to base and after where we met Charles Thomas and Betty excavated site at Gunwalloe. lunch used our newly honed skills to fill in Rule. We crossed the fields to the site of the site risk assessments forms which St Ia’s Chapel. We cleared the site, We both shared a great interest in the unfortunately report on the declining enveloped in dense undergrowth, and archaeology of Scilly. Following each condition of well over half of the sites we found the outline of the chapel easily. The family holiday Charles visited my home to visited. This being a salient reminder of walls on the south and west sides are discuss my fieldwork discoveries, the importance of the Monument Watch about a foot high, on the east about three identified the sherds and encouraged me programme! Many thanks to all who feet. On the west a gulley had been to continue adding to new inter-tidal attended and especially to Emma & Andy, bridged by well-cut granite on which the features of which he had made such a who between them put together a most foundations of the chapel had been laid. deep study. educational and enjoyable day. Charles Thomas found a 10th century sherd, a portion of a rim, near the surface On Charles’s appointment in 1972 as Iain Rowe Area Rep Linkinhorne Parish outside the north wall. Traces of crude Professor of Cornish Studies, Unversity of (amongst others) plaster were also found, probably of beach Exeter and Director of the Institute of material, but I noted large deposits of Cornish Studies, based at Trevenson Memories of Prof Charles similar grit in the stream below, which I House, Pool, he was always available to Thomas. Michael Tangye. pointed out to Charles. (Later note: Plaster discuss dialect contributions and proved to be part of a mural.) archaeology. It was at that time that as I first met Charles in 1953 when visiting editor of the CAS Journal he encouraged th his Gwithian excavations at the site GM1, June 4 1966: excavating at St Ia’s amateur archaeologists like me to bordering the main road at Godrevy. He Chapel. The altar is now exposed with the contribute papers and to add to his was then a young man, supervising a chancel steps and seats along the wall of innovative scheme of Parochial Check group of enthusiastic “diggers”. the nave. Dick Hodge and I dug for the Lists of antiquities for publication. His Wandering a few yards from the activity holy well outside the west wall. During the advice was “Always put your findings in on the small sandy isthmus projecting into afternoon a local man paid us a visit and print.” a former estuary, I thrust my arm into a showed us his prowess with an alder twig No doubt there are many anecdotes which rabbit hole and retrieved a large section of in seeking the well. He traced the course others will recall about Charles, one of a pot. On taking it to Charles he declared of the water through the chapel to the such told to me by him illustrated his it was the best find of the day. From that west wall, but decided, after holding the adventurous nature. “When I was a youth I time he became both friend and mentor, twig with rags soaked in the stream and acquired an ex-RAF rubber dinghy. With a always ready to advise, answer questions getting no response that it was a mineral friend we decided to paddle it from and encourage. lode.” Godrevy to the Seal Cave at the Knavocks In 1965 several amateur archaeologists In 1965 when recording and near Hell’s Mouth, where I would shoot a like myself were fortunate to attend a photographing archaeological features in seal with an air rifle and make a seal-skin WEA course conducted by Charles at the the Carnmenellis, Wendron area, Charles, waist coat. We entered the cave former Grammar School for Girls, who was then a lecturer at the Dept of successfully but I failed to achieve my final now Sainsbury’s in Treyew Road. What Prehistoric Archaeology, University of goal!” better lecturer could we have had on the Exeter, was contacted for an opinion on His passing has left a huge void in history and archaeology of “Early the “Giant’s Cave,” an excavation on the Cornish Archaeology and its many other Christianity in Cornwall”? Using as a west slope of Carnmenellis Hill spheres of knowledge. Yet he lives on in textbook Bede’s “A History of the English surmounted by a vast flat granite mass his legacy of his wide fields of published Church and People”, we were introduced resembling the cap-stone of a chamber works and in the memory of so many, like this present writer, who were inspired by Lelant Church. Although its Cornish name Above the porch has been placed a CHI- his example. is Lananta, the churchyard does not follow RHO motif. The loop of the P does not join a typical curved Lan shape, but is the stem, but resembles a hook, which Philip C Hills of Camborne OCS is rectangular. Peter suggested that its Charles Thomas claims dates it very early attempting to have St Ia’s Chapel foundation was a Roman signal station. and links it to Gaul (2). We were able to accepted as a scheduled monument by Two hoards of Roman coins had been see the crosses in the churchyard and the Historic England. found in the area and the Roman pillar inscribed CLOTVALI/ MOBRATTI milestone at St Hilary was not far away. from the 7th century. Inside the church we CAS FIELD TRIPS. Anta was possibly the female hermit viewed the neat granite Norman altar mentioned in the Life of St Gwinear, who mensa, now built into the high altar and an th November 20 . Trencrom and Hayle landed with 777 Irish Christians, including eroded crucifixion panel which may have with Peter Herring, David Giddings and St Euny, to whom the church is dedicated. been from a pre-Norman church. Adrian Rodda. With the help of some hints and questions we split up to locate the architectural clues Sunday found us assembling at Trencrom to the changes and additions to the church Hill NT car park in sunglasses. Peter led over its life. the party of 18 people up the hill and through the eastern gateway of the hilltop This early Christian theme was continued enclosure. The gateway was probably a when we visited the Cunaide Stone, which remnant of Iron Age resettlement because is set up on a wall within the Iron Age it had a slewed entrance like the one at promontory fort at Carnsew (opposite Mean Castle. The original enclosure was ASDA). It been dug up when Henry accepted as being from the Neolithic Harvey had landscaped the knoll as a period, like the excavated and dated ones garden in 1843. The inscription is now at Carn Brea, Helman Tor and Carn almost completely covered with white The CHI-RHO above the porch at Phillack. Galver. The walls joined natural outcrops lichen and had been difficult to read from During major renovations in 1856-7 a and were faced with upright stones infilled the time of its discovery. A slate plaque glass phial of dried blood attributed to St by smaller rubble, typical of a tor next to it gives a version which almost Piala was found and returned to within the enclosure and probably dated to 3500BC. everyone rejects as inaccurate. The wall. One of our number wondered if the official CAU version on a board at the top title of the nearby pub, “The Bucket of of the hill mentions a husband and gives Blood” referred to this event rather than an extra line to the inscription. The 9 line the gory contents of a bucket drawn from version favoured by Charles Thomas (2) the well. Certainly the Hayle estuary has reads, HIC PA/CE NUP(er)/ REQUIEVIT/ its share of legends and intriguing CVNAIDE/ HIC(IN)/ TUMULO/ IACIT/ archaeology. VIXIT/ ANNOS/ XXXIII. Here in peace lately went to rest Cunaide. Here in the (1)Trencrom, Lelant Archaeological and grave she lies. She lived 33 years. Historical Assessment. CAU for NT 1999. Peter Herring. (2) And Shall These Mute Stones Speak? Charles Thomas, Univ of Wales Press. 1994. Peter Herring in the cap describing the features Photos Kathryn Conder and A. Rodda. to be seen from Trencrom.

Peter had done the original survey of the Reading the Hurlers project hill for NT (1) in 1999, when he had discovers new monument on identified 3 of the putative house circles as the remains of Bronze Age cairns, long ago looted. He told us how the hill had Reading the Hurlers (RTH) is a community been saved from quarrying by a book geo-archaeological project led by published in 1861, where J.O.Halliwell U3A Geology Group. The project aims to appealed to the landowner to abort his shed more light on the ancient landscape around The Hurlers through geological plans to quarry the summit. It worked, but survey and analysis and an archaeological the quarry pathway still threads its way excavation, which took place between 13th along the summit. Peter took us down to and 18th September. The excavation was the well, which is outside the enclosure led by Jacky Nowakowski and James and there talked about the folklore of the Gossip of Cornwall Archaeological Unit hill, especially Robert Hunt’s accounts of (CAU) and involved around fifty volunteers over the week. As James Gossip explains the giants who enclosed it and ruled from The Cunaide Stone beside its slate plaque. The “as soon as the project was announced it. References to the , wicked there was a lot of interest and more than fairies who protected the giants’ hoards, natural cross at the top is just visible and may have been the reason this stone was chosen. 30 volunteers signed up for the dig. led into Adrian’s verse account of the Everybody did an amazing job - we couldn’t have done it without them and I “Treasure of Trencrom Hill”. As it was getting dark a few of the curious think they enjoyed taking part as much as drove to Phillack Parish Church in time to We left by the western gateway, after rd th we did! I didn’t even have to bribe them see the 3 piece of evidence for 4 or with too many biscuits…” viewing “merriment holes” and the best th early 5 century Christianity in Hayle. preserved sections of wall, to drive to The aim of the excavation was to identify attracted over 70 people and a popular all- round or Lann, indicating an early whether a group of stones in a circular day astro-archaeology workshop was led medieval foundation. formation formed part of a ‘fourth’ stone by Brain Sheen and volunteers from the circle, close to The Hurlers. Whilst this Roseland Observatory. School groups At geophysics showed signs was found not to be the case, the visited throughout the week, giving local discovery of a stone-lined socket hole at pupils the opportunity to view the of a possibly early medieval settlement. the base of a large recumbent stone has excavation in progress and question the Likewise at Carruan survey work showed led the project archaeologists to believe archaeologists. Pupils were shown a rectilinear enclosure with round houses, that the area was once the site of a large Bronze Age flint tools and a replica bronze and field systems everywhere; a busy site standing stone. The same trench also axe head and learnt more about how and possibly a proto urban site with about revealed the tip of a late-Neolithic flint people lived on Bodmin Moor 4000 years 150 round houses. A trench cut across the arrow head found towards the end of the ago. The RTH programme of school visits site showed gullies in the centre of the dig by Jacky Nowakowski. The flint tool, has now ended with over 200 children probably knapped from a locally sourced having visited the site over the last year. enclosure and Romano British pottery was beach pebble, was broken soon after use found. At nearby Porthilly on the estuary and showed little sign of wear. itself enclosures and round houses were seen in the survey results with finds of Roman coins and a fibula.

At Tregays, on the at the junction of the stream from , surveys showed a square enclosure with round houses, with a possible hedge boundary. RTH is funded by the Heritage Lottery He thought this might be an open

Fund with generous support from Cornwall settlement. Mark noted that Archaeological Society (CAS), Cornwall pottery finds were very dense in the Archaeologist and project co-ordinator Heritage Trust, Saltash U3A Geology Emma Stockley said, “this is a fantastic Group and Caradon Amateur Geology general area. outcome. We have discovered the Group. The project co-ordinators would existence of a new standing stone that like to take this opportunity to thank Mark also examined Lestow farm at St would have been an important part of the Cornwall Archaeological Society for their Neot, in the centre of this corridor. The landscape around The Hurlers”. support and look forward to sharing the medieval round could have earlier project results with members in 2017. earthworks, and possible structures of sub Preliminary geological studies on a rectilinear form but he thought it was not number of the larger excavated stones, For more information please contact; some over two metres in length, are Emma Stockley IA. A Roman coin of Antonius Pius 138- intriguing and suggest that the granite has [email protected] 07703 161AD was found and a wall was revealed not come from the immediate area. 828 731 probably marking a boundary of a Geological project co-ordinator Calum multiphased site. SW decorated and RB Beeson elaborates, "We've had volunteers Thanks to Emma Stockley for the piece pottery was found with evidence of tin carrying out geological surveys on the and to Matt Clarke for the photographs. streaming in the area of Lestow Farm. newly excavated stones and have found that one of the larger stones did not come from the immediate area and does not CAS LECTURES REPORT. Work near St Kew revealed a round appear to have travelled there through house. Old maps showed a feature that natural processes. This suggests that it could be a monastery which could be the was carried to its current location by Ten sites of the Camel and human activities". Fowey Corridor LIA to AD700 one that St Sampson is known to have visited; nothing is left on the surface in the Mark Borlase area. Mark also investigated the area at

Golant, Nr Fowey but again the survey Mark explained that his investigations of was inconclusive although there is a the route across the Cornish peninsula suggestion of a bank and lann involved survey work rather than surrounding the St Sampson Church. excavations. He chose the topic because the route from the Camel to the Fowey He went on to talk about the work done River was one preferred to travelling near Nanstallon with a small excavation around Lands’ End; far too hazardous a outside the Roman fortlet on a track route. traced by survey work. This revealed some dating evidence - a coin of Nero’s Throughout the excavation week, His exploration of the eastern edge of the time and some Samian ware. A trackway computer-game designer Matt Clark Camel estuary showed that there were from the fort led to the Mulberry Down tin created 3D models of the trenches and open settlements at Porthilly, Trebetherick worked with volunteers to capture 3D mine and confirmed that the Romans were images of the some of The Hurlers’ with Daymer Bay as a likely landing site looking for tin as well as iron as this track stones. Matt was also responsible for leading to these settlements. Cart tracks passed over two iron lodes before project photography and blog posts and are still visible in the mud at low tide in reaching the Mulberry Down mine. these can all be viewed on the project Daymer Bay, whose 1.25m width fits with website www.readingthehurlers.co.uk those found in a Roman context at He spoke about the survey work at

Berkley, Glos. A combination of Restormel, particularly at the Manor with The excavation attracted hundreds of geophysics, Google earth and aerial visitors including history groups, dowsers, efforts to find a possible site of a harbour tourists and local families. Guided walks, photos show tracks leading to nearby St of the Roman period. Trial trenches in the led by Iain Rowe and Peter Crispin, Enodoc Church where there are signs of a area of the old river course revealed Civil War defences but as yet nothing of an believed to be buried in a cliff-top grave at surveying had been done. The earlier date. He didn’t feel that the fort at Pistol [Pistil] Meadow’ (Larn and Carter archaeologists apparently dismissed her Restormel was anything but small with 1969, 109) theory when they wrote that she had poor roads, only leading to mines and not “romanticised the event further.” However, used as marching roads with most Until the 1808 Act of Parliament requiring the search has not been abandoned; they transport being by water not road. bodies from wrecks to be buried in just think that the scale of the burials has consecrated ground, it was usual to bury been grossly exaggerated. In conclusion he felt that pre-invasion them in the nearest field or even on the there were already existing trading routes beach of their discovery. In 1848 I am grateful to Charles Johns (CAU) and to in this part of Cornwall and the C.A.Johns reported the tale that 200 Kevin Camidge (CISMAS) for allowing me Romans were happy to leave the local bodies had been buried in pits containing to draw on their Draft Conservation and tribes to continue with this trade under 10-30 corpses and traceable by mounds Management Plan for the site of “Royal minimal state control over the minerals in the meadow, which is in a valley, just Anne” for background information. and not need of a fort to pacify the locals. east of Lizard Point skirted by the Coastal Jenny Beale. Footpath. Wilkie Collins repeated Johns’s See also http://www.thisismast.org/pistil- claim in 1850 and said that the field was meadow-and-the-royal-anne.html The Bodies from “The Royal named because of the high number of pistols found in it. By1881 Mrs Craik had Greywacke, a personal discovery. Anne”. expanded this rumour to report that there were over 200 “foreign sailors” from a I had never known that the pebbles which The Royal Anne Galley was a Galley complement of 700, who were buried with were brought up from the beach in the frigate, a type of small, fast warship, Gwithian/North Cliffs area and used as combining sail with oar propulsion. Built at pistols in their hands. In 1948 J.C.Trewin tools by our Mesolithic ancestors were Woolwich Dockyard in 1709, she was wrote of pits containing between 20 and wrecked off Point in 1721; at 30 bodies. He claimed that the meadow described as greywacke. We featured least two hundred crew and passengers has an aura of queerness, pungent with them in the Hudder Field excavations were lost, including John, 3rd Lord seaweed and camomile. Ghost stories report printed in the October Newsletter. Belhaven, who was en voyage to take up were repeated and dogs were reported to (NL142) a new post as the Governor of Barbados. shun the coast path there, though there In September I visited the exhibition of were also claims that dogs had dug up the The wreck site was rediscovered in 1991 relicts at The British Museum of the bodies. This may have grown from reports and designated under the Protection of Egyptian sunken cities of the Nile Delta. that dogs had ravaged the bodies cast up Wrecks Act (1973) as the Royal Anne in Many of the great statues were made from on the beach below. Daphne du Maurier in 1993. Objects recovered from the seabed granodiorite or from basalt, but suddenly I 1967 decided that the mounds were included iron guns, and items of cutlery was stopped in my tracks. A statue which natural and that the burials were under a bearing the Belhaven crest, which led to looked straight from Disney stood almost small grove of “grotesquely shaped” the identification of the wreck. a metre high and shone polished black. It windswept willow trees, known as was not basalt, but greywacke. Taweret Guns from the wreck are on show in tamarisks. had a body and head of a hippopotamus, Penryn, on a wall at Tidal House – the limbs of a lion and tail of a crocodile. (Falmouth Divers), and in a garden at Her hanging dugs and plump belly Barripper, Camborne. connected her with fertility. The Journal reported, ‘Tuesday [30th June 1709] was launched at Woolwich the Royal Anne Galley, of a new invention under the direction of the Marquis of Carmarthen, carrying 40 guns, being the finest that was ever built.”

The tamarisk trees just above the beach. AFR.

National Trust approached the Maritime Archaeology Sea Trust (MAST) to locate the bodies. A geophysical survey by Paul Cheetham of Bournemouth University in November 2012 was repeated with different techniques in October 2014. Anomalies were identified which could have been large graves. In September

Pistil Meadow from the east. Photo AFR 2016 a team of diggers opened 5 trenches by hand, but found no mass graves or She was wrecked on the rocks off Lizard bodies. It is still possible that there are Point on 10 November 1721. ‘Two scattered individual graves to be found. hundred and seven members of the crew drowned in addition to her captain, all the It is also possible that Daphne du Maurier Taweret Courtesy BM. Greywacke. Dated to lieutenants, twenty-four gentlemen and was right about the burials being under 664-525BC. Lord Belhaven. Most of the bodies are the tamarisk trees, where no geophysical Book Review: “Cornwall’s First Golden Cornish saints only through respect for the publications and is often more concerned Age: From Arthur to the Normans.” culture. Bernard Deacon claims that he with discussing and criticising the Bernard Deacon pub by Francis Boutle. did not grab Cornwall for England, but that secondary sources then taking us to the ISBN 978 0 99344 4 7 £14.99. the conquest was not completed until King primary sources. Archaeology is primarily Edgar in the 960s made many land grants. about the primary sources, offering When he retired from lecturing at Exeter artefacts rather than paper texts, which is University and the Institute of Cornish The fact that there are only 3 historical what makes it so fascinating to CAS Studies Bernard Deacon decided to read references to Kings in the South West in members. There is always more to outside his period of usual research, this period (Constantine 530 Gerent 690 discover and to add to the archives of Cornwall in the Industrial Age, which he and Dungarth 875) is explained by the data. I enjoyed this book and will return to had argued was its golden age. He soon lack of heroic literature and that in itself it as background to the post-Roman found that the published research on the suggests that there was not a line of great Cornwall which is being revealed by post Roman/early medieval period was kings to commission the bards, but a archaeology season by season. being better informed by discoveries in number of local chieftains who offered archaeology with little or no chance of allegiance to a suitable war leader from “The ” Paul Williams. discovering more historical texts. His book amongst their number when the need ISBN978 1533177964. sets out to reinterpret the known historical arose. Bernard Deacon cites Peter references, which he felt had been only Herring and Anne Preston-Jones amongst Professor Paul Williams, a CAS member, defined by Anglo-centric commentators, in other archaeologists to support his was brought up with the polluted valley of the light of published archaeological description of Cornubia being made up of the Red River from Bolenowe to Gwithian discoveries. isolated villages and small settlements as his playground. His family saw beyond without major towns and his belief that the the pollution to take an interest in the He explains that there were 3 Arthurs. coast was more important than the inland. industrial and natural history of the area. One from the myths of Wales, an heroic, Much of it now is preserved as a site of superhuman. The second was the special scientific interest and is open to chivalric figure described by Geoffrey of the public though little remains of the tin Monmouth. The third existed only for a streams along the valley. Paul’s narrative, few years when historians in the 1970s which takes us through the prehistoric and suggested that Arthur was at least based medieval remains, is liberally illustrated by upon an historical figure, though different photographs from various archives and Celtic areas claimed him for their own. from his own and his father’s collections. It Some of these people followed Henry is worth reading for these unique Jenner in suggesting that Arthur had lived, photographs alone. Paul also describes was not dead and would rise again to lead the famous people who lived in the valley, a kind of Celtic exit from the UK and including the poet, John Harris, the possibly into Heaven itself! Bernard’s last novelist, W.J.Burley, who wrote the chapter returns to how a Cornish identity Wycliffe detective mysteries, and was re-invented in the 19th and 20th scientists, Frank and Stella Turk. centuries through the Arthur myth. The book may be purchased through He deals with Dumnonia in the post- Amazon. Roman period in a thought challenging King Doniert’s Stone, St Cleer. Memorial to https://www.createspace.com/6264639 way. Obviously Exeter was the King Dungarth who drowned in 875. administrative centre during the Roman Preserved in the Peat: an Extraordinary period, but it soon became a neglected One of the strengths of this book for me Bronze Age Burial on Whitehorse Hill, country town. Cornwall (Cornubia) was not was how the writer describes and refers to Dartmoor, and its Wider Context to be seen as the rump left over from a the contemporary Welsh and Breton [Hardback] £30. Oxbow Books. ISBN rapidly dwindling Celtic province, but as literature and social structures to contrast 9781785702600 Andy M. Jones an area of great importance because of with or to echo his ideas on life in the tin trade with the post Roman Empire Cornwall. Like all good books it makes You may remember Andy’s lecture last through Tintagel. The families who you want to cast out and read more for year and the amazing exhibition at controlled the 6th century trade and yourself. He uses the histories of Wales Museum. The burial with the distributed their imported wealth and Brittany to argue that Cornwall was beads and the wooden discs and the influenced a “Greater Cornubia” which not immediately assimilated into England bundle wrapped in brown bear pelt surely pushed its boundary beyond the Tamar to after the Battle of Hingston Down in 838, remains in your memory. Alex Gibson the Exe. In the 690s Abbot Aldhelm wrote but that the culture continued through the reviewed it for The Prehistoric Society. to King Gerent of the Western Realm and language and social attitudes with visited Cornubia/Cornwall. By the 700s different stages of overlordship. He cites Dumnonia described only Devon. the Prophecies of Merlin, written by John of Cornwall in the 1150s as evidence of Athelstan, who ruled from 924 to strong Cornish cultural identity after the 939, is re-assed by the fact that he only Norman invasion. gave one land grant within Cornwall, at . Some historians had seen him as There is a complete index and a full the hammer of the Cornish while others bibliography as one would expect from an academic historian. However, he is not up suggested that he purloined the relics of Whitehorse Hill finds. Photo Gary Young. to date with his archaeological "Jones has assembled an impressive Clowance and a recollection of St Piran’s Gernyk, Leedstown, Hayle, Kernow TR27 group of specialists to deal with the Day parade/play over the dunes at GPA. Alan M. Kent complexities of the cist contents and the where for once the Cornish wealth of organic and other data… are ‘free as air’. Woods and tree remain a The Petrie Museum, University Occasionally there are archaeological constant theme in her work – as in the College London. Bryony Smerdon. finds that leave us in awe and seriously poem ‘Great Trees of Cornwall’ which affect our understanding of prehistory – evokes their timelessness over times of During my undergraduate degree at UCL, Ötzi the iceman, the salt-preserved great change and transition. Indeed, it is I volunteered on a weekly basis at the artefacts from Hallstatt. The Whitehorse the natural world that seems to give the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology. Hill cist is one of those finds." poet most of her inspiration and love of The museum was founded in 1892 life. On this theme, the poems include through the bequest of Amelia Edwards (a Ann Trevenen Jenkin “Kylghyow Nefra ‘Godolphin Wood in the Spring’ and an writer and Egyptologist), and further Digressya / Ever Decreasing Circles” entire sequence devoted to the seasons at expanded in 1913 when Flinders Petrie Noonvares Press 2016 £7.50 Godolphin. The landscape here is where sold his assemblage of Near Eastern the poet seems to feel most at home. The objects to the university. In total, the This is a new collection of poetry in both symbolism here goes back a long way of Petrie Museum today contains over Cornish and English by one of Cornwall’s course for Godolphin House was home to 80,000 artefacts, representing one of the leading female poets of the modern Sidney Godolphin (b.1610) – one of largest collections of Egyptian and period. Trevenen Jenkin (b.1930) needs Cornwall’s most successful Renaissance Sudanese material outside of the Middle no introduction to most people in poets. Cornwall. An activist for women East. The collection feels very much like a everywhere, she not only pioneered the Modernity however, is also considered. Victorian curiosity cabinet, and is home to foundation of Mebyon Kernow in Cornwall There are the ironies of existence in both many record-breaking treasures such as but went on to become the Cornish Cornwall and London, and of travel in the the magnificent Tarkhan Dress. Dating to Gorsedd’s first female Grand Bard – a modern world. As in her previous volumes the late fourth millennium BC, it is the ground-breaking position within the Celtic the Celtic world is considered. Here there world’s oldest woven garment. territories. are travels to Connemara’s ‘dark mountains’ and ‘Kylemore Abbey’. There She has, over the past two decades, is also a more imagist style of writing in assembled much of her verse into to ‘How to Try to Do Nothing’ where the poet previous collections – Gwel Kernow [A explores a day spent in Dungarven waiting Cornish View] in 1997 and Crygyan for a car to be repaired. Those of the Kernow Ogas ha Pell [Cornish Ripples south-west Britain who have ever spent Near and Far] in 2005. Her third collection time on Brittany Ferries will also develops the central themes of those appreciate the two poems which recall the earlier volumes in new ways. Trevenen poet’s journey upon those ships going Jenkin’s poetry is motivated by a love of forth to Brittany. her homeland, and of course, the way in which the Cornish have activated In the next quarter of the volume Cornwall themselves globally. She has seen many and family are considered again. There is of the changes in the way in which a striking poem based on Godrevy Cornish identity has changed over her Lighthouse and another on her ‘Cornish The Tarkhan dress, courtesy UCL. lifetime – from being a tiny resistance Family’. Other poems here examine the movement to what is now recognised as a importance of grandchildren and family in There is quite a romantic story attached to ‘national minority’. In the same period, the the poet’s life. In the final quarter of the the discovery and conservation of the – in which Trevenen book, more distant horizons are Turkhan Dress. Unlike most Egyptologists Jenkin writes several of her poems here considered. There are ventures to of his day, Flinders Petrie preserved has also seen great increases in Australia and an observation of a meeting artefacts and material that could illuminate awareness of numbers of speakers. She of the European Parliament. In poems the daily life of ancient Egyptians. This has been a founding member in the such as ‘Song of Spain’ there is an filthy, muddy bundle of linen from a tomb success of that literature – not only in evocative sense of place and an excavated in 1912 was rediscovered in developing it in volumes such as this but identification in Cadiz with a ‘jumble of the museum in 1977and handed to Sheila also activating the Holyer an Gof annual houses’. The volumes comes up to date Landi, the textile conservator at the V and literary award. with a celebratory poem considering Will A, who unearthed a small, long sleeved Coleman’s dramatic ‘The Man Engine’ dress with pleated sleeves and bodice, in The opening poem in this collection sets which toured Cornwall in 2016. the agenda. The title of this is derived remarkable condition. The hem is missing, so its length is unknown, but it would have from her earlier volume (Cornish Ripples) Cornwall does not have many truly fitted a young teenager or slim woman. It and her she catalogues the places where Cornish female poets. Ann Trevenen is at least 4,500 years old. It is so much the Cornish ended up across the globe. Jenkin is among the best. This is a very more dramatic to see a garment worn in However, it is to the ‘stone-fast country’ of important volume in collecting and life than the inevitable mummy bandages. Cornwall that she returns. This metaphor celebrating her skill as a poet. “Kylghyow is continued throughout the collection but Nefra Digressya / Ever Decreasing is is explored in a number of dynamic Circles” is in all good bookshops and is Initially I helped front of house in the ways. There is a beautiful pastoral available via post. To order send a cheque museum whenever I was needed. Some consideration of the woodlands at for £7.50 to Ann Trevenen Jenkin, An of my jobs included welcoming visitors, cleaning, setting up chairs and tables or 1980s when the surveys began. His team factories – new work on the sourcing of serving drinks at events, tasks which I had to devise techniques to counter the Neolithic stone axes in Cornwall’ by the undertook with a level of enthusiasm that overgrowth of bracken and gorse and to speaker together with Andy Jones and only a fresher could muster. One best record the field boundaries and Roger Taylor will be published April 2017 particularly fond memory I have of this settlements. By the 1990s the area was in a volume of tribute papers for the late time comes from a film night held at the recognised as a special place and Fiona Roe in Ruth Shaffrey (ed) Written in museum, when I spent the evening different protections were introduced. The Stone. Papers on the function, form and watching Xena: Warrior Princess from the current danger to the sites is from provenancing of prehistoric stone objects back of the gallery, surrounded by ancient overgrowth and thoughtless farming by in memory of Fiona Roe (Highfield Press) stelae and pottery, wine in hand. I contractors. All this is described in remember the museum seeming so Chapter 2 of the book. New light on inscribed stones in mysterious and captivating, and knew I west Cornwall. Tom Goskar. would be hooked for life. Andy Jones summarised Chapter 5 as he took us through the prehistoric ritual Tom explained how his photogrammetry The Petrie Museum quickly became like a landscapes of the area. Jacqueline could give a 3D effect of stone surfaces second home to me, and by proving Nowakowski described the range of and clarify images of markings declared myself as an eager and dutiful assistant, I prehistoric settlement types and field illegible, such as the Penzance Market earnt the right to go “behind the scenes”. which are detailed in Chapter 6 and 7. Cross at Penlee House. His image In my subsequent role as a research challenged Charles Thomas’s Peter Herring explained in his chapters 8 volunteer I was able to explore the interpretation of the lettering. He found the and 9 how continuity and settlement had immense archives of the museum, letter I doubtful, F may be C to read CPU grown from the prehistoric into the modern studying unpublished maps, photographs, not FPU. period with its “land of hamlets”. hand-written letters, excavation records In Tom’s opinion the lichen on the and even the personal journals of Petrie Adam Sharpe revealed how mining had Cunaide stone was accelerating its himself. I also became involved with affected the landscape and the deterioration. He suggested the stone in Artefacts of Excavation, a research project settlements. Each speaker gave detailed Madron Church could be FILIUS not aimed at tracing the global destinations of case studies in their summaries and in the FILIA. The strange addition of NI over the objects excavated by British teams in chapters. Egypt between 1880 and 1980. name SELUS in St Just church could be a correction and should read SELNIUS SIC Coincidentally, this project brought me The afternoon session brought related IACET. right back to Cornwall, where a number of reports and up to date information from Egyptian artefacts still reside in the Royal work in Penwith. Cornwall Museum. Recent Work on sourcing Cornish greenstone axes. Henrietta Quinnell

Traditional petrological work assigned greenstone stone axes to nine discrete Groups or sub-Groups in Cornwall, but more recently this tidy interpretation of Bryony working on the archives. neat axe factories has been queried by authorities such as Peter Berridge and Mik The Petrie Museum is a must-visit for Markham. There have been two recent Egyptologists, archaeologists, studies which have followed this up in anthropologists and historians alike, practical ways. First there was although leave plenty of time to explore examination of one assemblage at Clodgy this veritable Aladdin’s cave. Look out for in the Mount’s Bay area, where unfinished my personal favourite artefact: UC 7393 axes of the largest Group I were found to (simply labelled as a copper implement of be of a varied petrology and had been doubtful purpose!). pecked or ground into shape from cobbles or surface fragments. Second there were Archaeology in Cornwall similar varied results from a review of the Conference, Penzance 26th suggested Group XVI source, Viaduct November 2016. Farm near Camborne. Group XVI was the principal identifiable greenstone used at The purpose of the Conference was to Carn Brea, the Neolithic tor enclosure. launch “Archaeology and Landscape at Both studies suggested the use of cobbles the Land’s End, Cornwall. The West from broad areas as the material for axes. Penwith Surveys.” Grouped Cornish greenstones appear to indicate broad areas for sourced material, Nicholas Johnson opened the rather than specific locations, and all the Compare proceedings and gave the first talk, in definitions of the Cornish axe Groups the ChiRho monogram on the Selus stone which he described how serious the threat need re-examination. A study entitled with the one from Phillack Church on to the archaeology of the area was in the ‘Cornish axe groupings, not Cornish axe Page 6.The hook of the P is almost closed the Ictis described by Diodorus Siculus collect it, while a personal hoard may be and the cross is + rather than x. who quoted Pytheas the geographer who hidden for private reasons, such as stolen visited Penwith around 300BC. booty, and a votive hoard is an offering to He and Prof Michelle Brown are working the Gods. The razor has clear inundation on the lettering of the Boslow Cross, “The people of the promontory of Britain from compression, which may indicate below. called Belerion are friendly to strangers that it was destroyed for a votive reason. It and from their contact with foreign was certainly deliberate destruction. merchants are civilised in their way of life. They carefully work the ground from which The ingots are very granular in nature, so they extract the tin. It is rocky but contains the drilled core gave a different analysis earthy veins, the produce of which they than the slice from its surface. It was grind down, smelt and purify. The metal is mostly copper with traces of iron and of then beaten into ingots shaped like zinc. The levels of zinc were relatively astragali and carried to a certain island off high and the ingot could have been from the coast of Britain which is called Ictis. the Shropshire/Powys border. It could During the ebb of the tide, the intervening have been from Cornwall, but there is not space is left dry and they carry the tin, in enough data from Cornwall to make an abundance, over to this island in their accurate comparison. Tin is very rare in wagons. Here then, the merchants buy Europe, so there must have been trade in the tin from the natives and carry it over to this commodity, but what was it swopped Gaul and, after travelling overland for for? about 30 days, they finally bring their loads on horseback to the mouth of the There was evidence of casting jets which Rhone.” had been knocked off the axes after their removal from moulds. The founder’s hoard had been discovered Photo AFR. . in a niche in the garden in July 2009. (See Jim Parry and NT plan more research on NL 126 June 2011.) A founder’s hoard the Mount. Tom showed us his 3D depictions of the contains scrap metal and cakes of metal cross base at Gulval Church, which had for use in making new tools. There was no The Work of CASPN. David been featured in our Newsletter evidence of a bag; the environment Giddings. denied preservation of organic remains. David described how a group of pagans met in 2000 to form the Cornish Ancient Sites Protection Network. They were concerned at the damage caused to ancient monuments by people digging to “plant” crystals and tying non-perishable material to tree limbs over holy wells. The assumption that ancient sites are on freely accessible land led to extreme actions, such as the deposit of an unauthorised memorial seat at Boscawen-un stone circle. Metal detectorists were illegally Photo courtesy NT. visiting sites and lifting turf. Many sites were being drowned under gorse and Jim reported the findings of expert bracken. Tom pointed out that the 19th century analysis of the pieces themselves. There photograph by Gibson of the Blue Bridge was a bag shaped hilt fragment to FOCAS, the active arm of CASPN, stone at Gulval showed it clean of moss, accommodate the tip of a sword. A organises clear-ups and stone tables set but it was now covered. Wayside crosses socketed bronze axe was from South at sites remind visitors of how precious were vulnerable to collision from traffic, so Wales and relatively rare for this area. It they are and give a phone number to it was our duty to record them in detail. had not been used. Another unused axe report damage. Members “adopt” sites had been miscast. There were fragments and visit them regularly. Monthly clear-ups Tom publishes his research online at of axes, a piece of a cauldron, a razor, a with hand tools visit sites such as Bodrifty, http://tom.goskar.com/ hog’s back knife, rounded rather than Caer Bran and Tregeseal. They look after triangular in shape, and the head of a 50 sites and feed regular monitoring The St Michael’s Mount Hoard, chisel. The belt buckle, so like ones used sheets to HES. They actually manage th Jim Parry. in the mid-20 century with its teeth some sites, such as the Men-an-tol and designed to bite into the leather belt, is even own Lesingey Round. Jim introduced his talk with a brief unique in the world! It has pins and incised prehistory of the Mount. It had been decoration. The chevron design is similar The “Pathways to the Past” weekend of surrounded by a now submerged forest to that used on artefacts from Whitehorse walks is the main fundraiser for FOCAS. which disappeared some 2,000 years ago. Hill and from a site in Kent. See the flyers with this Newsletter. There It could have been a Neolithic tor is a Facebook group, C.A.S.P.N. (Cornish A founder’s hoard was probably deposited enclosure like Trencrom and was possibly Ancient Sites Protection Network). by a merchant who hoped to return to taet vera. The cross inscribed into the The Save Penwith Moors pressure group southern face is much clearer to see. had won their legal battle to prevent the moorland being grazed, so much As we progressed along the lane David archaeology is lost to view. explained how the moorland had been made into small fields in the 19th century At the tor David showed us the ring of and pointed out the farmhouses and small stones at its base and two examples of byres, now in ruins, on the way. Our next propped stones. He had hunted out this stop was at the line of 5 enigmatic holed order of monument around Penwith after stones, 4 lie roughly east –west in a line Tony Blackman and Peter Herring had while the 5th is separated to the north. first identified it on Bodmin Moor at New Year’s Day Tony Blackman They have been bored from both sides Leskernick. Discussion at this point Memorial Walk. 2017. and bevelled. David’s suspicion is that allowed us to reminisce fondly of our past they are comparatively modern and President and his enthusiasms Just to show that CAS is capable of associated with mining, but there is no joined-up thinking David Giddings chose evidence of streaming or mining in their to lead us to the Boslow Cross, which he immediate vicinity. called the Vena Cross, and to other sites protected and kept clear by CASPN. From our car park at the North Road to Pendeen we could see across Woon Gumpus to Chun Quoit on one hill to the north east and the tall Boswens Menhir on another. But we walked towards the south and Truthwell and Carnyorth Commons. CASPN had cleared a ring cairn with a cist at its centre which had been looted and survived only because the farmer had decided not to include that small piece of rough land within his new field system. We Stone 5. Photo Millie Holman. thought of Nick Johnson’s comments on A few strides on is a line of three cairns the destruction of the Penwith Moors in with a 4th to the north of them. Like the the 20th century. (See above Archaeology one at the beginning of our walk they in Cornwall.) contained central cists, but were in better condition as proper mounds. The Boslow Cross illustrated a more modern threat to the site. It sits in the lane Close by was Tregeseal Stone Circle, approach to the farm and vehicles had known as the Nine Maidens. A second been driving either side of it and too close circle to the west of the extant one had to it and without doubt had destroyed the been destroyed since Borlase recorded it edge of the mound it sat in. David had in the 18th century. The extant (eastern) reported the threat in his role as one has been restored after tin stream Monument Watch representative for workings cleared some of the stones on After walking back to the cars nine of us Penwith and Ann Preston-Jones, the its western circumfrence. There may have drove to Botallack for a very welcome hot Historic England Monuments at Risk been 21 stones originally, now 19. David lunch. Officer, had persuaded the farmer to drive showed us one stone built into the hedge on only one side and to give more space Thank you, David. Again your enthusiasm which may have come from the western to the cross mound. The ruts in the and knowledge of Penwith’s archaeology circle. (See page two of this NL for further unused route were now growing over. gave us all a good day, even in the comments on the circle.) showery moments.

Photos, unless otherwise credited, and report by Adrian Rodda.

Cornish Crosses: Understanding the Evidence with Andrew Langdon.

Boslow Cross with ruts either side. Craig Cornwall has over 600 medieval stone Weatherhill. crosses and fragments from the late 9th

The inscription on the stone is very difficult Tregeseal Circle with Carn Kenidjack on the century through to the Reformation. This to decipher, but David provided us with a skyline. Photo Millie Holman. fascinating course will introduce you to drawing from the Victoria County History these iconic and rustic monuments. which suggested taet vena. This could The path towards Carn Kenidjack took us Explore their age and original function and have been a name. Another reading is past Bronze Age round houses, now the reason for their places at Church sites completely covered by furze and bracken. and throughout the Cornish landscape. Discover how the decoration on crosses stones in the inner ring and 11 stones Circle are smaller and cruder than those in can be linked to geographical groups and were exposed from a possible outer ring. the South Circle. According to the UCL different parochial styles in the Duchy. team who excavated there in 2004 the off- centre whalestone in the North Circle may have been rotated on its axis by 90 Andrew is running a 7 week two hour degrees from its earth-fast position and if course at both Penzance and Bodmin and it was standing it would have been at the 2 guided walks for the WEA. centre of the circle, which was a true peg and line circle with an internal diameter of Bodmin: Wednesdays (7) 1st March to 21m (70ft). 26th April 2017 (No class 5th and 12th April) Between 7pm and 9pm. St Petroc’s Parish The stone row contained a possible cist. Centre, Priory Road, Bodmin PL31 2DL. They discovered that the stone rows either Cost £52. Course Reference: C3528147. side of the tinner’s gulley do not lie in a straight line and may have been on two Penzance: Wednesdays (7) 1st March to different alignments. 26th April 2017. (No class 5th and 12th April) Between 2pm and 4pm. Penlee House, Penlee Park, Penzance. TR18 4HE. Cost £52. Course Reference: C3528152. Craddock Moor Circle (SX 2486 7183) near Minions. Peter Castle, Colin Green Cornish Cross Explorers. and Jacqui Rukin joined Roy on this project in October 2015. Walk 1: Cardinham and Lanivet. Wednesday 10th May. 2pm-4pm. Meet The site is 1km north west of the Hurlers Cardinham Church. Cost £7.50 Course and difficult to find, being on land that reference: C3528153 slopes away from the footpath. Sixteen recumbent stones were visible, but light spiking between them revealed some Walk 2: West Cornwall. (Hayle Area) th sunken stones, either whole or broken up, Thursday 25 May 10.30am to 4.30pm. just below the surface of the peaty soil. Meet Phillack Church. Cost £25.00 Once exposed it was seen that some had Course reference: C3528154 been drilled and split and one smashed into 3 pieces. It was therefore impossible The South Circle had 27 stones and a For all the above courses: to confirm the original dimensions of all possible cist at its edge. Enquiries: email the stones. [email protected] Phone 01872 320036 Office WEA 47 Lemon Street, Truro TR1 2NS.

Enrolments: Online www.wea.org.uk Phone 01392 457300.

The Timeseekers activities on Bodmin Moor.

The Timeseekers, led by Roy Goutte, is a group of amateur archaeologists who have received permission from Natural England, Historic England and all the moorland stakeholders to expose the The full report and photographs can be recumbent and peat buried stone circles found on The Heritage Trust website. on the moor. They began with the circle of https://theheritagetrust.wordpress.com. mostly fallen stones at Louden Hill They were able to confirm that there were at least 23 stones in a true peg and line (SX132798) in December 2014. Susan I am very pleased to report briefly on the drawn circle with a diameter of 128 feet. Hockey and Peter Castle made up the work of amateur archaeologists in my final There were gaps where stones may have team for this project. Newsletter. Good Luck to Peter Nicholas been removed and only a proper who has offered to keep the publication excavation for the stone sockets will They were surprised to find no more going until a new editor is found from our confirm the true number of stones, stones than those already recorded by members. I made my goodbyes in NL 141. assuming that they were erected. Without John Barnatt as they were only an inch or Adrian Rodda. digging for the sockets it was impossible two under the surface. They did reveal two centre stones not recorded before, which to ascertain which direction the stones had fallen in. lie on a line running through the circle Membership fees are due on the 1st of centre. It is not a true circle but appears to be made up of nine straight sections Roy and his team of Jacqui Rukin, Stuart January each year. Payment may be forming a nonagon rather than being laid Dow, Elizabeth Dale and Colin Green made by Paypal through the website, by out with a central peg and line. North to moved on to tackle the almost invisible cheque to the membership Secretary, south the diameter is 45m and 42.5m east stone row and two circles at Leskernick. to west. There were 36, possibly 37, They had all suffered from the attentions address in the Contacts box below, or by of stone cutters. The stones of the North standing order. The fees remain at £25 single, £28 for 2 people at one address enjoy the effects seen from the great JULY 23 BOSCAWEN-ȖN CIRCLE who only receive 1 journal. summit cairns. Roughtor is to the o/s 4122 2736 Meet by A30 2pm north. Down the W side via a small AUGUST 20 NINE MAIDENS mine and a strange open-ended CAS Field Trips and BARROWS o/s 433 353 Meet at Events. enclosure. and Ding Dong mine 2pm Colliford Lake reservoir will provide watery edges to the north and west of Members joining these walks must SEPTEMBER 17 BOSULLOW the world experienced. Bring lunch, TREHYLLIS o/s 409 342 Meet by the ensure that they are appropriately wear stout walking boots and a layer gate near settlement 2pm dressed and equipped for the terrain of clothing extra to what you may and the weather conditions likely to be OCTOBER 15 BODRIFTY expect you need encountered. You should assure . SETTLEMENT o/s 455 353 Meet at yourself that you are physically able to end of road from Newmill 2pm Joint DAS/CAS Symposium meet any challenges which the walk NOVEMBER 12 LESINGEY ROUND may entail and should discuss with The next symposium will be o/s 453 304 Meet in Lesingey lane the walk leader, prior to the start of 2pm the walk, any circumstances or held at Tavistock on Saturday December 2nd 2017. conditions which might be relevant. Lizard Ancient Sites Network This will be organized by the LAN Clear-ups 2017 The Society is concerned for your Devon Archaeological Society welfare, but it is not responsible for it. on The Early Medieval Tue Feb 7- 3 Brothers of Grugwith Archaeology of South West Britain. Tue March 7 – Kynance Gate Sunday February 19th 2017 - 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Tue April 4 – Polcoverack The programme will be sent out Exploring the Archaeology of Gear with the May newsletter. SAVE Tue May 2 – Kynance Gate & Penhale Sands with Colin THE DATE. Retallick (St Piran Trust). Meet at Start time is 11 o’clock; further the 'dog walkers' parking area (SW Cornwall Ancient Sites information can be found on the LAN 768 548) on the right hand side only, Protection Network. CASPN Facebook site or by contacting Bart 50 metres inside entrance to Perran O’Farrell at [email protected] Sands Holiday Park. Suitable clothing or Telephone no 01326-281139. West Penwith Site Clear-ups & footwear to be worn bearing in mind there will be no shelter. Terrain will 2017 Clear-ups programme be mostly grassy paths, but with some All on Sundays at 2pm (except for Fri CAS Journals BIG SALE!!! off piste. Picnic lunch at the ruins of Apr 14th) the old church. We shall see We have copies of the JAN 15 SANCREED WELL o/s 4180 prospecting pits, shafts, medieval field following journals to sell 2935. Meet at the well 2pm systems, boundstones, possible bomb at £1.00 a time. craters, rifle range, decoy airfield, old church, St Piran's Oratory and FEB 19 MADRON WELL AND cemeteries. BAPTISTRY o/s 4465 3280 Meet in CA 35. CA 37-38. CA 39-40. car park 2pm CA 43-44. CA 45. CA 46. th Sunday 19 March at 11.00am. CA 47. CA 48-49. CA 50. MARCH 19 MULFRA COURTYARD Brown Gelly with Peter Herring. CA 51. HOUSES o/s 4539 3496 Meet at

Brown Gelly, the giant of the central Mulfra farm 2pm You can buy at Truro moors: noted for its beautiful arc of APRIL 14 [Good Friday] FENTON massive Bronze Age cairns, but lectures or send £4.00 BEBIBELL o/s 4296 3520 Meet at cheque made out to containing plenty more besides. Much Mên-an-Tol layby 11am Cornwall Archaeological of the story of Cornwall can be told on this great lump of a hill. APRIL 23 SPERRIS QUOIT o/s 4709 Society to have them Meet at the bend in the Bunning's 3826 Meet at Footpath near Eagles posted to you by Adrian

Park road N of Whitebarrow Downs Nest, Zennor 2pm Rodda. See contacts box at SX 186713. Along a permissive for address to which to MAY 21 PORTHERAS COMMON path through Lord's Park Farm to the BARROW o/s 3914 3327 Meet at send the cheque. lower slopes of Brown Gelly. Around North Road car park 2pm to E side to see prehistoric round houses, transhumance huts and later JUNE 18 TREGESEAL STONE medieval longhouses, strip fields and CIRCLE o/s 3866 3238 Park in lane tin streamworks before climbing to the meet at the circle 2pm hill's southern tor in order to best Truro Winter Lectures Monuments, the administration of the Church Street, Scheduled Monument Consent, advising 2017. planning authorities on applications PL14 3AD affecting Scheduled Monuments and other Thursday evenings at nationally important archaeological sites, Please note that this and working with others at Historic 7.30pm. Truro Baptist England to address risks to Scheduled series will take place in Church, Chapel Hill, Monuments and research their the LOWER HALL. significance. Truro. TR1 3BD. 9th March 2017. 6 January 2017 12 January 2017 Pip Richards and the Members and Area Reps Members and Area Reps Sustainable Trust: a Evening. evening. The topics and speakers celebration of her work. will be published on the website. 3 February 2017. Jacqueline Nowakowski and Great Halls of Fire: 9 February 2017 others. excavations at Restormal Discoveries and Castle. Sean Taylor, (CAU). developments in Cornwall: an English Heritage perspective. A programme of archaeological work Susan Greaney, English at Restormal Castle was undertaken Heritage. in response to the installation of a new admission building and The past few years have seen research associated infrastructure. The work and presentation projects at several revealed details of structures within guardianship sites in Cornwall. The talk the bailey surrounding the castle, as will be an opportunity to hear about the well as recovering finds of the period. 2016 archaeological excavations at Tintagel and our plans for the research 10 March 2017. Reading project there over the next few years. It will also cover the results of research the Hurlers – the story so far. focused on Chysauster ancient village, Pip shows Dan Snow details of the Carwynnen Emma Stockley. particularly new earthwork and project after winning the CBA award for best community project 2014.(Photo Brett Archer.) geophysical survey at the site, new pottery An update on the continuing project analysis and extensive archive research. Reading the Hurlers, following the There will also be an update on the latest lecture given on 11th March 2016 and development plans for Pendennis Castle the excavation which took place in and work at some of our free and September 2016. As well as a report unstaffed properties too. on the excavation, the lecture will Curating the Schedule. The include an overview of the project work of the Ancient findings to date and an update on the community engagement elements of Monuments Inspectors. Dan the project. Ratcliffe, (Historic England) Pip was awarded the title of Heritage Champion by CHT for her work at Carwynnen.(Photo CONTACTS: Historic England is the new name for the CHT) Historic Buildings and Monuments th Secretary: Sophie Mayer, Commision for England, which continues Saturday 8 April 2017 AGM. [email protected]; to act as the Government’s heritage Charles Thomas: his life and agency following the licensing of publicly Membership secretary: Konstanze Rahn works. Henrietta Quinnell and [email protected]; opened National Heritage Collection sites to the new charitable “English Heritage Andy Jones. Newsletter: Peter Nicholas. Trust”. The Ancient Monument Inspectors [email protected] are responsible for the 1979 Ancient Liskeard Winter Lectures Monument and Archaeological Areas Act, Journal distribution: Adrian Rodda. including monitoring and responding to Friday evenings 7.30pm [email protected] unauthorised works at Scheduled St Martins Church Hall, Our postal address is now:

Cornwall Archaeological Society, c/o Royal Cornwall Museum, River St, Truro, Cornwall TR1 2SJ.

Please use when contacting any of the officers.

Website: www.cornisharchaeology.org.uk