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Documentary Evidence
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Documentary evidence is another name for written records. The first written records in Britain date back to the Roman period. Documentary evidence can take many different forms, including maps, charters, letters and written accounts.
When archaeologists are researching a site, they often start by looking at documentary evidence to see if there are clues that will help them understand what they might find. Documentary evidence can help archaeologists understand sites that are discovered during an excavation, field survey or aerial survey.
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Earthwork
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Earthworks can take the form of banks, ditches and mounds. They are usually created for a specific purpose. A bank, for example, might be the remains of a boundary between two or more fields. Some earthworks may be all that remains of a collapsed building, for example, the grassed-over remains of building foundations.
In the winter, when the sun is lower in the sky than during the other seasons, earthworks have larger shadows. From the air, archaeologists are able to see the patterns of the earthworks more easily. Earthworks can sometimes be confusing when viewed at ground level, but from above, the general plan is much clearer.
Archaeologists often carry out an aerial survey or an earthwork survey to help them understand the lumps and bumps they can see on the ground.
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Aerial Photograph
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Aerial photographs are taken during an aerial survey, which involves looking at the ground from above. It is usually easier to see cropmarks and earthworks when they are viewed from above. Aerial photographs help archaeologists to record what they see and to identify new sites. There are two kinds of aerial photographs; oblique and vertical.
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BOMBING DECOY *
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A system of lights, controlled fires or dummy constructions, used during WWII to provide a counterfeit target for enemy aircraft.
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CIVIL *
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This is the top term for the class. See CIVIL Class List for narrow terms.
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SITE *
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Unclassifiable site with minimal information. Specify site type wherever possible.
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BUILDING *
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A structure with a roof to provide shelter from the weather for occupants or contents. Use specific type where known.
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MANOR HOUSE *
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The principal house of a manor or village.
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FEATURE *
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Areas of indeterminate function.
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TOWER *
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A tall building, either round, square or polygonal in plan, used for a variety of purposes, including defence, as a landmark, for the hanging of bells, industrial functions, etc. Use more specific type where known.
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ROAD *
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A way between different places, used by horses, travellers on foot and vehicles.
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FORTIFICATION *
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A usually permanent defensive work. Use specific type where known.
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INDUSTRIAL *
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This is the top term for the class. See INDUSTRIAL Class List for narrow terms.
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COACH HOUSE *
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An outbuilding where a horse-drawn carriage is kept.
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AIRCRAFT *
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An aircraft, either whole or in part. Aircraft often survive as commemorative monuments, gate guardians or crash sites.
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BOMBING DECOY SITE *
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A site comprising a system of lights, controlled fires or dummy constructions, used during WWII to provide a counterfeit target for enemy aircraft. Use more specific type where known.
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SHED *
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A slight structure built for shelter or storage, or for use as a workshop, either attached as a lean-to to a permanent building or separate. Use more specific type where known.
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SIGN *
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A board, wall painting or other structure displaying advice, giving information or directions
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FACTORY *
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A building or complex, housing powered machinery and employing a large workforce for manufacturing purposes. Use specific monument type where known.
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AIRCRAFT FACTORY *
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A factory where aircraft are assembled.
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TARGET *
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Any structure or object, used for the purpose of practice shooting by aerial, seaborne or land mounted weapons.
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EARTHWORK *
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A bank or mound of earth used as a rampart or fortification.
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WORKS *
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Usually a complex of buildings for the processing of raw materials. Use specific type where known.
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* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)