Hadrian's Wall: Archaeological Research by English Heritage 1976-2000

Description

E-book (PDF) published 2012. From 1976 to 2000, English Heritage archaeologists undertook excavation and other research on Hadrian's Wall, firstly as rescue excavation, later for research and management purposes. This book begins with a brief account of these works, and this collection of reports completes their publication. The recording of the historic fabric of the Wall led to an appreciation of the work of Charles Anderson, who worked on exposing, consolidating and recording the wall from 1936 to 1974. His long career and contribution to the Wall as we see it today are described. The recording project also led to the discovery of the James Irwin Coates archive of drawings of Hadrian's Wall made during the years 1877-96. This important collection gives a snapshot of the Wall in the late 19th century, and is published here for the first time. By far the largest part of the frontier complex of Hadrian's Wall is the earthworks; the Turf Wall, the Wall ditch and its counterscarp and the Vallum. Four excavations have examined these features, three of which were complete cross-sections of the works. New evidence for the pre-Roman environment and the construction of these impressive works is described. The milecastles of Hadrian's Wall are one of the best known features of the frontier. Several of them were examined in order to evaluate potential threats from ploughing. New evidence for the structures, layout and internal histories of the milecastles has emerged from this work, with a number of them being examined for the first time. Large-scale excavations at the fort of Birdoswald in the 1980s produced dramatic and important results. Further work in the later 1990s has confirmed some of these interpretations and changed others, with evidence for a major rebuilding programme in the late 2nd or early 3rd century. Outside the walls of the fort evidence of the zoning of the extramural settlement has been found. To the south of the fort, a settlement of timber buildings associated with Frisian-style Housesteads pottery is important. In the cemetery a complete cremation burial provides evidence for funerary practices. The western fort on the Wall, Bowness-on-Solway has been little excavated. Recent work has established the size of the fort, and examined part of the defences. Finally, an Appendix lists all English Heritage interventions on the Wall between 1976 and 2000. Acknowledgements vii Summary ix Résumé x Zusammenfassung xi 1. Introduction: English Heritage research work on Hadrian’s Wall 1976–2000 / Tony Wilmott 1 Documentation 2. A 19th-century condition survey of Hadrian’s Wall: the James Irwin Coates archive, 1877–1896 / Alan Whitworth 8 Catalogue 11 3. Charles Anderson and the consolidation of Hadrian’s Wall / Alan Whitworth 50 The linear frontier and interval structures 4. The linear elements of the Hadrian’s Wall complex: four investigations 1983–2000 / Tony Wilmott and Julian Bennett 72 Introduction 72 The Vallum in Wall mile 9 – evaluation 2000 77 Transection in Wall mile 29 (Black Carts, Northumberland) 79 Transection in Wall mile 50 (Appletree, Cumbria) 102 Transection in Wall mile 61 (Crosby-on-Eden, Cumbria) 120 Discussion 128 5. The Hadrian’s Wall Milecastles Project: 1999–2000 / Tony Wilmott 137 Milecastle 9 (Chapter House): 2000 144 Milecastle 10 (Wallbottle Dean): 1999 152 Milecastle 14 (March Burn): 2000 159 Milecastle 19 (Matfen Piers): 1999 167 Milecastle 62 (Walby East): 1999 170 Milecastle 63 (Walby West): 2000 174 Milecastle 69 (Sourmilk Bridge): 2000 177 Milecastle 70 (Braelees): 2000 182 Milecastle 71 (Wormanby): 2000 182 Milecastle 78 (Kirkland): 2000 187 Milecastle 79 (Solway House): 1999 193 Discussion 198 The forts 6. Excavations at the Hadrian’s Wall fort of Birdoswald (Banna), Cumbria: 1996–2000 / Tony Wilmott, Hilary Cool and Jerry Evans 203 Part 1: Introduction 203 Part 2: The Study Centre Project (Site 585): excavations in the western praetentura of the stone fort 1997–8 209 Part 3: Excavations in the eastern praetentura of the stone fort 1997–8 250 Part 4: The Spur Project (Site 590) 251 Part 5: Evaluation by Time Team within the western extra-mural settlement and cemetery 1999 275 Part 6: The Roman and Saxon pottery 294 Part 7: The small finds 350 Part 8: Conclusions: the history of the fort 387 7. Excavations at the Hadrian’s Wall fort of Bowness-on-Solway (Maia), Cumbria: 1988 / Paul Austen 396 Introduction 396 The excavations 399 The finds 406 Conclusions 407 Appendices Appendix 1. Archaeological interventions by CEU, CAS and CfA on Hadrian’s Wall, 1976–2000 / Tony Wilmott and Paul Austen 410 Appendix 2. The Vallum at Limestone Corner / Brenda Heywood 419 Appendix 3. Pollen and plant remains: data tables 420 Appendix 4. Charles Anderson: data tables 423 Appendix 5. Birdoswald pottery form occurrence table and samian catalogue 424 References 434 Index 446