Special Interest Groups
Three new Special Interest Groups have been established to help address and enhance the Society’s research aims and public impact: Pottery Reference Collection, Ceramic Research Group and the Lithics Research Group.
A brief description of each group and its intended activities follows.
LITHICS RESEARCH GROUP
By Pete Knowles
Hi, my name is Pete Knowles. For many years I have been studying Palaeolithic flint implements from East Kent’s River Stour. I am in my first year of a doctoral research project at Durham University; the project seeks to establish long- standing questions regarding these Palaeoliths. I am also the volunteer curator of the lithics collection at the Seaside Museum – Herne Bay and work part-time for a commercial archaeology unit.
The archaeology of what is commonly known as the Stone Age has, in recent years, been under- represented within the Society.
Therefore, I suggested that a specific research group would be beneficial. The Society agreed, and we are now in the process of forming a group to further the aims of those interested and to initiate a broader awareness in the study of Lithic implements from all periods within the county of Kent.
Kent has a wealth of archaeology associated with these prehistoric periods, in particularly the county has some of the countries most important fluvial archives for the preservation of early and middle Palaeolithic flint implements in the deposits of the: Thames, Medway, Cray, Darent and Stour; together with essential museum collections for their continual study.
It is in these museum collections that my research has been primarily focused. During 2019-20 I was mentored by Dr Helen Wickstead through the Society for Museums Archaeology. Together, we made a study of the archives and collections within the Seaside Museum – Herne Bay.
Within this collection, a previously unknown assemblage of ficron and cleaver handaxes was discovered from a site in Canterbury (Fig
2); fluvial archives with these assemblages are currently contributing a new understanding of the technological developments in early humans, at a key juncture in the transition of technologies.
The research has shown that the reassessment of historic museum collections and archives can unlock the lost provenance of artefacts.
This research could then radically transform current understandings of the technological developments made by early humans.
Some initial aims of the group have been outlined by Frank Beresford and are as follows:
The group should encourage and coordinate active research by its members, individually or in small groups.
To re-evaluate the lithics collections within the county’s museums, engage with those museums with collections and ensure that they are secure and available for study by KAS members. This is imperative as many museums face cuts and closures!
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Fig 1: Pete Knowles, PhD student Durham University and curator of the lithics collection at The Seaside Museum – Herne Bay
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Fig 2: Early Middle Palaeolithic Ficron and Cleaver Handaxes from Canterbury: The Seaside Museum – Herne Bay
Most of these collections were made in the 19th and early 20th century and are either unpublished or have a limited contemporary publication, which does not include modern approaches. There is an urgent need to reassess them – lots of work for those suitably motivated!
Assess and develop fieldwork opportunities that will secure the provenance of these historical collections, especially those that support chronostratigraphic dating work.
Develop engagement with County and Commercial Archaeologists and professional researchers at national institutions to forward the group’s research aims.
The group should also encourage and support those with their collections to get involved and research and publish.
The group should also seek out other collections held privately by descendants of the original collectors and encourage them to allow access for study and, if willing, to deposit them with the KAS or a museum.
CERAMIC RESEARCH GROUP
By Gerald Cramp
The Kent Archaeological Society is embarking on an ambitious but necessary project to locate and sample pottery found or made in Kent before 1700. In February 2021, the Fieldwork Committee recommended to the KAS Council, and Council agreed that the Ceramic Research Group be established. The aim of this project is twofold:
Firstly, I will be leading a group of volunteers from across the County to locate and briefly describe all collections of pottery in their area. This Ceramic Research Group will assemble and publish information on ceramics found or made in Kent before 1700 and advise on the recording, handling and conservation of ceramics.
Secondly, Chris Blair-Myers, leading the Ceramics Research Group, will lead the construction of a pottery reference collection for the County
The KAS should be encouraged to invest in giving all KAS members access to research papers online by an annual subscription to JSTOR or similar. This is vital to enable all members to research and publish their work.
If needed, create subgroups for Palaeolithic, Neolithic, and Mesolithic studies
To get involved with the group, please contact Pete: pete.knowles@ kentarchaeology.org.uk using, in part, the information gathered in this survey. Chris has described the KAS Pottery
Reference Collection in this issue.
Ideally, we would like this group to have a representative in each of the District Council areas and Medway District. These representatives should have local knowledge of museums, professional groups, local groups and individuals who have pottery collections. Their task will be to compile a list of the pottery collections in their area and a brief description of what each contains.
I have compiled a list of twenty- two museums in Kent with pottery collections, and a further seven
However, I am also looking for volunteers to locate other pottery groups in their area of Kent and email me details of their discoveries. Initially, I would like one volunteer from each district to email me of their willingness to help. I would like to have a meeting with the group in the summer. My aim is to report the group’s progress at a Fieldwork Conference, possibly in the autumn.
To get involved with the group, please contact Gerald: gerald. cramp@kentarchaeology.org.uk
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Figs 1 and 2: Examples of Neolithic pottery from a recent Lees Court Estate excavation, currently being researched and recorded as a ceramics group
KAS POTTERY REFERENCE COLLECTION
By Chris Blair-Myers
It was agreed at Council in December 2018 that the Society should start a pottery reference collection. A degree of turbulence in the Society’s business following changes in charitable status and the inevitable fallout from Covid 19 restrictions somewhat delayed the project. However, we are now starting to make some progress.
The aim is to build both a physical and a virtual collection of pottery that might potentially be found in Kent. This is a substantial undertaking, so we will do so in bite- sized chunks whilst being mindful that whatever is built must apply to all pottery types and periods.
A physical collection presents problems not just with the acquisition of sherds but storage and access to them. Aside from curating sherds already held by the Society, in the short-term, we are not aiming to expand the physical collection but rather focus on the virtual collection.
This is still a significant undertaking, so the first “chunk” will be pottery from the Roman Period, as these are better documented than some other periods. A start has been made to build a table of concordance between the surprisingly large array of classification systems and coding used by archaeologists in the UK.
At first sight, a seemingly simple task. However, classifications are not limited to industries and fabrics but also reflect function, form, surface coatings and decoration. There is also a hierarchy that needs to be considered. For example, a simple “Samian” class might suffice for many users. However, at the other end of the spectrum, we will need to cater to those looking for Central Gaulish Samian fabrics from the Lezoux kilns.
Once underway, the improved classifications will form the basis of the online database and the creation of workflow input forms ready for data input. The aim is to build a web page for each type with links to high-resolution images of fabrics. What else should be included on the page is still open to debate.
Digital imaging of fresh sherd breaks will be essential, starting with those verified by an appropriate expert. This will require an upgrade to the camera on the Marsham Street trinocular and three additional workstation hubs across the county to capture the numerous dispersed collections. Where is not settled but possibly Thanet, Dover and the Darent Valley, the choice will depend on which members are prepared to be involved and the access to sherds.
The physical collection, whilst essential, will very much depend on decisions on the Society’s future home. Neither the KAS library in Maidstone Museum or the current laboratory in Marsham Street are appropriate because of space or access issues. One of the many problems that have been exercising the minds of the Strategy Group for several months.
To get involved with the group, please contact Chris: chris.blair- myers@kentarchaeology.org.uk
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Roman Central Gaulish Samian ware cup or small bowl, courtesy of the Portable Antiquities Scheme