THE NATURAL HISTORY & ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Founded 1867 NEWSLETTER No 75 July 2013

Assistant County Archaeologist and ENHAS member Greg Chuter leading a Society walk in May. The walk followed his talk in April. Read the report of Greg's talk: “Archaeology of Cuckmere Haven” on page 6. THE EASTBOURNE NATURAL HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Founded 1867 PRESIDENT: Olive Woodall Chairman Robin Reffell Robin Cottage 12 The Village , Eastbourne BN20 7RD Tel: 01323 648226 [email protected]

Hon. Secretary Alison Selmes 27 Selwyn Rd Eastbourne BN21 2LE Tel: 01323 638962 [email protected]

Hon. Treasurer & Membership Secretary John Warren Newsletter Editor Helen Warren 49 Prideaux Rd Eastbourne BN21 2NE Tel: 01323 731792 [email protected]

Programme Secretary Lawrence Stevens Tel: 01323 734496

Ass. County Archaeologist Greg Chuter Tel: 01273 481608 [email protected]

Committee: Patricia Stevens, Derek Leppard, Richard Ribbons

A Message from the Editor Some came along to hear Lynn and Kevin Cornwell speak at our September meeting at thee new venue : St. Saviour’s Church Hall in Spencer Rd. Read all about “Archaeological Discoveries in the Hastings Area” in a report on pages 4 to 7. There is a full autumn programme planned so don’t forget the second Friday of the month at St. Saviour’s Church Hall were the chairs are soft and the welcome is warm! I am always pleased to receive articles for the Newsletter, send to me by Monday 25th November for the December issue.

Best wishes, Helen Warren, Editor

Eastbourne Natural History and Archaeological Society is on Facebook. Report from the Chairman 2012 - 2013

I have to open this report on a sad note by informing the meeting of the sudden death of one of our committee members Robin Ritzima. He had been a valued member for a relatively short time but his contributions were of genuine influence. John and Helen Warren and I represented the Society at his funeral.

I am pleased to say we have enjoyed another very good year which was kicked off with a well supported walk on Wilmington Hill led by Chris Greatorex. Chris is a very prominent local archaeologist and it was great to have the pleasure of sharing his extensive knowledge.

In August a visit to Priory led by Arthur Franklin, a local guide, was a follow up to a previous talk and was another success.

The autumn series of talks proved to be another opportunity to experience a variety of topics delivered by expert and excellent speakers: Lawrence Stevens 'Excavations at Michelham Priory'; David Rudling -Bignor Roman Villa; and Peter Bidmead. 'Discoveries in the '

Our Christmas meeting was it's usual informal occasion but provided informative talks on 'Clay Pipes' by Jo Seaman; 'Ancient Maps' by Bob Bonnett and George Ambrose Wallis by Tom Hollobone'.

Our spring series was equally successful with talks on 'What's New in Human Evolution' by Dr Liz Somerville; The Archives' by Rosalind Hodge and The Archaeology of the Wealden Iron Industry' by Jeremy Hodgkinson.

The most pleasing aspect of our season of activities and talks was the very healthy numbers in attendance not least engendered by the quality of the speakers and the topics chosen. This must be entirely attributed to Lawrence Stevens and I and we owe him a large vote of thanks. As a spin off from this success we have been able to maintain a healthy membership.

The relationship between the Society and Eastbourne Borough Council Museum Service has often been misunderstood or misinterpreted. We have a mutually supportive role with a number of Society members acting as volunteers to the Service's activities including research, artefact sorting and excavation.

The Society has a large existing library which has been augmented recently by Lawrence Stevens who has donated a large collection inherited from Vera Hodsall and by a collection given by Geoff Heys. We are cataloguing the collection with the help of Society members and are in the process of loaning our collection to Eastbourne Borough Council Museum Service. The effect of this is for the collection to remain the property of the Society while eventually being made available as a research facility.

A great deal of work has been completed by members this year on the Society's Eastbourne Urban Medieval Excavation Project (EUMEP) and a special mention must be made of the contributions Kathy and Rowland Jenkins and John Warren for their expert pottery analysis and reports. To Patricia Stevens and Mary Ford who have entered over four thousand bone records onto a computer programme adapted from an original programme to meet their needs by Steve Sims. This will make the analysis of the artefact assemblage considerably easier.

I would like to acknowledge once again the work of Lawrence Stevens in arranging the programme and thanks to John Warren not only for his hard work as treasurer and membership secretary but also for his excellent reports on our talks. To Alison our Secretary for doing a thankless task with enthusiasm and Helen for the production of the Newsletter again a thankless task. I express my sincere thanks to all the members of the committee for their contributions and hard work.

Robin Reffell Chairman

APOLOGY TO TOM HOLLOBONE My sincere and profuse apologies for the spelling mistake I made in the last newsletter, reporting Tom Hollobone’s Christmas meeting talk about George Ambrose Wallis. Working mostly from my own notes, where throughout I had spelt his name Wallace, I failed to check the spelling, even though Tom had kindly lent his notes, and I had bought a copy of his booklet for the express purpose of ensuring factual accuracy. This is entirely my fault and full proof of my fallibility. John Warren A Letter from Jo Seaman, Eastbourne Heritage Officer

The Museum Service (including the Redoubt Fortress) has undergone a restructure of our staffing recently following a period of consultation and discussion lasting over six months. This will have a very positive effect on the way that the staff work and the Service operates. The first result of this will be a change in our name to the 'Eastbourne Heritage Service’; the reason being that we want the Redoubt and the Museum Service to be more integrated and that this name better represents what we actually offer. As you all know, we are more than just 'Museums', running successful outreach programmes, community archaeology and working in partnerships around the area, therefore the term 'Heritage' better encapsulates what we actually do.

I am pleased to announce that the following posts have now been filled: Heritage Officer - Jo Seaman Redoubt Curator - Fran Stovold Redoubt Supervisor - Lyndsay Knight Heritage Assistant - Katherine Buckland

This structure will give us the flexibility to offer the best service to the public whilst also protecting the heritage that falls into our care and indeed beyond; a mix of professional skills and customer service that will be hard to beat.

For those of you who have volunteered with the Museum Service in the past, these changes will affect some projects, but hopefully for the best. Over the past few months our attention has been very much focused on the Redoubt and the Eastbourne Ancestors project and we have been aware that some of the others have had to wait. We are currently addressing this and Katherine and I will be revealing a new look volunteer schedule for Local History and Archaeology in the next Newsletter later this month. We are looking to ensure that all projects undertaken have a strong lead from staff and also a practical plan to work with. In the past I believe that we have tried to attempt too much all at once which does mean that some projects have appeared to drift. Our new ideas will prevent this and also be more rewarding for those taking part as we will all be able to see tangible results from what we are undertaking. We will be looking to usually focus our volunteer activities to just one or two days a week and again I do understand that this may affect how some of you are able to help us, but please give it a go!

The Community Archaeology programme will continue, but with reduced funding this year we will be undertaking two smaller scale excavations rather than one large one as we did last year and I will be looking to make sure as many people as possible can benefit from these opportunities. Again dates will be revealed in the next Newsletter.

As you all know, we value all of your time and incredible efforts to help our Service and we really think that these changes are going to make a really positive difference for all of us. We have some amazing plans for the future of the Heritage Service and I am personally itching to reveal all… but prudence tells me to hang on just for a bit whilst plans come to fruition.

Archaeology of Cuckmere Haven A talk by Greg Chuter, Assistant County Archaeologist

After the society’s AGM, attended by over 40 members and visitors, Greg treated us all to a whirl through the past 500,000 years of events affecting Cuckmere Haven and its immediate hinterland. To fully understand the site, Chris referred to aerial photographs; maps; Primary and secondary written sources; environmental studies; field walking; conductivity and resistivity surveys, and boreholes.

The valley is full of natural features, moraines, banks and ditches, both above and below the surface. The bedrock is 27 meters down, and the Hollocene period 22 meters down. It is a relatively late, narrow valley, with its now flat floor made up of estuarine deposits, colluvial deposits, and human reclamation.

The Paleolithic period lasted from 800k to 10k years BP, containing glacial and interglacial periods, and is represented by a mammoth tusk found at Short Cliff, and stone tools in some sediments on the West side of the valley.

During the Mesolithic period, 10K to 6K BP, the land bridge to the continent began to flood, and some groups of animals and humans began to develop differently in the UK than in present-day France and Germany. There is little evidence in the Cuckmere, but from flake evidence, Mesolithic residents were certainly present in the Weald, a short distance up river.

Great environmental changes occurred during the Neolithic period, 4K to 2K BC, when the early farmers felled trees to clear land and develop field systems to grow crops and keep newly domesticated animals. The long mound to the left of the footpath over the ridge to West Dean is an oval barrow, a communal tomb, placed in sight of the living, and a real mark of family or tribal ownership in the landscape. During the Bronze Age, 2000 to 750 BC, roughly contemporary with the Shinewater site, solitary farms developed into villages; the lynchets on Haven Brow date from this period, and were used throughout the Iron Age, the Roman occupation, and into the early Medieval or Saxon period. The valley slopes have a Bronze Age round barrow, and many flints of this age, scrapers, borers and knives, have been found near Foxholes farm.

Population growth in the Iron Age (750 BC to 43 AD) led to pressures and conflict between tribal societies, triggering warfare and defensive necessities. Also the pressure of an expanding Rome caused migration from the continent, whose people introduced coinage and a money economy.

The Romans (43–410 AD) brought investment of wealth and technology to develop mining and industry in the weald, whose products probably exited through the Cuckmere, and improved methods of agriculture leading to villa estates such as those at Beddingham and probably Eastbourne. Samian and black-burnished pottery has been found at Cliff End.

The Saxons (410-1066 AD) settled the haven at Exceat and West Dean; there are early Saxon cemeteries at and Eastbourne, and a burial with grave goods on Exceat hill.

In the late Medieval period (1066-1550 AD), documents reflects a typical farming community at Exceat, when suddenly in the 14th century it vanishes. There are two possible causes. First the terrible Black Death, which struck in 1348 in , causing 78% death rate in some parts of the South; but modern scholarship now favours a second scourge, which was a series of raids by the French at the start of the Hundred Years War (1337-1453), who notoriously burnt Winchelsea and Rye in 1341, and raided Seaford, Friston & East Dean. The small hamlet of Exceat, all too visible from the sea and open to attack, weakened by the plague, but also exposed to the windy channel weather, may just have melted away. There are several theories as to the origins of the name. The root in all probability derives from the Anglo-Saxon “saete”, or place settled, but it could have been combined with a name, ie “Aescs” and his kin; settlers by a river, with the Celtic name of Exe; or as the place was wooded, from oak tree (ac), and promontory (sceat), hence asceat. There are many different spellings over time, and the origins are obscure.

The first mention of Exceat is in the Domesday survey of William I in 1086, when part of it was still held by a Saxon, Haiminc, who held 4½ hides, 1 hide being approximately 120 acres, sufficient to support a single family. Two other named individuals held land in the parish, Walter with 2½ hides, and William with 3 hides. Thus the parish was 10 hides, or 1200 acres. Records show that Haiminc’s line passed to his son Richard, grandson William, great-grandson Richard de Essete, and g-g-g son Robert de Excetes. Of this family William also held land elsewhere in 1165, and Richard left many legal records outlining difficulties he had securing ownership. Haiminc’s line daughtered out in1435 and his land passed to Lord Gage of Firle. The remainder of the parish also passed to the Gage family at the dissolution of the Monasteries.

A Drawing showing what Exceat Church may have looked like First mention of a church was in 1266, with an associated manor, houses and a courtyard covering an acre, with 70 acres arable, 1 acre meadow, and 32 acres pasture. By 1415 the area was still farmed, but there was no village or church, it had been abandoned. A letter to the Dean of Chichester 1n 1460 stated that the church was destroyed, and there were only two dwellings with parishioners left, and they lived nearer to West Dean, “… so need I be Rector?” The church was rediscovered in 1913, revealed by crop marks. When dug it was found to be of a typical 11th century form, simple, small, rectangular, which could possibly have been pre-Norman, with an added apse and fragments of fine stonework reflecting a relatively wealthy population. This disappearance of a village and parish together is a relatively rare occurrence.

From 1550 to the 20th century the valley contained standard farms, at Foxholes, Exceat, now the Country Park visitor centre, Westdean and Chyngton. Exceat was the last in the country to employ oxen for ploughing.

A new channel for saltings was made in 1618, and systematic drainage of the flatland was begun. During the Napoleonic period (1796-1814), the Cuckmere was seen as a viable invasion point and barracks were established, now visible as rectangular parch marks, mounds and lumps, on the East side of the river. The barracks were constructed in 1804, but by 1806 Lord Gage wanted them removed because the soldiers dogs were chasing the sheep. Following Napoleon’s surrender in 1813 the buildings were auctioned off in 1814. A map of 1805 shows six barracks, plus buildings at the site of the coastguard cottages, but crop marks show at least nine buildings, suggesting that the map is just schematic, or drawn before the barracks were fully developed.

The new straight cut for the Cuckmere was made in 1846, whose elm and woven revetments still survive in places. The river was navigable for small boats as far inland as , with a port at Alfriston. Another survivor is the 1900 cable house, which monitored the first telecommunications cable to France.

There were big military camps at Exceat during the First World War, and training trenches are discernable above the Napoleonic barracks site, plus artillery damage, suggesting that the area was used to acclimatise the recruits to war conditions. Between the wars the post medieval drainage began to break down, and more recent drainage can be seen near Fox Holes. A light railway was built to extract shingle for building, which followed the line of the present concrete path. A great many concrete structures survive from WWII, tank traps, and various types of bunker and pillbox, but also walls, ditches and wire.

Greg concluded the talk by saying that the area is now part of the National Park, and a major visitor attraction, adding that he would be doing further fieldwork in the future to understand the site better. He added that he would be leading a walk at 11.00am on 12 May, and invited the society to attend. After questions, all showed their appreciation of his talk by enthusiastic applause.

The Importance of Dating Buttons Katherine Buckland

It is wonderful is it not? That on that small pivot turns the fortune of such multitudes of men, women, and children, in so many parts of the World; that such industry, and so many fine faculties, should be brought out and exercised by so small a thing as the Button. 'Household Words, a weekly journal, edited by Charles Dickens, 10 April 1852.

Buttons can be important in archaeology. They can indicate the date of a context in the same way as a piece of pottery or in fact any object of material culture.

The importance of these small objects lies in their ability to guide us towards forming an image of their owners. If they are found in a grave, they can reveal great truths about the status of the owner as well as important details about clothing and taste. In some cases, a button could be the last piece of the puzzle. At the recent Eastbourne Museum Service dig excavating Pococks Cottages, a button bearing the Associated British Cinemas logo was found. This cemented the fact that an ABC commissionaire working at the cinema in Road lived in the cottages in the 1940s, presenting the rare situation of connecting an artefact with its owner.

Dating buttons in archaeology can be a little tricky, especially as they may have been manufactured and used at different times. We can analyze its material, the decoration and size to tell us which century - sometimes which part of a century the button was manufactured in. The easiest way to date a button can be from the back. Button loops, shanks and back-marks can often tell us more than the designed and decorated front. More recent buttons, from the second half of the 18”‘ century to present day can be dated almost exclusively from their back-marks. Button manufacturers die stamped the backs of buttons with the company name and address. Thus, by cross-referencing these details with the information in trade directories or other sources, a button can be dated to an extraordinary degree of accuracy.

The first known buttons in Britain date to the Bronze Age, these were most commonly conical shaped bronze. These rare buttons occur as single finds in graves and through metal detection suggesting that they were not used or worn as sets but rather as an individual fastener for a cloak. The backs of bronze age buttons are very roughly cast with a (not always central) pierced hole to attach it to clothing.

By the middle of the 12th century, buttons began appearing in texts, and excavations in Europe have yielded some buttons. No buttons, with a purely 12th century context have been excavated in England. However, absence of evidence in this instance may mean that they were made from covered wood or bone and haven’t survived or, just that we haven’t found them yet! Many of the 14th century button finds are made of pewter. Evidence of precious metal buttons can be seen in paintings and a small amount of precious metal buttons have been found. A probable reason for the nominal amount is that gold and silver were rare commodities and would have been melted down and reworked once the garment they were used on had fallen from fashion. lt is difficult to date buttons from this period as the design wouldn’t have changed as much and buttons would have been handed down through generations.

Cloth buttons were popular in the late 15th and 16th centuries but silver, gold, bronze and tinned, silvered or gilded copper alloy buttons were also manufactured. lt is recorded that Elizabeth I commanded that her solid silver collar be melted down to be made into buttons. Bronze Tudor buttons became more decorative. Tudor button shanks are particularly interesting as they are often irregular lengths. This could suggest inconsistencies in manufacture but also the thickness of the garment they were worn with.

The 18"“ century was the golden age of buttons. The industry was at its height with both workshops and factories producing buttons in a variety of styles and metals. During the 18"‘ century, buttons made from a zinc and copper alloy were widely used.

As with any object, buttons cannot be used as sole evidence. They often provide an insight into people’s lives, choices and status. They enable us to look through a keyhole (or button hole!) into the past and that is what makes buttons so important. A report on the March meeting The Archaeology of the Wealden Iron Industry by Jeremy Hodgkinson

Jeremy Hodgkinson, President of the Wealden Iron Research Group conjured up a vivid picture of the iron industry in the Weald, going back to Roman times and before. The group he works with have discovered 650 bloomery sites across the Weald, some as old as 2000 years.

The history of iron smelting can be divided into two phases. The first was the indirect process where air was pumped into a small chamber or bloomery; this runs from Pre-Roman Jeremy Hodgkinson reconstructing a times until the late Middle Ages and blast furnace onwards. The Weald in the Middle Ages was a thinly populated wood-pasture country of poor peasants and absentee landlords, but it had all the materials for ironmaking when the time was ripe.

Evidence of the first process can be found in the remaining pits from which the ore was extracted, and waste material in the form of cinder or slag also shows evidence of a bloomery. Wood was changed into charcoal to get the high temperatures needed. The iron ore was roasted in a bloomery, so called because it created a “bloom”. The resulting product had then to be forged to produce wrought iron.

The remains of an early furnace

The group have discovered over 650 sites across the Weald, many are Roman e.g. at Beaufort Park, and at Boreham Bridge on the Pevensey levels. Only one site has been excavated that is known to be Saxon that is in Ashdown Forest.

The second phase, the direct process, employed a blast furnace. This came in the later fifteenth century, when it seems the greatest local landowner, the archbishopric of Canterbury, took the initiative in setting up iron-making trials. The first known blast furnace (1490) was at , Sussex.

There is evidence, based upon surnames that came into the region at this time, that experienced French ironworkers migrated into the Weald to work at the furnaces and forges. The gentry becoming interested in exploiting what had emerged as a fashionable ‘project’ in this poor countryside. At the Dissolution they seized improving chances of acquiring Wealden estates. Thus, Sir William Sidney bought buildings and land in Robertsbridge and became an enthusiastic iron-making pioneer. The towns of Crawley and Mayfield were also centres, however, in built up town locations these sites are impossible to excavate. Industrial work gave employment to country folk, but the woods were ravaged by the enormous demand for charcoal and never really recovered.

As the Crown demanded ever more cannon, guns and ammunition for its wars, merchants leased and improved furnaces and forges, at the same urging improvements to navigable rivers to assist the transport of timber and finished goods. In slack times decorative iron ware was laid on church doors, iron lettering fastened on the gravestones of iron-working families, and elegant firebacks were produced which still A 17th century fireback depicting an survive in Wealden houses. ironmaster and his tools. Jeremy explained processes, locations and artefacts by showing an excellent collection of maps, illustrations and photographs. His talk gave a clear insight into iron production and some of the iron works discovered in the Weald. A lively question and answer session concluded the evening.

Report by Helen Warren

DURHAM VISIT Lawrence and Patricia Stevens During Jubilee weekend of 2012, we had a splendid holiday in the marvellous city of Durham, where a paper-clip meander of the River Wear defends the castle and massive Cathedral. On the eastern bank of the meander, under the shoulder of the west end of the cathedral and at the riverside below a precipitous hill side site, is Durham University's Museum of Archaeology in the remains of a fulling mill. Among the events taking place during our visit, we noted that the museum was having a display outlining the value of the study of human remains to the archaeologist. We were particularly interested in a special outreach afternoon led by Bioarchaeologist, Kirsty McCarreson of the University. During our visit, the afternoon was a hive of activity with young folks reconstruct plastic human skeletons. Some of the youngsters showed

Reconstructing a skeleton

considerable powers of recognition using a standing articulated skeleton as a model. Most notably was the common mistake of setting the vertebra back to front so that the vertebral process was pointing inwards, which neither adults nor children seemed to realise would have been very uncomfortable. The accompanying display outlined the value and importance of the scientific analysis of human skeletal remains to the archaeologist and explained the use of such modern techniques as DMA to determine the origins of skeletons. Much work had been carried out on tooth decay and the modification of ossification by identifiable diseases. One aspect of the display brought us home to Eastbourne with the use of Isotopes in the identification of diet, for, it was our own nationally important scientist, Frederick Soddy who invented the word Isotope. At the time of our visit we had hoped that it may have been possible to bring the exhibition to Eastbourne, but this was not to be, but we can now look forward to December 2nd 2013, when the Exhibition relating to the Eastbourne Museums Project, The Ancestors, led by osteoarchaeologist, Hayley Forsyth, will be open to the public.

Exploring archaeology at Durham Museum

Photographs Patricia Stevens © Notice board A BIRD WATCHER'S DIARY by Peter Cullen

February: A visit to Dungeness on the 15th noted 5 Tundra race Bean Geese, 2 Great White Egret, and Marsh Harrier at the Reserve, 3 Snow Bunting at Greatstone and a Marsh Harrier at Scotney Pit. Two days bird watching in north Kent on the 19th and 20th produced Barn Owl, Peregrine, 5 Buzzard, 5 Harsh Harrier, Merlin, Hen Harrier and Red Legged Partridge at Capel Fleet. With 2 Marsh Harrier, 2 Blacktailed Godwit and 4 Snipe at Oare Marshes. On the 24th an American Widgeon was seen at Folkestone Harbour.

March: On the 9th at Dungeness, records were: Red Crested Pochard, Spoonbill, and Marsh Harrier at the Reserve. 8 Smew and a Bittern at the A.R.C. Pit. Records at Pett Level on the 14th were 60 Brent Geese and Merlin, while Rye Harbour had 21 Avocet and 4 Brent Geese. A sea watch at "Dungeness on the 30th produced 11 Gannet, 40 Brent Geese, 15 Red Throated Diver and a Sandwich Tern. 2 Black Redstarts were in a nearby garden and Denge Marsh had Great White Egret, Bittern and Marsh Harrier.

April: A visit to Pett Level on the 2nd noted 60 Brent Geese, Merlin and Little Egret; while at Rye Harbour: 6 Avocet, 2 Little Egret and 2 Sandwich terns were seen. A sea watch at Dungeness on the 11th recorded 11 Red Throated Divers, Black Throated Diver, 20 Common Scoter, 8 Brent Geese, 2 Gannet, 2 Kittiwake with 10 Sandwich terns, 2 Swallows, and 3 Chiffchaff near the Lighthouse. The Reserve had 2 Black-necked Grebe, 2 Whirnbrel, Willow Warbler and a Linnet. Records at Pett Level on the 12th were Arctic Skua, 20 Brent Geese, Little Egret, and Marsh Harrier. On the 23rd at Pett Level: Yellow Wagtail, Brent Goose and 5 Swallow, were noted. While at Rye Harbour records were: 2 Wheatear, 6 Common Tern, 8 Avocet, 8 W/hitethroat, Sedge Warbler, 4 Mouse Martin and 2 Cetti’ s Warbler. A visit to Dungeness on the 25th recorded Spotted Redshank, Greenshank, Cuckoo, Bearded Tit, 2 Cetti’s Warbler, 2 Swallow, 5 Sedge Warbler, 20 Whitethroat, and Little Egret. Records at Arlington Reservoir on the 27th were 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Garden Warbler, Yellow Wagtail, 12 Swallow, 3 Sand Martin and a House Martin.

MAY: On the 1st - a west Sussex visit recorded Buzzard at Swanbourne Lake; Woodlark at Coates Common, while Pullborough Brooks Reserve had: 2 Nightingale, 7 Blackcap, 10 Chiffchaff, Cuckoo, Willow Warbler and Raven. Records at Dungeness on the 3rd were: 10 Arctic Terns at the Patch, 2 Stock Dove at Denge Marsh and 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Cetti’ s Warbler, Read Warbler, 10 Sedge 'Warbler, 13 Whitethroat, Marsh Harrier, Great White Egret, and Little Egret, at the Reserve. A sea watch at Splash Point Seaford on the 9th produced Great Skua, Arctic Skua, Black Tern, 2 Guillemot and 2 Brent Geese. Records for the 10th were: Swift, 8 Swallow. 5 House Martin, Little Egret, at Pett Level, and Little Ringed Plover, Little Tern, 6 Avocet and Cuckoo, at Rye harbour. On the 16th Rye harbour had 2 Cuckoo and a Nightingale. While at Dungeness Reserve: 3 Hobby, 2 Scaup, Buzzard, 2 Marsh Harrier, 4 Swift, 3 Read Warbler, 4 Sedge Warbler, 4 Whitethroat and a booming Bittern were recorded. Records for the 23rd were: Eider offshore at Dungeness and 3 Hobby, Marsh Harrier and Cuckoo at Denge Marsh. A holiday in Oxfordshire and Somerset produced 52 Red Kites, 10 Hobby, 2 Marsh Harrier, 2 Garden Warbler, Dipper, Pied Flycatcher, Wood Warbler and Grey Wagtail.

Peter Ladson Drewett – 1947-2013

The British archaeologist Peter Drewett was at the forefront of the development of the discipline in the formative last three decades of the 20th century.

Institutionally he was at its intellectual epicentre, teaching and researching at the London Institute of Archaeology (now part of UCL) from 1973 until 2004, when he left to become the first Professor of Archaeology at the University of Sussex. He will be especially remembered for his excavations on major prehistoric sites in Sussex. However, his work was not just confined to the south of England, as he found the time to excavate several sites in the Caribbean, making a lasting contribution to the archaeology of that region. He will also be remembered fondly by thousands of students and volunteers whose lives he both touched and transformed, instilling in them a passionate curiosity for the past alongside guidance and support when it was required.

As a youngster in Croydon Peter became involved in local archaeology at a very early age, and even directed excavations while still at school. As a precocious 12 year old he joined the Croydon Natural History and Scientific Society in 1960, having attended his first lecture (on Roman pottery) on 20th October 1959, and was still a member over 50 years later. Involvement with that Society probably gave his professional work a strong empirical character. It also encouraged in him a deep respect for the role of volunteers in archaeology, which remained with him throughout his life.

Peter’s very first excavation was under the direction of a local schoolmaster on a moated site at Godstone. He quickly went on to dig under Henry Cleere (later to become the Director of the Council for British Archaeology) at Bardown, a Roman ironworks, in . This was the start of a lifelong involvement with the archaeology of Sussex. Further schoolboy and student volunteering led him to work with Peter Fowler on Fyfield Down and Geoff Wainwright at Durrington Walls. It is fair to say that this triumvirate of prominent excavators were Peter’s major influences before he began his professional career. Sartorially a fourth (and famous) archaeologist had also made an impact. Mortimer Wheeler characteristically set a standard for excavation directors by wearing a shirt and tie on site, and Peter followed suit, at least for a short while.

Professionally, after a short stint at the Department of Environment, where he was an Assistant Inspector of Ancient Monuments at the age of 22, Peter moved to the Institute of Archaeology, where he developed a dual role – the first as a Lecturer, later Reader in Prehistoric Archaeology, the second as founder and Director of the Sussex Archaeological Field Unit (later the Field Archaeology Unit). The latter provided him with a much more attractive ‘hands-on’ role; it grew to a full time staff of nine and employed up to 100 site workers during field seasons. Overall Peter managed some 200 projects in Sussex, raising about GBP1.6 million in research grants. The projects that he will perhaps be best remembered for are his pioneering work on Neolithic causewayed camps – which he approached in the spirit of landscape archaeology -, the excavation of a Late Bronze Age farmstead at Black Patch and the investigation of a number of long, oval and round barrows at Alfriston, North Marden and West Heath. His interpretation of the function of several round-houses at Black Patch has become one of the most cited papers in British prehistory. His Sussex involvement also included the far-sighted idea of a ‘Prim Tech’ camp for UCL archaeology undergraduates which would introduce them to the practical realities of later prehistoric life. He founded it in 1982 and it continues to this day.

Peter’s work stretched beyond these shores. From 1985 to 2002, as Director of the Barbados Archaeological Survey, he excavated a number of pre-colonial sites on Barbados such as Heywoods (later Port Saint Charles), Silver Sands, and Hillcrest. He also carried out excavations and surveys on the British Virgin Islands, including the island-wide survey of Tortola that led to the in-depth excavations at the Belmont site, and the discovery of a symbolically-sited ceremonial court. His involvement in the Caribbean included much needed advice on cultural heritage management, and he provided legislative guidance to the governments of the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands and Barbados. Peter’s research in the Caribbean led to the publication of two books – Prehistoric Barbados (1991) and Prehistoric Settlements in the Caribbean: Fieldwork in Barbados, Tortola and the Cayman Islands (2000). After an investigation of Neolithic sites on Lantau Island, Hong Kong in the mid-1990s he also assisted the Government of Hong Kong in terms of improving its procedure relating to the issuing of permits to archaeologists. Peter’s work was always followed by prompt publication, and his love of archaeological fieldwork in particular lit up the pages of his best-selling book – Field Archaeology – An Introduction (1999) – which has seen multiple editions. Throughout his career Peter maintained a principled integrity and adhered to impeccable archaeological standards, at the same time exhibiting a remarkable ability to empathize with his students and co-workers.

Peter never forgot the importance of local societies and the role of the volunteer. He was a champion of both. He was a member of the Sussex Archaeological Society from 1973, serving as Chair of its governing body in the 1980s and again in the 2000s, rising latterly to the role of President. He was ever mindful of the great amateur tradition of the Sussex Archaeological Society espoused by such characters as the Curwens and George Holleyman, and sought to uphold the traditions of research and publication that had originated in the founding years of the Society in the mid-19th century.

In his last years his attentions had turned closer to home – to the parish of , in the low weald of East Sussex. He contributed a ‘Brief History’ of the same to a charming local book – entitled Portrait of a Parish 2012. That short piece was his last published work. It revealed an unexpected enthusiasm for the Romans, especially a villa estate that Peter thought lay in his neighbourhood. Undoubtedly it would have formed his next major contribution to the archaeology of Sussex. He now lies peacefully on the sunny side of the graveyard at Ripe Church, looking out over his family home, the which he loved, keeping an eye on the next generation of archaeologists, some of whom will eventually investigate his putative villa estate.

John Manley ENHAS Autumn Programme 2013

13th September Recent Archaeological Discoveries Around Hastings Lynn Cornwall Lynn is an active member and leading light in Hastings Area Archaeological Research Group and has directed many excavations in the area. In her talk she will bring us up to date with the Group's recent activities and findings.

11th October Learning from Eastbourne's Excavated Human Bones Hayley Forsyth Hayley is an osteoarchaeologist who has been examining human bones from various excavations in the Eastbourne area. She will outline the work she has done and share her findings with us.

8th November The Archaeology of the Friston to Folkington Water Pipe Line Tim Allen Tim of Kent Archaeological Projects will talk about his archaeological work for South East Water ahead of the installation of a pipeline, uncovering evidence of previously unknown prehistoric and medieval settlement along and below the South Downs

14th December Christmas Meeting with 4 short talks Mince Pies and tea/coffee, a raffle and book sale

N.B. From September meetings will be held at: St. Saviour’s Church Hall, Spencer Rd, Eastbourne BN21

Doors open at 7.15 with meetings starting at 7.30 pm prompt NON MEMBERS (£2) ARE WELCOME AT ALL OUR MEETINGS Contact Robin Reffell T: 01323 648226 E: [email protected] for more details