Claire Nolan
Claire is a doctoral researcher at the University of Reading investigating the value and relevance of the prehistoric environment for people in the present-day
Location Reading
Activity
-
Claire Nolan replied to D W
Don't worry Tim, I already have the hat - wouldn't be without it!
-
Hi Dennis, yes, sharing research is so important, particularly with lay people and the general public, because ultimately this knowledge is for everyone.
-
Yes, Elaine, these are all very important skills and qualities. I especially like your reference to passion and open-mindedness - these are essential to the sustainability of projects and to their evolution.
-
Brilliant, Barbara - I think you've covered it all there!
-
Claire Nolan replied to D W
I like the sound of that Tim - brilliant!
-
Yes, Murdoch, you're right, this is such an important point - I think it can be easy for heritage professionals to take what they do for granted and to objectify the artefacts and remains they work with, especially if they catalogue and process hundreds of similar artefacts on a daily basis. This is an important reminder of how significant these remains are...
-
Claire Nolan replied to David Banny
Absolutely, Jacqueline - it's amazing what ground breaking insights can emerge from revisiting collections, especially those that were not excavated by modern archaeological standards. The following link gives a good example of this regarding an Irish study: http://www.thejournal.ie/bear-bone-discovery-archaeology-irish-history-2667644-Mar2016/
-
Claire Nolan replied to Estelle Quick
Hi Estelle, thank you for flagging this up. I'll pass it on to the technical support team, but in the meantime, as Nigel has suggested, you can download the transcript.
-
Hi Sheila, yes you're right - this evidence will have been corroborated with any available documentary sources from the period. The examination of the skeletal remains in this instance gives us a more detailed understanding of the lives of a specific group of people in specific geographical areas that we may not be able to retrieve from primary texts.
-
Hi Laurel, that's a good question - it's been suggested that the chalk was transported from the Marlborough Downs, possibly from the southern scarp to the north of Marden.
-
Claire Nolan replied to Angela Beckett
Hi Angela, the team just got back to me with the following reply: The course will remain open for the two weeks and then another two weeks after the course finishes (so until 2 April). If you have paid for the upgrade option, which includes the certificate, then you will have unlimited and continued access to the course beyond this date. This FAQ has more...
-
Claire Nolan replied to Brittney T
Thanks Pippa! I hope you enjoy the rest of the course.
-
Claire Nolan replied to Angela Beckett
Hi Angela, that's great that you've upgraded to the certificate! I'll just check with the IT team about the length of completion and will get back to you as soon as I know.
-
Claire Nolan replied to Brittney T
Yes, speculation can indeed run wild, but theory is also a necessary part of the research process when trying to interpret our findings, as it helps us to think about the evidence in different ways before landing on the ultimate interpretation. And often we don't have all the answers, everyone's opinion is valid and helps the deduction process.
-
Claire Nolan replied to Simon Crabtree
Brilliant point, Simon - it's very possible that the boy could have been an offering. There is suggested evidence for these kinds of practices at other henge sites. If indeed the boy was of lesser status, than this scenario might explain why he was wearing the amber necklace. As you say, we can only speculate for now, but this is certainly a theory worth...
-
Claire Nolan replied to Norman Bailey
You've picked up on an important point here, Norman. It's easy for us to project our modern-day perspectives onto the findings, but as you say his lifestyle may well have been the norm at the time.
-
Claire Nolan replied to Kamelya Nourak
Hi Kamelya, this is a very good question - amber would have been considered a prestigious material at the time and was often found in what have been interpreted as high status graves.
-
Claire Nolan replied to Jessica H
Hi Jessica, good question - there is evidence for elaborate burial practices in Europe stretching as far back as the upper paleolithic, so it seems this has been important to us for a very long time.
-
Claire Nolan replied to robert ridley
Robert, this is a great point - presumably not just anyone was buried in a henge ditch, so it does raise questions about the boy's status. The amber necklace certainly does suggest that he was important. Hopefully, once all the evidence for this excavation has been thoroughly analysed we will be able to gain a better understanding of what this boy's life was...
-
Claire Nolan replied to Dawn Copeman
Great point, Tabitha! There is a strong tendency to separate prehistoric findings into secular and spiritual, but this may just be our 21st century projections - these concepts may have been much more intertwined in the Neolithic.
-
Claire Nolan replied to D W
Hi Hazel, yes you're spot on - these are exactly the elements and traces that the experimental team will be looking for. While they won't necessarily answer all of our questions they should be able to help a lot.
-
Claire Nolan replied to Philippa Kergozou
Hi Pippa, yes it is exciting! Unfortunately, we will have to wait until the final report has come out for any further interpretation.
-
Claire Nolan replied to doug b
You're right, Doug, experimental archaeology may not be 100% accurate, but it can certainly help us to get closer to the truth, especially when we excavate the experimental hearth - this will help to understand the geochemical results from the original hearth.
-
Good question, Elpitha - it depends on the site, and the amount and nature of the material coming up. So for example in post-medieval contexts where there are vast amounts of certain types of mass-produced pottery, only a representative sample of the pottery will be kept. This is often the case for Roman building materials such as tile. Prehistoric sites don't...
-
Claire Nolan replied to Libran Williamson
Great suggestion, Libran. And I like your Bath analogy. Once the soil sampled from the floor is put through geochemical analysis, we may well be able to discover residues that support this theory.
-
Claire Nolan replied to Angela Dehnert
This is a very important question, Angela - it's essential that the interpretation of specific artefacts takes into consideration the context in which the object was found and in relation to the broader artefact assemblage of which it was part.
-
Claire Nolan replied to Caroline Derry
Yes, Caroline, good thinking - these are the areas that will be looked at when the arrowheads are subjected to use-wear analysis.
-
Claire Nolan replied to Norman Bailey
Hi Norman, good question - more common examples of the period tend to be either leaf-shaped or barbed and tanged, and appear a lot more robust and practical than the long-tailed ones found at Marden.
-
Claire Nolan replied to Graham Kitching
All very good ideas here, Graham, especially that concerning currency. Its believed that these arrowheads were produced from a non-local source of high grade flint - possibly as far a field as Norfolk. If this is the case, it would have made the arrowheads even more desirable and prestigious.
-
Claire Nolan replied to Janet Dye
Hi Janet, the Clovis arrowheads sound amazing! As far as I am aware the arrowheads have yet to be analyzed, but this information will eventually be available once the report is published.
-
Hi Elspeth, that's right - while used an an official term, 'small finds' is essentially a figure of speech which refers to finds of special significance in contrast to bulk finds. So for instance, while a lot of flint artifacts were discovered at Marden, they were not catalogued and stored as small finds, however the rare and delicate long-tailed flint...
-
What a fantastic solution, Ilana - I'll have to recommend it to the field school finds team!
-
A good question, Teresa. Yes, at the University of Reading we have our own storage space, but you're right other archaeology departments, and particularly museums, have to buy or rent extra storage space to accommodate increasing numbers of artifacts.
-
Claire Nolan replied to Gillian Longden
Not to worry - thankfully, all drawings are carried out using measurements and are executed on graph paper. So essentially the final product is led by the measurements - measuring from your baseline tape a range of points in the area you are drawing, and then it's just a case of joining up the dots. So it doesn't have to be perfect - the main thing is that...
-
Claire Nolan replied to Gillian Longden
Yes, so far nothing beats the precision of the human eye!
-
Claire Nolan replied to Gwyneth Wright
Hi Gwyneth, generally even small digs will have supervisors and finds managers, though you're right in many cases you may have one person who manages both the finds and science side of things. Likewise, depending on the amount of material coming up these people may expected to take part in the excavation as well while balancing their other duties.
And yes,...
-
Claire Nolan replied to Eric Whittaker
Good question, Eric. While the excavation director, supervisors and external specialists write up the results from each season, it won't be until after the very last season that all of this information will be compiled in a final report and subsequently published.
-
Claire Nolan replied to Andy Goodyear
You're right, Andy. Though research projects aren't a bed or roses either - they are often subject to tight budgets, and although the excavation may continue for another season, a lot has to be done in order to finish on time during any given season - I remember it getting quite stressful last year when everyone was trying to finish up on time before the...
-
Claire Nolan replied to Gilbert Watkins
I'm afraid so, Gilbert, it's too risky from a health and safety perspective as their are all sorts of sharp objects lying around that are used for excavation, such as nails and trowels. Though, I agree - it's very appealing to go barefoot especially on a warm sunny day in Wiltshire!
-
Claire Nolan replied to Chris Mallows
A very valid question, Chris. Ironically, destructive as the process is, all of these investigations provide further evidence for the significance of these places, thereby strengthening the case for protection, but you're absolutely right about being as sparing as possible when it comes to excavation.
-
Claire Nolan replied to Simon Pett
Simon, you're spot on with this suggestion. The geoarchaeology team at the field school have been trying to answer these questions through the collection of coring samples. They also dug a trench along the river scarp last summer in order to glean further information just outside the inner henge. It will be interesting to see what the results bring back!
-
Claire Nolan replied to Mariska Bekker
This is a very good point, Mariska - it would be great to dig according to our personal preferences, but in reality we have to tailor excavation to bigger research questions. In the UK, research frameworks are set and reviewed for each region by researchers and professionals. They specify which monuments and periods require further research in each area, so...
-
Claire Nolan replied to Ian Hutchinson
Fantastic research questions, Ian! And basically exactly what has been done - between the excavations in 2010 and those carried out by the field school so far, trenches have been dug in all of the locations you mentioned except the barrow cemetery. That said I think there are plans to excavate in this area next season.
-
Hi Gilbert, good observation - I know that Dartmoor in it's present form is definitely a product of deforestation, and this is possibly the case for other areas of moorland.
-
Claire Nolan replied to Jean Kloke
Hi Elaine, you've asked the million dollar question! This issue has been under debate for years and we still don't know for sure. Some researchers believe that the stones were transported by rivers and by the coast, while others believe they were transported on land. It may well have been a combination of all of these methods depending on the route chosen....
-
Claire Nolan replied to Julian Black
Hi Julian, all very good questions! The sacred connection to water is a theory which has developed from the water-related connections and features that are repeatedly noted at these types of sites such as the presence of springs, proximity to rivers and water-filled ditches.In addition, as these sites are thought to have been ritual places primarily, we are...
-
Claire Nolan replied to Andy Goodyear
Hi Michael - the aerial photography for this area was carried out as part of the National Mapping Programme using standard aircraft.
-
Claire Nolan replied to Eric Whittaker
Yes, Eric, I'm sure the fertility of the land comes into this, and I like your idea about competition - some things never change!
-
Claire Nolan replied to Donna King
Hi Donna, I like you're cleansing idea - that may well have been one of the reasons these sites were so intertwined with water. If the building at Marden is confirmed to be a sweat lodge, your idea would tie in with this focus on purification. Good thinking!
-
Claire Nolan replied to Jean Kloke
A very good point, Jean - it highlights the potentially multi-purpose nature of Stonehenge and other ritual monuments like it. These sites may have been used in different ways at different times of the year and embodied an array of complex symbolic meanings that are not so obvious to us today.
-
Claire Nolan replied to Jodell Onstott
Hi Jodel, yes you're absolutely right about the danger of being to quick to interpret large deposits of animal bones as evidence of feasting - as you say they may have been the result of, or preparation for, a very different activity. The deposit at Marden is the product of one event rather than a build up over time. This is partly why feasting has been...
-
Claire Nolan replied to Barbara Humphries
Very good point, Jodie, though a recent study suggest that there was much more violence between settled groups in the Neolithic than was previously thought. I guess we'll learn more as these types of studies develop.
-
Claire Nolan replied to Jodie Robson
Yes, Jodie, it's all very conjectural but your 'cannabalistic' idea is very interesting and certainly worth considering.
-
Claire Nolan replied to Amanda Simmonds
Hi Amanda, these are all great suggestions and observations! It's thought that causewayed enclosures had multiple functions, congregational and ritual included. Also I love your idea about the relics - I think you may be on to something there!
-
Hi Dennis, good question! There is evidence for human habitation in Britain stretching back almost 50,000 years to the middle and upper palaeolithic period at the Creswell Crags cave site in Derbyshire. The archaeology indicates that there was a Neanderthal presence during this period. The site is also famous for its upper palaeolithic cave paintings. So...
-
Hi Ash, for a comprehensive and concise explanation of these various methods I recommend the Historic England webpage on research methods - https://historicengland.org.uk/research/methods/ - here you will find information on Airborne Remote Sensing - https://historicengland.org.uk/research/methods/airborne-remote-sensing/ -and Terrestrial Remote Sensing...
-
Claire Nolan replied to Lyz Harvey
Hi Lyz, yes this period is fascinating. Evidence of smelting has been found at All Cannings Cross to the north of the Vale, so metal production was taking place at occupation sites in the area. It is thought that the ore was mined from local sources at Seend near Melksham. However, despite this self-sufficiency, people were also trading and acquiring high...
-
Hi Chris, good question - defensive WW2 pill boxes can still be seen today along the Kennet and Avon canal in the Vale of Pewsey, so yes, the timeline continues!
-
Claire Nolan replied to Muhammad Bilal
This is a good point, Muhammed - while development-led archaeology projects can be rushed, when carried out according to industry standards and guidance they produce excellent research. As a result they contribute greatly to our understanding of the historic environment.
-
Claire Nolan replied to David Morgan
Good point, David - there are already a lot of existing resources available from previous surveys carried out in archaeological (e.g aerial photography from the National Mapping Programme), geographical and military contexts, so this can narrow the choice of survey techniques from the outset.
-
Hi Norman, yes, definitely - this all forms part of the desk-based research.
-
Hi Felicity, this is a really important and difficult issue. In the UK a process exists where fragile heritage assets are identified as being 'at risk' and added to the at risk register. Subsequently a suitable management plan is put in place to protect the heritage. However, on account of cuts to the heritage sector and historic environment services, heritage...
-
Claire Nolan replied to Ilana Dunkle
Hi Llana, Yes two very good questions indeed! You're absolutely right - it's not uncommon for a site to yield little or no archaeology. However, evidence of absence is still giving us answers in that it that tells us what was happening, or in this case what wasn't happening, in that landscape.
With regard to turning an idea into an excavation, this...
-
Claire Nolan replied to Jennifer Slade
Hi Jennifer, when a developer chooses a site to build on, the commercial archaeology company contracted to work on the site will investigate the area to be built on through desk-based assessment or background research, and more technical prospecting methods such as geophysics. These approaches then give an indication of where the archaeologists need to focus...
-
Claire Nolan replied to Angela Beckett
Hi Angela, yes this is very good question. You can tell whether something was damaged in the past or through excavation by the freshness of the damage to the structure or artefact uncovered. Establishing when artefacts were broken in the past is a more difficult task, but we can get a very rough idea of when something was damaged in relation to the level of...
-
Claire Nolan replied to Ruth H
Hi Ruth, that's right - development-led digs are time limited. If you're lucky you can negotiate an extension, though this is often quite difficult on account of construction time-scales. Research digs are also usually carried out within a specified time period which can still lead to a pressurised work environment depending on what is being uncovered - quite...
-
Claire Nolan replied to robert ridley
Hi Robert, you're right - these are all very important decisions to weigh up when it comes to excavation. Thankfully, the planning legislation in the UK still holds building contractors to account regarding pre-construction investigation, thus minimising the risk of the construction going ahead without an archaeological assessment.
-
I completely agree - we need to stick to the evidence we uncover and not try to spin it according to what our personal agendas might be.
-
Hi Ash, yes, hang in there and work through it at your own pace. The first section is quite abstract, and can be hard to pin down as a result, but the following sections focus on more concrete examples of the archaeological process and should be easier to grasp. I'm sure it will come together for you more as you continue on through the topics.
-
Absolutely, Deborah - these things are just as important as the research aspect of the work.
-
Hi Gilbert, definitely - photography forms a and indispensable part of excavation.
-
Hi Jim, I think you've hit on a really important point here - it's easy to objectify the past, and become desensitised to it when you are analysing it scientifically. I think remembering why the past is important makes you a better archaeologist - it helps to sustain your passion for what you do even in the most difficult of working conditions.
-
Hi Linda, yes you're right - it's important to bag up finds as soon as they are found to ensure adequate preservation, particularly in the case of certain types of metal finds or fragile ceramics. However, some finds like leather and wooden, artefacts need to be stored in moist conditions in order to keep them intact.
-
The individual site roles will be discussed in further detail later on in the course so you'll be reminded of them again.
-
Hi Louise, you've got it - the archaeological process is a huge, multifaceted and multidisciplinary undertaking, and requires expertise in all of these areas in order for it to run smoothly.
-
Hi Yngve, yes, definitely - the more interdisciplinary our approach, the more we can create an accurate picture of, and story about, what we uncover. There's always more we can know and learn about a particular site.
-
Hi Jacqueline, yes, you're right - animal remains are not singled out in a separate section as they are managed within the 'Finds Recording' department. And yes, respect is an important part of the archaeological process - we must never forget that we are handling the remains of individuals' lives.
-
Absolutely - an analytical focus is an essential part of being an archaeologist, and if you haven't got one to begin with, you'll certainly develop this faculty through the practice of archaeology.
-
Yes, both of those skill sets are useful for the practice of archaeology, particularly in terms of attention to detail and having a capacity to theorise and interpret what is uncovered.
-
That sounds amazing! I hope the course is useful in preparation.
-
You're absolutely right - prehistoric people were just as creative and industrious as we are today, which you'll discover out as the course unfolds.
-
Absolutely!
-
It's certainly lots of fun, but part of the fun is learning about the weird and wonderful things that past peoples have done - it keeps you thinking and guessing, and makes life infinitely more interesting as a result!
-
I agree, but archaeology can also be very political depending on where it is carried out, the identities and statements that it is used to reinforce and the way that it is interpreted. In this way, archaeology can have both a negative impact as well as a positive one. As a result, from this perspective, archaeologists also hold a lot of responsibility.
-
Yes! And the more we learn the more that picture changes, giving us a different understanding and appreciation for that landscape in the present, as well as a new sense of place.
-
Exactly! It's all about piecing stories together, so that we can learn and be inspired.
-
Yes, absolutely - there are many reasons, and we're finding new ones all the time as we continue to learn about the past in new ways and relate it to our lives in the present. The past is the foundation for the present, and our different pasts give us insights into different aspects of human nature and potential.
