1. University of Cambridge taster lecture* Medieval settlement studies & the HEFA CORS project Dr Carenza Lewis MA ScD FSA *The material covered in this lecture is an option for University of Cambridge 2 nd and 3 rd year archaeology and anthropology undergraduates, 3rd year history undergraduates and graduate students in medieval Europe www.access.arch.cam.ac.uk/schools/hefa

2. Programme for the day www.access.arch.cam.ac.uk/schools/hefa

3. Aims of this lecture - 1 To help you learn about the study of medieval settlements To show what questions have been asked in the past and what questions are now considered important. This will: help you write the introduction and aims sections of your written assignment! To look at the results of YOUR excavation! To think about what your results are telling us that is new. This will: help you write the discussion and conclusions sections of your written assignment! www.access.arch.cam.ac.uk/schools/hefa

4. Requirements of the written assignment “Prepare a technical report on a practical project involving original data- gathering and analysis” www.access.arch.cam.ac.uk/schools/hefa

5. The big questions your excavations are helping to answer: www.access.arch.cam.ac.uk/schools/hefa

6. What were today’s settlements like in the past?

7. Why were/are settlements different in different parts of the country?

8. What can excavating in these settlements tell us about major historical events?... East Smithfield cemetery …such as the Black Death…

9. Bronze Age Iron Age Roman Anglo- Saxon Medieval Post- Medieval Victorian Can you arrange these historical periods into the correct order, with the earliest first?! 20 th/ 21 st century Stone Age Background

10. What terms do we use to describe settlements? In order to understand what any settlement was like in the past, we first need ways to describe it.

11. Hamlet Common-edge Interrupted row Dispersed settlements Nucleated villages Cluster Row Green + + Nucleated settlement forms Farmstead Dispersed settlement forms What was YOUR settlement like? Today? In the 19 th century Before that?... House Church Boundary Grass +

12. Modern Map of village

13. Historic Map of village

14. Modern and Historic Maps of village - compared

15. How can we study settlement change without maps?

16. Only in the 1950s did people start to get interested in ‘ordinary’ settlements. People got interested in deserted villages first because they are obviously old and have a sense of mystery about them Deserted village sites quickly became known by the acronym DMV (Deserted Medieval Village) In 1950 excavation began at the DMV of Wharram Percy in Yorkshire, with the aim of finding out when it was deserted, and then why. How much of Wharram Percy do you think was excavated in 30 years?! Archaeologists interested in settlements looked first at deserted villages

17. Excavating deserted sites told us about life in medieval villages

18. Desertion is rarely a sudden event There are usually many different causes. In many cases medieval villages are not deserted in the medieval period, but later. Nucleated villages are more like to become permanently deserted than dispersed settlements Settlements which were smaller, poorer, later and remote are more likely to be deserted. ‘Good’ sites hardly ever become permanently deserted. And about the death of medieval villages (causes of settlement desertion).

19. What DMV excavations didn’t reveal was whether any of this was TYPICAL! Deserted villages Population density in 1086 (Domesday Book) Nucleated and dispersed settlement in 19 th century Settlement intensity in mid 14 th century (Gough map 1360)

20. So - We need to study sites that are NOT deserted It is now agreed that people should not be studying deserted settlements in isolation, but also looking at currently occupied rural settlements (CORS) Because : CORS are likely to be more representative of the experience of more people in the past. CORS and DMVs together represent the whole of the medieval settlement pattern, not just one little bit of it.

21. Problem with excavating in non-deserted settlements:

22. Solution…

23. N 0 miles 50 Gaywood Hindringham Binham Wisbech St Mary Thorney Ufford Ramsey Castor Houghton Sharnbrook Pirton Ashwell Willingham Cottenham Girton Shelford Isleham Garboldisham Carleton Rode Acle Chediston Coddenham Long Melford Clare West Mersea Thorrington Writtle Little Hallingbury Manuden Mill Green Hessett Bramford Paston Potton Peakirk Clavering Nayland S. Bulbeck Stapleford Walberswick Wiveton Terrington St Clement Daws Heath Gt. Amwell Rampton Shillington Shefford Coxwold Castleton North Warnborough Kibworth Smarden Southwold Waldingfield Sudbury Bures Riseley Sawtry Toft Meldreth Grimston W Wickham 2,084 pits HEFA HEFA/community Community Hillington East Rudham Brundall Blo’ Norton Southminster Hadleigh Riseley

24. Discussion of YOUR test pit results

25. Map of test pit locations

26. Prehistoric (up to 43 AD) Roman (43AD – 410 AD) Early Anglo-Saxon (c.410 – 650 AD) Middle Anglo-Saxon (c. 650 – 850 AD) Late Anglo-Saxon (c. 850 – 1066) High Medieval (1066-1399) Late Medieval (1400-1549) Post-medieval (1550-1799) C19th/Victorian (1800-1900) Mapping settlement development using archaeological evidence

27. Different time period maps of Test pit locations and the pottery found

28. Test Pit with no pottery of this date 8 7 6 1 sherd 4g or less 1 sherd 5g or more 2-4 sherds 5 sherds or more Undisturbed levels Interpreting the test pit pottery data 1 sherd 4g or less 1 sherd 5g or more 2-4 sherds 5 sherds or more Disturbed levels

29. Pottery Distribution maps Of the village

30. PIRTON Test Pit Locations 2007 (Green), 2008 (Blue), 2009 (Yellow), 2010 (Purple) & 2011 (Orange) 1 2 3 5 4 1 8 7 9 15 16 10 17 7 13 14 11 1226 27 28 20 21 18 12 2 3 5 4 11 13 6 19 22 14 15 16 17 2 6 1 3 4 5 8 9 10 19 20 21 24 22 25 23 18 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 12 3 4 5 7 9 6 8 20 21 22 23 24 26 27 25 8 9 10 11 12 N 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 13 1415 16 17 18 19 20 21 Pirton’s 104 test pits 2007 - 2011

31. 1 sherd 4g or less 1 sherd 5g or more 2-4 sherds 5 sherds or more Disturbed levels 1 sherd 4g or less 1 sherd 5g or more 2-4 sherds 5 sherds or more Undisturbed levels Pirton 2007-11 Test pits containing pottery dating to 700 BC – AD 43 N

32. Pirton 2007-11 Test pits containing pottery dating to 1 st – mid 5 th century AD N 1 sherd 4g or less 1 sherd 5g or more 2-4 sherds 5 sherds or more Disturbed levels 1 sherd 4g or less 1 sherd 5g or more 2-4 sherds 5 sherds or more Undisturbed levels

33. Pirton 2007-11 Test pits containing pottery dating to mid 5 th – mid 9 th century AD N 1 sherd 4g or less 1 sherd 5g or more 2-4 sherds 5 sherds or more Disturbed levels 1 sherd 4g or less 1 sherd 5g or more 2-4 sherds 5 sherds or more Undisturbed levels

34. Pirton 2007-11 Test pits containing pottery dating to mid 9 th – mid 11 th century AD N 1 sherd 4g or less 1 sherd 5g or more 2-4 sherds 5 sherds or more Disturbed levels 1 sherd 4g or less 1 sherd 5g or more 2-4 sherds 5 sherds or more Undisturbed levels

35. Pirton 2007-11 Test pits containing pottery dating to mid 11 th – end 14 th century N 1 sherd 4g or less 1 sherd 5g or more 2-4 sherds 5 sherds or more Disturbed levels 1 sherd 4g or less 1 sherd 5g or more 2-4 sherds 5 sherds or more Undisturbed levels

36. Pirton 2007-11 Test pits containing pottery dating to 15 th – mid 16 th century N 1 sherd 4g or less 1 sherd 5g or more 2-4 sherds 5 sherds or more Disturbed levels 1 sherd 4g or less 1 sherd 5g or more 2-4 sherds 5 sherds or more Undisturbed levels

37. Pirton 2007-11 Test pits containing pottery dating to mid 16 th – end 18 th century AD N 1 sherd 4g or less 1 sherd 5g or more 2-4 sherds 5 sherds or more Disturbed levels 1 sherd 4g or less 1 sherd 5g or more 2-4 sherds 5 sherds or more Undisturbed levels

38. The bigger picture – The power of pits

40. Gaywood Hindringham Binham Wisbech St Mary Thorney Ufford Ramsey Castor Houghton Sharnbrook Pirton Ashwell Willingham Cottenham Girton Gt Shelford Isleham Garboldisham Carleton Rode Acle Chediston Coddenham Long Melford Clare West Mersea Thorrington Writtle Little Hallingbury Manuden Hessett Bramford Paston Potton Peakirk Clavering Nayland Swaffham Bulbeck Stapleford Walberswick Wiveton Terrington St Clement Daws Heath Amwell Shillington Meldreth West Wickham Roman (late C1 st – late C4 th ) 0 1-9% 10-19% 20-29% 30-39% 40-49% 50-60% 61%+ Toft

41. N Gaywood Hindringham Binham Wisbech St Mary Thorney Ufford Ramsey Castor Houghton Sharnbrook Pirton Ashwell Willingham Cottenham Girton Gt Shelford Isleham Garboldisham Carleton Rode Acle Chediston Coddenham Long Melford Clare West Mersea Thorrington Writtle Little Hallingbury Manuden Hessett Bramford Paston Potton Peakirk Clavering Nayland Swaffham Bulbeck Stapleford Walberswick Wiveton Terrington St Clement Daws Heath Amwell Shillington Meldreth West Wickham Early Anglo-Saxon (late C4 th – late C7 th ) 0 1-9% 10-19% 20-29% 30-39% 40-49% 50-60% 61%+ Toft

42. N Gaywood Hindringham Binham Wisbech St Mary Thorney Ufford Ramsey Castor Houghton Sharnbrook Pirton Ashwell Willingham Cottenham Girton Gt Shelford Isleham Garboldisham Carleton Rode Acle Chediston Coddenham Long Melford Clare West Mersea Thorrington Writtle Little Hallingbury Manuden Hessett Bramford Paston Potton Peakirk Clavering Nayland Swaffham Bulbeck Stapleford Walberswick Wiveton Terrington St Clement Daws Heath Amwell Shillington Meldreth West Wickham Late Anglo-Saxon (late C9 th –late C11 th ) 0 1-9% 10-19% 20-29% 30-39% 40-49% 50-60% 61%+ Toft

43. N Gaywood Hindringham Binham Wisbech St Mary Thorney Ufford Ramsey Castor Houghton Sharnbrook Pirton Ashwell Willingham Cottenham Girton Gt Shelford Isleham Garboldisham Carleton Rode Acle Chediston Coddenham Long Melford Clare West Mersea Thorrington Writtle Little Hallingbury Manuden Hessett Bramford Paston Potton Peakirk Clavering Nayland Swaffham Bulbeck Stapleford Walberswick Wiveton Terrington St Clement Daws Heath Amwell Shillington Meldreth West Wickham High medieval Early C12 th –mid C14 th ) 0 1-9% 10-19% 20-29% 30-39% 40-49% 50-60% 61%+ Toft

44. N Gaywood Hindringham Binham Wisbech St Mary Thorney Ufford Ramsey Castor Houghton Sharnbrook Pirton Ashwell Willingham Cottenham Girton Gt Shelford Isleham Garboldisham Carleton Rode Acle Chediston Coddenham Long Melford Clare West Mersea Thorrington Writtle Little Hallingbury Manuden Hessett Bramford Paston Potton Peakirk Clavering Nayland Swaffham Bulbeck Stapleford Walberswick Wiveton Terrington St Clement Daws Heath Amwell Shillington Meldreth West Wickham Late medieval (late C14 th – mid C16 th ) 0 1-9% 10-19% 20-29% 30-39% 40-49% 50-60% 61%+ Toft

45. N Gaywood Hindringham Binham Wisbech St Mary Thorney Ufford Ramsey Castor Houghton Sharnbrook Pirton Ashwell Willingham Cottenham Girton Gt Shelford Isleham Garboldisham Carleton Rode Acle Chediston Coddenham Long Melford Clare West Mersea Thorrington Writtle Little Hallingbury Manuden Hessett Bramford Paston Potton Peakirk Clavering Nayland Swaffham Bulbeck Stapleford Walberswick Wiveton Terrington St Clement Daws Heath Amwell Shillington Meldreth West Wickham Post-medieval (late C16 th –late C18 th ) 0 1-9% 10-19% 20-29% 30-39% 40-49% 50-60% 61%+ Toft

47. Summary - The University of Cambridge CORS project results to date Since 2005, the University of Cambridge CORS project has excavated more than 2,000 test pits in more than 50 different rural communities. These have produced vast amounts of new data, which have: Dated the origins of scores of settlements – dispersed and nucleated. Shown how these settlements changed over time Shown where people were living at different times in the past. Enabled changes in population levels in the past to be measured Provided new evidence for the impact of events such as the Black Death, a worldwide epidemic which changed the course of history for billions. Shown how much archaeological evidence can survive within CORS.

48. The HEFA project has also shown what a valuable contribution young people can make to advancing academic knowledge and understanding!