Obviously this test is only a rough guide to compare the coils capabilities, and certainly not set in concrete,it obviously doesn’t take into account mineralised soil, or the presence of iron, if someone else tried this test they would probably come up with a different set of figures, there are so many variables when doing these tests, like the amount of interference, type of headphones used, where the cut off point for a good signal is etc etc, but it does give a reasonable idea of performance for each coil.

Designed by Corinne Mills 2005
email [email protected]

Images from Martin Green’s Museum at Down Farm,near Sixpenny Handley Martin has his own museum on the small family farm which is part of the Chase, just south of Salisbury and where his family has farmed for generations. The museum displays local archaeological finds, a small rural life collection and geological specimens mainly from the Dorset coast. The farm not only contains the Neolithic Dorset Cursus, numerous long barrows and Hambledon Hill, but over the last 30 years Henges, Shafts, Plastered Houses, Land Divisions, Enclosures and Cemetries have been identified and excavated by Martin

He featured on the BBC 2 history series Meet the Ancestors after finding a 5,000-year-old sacrificial burial site on the farm. He dug up four skeletons, which DNA testing showed were a 30-year-old woman, her five-year-old daughter and two other children.

Claypotts Castle

16th century z plan tower house – the ‘Tower Fortalice and Mannor Place’ of Claypotts was built between 1569 and 1588 by John Strachan or Strathauchin, a cadet branch of Strachan of Angus and Thornton in the Mearns

Dirleton Castle

13th century castle built by the De Vaux family around 1225, it was one of the most formidable castles of its time. However, it was captured by an English army under Bishop Anthony Bek of Durham and was only recovered by Robert the Bruce in 1311. Bruce pulled down much of the castle to ensure the English armies could not make future use of it. Rebuilt by the Halyburton family in the 14th C., who added a new gatehouse, kitchen and Great Hall, and further augmented by the Ruthven family (15th C), but destroyed once again by General Monk (1650). It passed to the Nisbet family (1663), but was quickly abandoned as a residence in favour their new and more comfortable house at Archerfield. Stone was looted from the site to build houses and walls in the local area.

Early indications suggest that the first use of this site may have occurred  during the Neolithic period, some 5,000 – 6,000 years ago. This earliest phase of activity is represented by a single cremation deposit (a small pit containing cremated human skeletal remains) which was deposited on a slight raised hillock in the landscape.

Some time later, probably as much as 1,000 years later (c. 2,000BC), a richly endowed single burial chamber was constructed on this slight natural knoll (cist L on plan, see end of this update note). A single young male (c.10-15 years old) was buried in this stone-lined chamber, and the whole structure was enclosed with a boundary ditch (it is possible that the grave was then covered by a massive earthen mound).

We know about this primary burial only from historic records and from the excavation evidence of a robbed out grave. Essentially, it appears that in 1944, a grave was accidentally discovered on this site during deep ploughing. No serious attempt was made to excavate or to examine the grave upon discovery and the site was left open for the curious to come and examine it for themselves. As a result, the grave site was essentially looted. Indeed, when, almost six months after discovery, a team of antiquarian/archaeologists from the National Museum of Antiquities (Edinburgh) came to visit the site, all that was found was a single fusiform jet bead and some fragments of disarticulated human bone.

This unfortunate situation came about despite the then landowner’s (Mr Christie of Durie House) determined attempts to have the site protected and properly excavated. Indeed, our only knowledge of this original discovery all due to Mr RL Christie’s diligent and responsible estate and record keeping and the preservation of his notes by his son and heir, Mr Peter Christie, who kindly relayed the details of the 1944 discovery to the Council’s Archaeological Unit.

Some time after the construction of the primary grave chamber on this site, a further five well constructed and richly endowed burials were placed surrounding the central grave. However, these were still all contained within the enclosure ditch .

At a slightly later period, but probably not later than 1,500BC, another four burials were interred just outside (and to the south) of the cemetery enclosure . The quality of the construction of these grave chambers and the quality and number of grave goods was significantly lower than the early earlier burials on this site. However, the fact that these individuals had still been marked out for burial within a stone chamber and within a cemetery complex, still means that these individuals must have been exceptionally important people within their Bronze Age communities.

Images of St Mary the Virgin, Farleigh, Surrey St Mary the Virgin at Farleigh is one of a few churches which remain largely unaltered structurally in the area. The nave and chancel date from c 1100 but was extended in c 1250.

The nave windows are Norman. The West porch is possibly 16th century although the West door is Norman. The bell turret is 19th century and the roof is relatively modern. The exterior of the building is stuccoed.

Kinneil Parish Church
Only the western gable of the church, with its double belfry, now remains standing. The church formerly served a large parish, including the medieval village of Kinneil, the site of which lies in the meadow to the south. The building dates back to the 12th century, probably nuilt by Herbertus, Chamberlain to the King. Herbertus granted “the Church of Kinneil with all its dues and tithes, lands, wood and plain, pasture and meadow” to Holyrood Abbey. One of its surviving bells, on display in Kinneil Museum, is dedicated to St Catherine

Aberuchill, Tayside

17th century L plan structure with angle turrets and a circular stair tower in the re-entrant angle. There are unusual twin gables at roof level. 3 storeys high with an attic – the walls are harled and whitewashed. A Georgian two storey and attic wing was added around 1805. In Rob Roy’s day the Laird of Aberuchill still thought it prudent to pay the outlaw “mail” or protection money despite the fact that he was Lord Justice Clerk to ensure his cattle wouldnt be stolen! His son Sir James Campbell stopped paying this protection money and Rob Roy himself arrived at Aberuchill during a dinner party forcing Sir James to pay the traditional premium.

Mesolithic: 8,300 BC to 4,500 BC
Early, -8300 to -6500 Late, -6500 to -3500

Neolithic: 3500 BC to 2100 BC As far as artefacts are concerned, the Neolithic is usually split into Early and Late; Middle Neolithic is generally only used for monuments.

Early, -3500 to -2900 Middle, -2900 to -2500 Late, -2500 to -2100

There is an overlap of 50 years for the Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age

Bronze Age: 2150 BC to 800 BC
Early, -2150 to -1500 Middle, -1500 to -1150 Late, -1150 to -800

Iron Age: 800 BC to 100 AD
Early, -800 to -300 Late, -300 to 100

There is an overlap of up to a century (depending on which part of the country you are in) during which artefacts can be either culturally Roman or culturally Iron Age.

Roman: 1 AD to 410 AD
Early, 1 to 200 Late, 200 to 410

There is an overlap of at least a decade (depending on which part of the country you are in) during which artefacts can either be culturally Roman or culturally early-medieval.

Early-Medieval: 400 AD to 1066 AD Early, 400-720 Middle, 720-850 Late, 850-1066

In general, you will be able to date things more closely than this. Most early Anglo-Saxon object types will be quoted as mid fifth to mid sixth century (450-550), or late fifth or sixth century (475-600). Thereafter, dates tend to be quoted in centuries.

Medieval: 1066 AD to 1500 AD Late, 1400-1500?

‘Early medieval’ (soon after the Norman Conquest) can be hard to distinguish from ‘early-medieval’ (before the Norman Conquest). The term ‘middle medieval’ is not used. There is debate as to what constitutes the late medieval period. It is best to stick simply to ‘medieval’ and qualify it using calendar dates.

Post-Medieval: 1500 onwards Early, 1500-1600/1700

Early post-medieval is generally used for the 16th century and sometimes for the 17th century. The comments for the medieval period also apply here.

There is debate as to the relationship between ‘post-medieval’ and ‘modern’.

Modern: 1800 to the present day
PAS do not use early, middle and late qualifiers for this period

Designed by Corinne Mills 2005
email [email protected]