supported by the Archaeology Issue 1 April 2001

elcome to the first Inside this issue... WArchaeology newsletter put together by South Gloucestershire Council. ◗ The Romans in Bradley Stoke! page 4 We intend to produce two a year to keep people in touch with ◗ Museums & Galleries Month 2001 page 6 current archaeological issues, be they talks, exhibitions, current excavations or finds within the a rea. We also hope that the Projects in South newsletter can be used as a forum Gloucestershire for thoughts on archaeology and for questions relating to The Thornbury Walls Project a rchaeological matters. If you Co-ordinated by Paul Wildgoose want to get in touch, why not drop a line to Richard Osgood – we’ll try to include some of your letters in future issues.

The Council’s Archaeological Resources South Gloucestershire Council has several archaeological officers, based at the Council Offices in Kingswood. Planning Enquiries are checked to make sure that they will not affect One of the Thornbury walls important archaeological sites and a record of

all finds and monuments is kept in the Sites The survey of the surviving stone walls which and Monuments Record (SMR). The officer in define the land allotment within the historic charge of the SMR, David Evans, is featured in Borough of Thornbury (1252 AD) is continuing. this issue of the Newsletter. Members of the The team, led by Anne Ellis can often be seen general public interested in archaeology and measuring and photographing, not only the wanting to know what is present in the region town wall, but also the considerable number of can make use of the SMR. Contact David Evans burgage plot walls which date back to the (01454 863649) if you’re interested. borough’s medieval origins. The Council is also keen to promote its archae- ology as much as possible to local schools, If you can give some help to the groups and individuals – if you can think of project, please contact the Museum: Tel: 01454 857774 or email: ways we can accomplish this, phone Richard [email protected] Osgood (01454 864679).

A HALF YEARLY NEWSLETTER PRODUCED BY SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE COUNCIL 1 “Finds Spot”

The gold of the Dobunni

Philip de Jersey (Institute of Archaeology, University of Oxford)

If you’re lucky enough to find a gold coin in the triple-tailed horse, with a wheel below; above Bristol/South Gloucestershire area - whether it is the inscription, the only element which y o u ’ re working on an archaeological changes significantly. Other names found on excavation, metal detecting or just out walking the coins include Anted, Eisv, Comvx and Corio. the dog across a field - there’s a fair chance it Despite many years of work by archaeologists might look like the coin shown here. This is a and numismatists on this subject, there are still gold “stater” of the Dobunni, basic questions to be the tribe who occupied the answered about these rulers: Bristol area in the late Iron their relationships to one Age. From roughly the a n o t h e r, for example, or middle of the first century whether some of them may BC, they produced a distinc- have ruled different parts of tive range of gold and silver the Dobunnic territory coinage, often inscribed with simultaneously. In this case, names which pre s u m a b l y the distribution of the coins refer to their leaders: in this of Catti suggests that he case someone going by the might only have ruled the gold stater name of Catti. northern part of the region.

The gold coinage of the Dobunni didn’t change In all some three hundred gold staters of the v e ry much throughout most of its ninety Dobunni are now recorded. That’s quite a small or so years of production, before the Roman number to work on, and those of us who study conquest in 43 AD. Almost every type features the Iron Age and particularly its coinage would this strange branch emblem on one side. Is it a like to see more. So do keep your eyes open tree, or might it be intended to represent a for one of these next time you’re out in the ribcage? Whatever the case, the fact that it c o u n t ryside, or even digging up the back appears on most of their gold coinage garden: a very similar coin was found in a suggests that it was of some importance to garden on Warmley Hill in Kingswood in 1964, the Dobunni. The other side of the coin was so it can happen! equally unchanging. The importance of the Philip de Jersey is an acknowledged expert on horse to Iron Age society is well-known, and on Iron Age coinage and Keeper of the Celtic Coin this coin we have a stylised representation of a Index in Oxford.

Your Say South Gloucestershire Council welcomes comments on this newsletter and on archaeology matters in general. If you have a suggestion, query, story or find, then let us know!

2 Events South Gloucestershire Archaeology in the News Richard Osgood, the Archaeology Promotion It has been a busy period for Officer for South Gloucestershire Council will the region’s archaeology as far be speaking about his excavations with BBC2’s as coverage on National televi- “Meet the Ancestors” in “The Dead of sion is concerned! Both BBC2s rd Tormarton”. The lecture will be on Tuesday 3 “Meet the Ancestors” and April 2001 at 19:30 in the Cosham Hall in Channel 4’s “Time Team” visited excavation Thornbury. For further details, contact Mel sites in South Gloucestershire for their recent Barnett at Thornbury Museum for details: Tel series. 01454 857774 The Time Team programme, entitled “The Bone A Study of the South Gloucestershire’s local Cave”, featuring work on a site in Alveston was buildings of historic importance is being put aired on Thursday 1st March at 21:00. The site together and the council held two meetings to showed many intriguing remains in a cave, with discuss the project at Bradley Stoke Leisure dog skeletons being prominent. A number of Centre. If you would like to help with the human skeletons were also uncovered p roject, or if you have interesting stories including an individual who suffered fro m connected to buildings in your Parish, contact Paget’s disease, and a femur that the experts Richard Osgood and he can put you in touch suggested was indicative of cannibalism – with with your Parish Survey representative. the bone being deliberately split to obtain the marrow!

http://www.channel4.com/nextstep/ timeteam/2001alv_.html

Meet the Ancestors focussed on the excavation of a Middle Bronze Age ditch at Tormarton. The ditch contained the bodies of 5 young men that had died in combat. The bodies of two of them, discovered by chance in some work in 1968 had been damaged by bronze spears which remained in the skeletons.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/programmes/ meettheancestors

Local industrial building - Mangotsfield

The Council For British Archaeology South West Group are holding an Autumn Symposium on the 10th November 2001 at Gloucester City Guild Hall. The theme for the event is ‘The Land of the Dobunni’ and speakers include Profs Barry Cunliffe, Michael Fulford, Philip Rahtz and David Dumville. Details are available f rom Lynne Wa l m s l e y, 52 Sylvam Ro a d , Pennsylvania, Exeter, Devon. EX4 6EY or tel. 01392 432184 Bronze spear embedded in the vertebrae of a Tormarton skeleton

Archaeology - Issue 1 April 2001 3 The Romans in Bradley Stoke!

What looks like a completely modern development at Bradley Stoke in fact hides an ancient past, settlement over 1500 years old. Construction work has turned up much in the way of Roman remains, ranging fro m buildings to burials and from coins to coffins.

Bailey’s Court Primary School is starting a Project on the Romans and the need to provide drainage to the cricket pitch next to the school p rovided an ideal opportunity for some research. In 1990 a Roman villa was uncovered beneath this field and, this year,

a rchaeologists from South Gloucestershire Interpretation of the survey results Council commissioned a Magnetometer Survey from a company called Geoquest to determine the formof the villa. This was in advance of the possible insertion of drains below the cricket pitch.

The pupils looked at the equipment used in the survey and asked many questions about the technology, and the Romans in general. Early results from the survey suggest that archaeo- logical features have shown up and there is every likelihood that preliminary excavation will take place in September, with the schoolchild- ren taking part. Dr Mark Noel of Geoquest lets the pupils use the gradiometer The Survey Possible archaeological features are shown in orange and suggest a large number of elements beneath the pitch. Can You Help?

South Gloucestershire Council is hoping to put together a CD-ROM on the Romans in South Gloucestershire Council. We are looking for companies to assist with the costs of this venture. The CD- ROM would be available to all of the Primary Schools in South Gloucestershire to aid studies in the National Curriculum. If you or your company can help in any way – give Richard Osgood a phone call

The magnetometer survey data – 01454 864679.

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