Tuesday 19th June Chris Owen, 19 June 2007 Contributed by CAROLINETrowelling of the topsoil continued today. We are removing the topsoil to reveal the natural geology (clay or limestone bedrock) in order to reveal features cut into the rock such as post holes and pits. Wet sieving is also being carried out on site, this is a very wet and messy job. Wet sieving is of large bags of soil from the midden and features of last year, there is quite a back log to get through- trowellers are too fast for their own good! Wet sieving allows us to find any particularly small finds that were missed during trowelling to be found and also to separate environmental evidence such as carbonised grain which floats to the top and is sent away for analysis. The tens of thousands of bone fragments are also being washed on site, these are also to be analysed by a specialist who will help us to determine what animals were being consumed on site and in what quantity. The bone specialist can also tell us in some instances how the animals were butchered if any cut marks can be seen. We had rain again today but this time we weren’t so lucky as it didn’t rain during break and so we couldn’t hide in the site hut. The same problems were faced as yesterday but digging was affected as the rain was more constant even if a little lighter.
Monday 18th June Chris Owen, 18 June 2007 Contributed by CAROLINEToday the Cardiff University archaeology students arrived on site and this was the first full day. The majority of the day was spent clearing up the edges of the trench using spades, shovels and mattocks. A back breaking day was had by all; this is always the most physically hardest day on site. Progress was good and towards the end of the day all three trenches had cleaned straight edges and so the cleaning off of the last remaining topsoil was begun in trenches 1 and 2. Removing the topsoil in Trench 1 revealed the natural limestone bedrock and yellow clay in most areas. Several features were found cutting into this natural geology, including rubble filled ditches and a possible ring gully (these are often associated with Prehistoric roundhouses). However, the finds have mainly been of Roman date, this includes several Roman coins of the late 4th Century. We are still, however, hoping to uncover Prehistoric activity, particularly as this is what geophysics had suggested in some areas. Geophysics involves analysing the ground using equipment which can detect anomalies in the earth’s geology. Equipment includes magnetometers which record magnetic susceptibility of the soil (this machine is good at detecting burning activity as the soil becomes more magnetic following heating). The ground is also probed by a machine which measures resitivity. This involves passing an electric current into the ground and detecting the resistance faced. Low resistance features are ditches (they retain water), whereas high resistance features such as stone walls obstruct the electric current.Anyway, back to the point- geophysics was carried out on the site to help predict what we would find before we dig the site. This helps us decide where to locate the trenches. Geophysics suggested we would find an enclosure ditch surrounding several areas of activity, including burnt areas and various ditches and other anomalous features. We are hoping to find later prehistoric activity that was possibly at some point contemporaneous with the feasting site found in the nearby field on the farm. Previous digs here involved the digging of a midden (a giant Prehistoric rubbish dump) Many amazing artefacts were found including bracelets, cauldron fragments, a chisel, spearhead and tens of thousands of animal bones. Only time will tell if this site is contemporary, but at present Roman finds dominate the evidence.Today there was torrential rain but luckily this coincided with our lunch hour and so did not affect work too much other than the ground was a lot harder to dig following the down pour with the soil being clayey and trowel edges becoming clogged.
A passion for plants: botanical illustration by women artists 16 June 2007 Maria Sibylla Merian'Raupenbucher' (Book of Caterpillars) - 1679 Cerasus Major Elizabeth Blackwell'The Curious Herbal' 1737-39 Prunus Amygdalus Lady Arabella RoupellProtea Berthe Hoola van NootenCarica Papaya Miss Sarah Anne DrakeCrateagus Macrantha Jane Webb LoudonRomulea (Sand Crocus) The Museum's collection of botanical illustrations consists of more than 9,000 prints and drawings. Many of the works in the collection have fascinating and courageous stories linked to them. In particular, there are stories of the women artists who took part in scientific discovery. A combination of neglect and dismissal of these women artists has undermined their achievements and their contribution to the science and art of botanical illustration. Women's role in botanical illustration It was sometimes thought that botanical illustration was only for women with time on their hands, who dabbled in a spot of watercolours before ordering afternoon tea! This might have been true for some, but not all. Several intrepid and independent women emerged as accomplished botanical illustrators. The 17th century Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717) was one of the finest botanical artists of her time. From an early age, Maria was interested in insects and caterpillars, and the plants on which they fed. It is believed that her uncle had a silk factory that led to her fascination in the life cycle of the silk worm. In 1679, she published the first of three volumes on European insects illustrated with her own engravings. Her careful and deliberate portrayal of insect and host plant together established a precedent in scientific literature. After 17 years of marriage, Maria left her husband and joined an exclusive sect called the Labadists in a castle in the Netherlands. In 1698 Maria sold her collection to fund an expedition to study and describe insects in their native habitat. For two years she devoted all her time to discovering and drawing many new plants and insects. Eventually she returned to Europe due to ill health and was working on some drawings when she died of a stroke aged seventy. The 18th century Elizabeth Blackwell (1700-1758) was recognised as an accomplished artist. Her husband was sent to debtors prison for two years after he opened a print shop in London without the required apprenticeship. Looking for a way to save them from their financial difficulties, Elizabeth was encouraged by Sir Hans Sloane, President of the Royal Society, to produce a definitive herbal of medicinal plants. Elizabeth embarked on this major project, engraved her own images on copper plates and then hand-coloured the prints herself. This prodigious task was entitled A Curious Herbal. The first volume included 500 plates and was published in 1738. Although her drawing is not exceptional, it was an excellent record for its time and its success lay in fulfilling a need for identification. The 19th century The Victorian era was a time of great progress. The expansion of the British Empire meant that many new and exotic plants were being sent to Britain. Upper class women often published books anonymously, since it was considered shameful to link a woman's name to any commercial venture. An excellent illustration of this point is an 1849 book entitled Specimens of the Flora of South Africa by a Lady . This 'Lady' was visiting South Africa with her husband and to amuse herself she painted the exotic flora of the region. She published the volume anonymously until it became known the author was Lady Arabella Roupell. Berthe Hoola van Nooten (fl. late 1800s) also published her work to make ends meet. Her husband died while they were travelling in Java, leaving her alone to bring up two daughters. In 1863, she published The fruits and flowers of Java, which has vibrant and strong illustrations. In accordance with the social traditions of the day, Berthe writes an apologia in the introduction, explaining she has been forced to utilize her talents as a botanical artist as a buffer against 'penury and a refuge in sorrow.' This is an illuminating insight into the expectations and status of women in the 19th century. Miss Sarah Anne Drake (1803-1857) became an accomplished botanical artist and produced an enormous body of work. Her specialism was orchids and she contributed magnificent plates to Bateman's Orchidaceae of Mexico and Guatemala — one of the most famous orchid books ever published. Perhaps the most esteemed results of her career were the 1,100 splendid plates she executed for Sydenham Edwards' Botanical Register. The Australian orchid 'Drakea' is named in her honour. Jane Webb Loudon (1807—1858) was orphaned at the age of 17. In order to support herself, she wrote a novel set in the 21st century called The Mummy. This caught the attention of John Loudon, a well-respected landscape gardener who Jane later married. Finding many of her husband's gardening books too technical, she wrote Instructions in Gardening for Ladies (1840) in clear simple language. This book proved extremely popular, selling more than 20,000 copies. She went on to write The Ladies Flower-Garden in 1840 and Botany for Ladies in 1842. Anna Maria Hussey's (1805—1877) most important work was Illustrations of British Mycology, published in 1847-9 in two volumes. The book includes a series of colour plates accompanied by biological information and general commentary, blending science, anecdote and literary reference. The puffball Husseia is named in her honour.
Collecting the contemporary 14 June 2007 Well, I've taken the plunge, after years of resisting and cynically refusing to believe the hype regarding blogs. Read by millions? Scarcely believe. Change the world? In your dreams. Truth be known, I've just been appointed Curator of Contemporary Life at the National History Museum here at St Fagans, Cardiff, and my job application advocated that all curators should take advantage of new technologies. For example, I stated cockily, they should keep blogs so that the public could have "access" (spot the museum buzz-words) to aspects which will explain the collections.So when this opportunity came along, I thought that I would show the way, although now that I'm actually writing this, I feel quite scared.So, contemporary collecting - what exactly is that? Well, I've decided to split the job in two.The first part will be to work with curators from other fields to fill the gaps in the collections since 1950. We are quite strong on artefacts and oral histories from rural, Welsh speaking, agricultural backgrounds before 1950, but less so on urban, non-Welsh, industrial evidence after 1950, although the building of the Rhyd-y-car cottages, Gwalia Stores and Oakdale Workmen's Institute has begun to rectify that.We will have to be very selective while filling these gaps - the storerooms are bursting at the seams. So the idea is to pick and choose certain items e.g. a super 8 camera, and to weave histories and exhibitions around them.The second part is more problematic. What to collect? We can't collect everything that is produced by this wasteful society of ours, so we have decided to deal with communities, projects, initiatives and themes. This will narrow down the criteria quite nicely, but will also let us focus on certain objects or stories which will encapsulate the age.For example, every six months, a different community will curate objects to be displayed in our Community Dresser. The first group was Penyrenglyn Youth group, who displayed objects such as a Nintendo Gameboy, a signed football and a comfort blanket. The next group will be Johnstown History Group.Another method might be Digital Story telling, which involves capturing pictures on your mobile phone and producing a little film with the result. I'm off to a workshop and conference on this in Aberystwyth next week. I'll let you know how it went.My first big exhibition (hopefully), will be about Welsh Pop Music. I hope to include objects such as instruments, stage props and fanzines, show videos, play sound recordings, and hold rap and recording workshops.Watch this space...
Brambles, blackberries, jam and jargon 12 June 2007 Bramble Jam - botanists sorting the collection during the reorganisation. Bramble specimens laid out along the length of the Main Hall of the National Museum, Cardiff. The bramble collection held at Amgueddfa Cymru is recognised as a major scientific reference tool for the study and naming of plants worldwide. The Bramble and Blackberry or Rubus collection held in the Museum herbarium is one of the major British reference collections for naming plants. The collection holds 15,000 specimens and includes all of the 325 species known from Britain and Ireland. As the classification of brambles is being revised continuously, the management, conservation and continued use of the collection is of utmost importance. Brambles are a particularly difficult group of plants to identify as there are often only small differences between each species and bushes of different species often grow tangled together, making the gathering of individual species very difficult. Due to the sheer number of species of bramble in Britain, many specimens in the collection remain unnamed. When a new species is discovered, the specimen that is used to identify the species in which it belongs is known as a type specimen. Type specimens are vitally important for solving identification problems and the Museum collection contains type specimens of at least 100 species. There is also a significant historical aspect to the collection as it contains the personal collections of several important collectors from the late 19th to the early 20th century. European specimens are also of value and through these it has been discovered that a number of French and German bramble species have remained undetected in the British Isles until very recently. It is hoped that the European specimens could be of future use linking some as yet unnamed specimens in the herbarium to continental species.
