Papers by Matthew Beamish
Antiquity, 2000
Within the last decade the emphasis of burnt mound research has been refocused on the prehistoric... more Within the last decade the emphasis of burnt mound research has been refocused on the prehistoric landscapes in which they are set in an attempt to evade just the perennial enigma of ‘function’. In the East Midlands, gravel quarrying in the major river valleys has provided an opportunity to examine large areas that have hitherto been masked by alluvium and the resulting wealth of archaeological information has included five burnt mound sites.
Journal of Quaternary Science, 2015
Increasing evidence suggests that bifacial technology, Mode II, arrived in Europe during the earl... more Increasing evidence suggests that bifacial technology, Mode II, arrived in Europe during the early Middle Pleistocene, i.e. significantly earlier than previously proposed. In northern France and Britain, much of the age attribution for these assemblages has been based on biostratigraphy and lithostratigraphy rather than absolute dates. This study presents a systematic application of ESR dating of sedimentary quartz and ESR/U-series dating of fossil tooth enamel to key Acheulean sites of this area. Although the age estimates have large associated uncertainties, the majority of the derived dates are consistent with existing age estimates. The new chronologies and the problems associated with dating material of early Middle Pleistocene age are discussed. In Britain the earliest archaeology, Mode I, is older than MIS 15, whereas localities containing Acheulean technologies span late MIS 15/MIS 13 through to MIS 9. A similar pattern is seen in northern France although age estimates from sites such as la Noira suggest the possible appearance of the Acheulean in central France as early as MIS 17. The dates presented here support the suggestion that the earliest Acheulean appeared in NW Europe during the early Middle Pleistocene, significantly after its appearance in the southern parts of the continent.
A post-ring roundhouse and adjacent structure were recorded by University of Leicester Archaeolog... more A post-ring roundhouse and adjacent structure were recorded by University of Leicester Archaeological Services, during archaeological recording preceding laying of the Wing to Whatborough Hill trunk main in 1996 by Anglian Water plc. The form of the roundhouse together with the radiocarbon dating of charred grains and finds of pottery and flint indicate that the remains stemmed from occupation toward the end of the second millennium B.C. The distribution of charred cereal remains within the postholes indicates that grain including barley was processed and stored on site. A pit containing a small quantity of Beaker style pottery was also recorded to the east, whilst a palaeolith was recovered from the infill of a cryogenic fissure.
This paper is concerned with the two and a half thousand or so year period in which mixed agricul... more This paper is concerned with the two and a half thousand or so year period in which mixed agricultural practices gradually became increasingly central to the lives of the inhabitants of these counties, starting at some stage in the late 5th millennium BC, around 4000 B.C. It is a period that can be divided into Early Neolithic dated as 4000BC-2800BC, and the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age 2,800BC 1500 BC (Clay 1999b, 3), the later not as easy to separate as earlier researchers had hoped, which is why they are now commonly referred to together. The 1990s have been an important period for Neolithic Studies nationally and locally. There has been progress in both hard data and theory that together give a basis for our own reconstructions of the past.The work of the Neolithic Studies Group in organising conferences, and regularly publishing the results is to be applauded. We are presented very much with a dichotomy for this (and other Prehistoric periods). There is a broad uniformit...
Excavations at North Hamilton, Humberstone, have located a ditch system associated with a small s... more Excavations at North Hamilton, Humberstone, have located a ditch system associated with a small settlement. The system is interpreted as a crowdingalley for livestock management and an indicator of large scale animal stock control in the earlier 1st millennium BC, possibly necessitating co-operation between different families or communities on a seasonal basis. Structural evidence includes at least one circular building that had seen some re-building. The pottery from the site was distinct from the more usual Iron Age assemblages in fabric and form, and flint was being used for tooling.
Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society
Archaeological fieldwork preceding housing development revealed a Mesolithic site in a primary co... more Archaeological fieldwork preceding housing development revealed a Mesolithic site in a primary context. A central hearth was evident from a cluster of calcined flint and bone, the latter producing a modelled date for the start of occupation at 8220–7840 cal bc and ending at 7960–7530 cal bc (95% probability). The principal activity was the knapping of bladelets, the blanks for microlith production. Impact-damaged microliths indicated the re-tooling of hunting weaponry, while microwear analysis of other tools demonstrated hide working and butchery activity at the site. The lithics can be classified as a Honey Hill assemblage type on the basis of distinctive leaf-shaped microlithic points with inverse basal retouch. Such assemblages have a known concentration in central England and are thought to be temporally intermediate between the conventional British Early and Late Mesolithic periods. The lithic assemblage is compared to other Honey Hill type and related Horsham type assemblages ...
Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society, 2012
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Papers by Matthew Beamish