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Field Survey
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The term ‘field survey’ is used to describe all work that does not disturb archaeological deposits below the ground through an excavation. Field survey techniques involve recording measurements that help archaeologists draw plans or diagrams of archaeological features. There are a variety of different field survey techniques, including geophysical survey, building recording survey, field walking survey, landscape survey and earthwork survey.
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Field Walking Survey
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Archaeologists walk over an area, usually ploughed fields, and look for objects on the surface. This is called field walking. Archaeologists record the point on the ground where they find the objects. These points are then plotted on a map. If the map shows that a large number of objects were found in the same place, it can be evidence that an archaeological site exists there. For example, if a large number of fragments of roof tile and/or brick or stone are found in one place, it could mean that there used to be some sort of building there. See also field survey.
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Prehistoric
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About 500,000 BC to 42 AD
The Prehistoric period covers all the periods from the Palaeolithic to the end of the Iron Age.
This is a time when people did not write anything down so there is no documentary evidence for archaeologists to look at. Instead, the archaeologists look at the material culture belonging to the people and the places where they lived for clues about their way of life.
The Prehistoric period is divided into the Early Prehistoric and Later Prehistoric.
The Early Prehistoric period covers the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods.
The Later Prehistoric period covers Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age times.
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Iron Age
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About 800 BC to 43 AD
The Iron Age comes after the Bronze Age and before the Roman period. It is a time when people developed the skills and knowledge to work and use iron, hence the name ‘Iron Age’ which is given to this period. Iron is a much tougher and more durable metal than bronze but it also requires more skill to make objects from it. People continued to use bronze during this period.
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WINDMILL *
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A tower-like structure of wood or brick with a wooden cap and sails which are driven around by the wind producing power to work the internal machinery. Use with product type where known.
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FINDSPOT *
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The approximate location at which stray finds of artefacts were found. Index with object name.
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* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)
