South Yorkshire Archaeology News

'Archaeology in South Yorkshire Number 12', our most recent review of archaeological work in South Yorkshire, was published in November 2007.

 

Find out how to order a copy from our books page.

 

To find out about recent archaeological work in your area please select a link

 

If you require information on a particular site or area between posts please email us syorks.archservice@sheffield.gov.uk.

The Archaeology Service has recently worked in partnership with InHeritage and Doncaster Museum on two projects.

 

The projects were both funded by English Heritage using money from the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund.

 

The Romans on the Don project focused on life in the Doncaster area in the Iron Age and Roman periods - around 2000 years ago. A series of workshops and talks took place and a comic for 7-11 year olds was produced. The comic proved so popular that it went through two print runs! It can now be downloaded from the Romans on the Don website for anyone who missed it. The website also has a downloadable teachers' pack for Key Stage 2 use.

 

The Discovering the Ancient Don Gorge project has been looking at life in the Don Gorge near Cadeby from the last Ice Age to the early medieval period. A website went live in autumn 2007 and February saw the launch of the travelling exhibition, a free comic for children and a graphic novel for young adults.

 

The Sites and Monuments Record contains files built up over many years. In 1980, a SYAS officer visited a farm in the Barnsley area. The farmhouse was dilapidated but evidently dated to the 17th century and was a good example of local architectural styles. Many of the original roof timbers were present, as was the firehood. Firehoods were an innovation of the early post-medieval period. Before this, most hearths were in the middle of a floor, creating smoke filled rooms; Chimneys only occurred in higher status buildings. The firehood was a large inverted funnel, often made of wattle and daub, which channelled the smoke out of the roof. A large stone firehood cap was built into roof timbers providing more solid support for the structure.

 

An application was received to build an extension onto the now renovated farmhouse. The Archaeology Service were concerned that this could damage the historic features so we visited the owners and discussed the plans with them. The owners were pleased to learn more about the history of their house and proud that it was so interesting. They were happy to make an undertaking that ensured that the historic features would not be damaged. The building has new lease of life and we now have updated records on the farmhouse.

 

The picture, taken looking up into the ceiling, shows the fire hood in 1980 (left) and in 2008 (right).

 

South Yorkshire’s first confirmed Anglo-Saxon cemetery was discovered at this site. The Adwick area is rich in archaeological heritage and SYAS recommended an archaeological evaluation be conducted prior to construction commencing. This revealed three human burials in one trench. Further archaeological mitigation work was therefore necessary. SYAS worked closely with Doncaster MBC (client), Kier Northern (principal contractor) and ARCUS (archaeological contractor) to ensure a sensitive and appropriate scheme of work.

 

The resulting excavation revealed a cemetery of 35 burials. To date, one burial has been radio-carbon dated to between 660AD-780AD. The burials were laid out in a line and were mostly oriented south-west to north-east. Small quartzite pebbles were found on the chest of some individuals. They may have been held in a pouch that rotted away or just placed upon the body.

 

Excavation has now finished and the specialist analysis of the remains has begun. Analyses will reveal more precise dates for the burials and provide other information on the health, lifestyle and age at death of individuals.

 

The detailed report on this work will be deposited with the Sites and Monuments Record.

 

This site lies within the historic core of Swinton, close to the site of the medieval chapel and directly opposite the site of Swinton Old Hall.

 

SYAS recommended that a desk-based assessment should be prepared in advance of a planning decision being taken, to inform the need for further work. The assessment revealed that seventeenth century plague burials were found nearby. It also showed that the plot was open field on a map of 1775 and has remained largely undeveloped until to the present day. This suggested that preservation of earlier archaeological features could, therefore, be good.

 

SYAS subsequently recommended that an evaluation by trial trenching should be carried out. Seven trenches were excavated, strategically distributed across the site. However, the work found no direct evidence of medieval activity and no structures were found. Pottery from an impressive range of dates was recovered, including Lincolnshire coastal wares of the 11th and 12th centuries, later medieval local wares and Georgian and Victorian pieces. The pottery was in small, randomly spread, pieces suggesting that the field was used for occasional refuse disposal (often called a “manuring scatter”).

 

The detailed report on this work will be deposited with the Sites and Monuments Record.

 

Redevelopment of the ‘Five Roads’ site for new housing has led to an investigation of the site of the former Wincobank Hall. The hall, which had fallen into disrepair, was probably demolished in the 1920s, during the construction of the Flower Estate. No visible evidence for the hall survived, but trial trenching during the planning stages of the redevelopment revealed some buried features. A more detailed investigation of these remains has now taken place, to ensure a full record of them is made before construction work starts. The fieldwork was done by ARCUS.

 

The hall that was demolished in the 20th century was probably built by a Mr Sparrow in the late 18th century (a plan of the estate in 1790 survives in the Fairbanks collection at Sheffield Archives). This building may have replaced an earlier one, but no archaeological evidence for this was found. The remains that were found principally consisted of substantial cellars. One cellar wall had blocked alcoves and the blocked remains of a partially sunken window; this blocking was done when a small extension was built on the west front of the hall in the early 19th century.

 

The detailed reports on this work will be deposited with the Sites and Monuments Record.