YAS – Prehistory Research Section: Newsletter No 23

 

2011-12 Programme of Activities

Additional Event

Saturday, 29th October 2011 at 11am: Council Meeting at Claremont (open to all YAS members)
Neil Redfern (Team Leader, National Planning Dept, English Heritage) will speak on Thornborough Prehistoric Complex - an EH Briefing on Tarmac's Gravel Extraction Proposals'.

Tarmac have recently applied to NYCC to extract a further 2 million tons of gravel from a 25ha extension to their Nosterfield quarry over the period 2013-2017/8. Their application is available on the NYCC website using the search facility for application NY/2011/0242/ENV

Knowing Section members' interest in this important prehistoric site (the cover image for the 2003 YAS assessment of "The Archaeology of Yorkshire"), we trust you'll be able to come along to hear EH's response to the application and to discuss its views on how best to develop the landscape around the Thornborough Henge Complex, without jeopardising its remaining integrity.

Saturday, 26th November 2011 at 10.30am: at Claremont:
Quern Survey Group AGM, preceded by a talk by Dave Heslop:-
"Recent Quern Research in England & Turkey - Similarities & Differences"
All PRS members are welcome to attend and hear about past (& future) quern activities

Saturday, 26th November 2011 at 2.00pm: Xmas meeting at Claremont with:-
“The Earliest Humans in the Yorkshire Dales: Understanding the Archaeological Record”
Tom Lord, from the Winskill Farm Visitor Centre (which the Section visited in August 2008), will update us on recent developments in our understanding of Palaeolithic settlement in the Dales.

Tea Break: We’ll then have our customary tea and Xmas treats [NB for new members, if you have a particular festive weakness, you are welcome bring it along].

“New Light on Old Stones: Recent Work on Neolithic Stone Axes in Britain”
Prof Mark Edmonds: University of York: having jointly organised the 2007 York symposium on stone tool research and recently published the proceedings (“Stone Axe Studies III”) to critical acclaim, Mark will tell us about new developments on some of his current projects

Following these talks, our Editor will distribute our re-named Prehistoric Yorkshire, Vol No 49 to all paid-up members – do come along (and minimise our mailing cost).
There will also be a small bookstall at the meeting, of books donated by Alan King (and any books which members choose to bring along), with all proceeds going towards our Pacitto AP project.

Saturday, 3rd March 2012 at 2pm: AGM meeting: preceded by:-
“The Stanbury Hill Project”: Dr Keith Boughey & Louise Brown (Site Director of Archaeology) on recent fieldwork on Bingley Moor by the Stanbury Hill Community Archaeology Project.

Activities To Date
Sunday 31st July 2011: Summer Field Trip
Tim Laurie led our party of 18 members and guests to Carpley Green, on the southern side of Wensleydale. Our first site was the impressive, prehistoric cairn at Stony Rise. We then moved on to explore a series of transhumance sites on Greenber Edge, which Tim interpreted as medieval structures overlying other, earlier remnants, presumed to be prehistoric. After distant views of the henge site, we ended the day by visiting the midden site on the northern shore of Semer Water

Saturday, 17th September: JR Mortimer (1825-1911) Conference at Driffield:
The section was well represented, both in the speakers and in the audience, at this conference, organised by Terry Manby and Paul Brayford on behalf of YAS, ERART, CBAYk and ERAS.

Future Archaeological Activities Elsewhere

5th November 2011: Using Social Media for Archaeological Groups: £20: CBA Yorkshire day-school: Contact: 12 Beverley Drive, Molescroft, Beverley, HU17 9GG.

7th November 2011: Britain at 3,000BC: Neolithic Studies Group conference: British Museum: contact: kenny.brophy@glasgow.ac.uk

12th November 2011: Archaeology in West Yorkshire: WYAS Day-school: Royal Armouries: £15: contact nwharton@wyjs.org.uk..

12-13th November 2011: Bronze Age Forum: Cardiff University: contact: baf@cardiff.ac.uk

17-18th November 2011: Palaeolithic/ Mesolithic Conference: British Museum: £50: contact Nick Ashton: nashton@thebritishmuseum.ac.uk

19th November 2011: Prehistoric social networks in NE England & SE Scotland: Great North Museum, Newcastle: Free: contact r.j.crellin@ncl.ac.uk by 1st Nov.

21-24th June 2012: Cave Archaeology and karst geomorphology in NW England: Joint QRA/ British Cave Research Association Field Meeting: Dalesbridge Centre, Austwick:
contact: trevor@marblecaves.org.uk

End note: Research seminars have resumed at the Archaeological Dept of Bradford University. Meetings are held on Tuesdays, starting at 17.15hr [to c.18.30hrs]. If interested, do contact the Hon Sec for more details. Prehistoric topics this session include:-

8th Nov: Dr Andrew ‘Bone’ Jones: LBA Barrow at Blansby Park on N Yorks Moors
15th Nov: Nick Card: Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Park: Recent Research
22nd Nov: Prof D Powlesland: 33 Years of Landscape Archaeology of the Vale of Pickering
6th Dec: Jane Kenny: Recent Work on the Neolithic of North Wales

John Cruse

Hon Sec PRS
19.10.11