THREATS TO THE SURVIVAL OF UK BATTLEFIELD ASSEMBLAGES
Channel: European Association of Archaeologists
Date: 2020-10-21

Since Conflict Archaeology has been considered a discipline in its own right, research has focused around the battles which took place. However, sites of conflict are excellent examples of landscapes which require management which can steer the way in heritage management on a global scale. In recent years the deterioration of metal artefacts in ploughsoils has been identified as a threat to archaeological data loss across Europe. Sites of conflict are particularly vulnerable to data loss through degradation as their primary evidence consists of artefact scatters in the ploughzone. 100s of sites of conflict exist across the UK, only 47 of which are registered, leaving numerous sites vulnerable to damage as they lack any means of statutory protection. This presents an opportunity to explore the relationship between battlefields and the degradation of these buried assemblages in order to aid future heritage management policies. This paper seeks to identify the reasons behind the degradation of battlefield assemblages in the ploughzone by assessing the condition of artefacts and correlating this data with the soli chemistry and historic land use of 17th century sites of conflict. Case studies are taken from the UK, though the methodologies used are applicable to cross-border sites where the geology and land management will also have impacted on the preservation of archaeological assets. This paper will highlight the impact arable cultivation has had on the condition of battlefield assemblages and suggests the best way of preserving these sites for the future is to revert land to pasture of maintain landscapes under permanent pasture. The methodologies laid out in this talk have further implications for the management of archaeological sites across the world and highlights the significance conflict archaeology has to our world heritage besides the battles which took place.


Author(s): Rowe, Samantha (University of Huddersfield; Historic England)