Digging for Britain

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LATEST EPISODE 19th July 2011	Episode 4	Bonus film Muddy Archaeologist interview

Episode 1

June 2011

Episode 2

5th July 2011

Episode 3

12th July 2011

Information Relating to the Project

The Iron-Age Nidderdale project is a community archaeology group based in Dacre, North Yorkshire. It is understood that elements of the multi-phased industrial archaeological remains date back to the Iron Age, Medieval era and Tudor times. The Iron Age features of this site include hut circles and associated structures and probably iron smelting furnaces, plus a very rare Iron-Age smithing site. In 2007, a geophysical survey around the area of the Iron Age smithing site was carried out by Bradford University Archaeological Sciences department to confirm the nature of this special feature. Test excavations were then conducted in 2008 to fully evaluate the site for the proposed project.

The future aims include to assess the importance of any remains found and interpret them in terms of their historical context and their relationship with historic iron working in the area and across the country. On a practical level, the aim of the excavation is to identify any existing features of the Iron Age Smithy such as a heart and anvil. There is also clear visual evidence of approximately 50 bloomery furnaces. One of these in particular has been chosen because of its possible relationship to other features nearby. This appears to have been abandoned after only a small number of uses, and question marks remain as to why this may be

The excavations of the furnaces and associated hearths are likely to provide a valuable insight into the management of multiple furnaces within the Cisterian lifestyle. Likewise, testing and analysis will be undertaken on selected critical samples to advance the Project’s understanding of the site and features. Upon its completion, a Final Report shall be sent to the The Heritage Unit and also deposited with the relevant registered museum for use by other parties now and in the future

We will be working in cooperation with Gillian Hovell, the project director, Simon and James Pearson at Nidderdale Pages, and Jim Brophy – Gillian’s colleague. The site must remain a secret, so it must be referred to only as Nidderdale in the Yorkshire Dales – so as to retain privacy for the landowner

In association with

The local portal for all things Nidderdale - Just a click away

www.nidderdalepages.net

So, here we are with our local Indiana Jones, alias Gillian Hovell, otherwise known as the Muddy Archaeologist, embarking on a series of films which will capture the work a team of local amateur archaeologists do for the online blogs linked with the BBC’s Digging for Britain series.

Muddy Archaeologist

What is Digging for Britain?

Great Britain might be a small country but it has a huge history. Everywhere you stand, there are worlds beneath your feet – and every year hundreds of excavations bring lost treasures to the surface.

These amazing historical excavations are the subject of Digging For Britain, a landmark four-part history series for BBC Two.

Dr Alice Roberts is the presenter for Digging in Britain and in 2010 she commented:

“I think one of the most exciting things about the Digging for Britain series is that it shows archaeology in action.

Dr Alice Roberts

Rather than just presenting history as a series of accepted facts we're seeing how the interpretation develops, during excavations and careful analysis in the lab."

Dr Alice Roberts follows an entire year of British archaeology, joining up the results of digs and investigations the length of the country. The results are astonishing - and sometimes disturbing.

Roman finds include the mystery of 97 babies murdered by the Thames, a fabulous Roman coin hoard found in Somerset and a man buried on a layer of dead animals.

Gillian is a key member of a local group involved in the Iron-Age (Nidderdale) Project and it is this work we will be covering in the weeks ahead.

Iron-Age (Nidderdale) is a community archaeology project, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, investigating historic iron smelting and smithing in and around the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (Nidderdale AONB) in North Yorkshire. Investigations are in progress at several locations where there is documentary or landscape evidence of iron extraction, smelting or smithing from the Iron Age to the early 17th Century when the local iron smelting industry seems to have come to an end (further information).

For this particular location we have been using information gleaned from a 1611 map which shows signs of a Smelt House and over the coming weeks we will be pealing back the layers of time to reveal, what we hope will be, compelling evidence to show exactly how this land was used.

Smelt Mill
AD 1611 Map

Site of Smelt House

Membership of the group is open to all adults and there are many activities, especially excavating, data recording and research. Contact us if you wish to join or would like more information or come along to one of the presentations shown in the Events Diary.

Associated Links:

BBC2: Digging for Britain
Iron-Age (Nidderdale) Project
Iron-Age Smelt House
Iron-Age (Nidderdale) Project - Events Diary

Muddy Archaeologist
Nidderdale AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty