| More from up the hill |
| 19/3/2023 |
This is a big field!! We did not finish it but had over 70 bags of finds. The pattern is the same, as the photograph shows. This time we had two blades and a burnt flint plus the usual primary flakes. There is also what may be a core, shown in the photo.
The post med finds were a lot more varied - besides the inevitable glazed red earthenware, we had some Staffs slipped ware, blue and white transfer ware. The interesting thing was the amount of probable medieval sandy ware - the handle scribed with parallel lines and the possible trivet (flat plate with a foot) are both quite unusual.
We are taking a weekend off before we return to this field and hope to finish it. | |  |
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| Further up the hill at Ickleton |
| 12/3/2023 |
| As we move further up the high ground north of Grange Road at Ickleton so the masses of flint carry on. The photograph shows just a few of the primary flakes recovered on Sunday plus the post medieval pottery. We have recovered very few worked or burnt flints on our field walking here so it does not suggest a settlement, just a work site preparing flakes for further processing elsewhere. The pottery is mostly glazed red sandy wares. We will return next weekend to finish off this field. | |  |
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| Finishing off the Grange Road north field at Ickleton |
| 5/3/2023 |
The last piece of the field next door to the trial crops produced a continuation of the finds recovered previously. As the photograph shows, predominantly Glazed Redwares (including a piece of Metropolitan ware) but some struck flint and a particularly good example of a burnt flint. There is also a number of pieces of what appear to be medieval pot - including the nice piece of red sandy ware with a slashed decoration.
Our next visit is further north up the hill to see what that produces. | |  |
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| Unusual find on the hill at Ickleton Grange Road |
| 26/2/2023 |
| We rarely find organic matter lying on the ground but this weekend we found this piece of leather. It is unusual to look at - with one line of very closely spaced holes at the edge and another row of holes wider spaced above them. Quite what it comes from is unclear - whether it is part of a shoe or boot or perhaps some leather harness or belt. Closer examination may determine what it is but how to conserve it is another matter. | |  |
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| Up the hill at Grange Road, Ickleton |
| 26/2/2023 |
On a lovely day with excellent ground conditions it was up the hill from the previous week's flat land. The soil varied from the silty brown at the bottom of the hill to quite chalky soil at the top.
The photograph shows a selection of what we found - mostly glazed redwares (a few rims) but some interesting flints this time. There was a nice blade plus some primary flakes and a flint with a notch (natural or otherwise?). Also a small amount of rough sandy ware which could be medieval and some Victorian clay pipe stem. | |  |
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| A CALL FOR ANY INTERESTING FIELDS IN THE CAMBRIDGE AREA |
| 21/02/2023 |
As we get near to the end of the winter/spring field walking season, we have walked most of our available fields or the crop has become too well advanced to permit field walking. Therefore we need some suitable fields in the Cambridge area to carry on walking. If any member knows of any fields in a suitable state to walk please let us know.
We need a field either just prepared for sowing or a field where the crop is developing but does not cover the surface. Remember we must always obtain the land owners permission before we go on to any field. |
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| An interesting day at Ickleton near Grange Road |
| 19/02/2023 |
The biggest turnout of walkers, including new members, for some time enjoyed the lovely weather conditions at Ickleton. The ground conditions were excellent, with the rain-washed surface showing the surface material quite clearly. The finds themselves were a total mixture - from prehistoric flints via Roman tegula tile to medieval pot and finally post medieval pot and building materials.
The photograph shows the best find, a leaf shaped blade which looks to be too large for an arrowhead but maybe would be a spear point. The tegula may not be surprising considering that the site of Great Chesterford Roman town can be seen from the field. | |  |
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| Finishing off the linseed field at Ickleton |
| 12/02/2023 |
Returned to the field in overcast conditions which was a benefit as without the low-angle sun visibility of the ground was good. However, despite the masses of flint and chalk, there were few flint finds made, including a first burnt flint. The photograph shows the typical post medieval finds, some of the flints and a few pieces that look quite Roman in date. The oyster shell is also a first find of this type here.
The survey really does not indicate any settlement evidence, just a typical field scatter.
On to another Ickleton field down the hill this coming Sunday - another large field. | |  |
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| To the linseed field at Ickleton |
| 5/02/2023 |
After the stickiness of Eltisley it was a welcome relief to be back on the chalk soils at Ickleton on a field that had been sown with linseed. The weather was perfect but the crop had grown sufficiently to make ground visibility poor in some places. The surface was strewn with flint and chalk lumps so we were expecting a harvest of worked flint.
Not so, a disappointing return of worked flint or burnt flint as the photograph shows. Yet again the finds were mostly post medieval - GRE, green and white ware plus a piece of Metropolitan ware and a clay pipe. There were several pieces of red sandy ware that may be medieval in date. We hope to complete the field this coming weekend. | |  |
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| The last day at Eltisley for now |
| 29/01/2023 |
| Our last visit for now at Eltisley produced very little in terms of finds. As the photograph shows it was mostly glazed and unglazed red sandy wares. There was a single piece of possible medieval ware, some clay pipe stem and post medieval white ware. Ground conditions were quite sticky but visibility of the ground surface was fine, so another piece of Eltisley with no signs of settlement. | |  |
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| Weather cancels field walking |
| 23/01/2023 |
| Due to adverse weather conditions on the day, we never got to field walk at the weekend. The photograph shows the conditions out in the countryside at 8.45am on Sunday. Ironically, by 9.30am the sun was out but the ground was still very heavily frozen. We will attempt to complete the Eltisley field walking this coming Sunday - again, weather permitting. | |  |
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| Into the mud at Eltisley |
| 15/1/2023 |
We returned to a piece of land separated by a hedge from an area where we had previously found a quantity of medieval pot. Ground conditions were atrocious - just like walking in porridge - and with standing water puddles. However, apart from a possible piece of medieval pot, most of the limited number of finds were of post-medieval origin (as shown in the photograph). It is interesting that the hedge line formed such a clear cut boundary between the finds and no finds.
We may be back at Eltisley again this coming Sunday on a strip of land alongside the Eltisley - Papworth road and hope for better success. | |  |
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| Another day of slim pickings at Eltisley |
| 8/1/2023 |
On a day of very strong winds and quite cool, we finished one of our outstanding fields. It has not produced many finds previously and did not disappoint - a total of 10 bags, many with a single find in them. The photograph shows two interesting things - one was a dark glazed redware bottle neck of post medieval origin. The other was a piece of a Roman mortaria in a pale fabric with black slag tituration grits. This is most likely of Nene Valley origin but the question is where did it come from? We often find single bits of Roman pottery or tile and always relate them to manuring practices - but who knows where this piece started out from.
This coming weekend we hope to finish another field attached to an area that had produced medieval pottery previously - let's hope for more finds this time. | |  |
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| Very picturesque but no good for walking |
| 18/12/2022 |
| Well the predicted heavy frost came and immediately followed by the snow that hung around for over a week. The photo shows how heavy the freezing fog settled over the land and why field walking was not an option. The coming weekend is Christmas Day and therefore no walking but time to rest up and prepare for the New Year and, hopefully, a successful 2023 archaeologically speaking. | |  |
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| Val Whittaker Memorial Prize 2022 |
| 02/11/2022 |
| This year’s Val Whittaker Prize was presented at the November CAFG lecture in the McDonald Institute. The winner is Mikael Steeder, a final year student in the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology. He won the prize for his project report on a commemorative bronze head from West Africa – one of the Benin bronzes. The report contains a commendable discussion of historical, political and scientific aspects if his investigations into this topical and controversial subject | |  |
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