|
| *****SWAAG_ID***** | 115 |
| Date Entered | 27/01/2011 |
| Updated on | 27/01/2011 |
| Recorded by | Tim Laurie |
| Category | Lithic Find / Scatter |
| Record Type | Archaeology |
| Site Access | Not known |
| Record Date | 01/01/2011 |
| Location | Rigg, Calvert Houses. |
| Civil Parish | Muker |
| Brit. National Grid | Hidden |
| Altitude | 430m |
| Geology | Moraine Hillock over Middle Limestone |
| Record Name | Rigg, Calvert Houses. Neolithic Occupation Site. Found and recorded by Tim Laurie |
| Record Description | Concentration of lithic finds of Neolithic character at an Occupation Site located on a prominent morainic hillock which, at 430m AOD provides a splendid viewpoint down Swaledale. These artefacts, first published in 1985 (Laurie, T.C. 1985, BAR143, Upland Settlement, Page152, Figure 8.8, see attached) were revealed by erosion of thin peat in the deep ruts of a moor access track (now upgraded and re-surfaced as a drivable road for four wheel drive estate vehicles).
The finds include numbers of very fine and large discoidal and horseshoe scrapers, borers, a scale flaked tanged knife and a small barbed and tanged arrowpoint all of unpatinated black translucent flint.
The flint cortex where present on the scrapers and other artefacts was thick and chalky in appearance indicating that the flint nodules were quarried in contrast to the thin battered cortex of the beach pebble or drift flint used by Mesolithic groups on the Pennine Fringe.
No cores were found indicating that this was a processing site and not a knapping site.
These finds, which were accompanied by much waste flint and chert, were all concentrated within an area of 5m2, except for the barbed and tanged arrowhead (BTA) which was found 10m to the west of the concentration.
The Early Mesolithic chert tranchet axe (MUK001) and the three Later Mesolithic Micro scalene triangles (MUK003) were also found at the centre of this concentration of Neolithic artefacts. These finds of very different age and technologies implies that this vantage point site was reoccupied by hunting groups over several millennia.
|
| Additional Notes | All finds deposited in The Richmond Museum except the small barbed and tanged arrowhead (BTA)and some further finds in my possession.
At my last visit to the Museum the display had been moved and the three micro scalene triangle could not be traced, presumably lost.
|
| Image 1 ID | 189 Click image to enlarge |
| Image 1 Description | MUK002.1 Calvert Houses. Rigg. Selected finds. Laurie 1985 Figure 8.8 |  |
| Image 2 ID | 190 Click image to enlarge |
| Image 2 Description | Calvert Houses. Rigg. Selected finds. |  |
| Image 3 ID | 191 Click image to enlarge |
| Image 3 Description | Calvert Houses. Rigg. Further selected finds. |  |
| Image 4 ID | 192 Click image to enlarge |
| Image 4 Description | Calvert Houses. Rigg. Selected finds. Details. |  |
| Image 5 ID | 193 Click image to enlarge |
| Image 5 Description | MUK002.00 The find site. Rutted track in 1986 before upgrading of road. |  |
