The year began with visits to more sites around Nidderdale.  Such visits are part of our Iron-Age (Nidderdale) Project but they also herald an exciting new era as we look ahead to our proposed Prehistoric Nidderdale community archaeology Project. 

And so we were delighted to be invited to survey the high fields to the west of Gouthwaite Reservoir.  A fantastic prehistoric settlement there contains at least one roundhouse, enclosures, ancient field boundaries and an incredible example of Bronze Age rock carving.  We were delighted to be joined on one visit by Keith Boughey who generously shared his expertise in rock art - enabling the stunning discovery of two further rock carvings within yards of the first one.  We shall return to this site as part of the new project and you can find out more about this new venture at www.prehistoricnidderdale.moonfruit.com.

Back in Dacre, we were also able to take several walks across our neighbouring farm's land.  We already knew it contained ancient enclosures, a superb roundhouse or two and an Iron Age smelting site, but this was an opportunity to survey the area in more detail in preparation for future work.

We haven't neglected our main site though, and our first excavation of the year explored the platforms beneath the furnace we exposed late last year.  It proved quite a challenge - unexpected quantities of loosely dumped broken stones (masonry rubble dating, according to context, to early medieval) and battered features below them - but it did demonstrate the benefit of excavation work: the platforms that were visible on the surface were deceptive and were not platforms at all. This resolved a mystery - we had wondered why such platforms adjoined this particular furnace when other furnaces on the site had no such substantial infrastructure.  Finds from the dig did include slag, and a large, side-on slab which appears to have been a possible anvil or chopping block although it's connection with the nearby furnace is unproven.   Beneath all this, in a likely Iron Age context, we were treated to the discovery of the battered remains of degraded, burnt surfaces, possibly hearths.

While this was being excavated, Simon and James Pearson of www.nidderdalepages.co.uk filmed us in action. Please check out their website and click on Muddy Archaeologist (then scroll down to find the open video) to enjoy just a taste of what we do.