Archaeology Section 2020 Digital Update

David Allen travels with J P Williams-Freeman in the archaeological footsteps of Lieutenant-General Pitt Rivers, exploring the earthworks of Martin Down on the boundaries of Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire. Not only does the good General show his early credentials as “The Father of British Archaeology” but Williams-Freeman emphasizes the landscape, both in its beauty and history.

Robin Iles asks, “Why not enjoy exploring some of the archaeological collections held in the Hampshire County Council and Winchester City Council collections by Hampshire Cultural Trust by visiting the online collections.  Have fun exploring!”

Copyright Hampshire Cultural Trust

Portsea Island, Portsdown Hill and the Gosport peninsula were all massively impacted by the building of fortifications from the time of the Napoleonic Wars. By the mid-nineteenth century much of the coast from Gilkicker Point west to Browndown was defended to prevent any invasion force landing on the beaches to the west of Gosport. There is still much evidence of these earthworks in situ – if you know where to look – and Phillipa Harrap does.

Decoy targets to mislead enemy bombers began to spring up across the British Isles in 1940. The aim being to divert German bombers from the intended targets and to encourage them to drop their ordnance over uninhabited countryside. Initially to replicate the layout of RAF airfields, decoys were also constructed to resemble town and cities, naval and army installations, industrial locations, and by the summer of 1944 the embarkation points for operation Overlord.

Two of the country’s leading Roman finds experts, Sally Worrell and John Pearce, illustrate some of the finds they describe in their new Amberley publication 50 Roman Finds from the Portable Antiquities Scheme. They also share with us what sparked their interest in archaeology and how their separate careers brought them to this publication.

In the first of two snippets about the D-Day archaeology of southern Hampshire, we explore the parch mark evidence in Stokes Bay where Mulberry Harbour caissons were completed and floated prior to be towed across to their final placements at Arromanches. The site is celebrated by information boards, but you have to pick the right weather to spot the evidence.

Chris Sellen visits Lepe, on the coast south of the New Forest, where there are physical remnants of the embarkation of troops and materiel for the beaches of Normandy. Pierheads, roads specially constructed for the arrival of tanks and ramps for their loading onto landing craft all survive, if not intact, then clearly showing their purpose. Major coastal construction to enable some 7 Mulberry Harbour caissons to be built are still in place, and are well worth a visit.