Archaeological work at Scarcewater reveals rare & interesting finds

Archaeologists from Cornwall County Council's Historic Environment Service are uncovering the early history of Scarcewater, near St.Stephen-in-Brannel, where work on a much needed tip for the china clay industry is to begin shortly.

The team is currently working closely with Imerys Minerals Ltd who are funding the project and assisting with the removal of modern layers from the site. 

Previous fieldwork by the Service has already revealed a long history of ceremonial and settlement activity at Scarcewater spanning five millennia. A recent Geophysical survey located a Bronze Age barrow and later prehistoric (Late Bronze Age/Iron Age) roundhouses as well as a stock-enclosure within the development area.

Ditched field systems were also identified which are likely to date to this period. Subsequent evaluation trenching confirmed the importance of these sites and led to the recovery of pottery dating to the Bronze Age, Iron Age, Romano-British and medieval periods.

Senior Archaeologist Andy Jones said, 'The excavations at Scarcewater are the largest archaeological excavations to be undertaken in the county and are providing a fantastic opportunity to investigate shifting prehistoric settlement patterns over several millennia'.

During the programme of excavations finds and features have been uncovered which seem to represent four phases of prehistoric activity: Neolithic, Early, Bronze Age, Middle Bronze Age and the later Bronze Age/Iron Age.  Details include:

  • Neolithic (C.4000-2500 BC): Settlement activity dating to this period is rarely identified in Cornwall, however, it has been identified at Scarcewater; hearth pits have been found which are likely to date to this period and a number of flints have been recovered.
  • Early Bronze Age (C.2500-1500 BC): A round barrow has been found within in the development area, which is likely to be associated with funerary and ceremonial activity.
  • Middle Bronze Age (C.1500-1000 BC): Archaeological deposits dating to this period are comparatively rare in lowland Cornwall.  Three Middle Bronze Age houses containing sherds of pottery and worked stone, including saddle querns have been found.
  • Late Bronze Age (C.1000-650 BC)/Iron Age (C.650 BC-AD 43): A stock-enclosure, post-ring houses and ditched field systems survive throughout the excavated area. Pottery from the enclosure, and the field ditches and a radiocarbon date, indicate that the area was enclosed a nd the fields were in use from the 9th century BC to 1st century AD.

The continuing excavations are designed to answer a series of specific   questions about the occupation of Scarcewater, throughout prehistory, which will include:

  • Neolithic: Features dating to the Neolithic period at Scarcewater will provide much needed comparisons, with the handful of other dated Neolithic settlement sites, such as the newly discovered site at Roche rock and Carn Brea.
  • Early Bronze Age: The excavation of ceremonial/funerary sites dating to the Early Bronze Age will provide useful contrasts and comparisons with other excavated barrow sites in the area including Watch Hill.
  • Middle Bronze Age: The excavation of roundhouses dating to the Middle Bronze Age at Scarcewater will provide useful comparisons and contrasts with other excavated settlement sites, including Trethellan Farm.
  • Late Bronze Age/Iron Age: The excavation of settlement features dating to this period at Scarcewater will answer questions about the nature of Later Bronze Age/Iron Age settlement and the way that it differs from previous Middle Bronze Age and subsequent medieval settlement organisation.

This current excavation work provides an important opportunity to study the changing character of settlement and lifestyle of Cornish communities over many thousands years. An open day will be held, by invitation, for interested groups, including local Schools, during October.

Ivor Bowditch, Imerys Community and Public Relations Manager, said 'The Company are always conscious of their responsibility to preserve or record historic data which unfolds as the industry itself develops.  Not, in all cases, can preservation be made due to the nature of the extractive business but, as in the case at Scarcewater, we were able to fund professional, archaeological work to retrieve important data and to record for posterity the finds of such a excavation.'

Anyone interested in the project should contact Senior Archaeologist Andy Jones, from the County Council on 01872 323 691 or andjones@cornwall.gov.uk

Further Information:

Andy Jones,
Cornwall County Council's Historic Environment Service
01872 323 691
andjones@cornwall.gov.uk

Ivor Bowditch,
Community and Public Relations Manager,
Imerys Minerals Ltd
01726 811 416.

Story posted - 8th October 2004