Royal Commission Submission

A lack of a comprehensive typological and chronological system to encompass prehistoric chalk artefacts has rendered these objects as ambiguous components of the archaeological record since their initial recognition in Britain in the late nineteenth century. Due to the absence of a coherent typology, historically excavated chalk artefacts have often remained unpublished in archives and any new artefacts recovered have been relegated to an artefactual hinterland by being included in analyses of 'Other Stone'. Chalk artefacts that are particularly visually appealing are therefore usually approached individually and so almost always have been described as 'unique'. Yet this is far from the case. Chalk artefacts are not only excavated from early Neolithic flint mines in Britain; they also occur within deposits in other British Neolithic monuments as well as in similar contexts throughout Europe. This paper outlines a proposed typology and chronology of chalk artefacts based on Peirce’s theory of signs and discusses their meaning and significance within a variety of British Neolithic contexts in order to demonstrate their role within prehistoric life.

1972

NT 289390. Report on the excavation of the cist is accompanied by a list of all 98 known British Beaker/Bronze Age multiple cremation deposits, i.e. those representing pre-consignment collections of the remains of more than one individual. The conclusion of a wide-ranging discussion is that even a simple cist may house the remains of a long series of human acts.

L~~) InJn hulf" 0(l hc cu cuu or oJ urnvulh ne h lll •l'o ~ l survcv In 1';)1J' <:J vho w-, Ih >:l Ilw, enclos ure ovcrhes In ea rhcr)u r VI\C::. u n Inc summ u o(Se.uord Head. T u c Ircncl\e) were sma ller enclosure. On e of Tom s' , tren ches t'To ms lli l~. 50-J' cxcuva lt:tJ .icro » the eustcm lk lt: m;~) close ro the chITedge In Fl,g. l B. Sc cuon E• ...\ 1 0~;H ¢d ~ du m p or Flintwor k, mannc \1a n:h-A pnl 1~)(.1. •In \''' ;l d ~ Iro n A~c <JoJ lCwa) cSIJ.bllshctJfo r mo llusca and d omc suca ted Beake r pot tery wi th In the rhe htll-Ic rt .md)0 11samples were tu kcn (ro m the burred la nd ,c:c o n iJ J r~ ;;1 1l 1l ol th e duch Brudlc v'v excavanon s pro duced <urtacc und er the o:1nk lo r po lle n ,1I1.J lyS l) I Bcdw ln 1 ~~6 ~ m utcn al ~' I l ,; il fl y Ncol nbrc a nd Bro nze Age d.ne t Bra<.J ley ~ < {,. /tt h tfl U rTV ~O•J o.J1~ E.S C C. ... 11CS Jnd mo nument s I Q 7r~ I~~~ ~ Th e , ha (l In l he cent re collapsed uu o lhe ccu In reco rd. TV ~4 NW Il I• •nq 'vlc \" l ll nl": .IIHJ N cotu htc 111fH .l.n d .H:H hJVC' bee n 1.:0 1. lee red l h 'l ill S o ut h H d l)I n(. "\: Ih J: tu r n o f t he pr n cnl cc n turv 4'c!, (hI H /, '(/ \?t 'lIh " l fli

A commentary on Stephen J. Gould, Hen's teeth and horse's toes. Essays on natural History

The Agricultural History Review, 2013

Excavations carried out at Dudley Castle recovered an assemblage of animal bones dominated by horse from the vaulted cellar beneath the Great Hall. The deposit dates to c. 1710 and appears to have been the result of partial butchery of several aged horses. The possible interpretations are discussed and it seems likely that the deposit represents the leftover waste of a knacker.

2011

Grimes Graves in Norfolk is one of 10 surviving Neolithic flint mines in England. The first excavations at the site were undertaken in the late nineteenth century, followed by further campaigns throughout the twentieth century, most recently by the British Museum in the 1970s. Within the shafts and galleries of the mine workings deer antler picks were found and also a range of objects made from chalk. A major part of the assemblage is now held at the British Museum, among which are 45 small cup-shaped chalk objects in a range of sizes. These have been previously interpreted as lamps used by the Neolithic miners, although they have also been found in Middle Bronze Age contexts at the site. Results from chemical analysis of residues in the cups undertaken in the 1980s seemed to provide support for the lamp theory but the interpretation has always been controversial. In particular, the question of the necessity for lamps in the galleries has been discussed, as reflected light from the chalk shaft might have provided adequate illumination. Moreover, no traces of burning or soot stains on either the cups or the interior walls or roofs of the galleries have been reported. This study has sought to reexamine the function of the chalk cups based on new analytical and experimental data. Although experimental reconstructions showed that substances such as tallow could be absorbed into the porous chalk, even if they are not necessarily well retained, analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry showed no evidence of residues of fat or oil lamp fuels in samples from the ancient chalk cups. The potential for depletion and loss of such residues during use and burial is considered and the implications of the findings for interpretation of the function of these objects are discussed.

Grandy's Knowe, Northumberland: Archaeological Evaluation and Historic Building Record, 2008

According to Bence Nanay (2009), the proposal I make in my 2009b gets some speckled hen cases right but not others. Nanay says that if the speckled hen is far away, it is plausible to claim, as I do, that in seeing all the speckles, nonetheless there are individual speckles I fail to see. But he adds (p. 501-2) that if the hen is close to me and the speckles appear clearly demarcated so that I could attend to any given speckle if I so chose, then we should accept that I see all the speckles and further that I see each individual speckle.

Geoscience in South-West England, 2005