Registered charity No. 297301                 
Ecton Deep Level - pump chamber
Home About Research Forum News Newsletters Meetings Members Links Guidelines Contacts

NAMHO RESEARCH: Archaeology of the Extractive Industries

The Research Framework for the Archaeology of the Extractive Industries in England (Mining and Quarrying)

NAMHO has embarked on a project which will benefit mining history and help with the making of decisions about future archaeological research and the heritage of mining landscapes in England. Crucial to its success will be the support of NAMHO members, who it is hoped will wish to become involved.

The Research Framework is a two-year project, commissioned by and jointly funded with English Heritage, which will enable NAMHO groups and individual members to contribute towards and help influence research priorities. It will also provide guidance towards conservation and education strategies, and raise awareness of historic extractive industries as part of the wider heritage agenda. At its core will be a coordinated effort to collate the results of previous archaeological research, which will provide the information needed to achieve these wider aims. NAMHO members can support this project by helping with the supply of this information and by contributing to discussions at the series of regional seminars planned for next Spring and Winter/Spring of 2011. Members with regional or specialist expertise, who are willing to provide contacts and advise on less well-known sources of information, are particularly encouraged to attend these seminars.

The first task will be to undertake a comprehensive review of existing archaeological data. Initially this will involve exploring county historic environment records (HERs) and collating bibliographical sources but also vital to the success of this project will be the expertise and knowledge contributed by NAMHO members.

The scope of the project will include all archaeological data associated with mining and quarrying under the following general headings:

  • Energy Minerals: coal, oil shale, lignite etc
  • Metals: ferrous and non-ferrous
  • Bulk Minerals: building stone, aggregates, lime, sand, gravel etc
  • Other Industrial Minerals: evaporites, clays etc
  • Miscellaneous minerals: graphite, arsenic, talc, abrasives, pigments etc

The assessment will include surface and underground archaeology of all periods of extractive activity, from prehistoric flint mines to 20th century gravel pits. Infrastructures, such as mineral railways, water supplies and aspects of smelting will also be covered, as well as the social impact on the landscape of extraction, including housing and other material evidence of mining communities.

Once the resources have been collated the next process will be to evaluate the data and the results will be used to inform discussions on a range of issues. Mainly however, we hope to identify:

  • strengths and weaknesses in the existing record for the archaeology of mining and quarrying, in particular any conspicuous gaps in our knowledge
  • skill shortages in areas needed to further the study of the topic
  • common themes in the study of the different extractive industries, including cultural impact, underground archaeology, conservation and education

After the evaluation, the focus will turn to how these issues may be addressed through targeting future research and establishing where priorities for investigation and the allocation of resources may best lie. Through this process the research framework, informed by the results of the resource assessment, will incorporate the views and aspirations of a wide community of researchers.

If you wish to assist the steering group please contact the Project Director, Dr Peter Claughton at P.F.Claughton@exeter.ac.uk. If you have data or expertise to offer or would like to contribute to the seminars please contact the Project Officer Phil Newman at projectofficer@namho.org. Details of the seminars will be available soon. Please check regularly on the NAMHO website for information and updates - www.namho.org

THE RESEARCH FRAMEWORK: PHASE 2

The Research Framework is now reaching its second phase. As the assessments from phase one near completion, we need the help of NAMHO members and others to comment on them and to express opinions on directions for future research. To launch this round of further consultation, we are posting the assessments on the internet for comment and we are organising a series of seminars to present and discuss the results at various centres in England, early in 2012.

DRAFT RESEARCH ASSESSMENTS BY TOPIC
YOUR COMMENTS PLEASE

The following assessments are the result of approximately 12 months of consultation with various specialists in each of the topics within our remit. In each case the task of writing the assessments was assigned to an individual with specialist knowledge, working closely with others who have wished to contribute. The texts have been redrafted several times in the light of new information from various sources, then edited for approximate consistency of style by the Project Officer (Phil Newman). Archaeological material has been drawn from published and unpublished sources and a trawl of the Historic Environment Records in each of the English counties and National Parks. However, these assessment are certainly incomplete and it is highly likely that relevant information has escaped our attention, particularly in the case of unpublished archaeological work and 'grey' literature sitting un-noticed on library shelves, HER site folders and in personal collections.

However, with these solid draft documents to build on, the next stage is to broaden the consultation process. We therefore call on everyone with an interest in the archaeology of mining and quarrying to help us to progress these assessments further by reading them critically and if possible, adding, correcting, refuting and generally improving them. By consulting as widely as possible in this way, we hope the final versions will be thorough and authoritative appraisals, which expose the strengths and weaknesses in our current data, enabling us to inform future national archaeological research strategies in England.

Please send your comments, criticisms and additions to the project officer by email to
projectofficer@namho.org

If you wish to draw our attention to any material that has been overlooked, please provide as much detail as possible and if unpublished, include a note on where and if it is accessible. (Nb These are draft documents so grammar and punctuation are not priorities at the moment as the assessments will be re-edited several times before completion. Illustrations have not been included at this time but will be at a later date.)

DOWNLOADS (PDFs)

Other assessments will follow over the coming weeks. Watch this space for updates.

THE SEMINARS

The seminars are free to anyone wishing to attend and the dates in 2012 are as follows:

  • 21st January - Coal Mining Museum for England, Caphouse near Wakefield
  • 11th February - Bristol/Mendip area - Sidcot

    • At each seminar the findings of the assessment will be summarized by the Project officer, together with presentations on extractive industry archaeology by invited speakers. Following a buffet lunch, we will facilitate group discussions about the results of the assessments and the possible directions for future research. This will offer a chance for everyone to express opinions as to what direction future research might take. It will be your chance to help shape a national research agenda and to promote whatever aspects of it you believe to be important. This is a great opportunity and not to be missed!

    DOWNLOADS: Summaries of archaeological data held in the Historic Environment Record (HER) for each of the local authorities in England

    As part of the resource assessment we are trawling the Historic Environment Records (HERs) held by counties, unitary authorities and national parks, and providing summaries of the results as a starting point for further investigation. It should be noted that these summaries are extracted from the result of remote electronic searches undertaken by the HER officers on NAMHO's behalf, or by the NAMHO Project Officer (Phil Newman) searching data-bases online. Either way, the assessments offer only an overview of each HER and the resources used in compiling the extractive industry records within them. For some counties, where mining and quarrying are less prominent, these overviews are very brief.

    A selection of published and unpublished material has been filtered from the HERs, where available, but is mostly unseen by the Project Officer; its usefulness or relevance cannot therefore be vouched for at this stage. We also acknowledge that HERs do not contain comprehensive catalogues of sources whilst also possessing printed material that is not recorded in their data-bases, so these lists are far from exhaustive. If on viewing the lists you are aware of omissions, however small, or wish to comment on the usefulness or otherwise of any aspect of the material presented, please contact the project officer at projectofficer@namho.org. We are particularly keen to hear of research that has not yet become available in the public domain and lesser-known published sources of archaeological information that do not feature in the HERs.

    Further information on individual HERs, some of which may be searched online, is available through the Heritage Gateway website: http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/gateway/professionalaccess/default.aspx

    THEMATIC BIBLIOGRAPHIES Extracted from the regional databases These will cover the various industries and commodities such as coal, lead, tin, etc.