Case Study 6: Mesolithic and Neolithic Lithic Scatters at Stainton West, Carlisle, Cumbria

Introduction

This case study describes the excavation methodology, post-excavation assessment and analytical studies applied during the analysis of a large chipped stone and coarse stone tool assemblage recovered during excavations at Stainton West, Carlisle, Cumbria (Brown et al. in prep).

The date, size and good preservation of the lithic assemblage, as well as the extended sequence of activity it represents, make it one of the most important early prehistoric sites investigated within the North West, and indeed nationally. Due to this significance, along with the potential of the lithic resource to inform on many of the aims and objectives included in the Regional Research Framework agenda, a programme of analytical studies was designed and agreed on by Oxford Archaeology North (OAN), the developer and local planning authorities.

Background

The trial trench evaluation of Stainton West identified a palaeochannel and alluvial deposits along with eight lithics. Based on this, the site was originally identified by the project brief as an area for strip, map and record excavation.

This phase of works was duly undertaken by OAN in 2009 and revealed little beyond the deposits identified during evaluation. However, following heavy rainfall, a significant number of lithics weathered out of the stripped surface. This material was mapped and recovered, and a series of test pits were hand-excavated to assess the density of the lithic distribution across the site. These produced a substantial number of lithics, exhibiting a similar technological character to the material recovered from the surface.

Upon excavation, it was found that the site comprised features and an extensive lithic assemblage, associated with a complex sequence of deposits within a palaeochannel, spanning the Late Mesolithic period to the Bronze Age.

It is apparent that the site could have been missed at the early stages of characterisation and demonstrates the difficulties of identifying archaeological sites within floodplain environments.

Even if it had been ploughed, fieldwalking would not have readily identified the significance of the site, due to the fact that the lithic assemblage and associated structures were buried under alluvial and colluvial deposits. This demonstrates the need to implement appropriate evaluation methodologies, which take into account a broad range of issues including landscape setting and geomorphological context, in order to manage lithic sites effectively at the pre-determination and/or post-determination stages of the planning process.

Excavation methodologies

The site was excavated using a grid-square system (Fig 6.1), utilising whole-earth sampling, except for cut features which had their finds recorded in three dimensions. The site area, excluding the palaeochannel, was subdivided into 886 1m x 1m grid squares. These were excavated stratigraphically by context in spits and all the spoil was retained and stored.

The palaeochannel was excavated by hand in bays and the lower levels produced Mesolithic organic remains and palaeoenvironmental sequences which could be reconciled with occupation in the grid-square area.

All the retained spoil from the grid squares was processed on site through a system of mechanical sieves which were provided and set up, specifically for the project, by ADC ArcheoProjecten, an archaeological unit based in Amersfoort in the Netherlands (Fig 6.2). This system proved extremely reliable in rapidly processing large volumes of sediment to very gently recover archaeological finds.

Approximately 270,000 litres of spoil were sieved, producing a large number of residues, which were logged, dried and labelled.

Post-excavation methodologies

All the lithic material contained in the context residues was subject to assessment. This involved sorting the lithics into their relevant typological category relating to core technology, debitage and retouched items, and by raw material type, which included various cherts and flint, chalcedony/agate, tuff, pitchstone, quartz, and raw materials that were not readily identifiable.

During the assessment, it became clear that some of the context assemblages contained collections of lithics that showed enough similarities in colour, texture, lustre, inclusions and cortex type to indicate that they had been struck from the same nodule. These, along with a few short re-fitting sequences, were recorded as knapping groups.

Once each context assemblage had been sorted, the subsequent data were then entered into an online relational database. Each lithic-type entry represented a row of data forming a single record relevant to a specific context and group. This amounted to a record of over 303,000 lithics, including approximately 5,900 microliths, 236 coarse stone tools, 21 complete and fragmented axe/adzes and 610 pieces of ochre.

The database was developed by Oxford Archaeology to collate and manage information and integrate the project archive, while also having further functionality such as remote access, facilities for multiple users and advanced querying. The latter proved invaluable, especially in regards to generating sub-samples of lithics for a variety of integrated studies, including a detailed lithic typological and technological attribute analysis, use-wear analysis, spatial analysis and a variety of raw material sourcing studies (Table 6.1).

Table 6.1 The methods, results, rationale and interpretative value of the analytical techniques used during the analysis of the Stainton West worked stone assemblage (© 2018 Oxford Archaeology North; all rights reserved)

Results

The results of the use-wear study were exceptionally good (Table 6.1), with a higher than average success rate in terms of the number of pieces within the sample preserving evidence for microwear, allowing a greater understanding of the range of tasks undertaken at the site.

One of the main observations from the analysis is that microliths were used in a variety of tasks and not just as armatures for hunting weapons. The spatial analysis of the results (Table 6.1) has shown that some tasks, such as hide-working and butchery, were consistently undertaken in the same areas of the encampment over several phases of occupation (Fig 6.3).

The study also helped understanding of the formation processes behind the creation of some stratigraphic units, thus benefiting the interpretation of the site.

The results of the raw material sourcing studies have provided added detail with regard to the connections which the people who visited Stainton West had with the wider landscape (Table 6.1). Chert from southern Scotland and the northern Pennines arrived at the site, along with pitchstone from the western coast of Scotland and flint from the north-east of England (Fig 6.4).

The procurement of these materials was part of the wide-ranging mobility patterns practised by those visiting the site, elements of which were also probably connected to the negotiations and obligations bound up in extensive social networks.

By examining the chronological and spatial distribution of the raw materials tested during the studies it can be suggested that these networks were in place by the middle of the 5th millennium cal BC and probably continued until at least the Early Neolithic. Thus, the use of raw material studies has highlighted the importance of the site and its place within a wider social landscape.

The chert sourcing also confirmed the coherence of over 100 knapping groups identified during the lithic assessment, concomitantly affirming the spatial integrity of the lithic assemblage and the success of the methodologies employed during excavation.

Conclusions

In summary, the excavation and post-excavation methodologies employed at Stainton West were invaluable for the interpretation of the site. The grid-square system was demonstrated to be of sufficient resolution to allow the successful identification of spatial patterns across the site, including the identification of structures, and the distribution of knapping groups (Table 6.1).

Additionally, the sieving set-up proved an excellent system for the high-quality recovery not only of lithic artefacts, but also of organic remains. It has been shown to be an incredibly useful tool for the archaeologist, and should certainly be considered for much wider use on archaeological projects, across a range of periods and geographic regions. Moreover, the methodologies employed during the analysis of the lithic assemblage, such as spatial and use-wear analyses, allowed greater understanding of the way of life of the people who made and used the stone tools, something that is not usually considered in sufficient depth in the conventional technological analysis of Late Mesolithic struck lithic assemblages.

References

Brown, F, Clark, P, Dickson, A J, Gregory, R and Zant, J, in prep From an Ancient Eden to a New Frontier: an archaeological journey along the Carlisle Northern Development Route. Lancaster: Oxford Archaeology

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