Lives in Land – Mucking Excavations: Volume 1. Prehistory, Context and Summary (CAU Landscape Archive Series: Historiography & Fieldwork 2/Mucking 6)

The excavations led by Margaret and Tom Jones on the Thames gravel terraces at Mucking, Essex, undertaken between 1965 and 1978 are legendary. The largest area excavation ever undertaken in the British Isles, involving around 5000 participants, recorded around 44,000 archaeological features dating from the Beaker to Anglo-Saxon periods and recovered something in the region of 1.7 million finds of Mesolithic to post-medieval date. While various publications have emerged over the intervening years, the death of both directors, insufficient funding, many organizational complications and the sheer volume of material evidence have severely delayed full publication of this extraordinary palimpsest landscape. Lives in Land is the first of two major volumes which bring together all the evidence from Mucking, presenting both the detail of many important structures and assemblages and a comprehensive synthesis of landscape development through the ages: settlement histories, changing land-use, death and burial, industry and craft activities. The long time-gap since completion of the excavations has allowed the authors the unprecedented opportunity to stand back from the density of site data and place the vast sum of Mucking evidence in the wider context of the archaeology of southern England throughout the major periods of occupation and activity. Lives in Land begins with a thorough evaluation of the methods, philosophy and archival status of the Mucking project against the organizational and funding background of its time, and discusses its fascinating and complex history through a period of fundamental change in archaeological practice, legislation, finance, research priorities and theoretical paradigms in British Archaeology. Subsequent chapters deal with the prehistoric landscape, each focusing on the major themes that emerge by major period from analysis and synthesis of the data. The authors draw on archival material including site notebooks and personal accounts from key participants to provide a detailed but lively account of this iconic landscape investigation. Table of Contents Chapter One: Introduction - Landscape and Archival Palimpsests Total Archaeology Framing Context Notebook Archaeology Inset: Project Framing (I) - Thinking Graphically (Mucking’s ‘Phase-wall’) Archive as Palimpsest Chapter Two: Scattered Usage and First Allotment - Mesolithic to Middle Bronze Age Mucking and the Palaeogeography of the Thames Estuary, by Peter Murphy Tracings - Mesolithic to Early Bronze Age Activity, with a contribution by Elizabeth Healey Mesolithic/Earlier Neolithic, with contributions by Ian Kinnes and Mark Birley Grooved Ware, with contributions by Mark Birley, Mark Knight and Elizabeth Healey Beaker, with contributions by Alex Gibson and Elizabeth Healey Earlier/Middle Bronze Age with a contribution by Nigel Brown Inset: Recollections (I) - Fieldwork Discussion Chapter Three: The Rings - Late Bronze Age Late Bronze Age Pottery Groups, by Matt Brudenell The North Field Settlement The South Rings, with John Etté Material Culture, with contributions by Elizabeth Healey, Matt Brudenell, Ben Roberts, Margaret Jones, Hilary Howard, Paul Barford David Buckley and Hilary Major Economic and other data, with contributions by Geraldene Done, Paul Barford and Ailsa Mainman Inset: Appreciation: Margaret Jones - A Legacy of Formidable Field Women, by Anwen Cooper and Julia Roberts Discussion Chapter Four: Compounding Spaces and Connected Communities - Iron Age (I) Early Iron Age, with a contribution by Matthew Brudenell The Structures Roundhouses Rectangular Post-hole Structures Rectangular Post-Hole Settings, by Margaret Jones, with a contribution by Paul Barford ‘Posters’ and Others Enclosures The ABC Enclosures RBI and Adjacent Settlement The North Enclosure and Northern Boundary System The 1100 Enclosure (Prehistoric Cemetery II and other Western-margin Interments) The Belgic Banjo Complex (and Prehistoric Cemetery III) Inset: Recollections (II) - Post-Excavation and Aftermath The Plaza, Other Parts and Landscape Development The Plaza (and Prehistoric Cemetery IV) Other Components Cemetery V The Conquest Period and Early Roman Landscape Chapter Five: Specialist Studies and Summation of Parts - Iron Age (II) Material Culture Middle Iron Age Pottery, by Matt Brudenell Late Iron Age Pottery - An Overview, by Isobel Thompson Iron Age Coins, by Colin Haselgrove Brooches, by Colin Haselgrove Other M etalwork, by Grahame Appleby and Quita Mould Metalworking Evidence, by David Dungworth, Justine Bayley and Hilary Howard Quernstones, Loomweights and Spindlewhorls with a contribution by Paul Barford Other Fired Clay with a contribution by Paul Barford Economic and Environmental Data Fauna Remains Vida Rajkovača Pollen James Greig Inset: Project Framing (II) - Charting Influence (and Difference) ‘Style in Landscape’ - Distributional Case-studies Discussion - Connected Communities Chapter Six: Patterned Ground/Interim Knowledges - Sequence Revisited and Retrospect The Recommendation of Land Sequence Revisited and Settlement ‘Scaling’ Mucking and the Prehistory of the Lower Thames Timothy Champion Romano-British Anglo-Saxon Medieval and Post-Medieval/Modern The South Essex Marshes in the Medieval and post-Medieval Periods (Stephen Rippon) Gauging Settlement - Comparative Context Different Lives - Continuities, Territories and Power Inset: Project Framing (III) - Thinking Archives Hindsights - Marking Time Contents 6 Project Context – Acknowledgements 10 Summary 12 Résumé 14 Zusammenfassung 16 Chapter One: Introduction – Landscape and Archival Palimpsests 20 Total Archaeology 21 Framing Context 30 Notebook Archaeology 37 Project Framing (I) – Thinking Graphically (Mucking’s ‘Phase-wall’) 47 Archive as Palimpsest 49 Chapter Two: Scattered Usage and First Allotment – Mesolithic to Middle Bronze Age 64 Mucking and the Palaeogeography of the Thames Estuary 67 Tracings – Mesolithic to Early Bronze Age Activity 69 The Worked Flint 71 Mesolithic/Earlier Neolithic 85 Pottery 89 Grooved Ware 89 Pottery 90 Mucking’s Grooved Ware Revisited 96 Worked Flint 97 Beaker 98 Graves 98 Other Features 101 Pottery 102 Worked Flint 107 Earlier/Middle Bronze Age 107 Barrows 107 The Fieldsystem 118 Settlement and Other Features 123 Pottery 124 Recollections (I) – Fieldwork 129 Discussion 138 Chapter Three: The Rings – Late Bronze Age 144 Late Bronze Age Pottery Groups 148 The North Field Settlement 152 Clay Pits 152 Pink Pits 152 THE SOUTH RINGS 161 Distributions 176 Material Culture 177 Flint 177 Late Bronze Age Pottery 177 Metalwork and Metalworking 207 Metalwork 207 Metallurgical Analysis of the Copper Ingot 209 Bronze Casting at Mucking: The Refractory Evidence 209 Miscellaneous Small Finds 213 Fired Clay 215 Quernstones 217 Economic and Other Data 219 Animal Bone 220 Fired Clay Sources 222 Appreciation: Margaret Jones – A Legacy of Formidable Field Women Anwen Cooper and Julia Roberts 223 Discussion 227 Baseline Matters – Dating and Economy 227 Layout, Deposition and Status 230 Ringwork Communities and ‘Monumental Resonance’ 233 Chapter Four: Compounding Spaces and Connected Communities – Iron Age (I) 238 Early Iron Age 246 Pottery 252 The Structures 259 Roundhouses 261 Rectangular Posthole Structures 289 Rectangular Post-Hole Settings 289 ‘Posters’ and Others 292 Enclosures 296 The ABC Enclosures 299 RBI and Adjacent Settlement 303 The North Enclosure and Northern Boundary System 310 The 1100 Enclosure (Prehistoric Cemetery II and other Western-margin Interments) 322 The Belgic Banjo Complex (and Prehistoric Cemetery III) 330 Recollections (II) – Post-Excavation and Aftermath 348 The Plaza, Other Parts and Landscape Development 355 The Plaza (and Prehistoric Cemetery IV) 355 Other Components 368 Cemetery V 371 The Conquest Period and Early Roman Landscape 374 Chapter Five: Specialist Studies and Summation of Parts – Iron Age (II) 384 Material Culture 384 Middle Iron Age Pottery 384 Late Iron Age Pottery – An Overview 412 Iron Age Coins 419 Brooches 420 Other Metalwork 430 Copper Alloy 430 Ironwork 434 Metalworking Evidence 435 Crucibles, Moulds and Tuyères 435 Bronze Casting: Refractory Evidence 442 Quernstones 442 Loomweights and Spindlewhorls 443 Other Fired Clay 445 Tournettes 447 Economic and Environmental Data 449 Fauna Remains 451 Pollen 454 Project Framing (II) – Charting Influence (and Difference) 454 ‘Style in Landscape’ – Distributional Case-studies 456 ‘Type’ Metalwork – Coins and Brooches 457 La Tène Wares and Marked Bases 459 Late Iron Age Assemblages – ‘Belgic’ and Conquest Period Wares 464 Discussion – Connected Communities 472 Enclosure Models and ‘Logics’ 472 Landscape Divides and the Lie of Land 475 Settlement Resourcing and Status 478 Later Iron Age Ceremonial/Household Architectures and Funerary Practices 483 Chapter Six: Patterned Ground/Interim Knowledges – Sequence Revisited and Retrospect 496 The Recommendation of Land 498 Sequence Revisited and Settlement ‘Scaling’ 501 Mucking and the Prehistory of the Lower Thames 501 Romano-British 506 Anglo-Saxon 508 Medieval and Post-Medieval 512 The South Essex Marshes in the Medieval and post-Medieval Periods 515 Gauging Settlement – Comparative Context 524 Different Lives – Continuities, Territories and Power 532 Project Framing (III) – Thinking Archives 545 Hindsights – Marking Time 549 Bibliography 554 Index 572 Lives in land' is the first of two major volumes which bring together all the evidence from Mucking, presenting both the detail of many important structures and assemblages and a comprehensive synthesis of landscape development through the ages: settlement histories, changing land-use, death and burial, industry and craft activities. The long time-gap since completion of the excavations has allowed the authors the unprecedented opportunity to stand back from the density of site data and place the vast sum of Mucking evidence in the wider context of the archaeology of southern England throughout the major periods of occupation and activity.00'Lives in land' begins with a thorough evaluation of the methods, philosophy and archival status of the Mucking project against the organisational and funding background of its time, and discusses its fascinating and complex history through a period of fundamental change in archaeological practice, legislation, finance, research priorities and theoretical paradigms in British Archaeology. Subsequent chapters deal with the prehistoric landscape, each focusing on the major themes that emerge by major period from analysis and synthesis of the data. The authors draw on archival material including site notebooks and personal accounts from key participants to provide a detailed but lively account of this iconic landscape investigation 'Lives in Land' brings together all the evidence from Mucking, the largest area excavation ever undertaken in the British Isles, presenting both the details of many important structures and assemblages, and a comprehensive synthesis of landscape development through the ages. The long time-gap since completion of the excavations has allowed the authors to stand back from the destiny of the site data and place the vast sum of Mucking evidence in the wider context of the archaeology of southern England throughout the major periods of occupation and activity