Identifying and mapping lithic sites of national importance
Channel: Recording Archaeology
Date: 2015-09-18

Anthony Dickson, Oxford Archaeology North

The paper presents the results of one of the commissioned pilot projects in the National Importance Programme. The project proposed Cumbria as the principal area of study and East Anglia as a comparator, where a selection of each area's lithic resource, including extraction sites, could be assessed in regard to the main aims and objectives of the Programme. To that end a desk-based investigation and consultation was designed to identify and characterise the lithic resources, to examine how lithic sites are presently ascribed national importance, and whether this is sufficient to afford protection to the resource. 

Drawing on available information from published sources, such as the relevant English Heritage Scheduling Selection Guides, the project considered approaches to identifying significance for designation purposes and examined whether the existing guidelines provided an adequate framework for such. The study was predicated, out of necessity, on known sites, but also considered mechanisms for identifying, characterising, defining and classifying further artefact scatters and sites.

The presentation will briefly discuss the results of the project case studies, the problems and issues that arose from the case studies in relation to designating lithic sites as nationally important and outline the main themes discussed in response to those. It will also outline the recommendations and conclusions.