Shared Visions: The North-East Regional Research Framework for the Historic Environment by David Petts with Christopher Gerrard Shared Visions: The North-East Regional Research Framework for the Historic Environment by David Petts with Christopher Gerrard and contributions by David Cranstone, John Davies, Fiona Green, Jenny Price, Peter Rowe, Chris Tolan-Smith, Clive Waddington and Rob Young Front Cover: Geophysical survey of the Roman settlement at East Park, Sedgefield (Co. Durham). © Archaeological Services Durham University © Durham County Council & the authors, 2006 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. Published by Durham County Council, 2006 ISBN 1-897585-86-1 Contents Foreword Summaries Acknowledgements 1. Introduction 1 2. Resource assessment: scientific techniques 7 3. Resource assessment: Palaeolithic and Mesolithic 11 (with John Davies, Peter Rowe, Chris Tolan-Smith, Clive Waddington and Rob Young) 4. Resource assessment: Neolithic and Early Bronze Age 21 5. Resource assessment: Later Bronze Age and Iron Age 33 6. Resource assessment: Roman 43 (with Jenny Price) 7. Resource assessment: early medieval 61 8. Resource assessment: later medieval 73 9. Resource assessment: post-medieval 85 (with David Cranstone and Fiona Green) 10. Resource assessment: 20th century 109 11. Research agendas: introduction 119 12. Palaeolithic and Mesolithic research agenda 121 13. Neolithic and Early Bronze Age research agenda 127 14. Late Bronze Age and Iron Age research agenda 135 15. Roman research agenda 143 16. Early medieval research agenda 155 17. Later medieval research agenda 165 18. Post-medieval research agenda 177 19. Twentieth-century research agenda 189 20. Science and environmental agenda 197 21. Maritime and coastal archaeology 201 22. Settlement and urbanism 205 23. Landscape and environmental change 209 24. Defence and fortification 211 25. Origin and development of the agrarian economy 215 26. Ethnicity and cultural identity 217 27. The North-East in its national and international context 219 28. Industry and transport 223 29. Religion and ritual 227 30. Research strategy 229 31. Conclusion and long-term future of the North-East Regional 237 Research Framework for the Historic Environment Bibliography Index Foreword The North-East is known throughout the world for Hadrian's Wall, the monasteries at Jarrow and Monkwearmouth, Durham Cathedral, its industrial heritage and much more. Yet besides these jewels there are many thousands of lesser-known archaeological monuments and standing buildings. How much do we really understand about them? What more would we like to know? And how are we going to find out? The intention of this volume, commissioned by English Heritage and Durham County Council, is to stimulate and inform discussion about past and future research into the historic environment of the North-East. This is quite a brief to live up to, especially given that environment as defined here embraces everything from archaeology and artefacts to architecture, from the flint scatters of early prehistory to Cold War early warning systems. But we must set our ideas in order if we are to justify funding for their investigation and future preservation and if we are to be consistent in our judgements. This document builds upon national frameworks such as Exploring Our Past (English Heritage 1991) and its subsequent revisions, many policy documents produced by national and regional societies and interest groups, and regional initiatives such as Archaeology in the North (Clack and Gosling 1976) and Past, Present and Future. The Archaeology of Northern England (Brooks, Daniels and Harding 2002). It is emphatically not an imposed agenda, nor one generated by individuals or parties acting out of self interest, it is an inclusive document debated and discussed by all those with heritage interests from the local region, including local societies, museums, universities, interest groups, contractors and local authorities. All told, over 150 people have been involved in the production of this volume in one way or another, freely providing data and advice over a three year period. At the start, some said we would struggle, given that the region is so large and the number of potential contributors so thinly spread, but that has not been the case, far from it. As we have travelled to meetings all over the region we have seen for ourselves individuals, some new to the region, others veterans in their fields, shake hands for the very first time and begin to talk about what the future might hold. There has been debate, there has been disagreement, but at heart there has also been a real will to create. 'Mass therapy for the heritage sector', one person called it, and at times it has genuinely seemed that way; a brief moment to pause and consider the path ahead. We think of this volume as one milestone along that path, not an end to the project. Investigations into the historic environment are continuing, even as you read these words, and the results they generate will answer some of the questions posed here and raise new ones. Over the next few years we will keep track of progress and review progress on its recommendations. Most of all we hope people will feel motivated by some of the ideas here, put together partnerships and projects, interpret and develop this framework. To encourage this process, there is a pamphlet available which describes the main results of this project in a few pages and there is also a website, found at www.durham.gov.uk/research, which contains a copy of this text. We hope you will be able to find the time to consult them and think about how you would like to explore the region's heritage. Christopher Gerrard (Durham University) David Mason (Durham County Council) Summary The North-East Regional Research Framework for the Historical Environment (NERRF) sets out a vision for the future of research into the archaeology and historic environment of North-East England (Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Teesside) over the next five years. The implementation of Planning Policy Guidance Note 16: Archaeology and Planning (PPG16) in 1990 integrated archaeology and heritage conservation into the planning process. This has led to a rapid increase in the volume of fieldwork carried out nationally and locally over the last fifteen years. Concerns have been expressed, however, by both individuals and by organisations, that much of this work lacks research focus. At the same time grant-providing bodies recognise the need to impose some sense of priority on research demands in order to ensure appropriate distribution of what are often limited resources. In response, the NERRF project aims to produce a series of research priorities for the region as a whole which will not only help to provide structure to commercially-driven fieldwork locally but also supply a sense of direction for all strands of on-going research. The framework described here is built on the tripartite structure first proposed by English Heritage in Frameworks of our past (1996). The Research Assessment is an overview of the current state of knowledge for all periods of the human past (Palaeolithic/Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman, early medieval, later medieval, post-medieval, 20th century), in addition to recent scientific and environmental research. Building on this knowledge, the Research Agenda then advances a series of key research questions that should be addressed by those working in archaeology and the historic environment. Finally, the Research Strategy puts forward a range of practical suggestions for the implementation of that agenda. Issues are addressed both chronologically and on a thematic basis. Three distinctive features of this volume merit special comment. First, unlike many of the other regional research frameworks that have already been completed across England, from the outset NERRF was intended to embrace all aspects of the historic environment, including standing architecture and designed landscapes. Second, special efforts were made to include the historic environment of the 20th century, a particularly interesting and visible component of the region's heritage but one which is increasingly threatened. Third, to ensure that the proposals presented in this volume were the product of consensus among all researchers, rather than representing the views of individuals, NERRF consulted as widely as possible with the heritage sector and involved local government curators, academics, commercial units, museum curators, local societies, special interest groups and independent researchers, some of them based outside the region. The result, we hope, is a project which will provide an academically sound foundation for work on the archaeology and historic environment of the North-East of England for at least the next five years, maximising the potential offered by development-driven fieldwork and ensuring the continued generation of high-quality research. Resumen En este North-East Regional Research Framework for the Historical Environment (NERRF) se plantea una visión de futuro para el estudio de la arqueología y medioambiente histórico del noreste de Inglaterra (Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, condado de Durham, y Teesside) para los próximos cinco años. La llegada en 1990 de la ley Planning Policy Guidance Note 16: