PREHISTORIC FINDS FROM SLACKWOOD FARM, SILVERDALE Daniel W Elsworth and Dot Boughton Abstract This paper reports on two prehistoric artefacts unexpectedly found during archaeological work carried out at Slackwood Farm, Silverdale, Lancashire. Introduction Between 2009 and 2013 Greenlane Archaeology carried out various pieces of archaeological work in advance of, and as part of, renovation and conversion work of the buildings on Slackwood Farm (Greenlane Archaeology 2009a; 2009b; 2011; 2013). The farm is situated on New Road approximately 1km south-east of the centre of Silverdale (SD 47444 74589). The house is Grade II* Listed and considered to date to the late 17 th century. As such it is a rare example of a very early, double-pile plan house (double pile means that it is two rooms deep and two rooms wide; see Brunskill 1988; 53 56). However, the documentary evidence and investigative works, which included dendrochronological dating, demonstrated that it is more likely to date from the early 18 th century, most probably 1713 (Nottingham Tree-Ring Dating Laboratory 2012). Archaeological discoveries made during work carried out by Greenlane Archaeology and some of the dated timbers do, however, show that there was also a medieval presence on the site, although its earliest recorded reference is from only 1632. Prehistoric Discoveries The final phase of archaeological work comprised an archaeological watching brief carried out primarily during the excavation of footings for a new extension, but also during excavation internally on the ground floor in order to install under-floor heating. There was also monitoring of parts of the building where wall coverings were removed and apertures unblocked. Two unexpected discoveries of prehistoric date were made during the watching brief (Greenlane Archaeology 2013). The first and earliest of these was a tiny fragment of a polished stone axe of Neolithic date (Figure 1), which was found during the removal of deposits underlying the floor in the original ground-floor kitchen. Although small (it is no more than 30mm long, 25mm wide, and 5mm thick; Figure 1), it clearly has part of a flat facet remaining on one side. It was manufactured from a greyish-green, fine-grained volcanic tuff, which indicates that it is of the type typically produced at Langdale in Cumbria and sometimes known as a Cumbrian club (Fell 1964). It is obviously impossible to date this single find precisely; but axes of this type are typical of the Neolithic in the region (see Bradley and Edmonds 1993), with associated carbon dates from the production and use sites typically in the first half of the third millennium BC (Smith 1979, 18 19). However, there is now evidence for exploitation of the axe-making sites in the late Mesolithic (Oxford Archaeology North 2009, 15). The second, and more significant find is a bronze dirk blade (Figure 2), which was discovered behind the plaster above the staircase on the ground floor (and therefore below where the stairs meet the first floor). The blade is just over 160mm long and about 40mm wide at the butt end. It is in good condition with little corrosion on obverse or reverse. The 8
blade is roughly triangular in shape and it has a trapezoid butt with two small rivet holes. The organic hilt and copper-alloy rivets are missing. There is a very slight midrib and the cutting edges are bevelled. There are a number of nicks and dents along the edges which suggest that it was not in as-cast condition or unused when originally deposited. The marks of wear are likely to be original rather than dating from the time of its secondary deposition. Figure 1 Fragment of polished stone axe Figure 2 Bronze dirk blade The blade is short and does not show any distinct marks, which makes identification difficult. However, comparable blades, equally heavy, can be found amongst Burgess and Gerloff s group of Type Keelogue dirks, which also share the Slackwood blade s trapezoidal butt and two rivet holes (Burgess and Gerloff 1981, 24 26; no. 123 - plate 19, no. 132 - plate 21). Burgess and Gerloff suggest that most blades of this type have broad and heavy blades, with trapezoidal butts which are usually low but may also be rounded (1981, 24). Such blades are 9
said to have bevelled edges and hilt marks are rarely discernible, as is the case with our example from Slackwood. Dirks of Type Keelogue are part of the Middle Bronze Age Acton Park metalworking industry and date from c.1400 1300 BC (Needham 1996; Needham et al. 1997). Discussion Evidence for prehistoric activity in the area around Slackwood is not plentiful, although Mesolithic finds and Neolithic remains were discovered during excavations at Storrs Moss (c.1km to the east) during investigations into palaeoenvironmental deposits (Powell et al. 1971). The only other discovery of prehistoric date found close to the site is a single, lozengeshaped arrowhead of Neolithic to late Bronze Age date, also found to the east at Leighton Moss (North 1937, 155 156). Other stray finds of prehistoric date are known from the local area (e.g. North 1934; 1936). The small fragment of Neolithic polished axe, while of interest, does not necessarily suggest Neolithic settlement in the immediate proximity of Slackwood Farm, although this is a possibility, enhanced by the presence of remains from nearby Storrs Moss. The discovery of the dirk blade, in what is clearly not its primary place of deposition, is of more interest, although it too does not necessarily indicate the presence of a contemporary settlement at or even near Slackwood. More noteworthy is its place of discovery. The positioning of artefacts in buildings as a ritual act is well known, thought to be to ward off evil spirits and witches (Merrifield 1987, 163 183), with shoes being particularly common (see Textile Conservation Centre Foundation 2010). It seems likely that this dirk represents something similar. In addition, a number of daisy-wheel motifs were found scratched into one of the first-floor window sills at Slackwood and these are also thought to have served a similar function (Meeson 2005). Cases of knives buried in walls are certainly known from other parts of the country (Merrifield 1987, 162), but the use of specifically Bronze Age weaponry appears more unusual and is perhaps a relatively local phenomenon, although interestingly it has also been recorded in Ireland (Penney 1976). Three medieval sites in Furness are known to have had Bronze-Age weaponry embedded in the wall or found within the fabric: Piel Castle and Dalton Castle had spearheads, and Gleaston Castle had a flat axe (Cowper 1905, 184). It is worth also noting the cases of perforated stones, including axe hammers of prehistoric date, hung in farm buildings (to prevent evil spirits from entering) are known as thunderstones or more locally dobbie stones (see for example Rollinson 1974, 77 78, as this relates to Cumbria, but also Lofthouse 1976, 46). This would seem to form part of a similar and clearly long-lived tradition, the origins of which are unclear but seemingly ancient. The source of the dirk found at Silverdale will probably never be known, although it is tempting to speculate that it was recovered from one of the neighbouring wetlands, where such objects were often deposited, as is suggested by its remarkably good condition (see Barrowclough 2008, 155 160 for a discussion on this as it relates to Lancashire). Acknowledgements Particular thanks are due to the owner of Slackwood Farm, Adrian Waddingham, who funded and supported all the archaeological work and maintained a considerable interest in the history of the building from the outset. Special thanks are also due to the staff of Warden Construction Ltd for their help, co-operation and good company on site, in particular Chris 10
Mahon, Ronnie Bretherton, Dave Webster and Gordon Dawson, with special thanks to David Binney and Rob Clayton who discovered the dirk blade. Further thanks are due to Ken Davies, Planning Officer (Historic Environment Record) at Lancashire County Council, for providing information about the other prehistoric find in the vicinity. The archaeological work on site was carried out by Sam Whitehead, Dan Elsworth and Tom Mace. Tom Mace produced all the illustrations for this paper. Copies of the unpublished reports relating to the site can be obtained via the Archaeology Data Service website (n.d.). Author Profiles Dan Elsworth graduated from the University of Edinburgh MA (Hons) in Archaeology in 1998 and is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists. His interests include industrial archaeology, local antiquarians and place-names, and he has published on these subjects in local journals. He is primarily concerned with the archaeology and history of South Cumbria and North Lancashire, in particular where they meet at Morecambe Bay. He is currently a director of Greenlane Archaeology based in Ulverston. Contact: info@greenlanearchaeology.co.uk Dot Boughton came from Germany and completed her undergraduate studies at the Freie Universität Berlin in 1999. Between 1999 and 2001, she studied Anglo-Saxon metalwork during the Migration Period (AD375 520) at Oxford and completed an MSt and an MPhil. In 2015 she completed her PhD on British Early Iron Age socketed axes (800 600 BC) at the University of Central Lancashire. She currently works as the Finds Liaison Officer for Lancashire and Cumbria as part of the Portable Antiquities Scheme. Contact: dot.boughton@tulliehouse.org References Archaeology Data Service n.d. Library of Unpublished Fieldwork Reports. http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/greylit/query.cfm Accessed 7 January 2016 Barrowclough D 2008 Prehistoric Lancashire. Stroud: The History Press Bradley R and Edmonds M 1993 Interpreting the Axe Trade: Production and Exchange in Neolithic Britain. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Brunskill RW 1988 Traditional Buildings of Britain: An Introduction to Vernacular Architecture. London: Victor Gollancz Burgess C and Gerloff S 1981 The Dirks and Rapiers of Great Britain and Ireland. München: C.H. Beck Cowper HS 1905 Some miscellaneous finds. Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society 2 nd series, 5, 182 187 Fell CI 1964 The Cumbrian type of polished stone axe and its distribution in Britain. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 30, 39 55 Greenlane Archaeology 2009a Slackwood Farm, Silverdale, Lancashire: Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment. unpublished report Greenlane Archaeology 2009b Barn at Slackwood Farm, Silverdale, Lancashire: Archaeological Building Recording. unpublished report Greenlane Archaeology 2011 House at Slackwood Farm, Silverdale, Lancashire: Archaeological Building Recording. unpublished report Greenlane Archaeology 2013 Slackwood Farm, Silverdale, Lancashire: Archaeological Watching Brief. unpublished report Lofthouse J 1976 North Country Folklore in Lancashire, Cumbria and the Pennine Dales. 11
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