Assessing Iron Age Marsh-Forts : With Reference to the Stratigraphy and Palaeoenvironment Surrounding the Berth, North Shropshire.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Norton, Shelagh.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Iron age--England--North Shropshire.

Iron age.

Fortification, Prehistoric--England--North Shropshire.

Fortification, Prehistoric.

Excavations (Archaeology)--England--North Shropshire.

Excavations (Archaeology).

Antiquities.

North Shropshire (England)--Antiquities.

North Shropshire (England).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (224 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Other Title:

Assessing Iron Age Marsh-Forts

Place of Publication:

Oxford : Archaeopress, 2021.

Summary:

This volume assesses marsh-forts as a separate phenomenon within Iron Age society through an understanding of their landscape context and palaeoenvironmental development. These substantial monuments appear to have been deliberately constructed to control areas of marginal wetland and may have played an important role in the ritual landscape.

Contents:

Cover

Title Page

Copyright page

Contents Page

List of Figures and Tables

Acknowledgements

List of abbreviations

Chapter 1

Assessing Iron Age marsh-forts - an introduction

1.1. Marsh-forts in a hillfort context

1.2. The 'problem' with hillforts

1.3. The archaeological and ecological opportunities presented by wetlands

1.4. Structure

Figure 1.1. Research structure.

1.5. Definitions

1.5.1. Defining terms

1.5.2. Chronology

1.5.3. Radiocarbon dates

Chapter 2

The British Iron Age, hillforts and marsh-forts - literature review

2.1. Summarising Iron Age studies

2.1.1. Antiquarian and early twentieth-century paradigms

2.1.2. A 'New Archaeology' for the Iron Age

2.1.3. A post-processual perspective

2.1.4. Thematic studies and agendas

2.2. Iron Age landscapes - hillforts and enclosures

Figure 2.1. Zones of differing settlement forms

(adapted from Cunliffe, 2005 Figure 4.3).

2.2.1. Inventories, classifications and groups

2.2.2. Hillfort, enclosure and the implications for settlement

2.2.3. Iron Age climatic change and changes in landuse

2.3. Marsh-forts

2.3.1. Sutton Common (Fig. 2.2)

Figure 2.2. Artist's impression of Sutton Common, showing twin enclosures, multivallation, causeways and 4- and 6-post structures (Van der Noort et al, 2007:Fig. 10.1). Image reproduced by kind permission of the Council for British Archaeology.

2.4. Summary

3.1. Site selection - national and regional marsh-forts

3.1.1. National Level - Marsh-Fort Gazetteer

3.1.2. Regional Level - North Shropshire's marsh-forts

Chapter 3

Methodology and Resources

3.1.3. Local level - The Berth and Wall Camp

3.2. The Berth

3.2.1. Ground conditions and equipment.

3.2.2. Stratigraphic coring and palaeoenvironmental sampling

Figure 3.1. The Berth, showing Scheduled Area, large and small enclosures, Berth Pool and field names together with coring and organic sampling locations and 2016 trench positions (Source: LiDAR 1m DSM

accessed May 2017).

Figure 3.2. BNP 15 - 0-100cm, showing the transition from top soil (left) to peat (right).

Figure 3.3. BNP15 - showing large wood inclusion between 180-220cm.

Figure 3.4. BNP 15 - varved shelly marl between 360-460cm.

3.2.3. Radiocarbon determinations

3.2.4. Post-fieldwork - processing and analysis of palaeoenvironmental data

Table 3.1. The Berth - plant macrofossil and beetle samples by location.

3.2.5. Adopting a multi-proxy palaeoenvironmental approach to landscape reconstruction

Figure 3.5. An indication of the spatial representation available from nested data-sets.

Table 3.2. The Berth Coleoptera - MNI: Species ratio.

Table 3.3. Plant macrofossil and insects habitat groupings.

3.3. Summary

4.1. Conceptualising wetland landscapes

4.1.1. Defining landscape

Chapter 4

Marsh-forts in a landscape context

4.1.2. Landscape archaeology, methodology and interpretation

4.1.3. Landscape reconstruction and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)

4.1.4. Landscapes as waterscapes

Table 4.1. Sutton Common characteristics (after Van der Noort et al., 2007).

4.2. Marsh-fort Gazetteer - a survey of potential marsh-forts

4.2.1. Marsh-fort Criteria

4.2.2. Marsh-fort Gazetteer - regional analysis

Figure 4.1. The Sutton Common landscape, looking east across the large enclosure, towards Shirley Pool (Norton, 2017).

Figure 4.2. The Atlas of Hillforts - marsh-forts (https://hillforts.arch.ox.ac.uk: January 2018).

Figure 4.3. Distribution of potential marsh-forts - England and Wales (Google Earth: January 2018).

Figure 4.4. North/South Yorkshire - distribution of potential marsh-forts around Sutton Common (Google Earth: January 2018).

Figure 4.5. Moorhouse Farm, Tickhill, showing ditch circuits to the west of the farm buildings (Google Earth: 2020).

Figure 4.6. Little Smeaton

(Google Earth: December 2018).

Figure 4.7. Lincolnshire, Fenland and East Anglia - distribution of potential marsh-forts (Google Earth: January 2018).

Figure 4.8. Tattershall Thorpe in relation to Fiskerton and the Iron Age coastline

(Field and Parker Pearson, 2003:

Fig.12.1). Image reproduced by kind permission of Prof M. Parker Pearson.

Figure 4.9. Stonea Camp - upstanding earthworks (Norton, 2017).

Figure 4.10. Stonea Camp in its flat landscape setting (Norton, 2017).

Figure 4.11. Looking east across the salt marsh towards Holkham (circled) (Norton, 2017).

Figure 4.12. Warham Camp - external defences, looking west (Norton, 2017).

Figure 4.13. Central and Southern England - distribution of potential marsh-forts (Google Earth: January 2018).

Figure 4.14. Cherbury Camp - entrance (Norton, 2018).

Figure 4.15. Kempsey

channels flow left towards the River Severn (Norton, 2017).

Figure 4.16. Gadbury Bank (no public access) (Norton, 2017).

Figure 4.17. Risbury Camp behind houses (right)

Humber Brook (left) (Norton, 2018).

Figure 4.18. Risbury Camp showing the large interior area, now orchard (Norton, 2018).

Figure 4.19. Island Covert (no public access) (Norton, 2017).

Figure 4.20. Cheshire - distribution of potential marsh-forts (Google Earth: 2020).

Figure 4.21. Peckforton Mere from Peckforton enclosure with Beeston Castle (background right) (Norton, 2015).

Figure 4.22. Oakmere from across the mere (no public access) (Norton 2015).

Figure 4.23. Somerset Levels and Severn Estuary - distribution of potential marsh-fort and lake villages (Google Earth: 2020).

Figure 4.24. Hetha Burn West and Great Hetha (Google Earth: 2020).

Figure 4.25. Wales - distribution of potential marsh-forts (Google Earth: December 2018).

4.3. Summary

Figure 4.26. y Werthyr, Anglesey (Google Earth: January 2018).

Figure 4.27. Y Werthyr - geology (Edina Digimap: December 2018).

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Group 4

5.1. North Shropshire - physical environment

5.1.1. Geography, geology and glaciation

Chapter 5

North Shropshire's marsh-forts

Figure 5.1. Shropshire - North Shropshire Plain, shown in relief (Source: http://digimap.edina.ac.uk/ June 2017).

5.1.2. Hydrology and soils

5.1.3. Wetland development and peat formation

Figure 5.2. Core section showing 'true boulder clay' (right) at 620-720cm (The Berth, Norton

November 2016).

5.1.4. North Shropshire's wetlands and palaeoenvironmental record

Figure 5.3. North Shropshire: relief, hydrology together with sites mentioned in the text (Source: http://digimap.edina.ac.uk/roam/os: January 2018).

5.2. North Shropshire - archaeological evidence

Figure 5.4. North Shropshire's

wetlands (Leah et al., 1998: Fig. 3). Image reproduced by kind

permission of Oxford Archaeology Ltd.

Figure 5.6. Peat wastage at Wall Camp (Norton, 2014).

Figure 5.5. Fenn's/Whixall Moss - the bog bodies were reputedly recovered from centre foreground (Norton, 2016).

5.2.1. Settlement and occupation - hillforts

5.2.2. Cropmarks and enclosure

5.2.3. The Cornovii - social structure and identity

5.2.4. Romanisation

Figure 5.7. The Nesscliffe Spoons - Shrewsbury Museum (Norton, 2014).

5.3. North Shropshire's marsh-forts (Fig. 5.8)

5.3.1. The Berth (Fig. 5.9).

Figure 5.9. The Berth from the air looking south, showing the main enclosure (centre), the small enclosure (left) and the causeways. The edge of Berth Pool is visible (right) and the Wrekin is visible in the far distance (Hampton, 2017).

Figure 5.8. North Shropshire's lowland fortifications, showing sites referenced in the text (Google Earth

January 2018).

5.3.2. Wall Camp, Kynnersley (Fig. 5.10 - Fig. 5.16)

5.3.3. Whittington (Fig. 5.17-Fig. 5.19)

5.3.4. Stocketts Enclosure (Fig. 5.20

Fig. 5.23)

Pan Castle (Fig. 5.21

Fig. 5.22)

Figure 5.10. Wall Camp - western ramparts (Norton, 2014).

Figure 5.11. The Weald Moors - superficial geology (BGS 1:50000

July 2017).

Figure 5.12. Wall Camp - site map and excavations (Malim and Malim, 2010: Fig.2b). Image reproduced by kind permission of Tim Malim.

Figure 5.13. Wall Camp -modern floodmap (Source: Edina Digimap: Geological Indicators of Flooding Accessed May 2017).

Figure 5.14. The Telford Torc (PAS: WMID-C53CB8

January 2017). Image reproduced by courtesy of the Portable Antiquities Scheme.

Figure 5.15. Wall Camp - WC5 stratigraphy and auger locations (LiDAR DTM 1m).

Figure 5.16. The Weald Moors - archaeological locations and find spots (LiDAR 1mDTM Dec 2017) (Shropshire HER July 2014

PAS 2014).

5.3.5. Pave Lane, Newport

5.3.6. Castle Farm, Shifnal

Figure 5.17. Whittington Castle - outer earthworks (Norton, 2015).

Figure 5.18. Whittington Castle area showing sites and embanked areas, overlain with modern flood data (LiDAR 1mDSM

BGS: Geological Indicators of Flooding July 2017).

Figure 5.19. Whittington Castle and Old Oswestry - superficial geology (BGS 1:50000 July 2017)

LiDAR 1m DTM (Dec 2017)

sites (Shropshire HER July 2014

PAS July 2014).

Figure 5.21. Pan Castle, looking south from the motte to the bailey.

earthworks are visible in the middle distance (Norton, 2015) (above).

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

9781789698640

1789698642

OCLC:

1285170439