Red Barns

The lithic collection from the 1975 excavations at Red Barns was studied in 1997–1998 as an English Heritage funded fellowship at the Department of Archaeology, University of Southampton, backed up by further excavation in summer 1999. The 1975 fieldwork was originally carried out by Clive Gamble and Arthur Apsimon in 1975, leading to recovery of a massive (in every sense) lithic collection including over 8,000 artefacts, 2000 natural flint nodules and 18,000 thermally fractured flint pieces. The study demonstrated that the site is older than previously thought, dating to at least 200,000 BP and maybe nearer 400,000 BP, and that lithic technology at the site was dominated by the production of pointed plano-convex handaxes. Study of the organisational structure of the lithic production gave an insight into the patterning of Archaic hominid behaviour, with the site serving as a locale were handaxes were regularly made, but from which they were normally removed before being used and abandoned elsewhere.

Fig. 1. Clive Gamble and Arthur Apsimon inspecting artefacts from the site, April 1975

The 1997–1998 study also led to several questions which required further fieldwork. Firstly, the extent and topography of the main archaeological horizon remained unknown. Secondly, more detailed sediment sampling for biological evidence was desirable. And thirdly, excavation of a further sample of lithic material with the orientation recorded could help understand how the main archaeological horizon was formed and whether it was undisturbed as indicated by the study of the 1975 material.

Thus a field project was carried out in June 1999, directed by Francis Wenban-Smith, with Southampton undergraduate students and two volunteers alerted by some publicity in the Portsmouth News, with the able assistance of Jenni Chambers, and funded by the Department of Archaeology. We descended upon the hitherto tranquil neighbourhood of Portchester and proceeded to dig several deep holes. Two of the test-pits went down to soliflucted chalk deposits without any sign of artefact-bearing horizons, but the test-pit immediately next to the estimated location of the 1975 trench produced better results with the cracked surface of the cemented breccia overlying the main Palaeolithic archaeological horizon revealed after several days of heavy digging. In 1975 this was removed by levering out blocks with a pickaxe taking advantage of the existing cracks. In 1999 attempting this approach led to nothing more than a bent pickaxe and a frantic dash to hire a pneumatic drill.

Fig. 2. Breaking through the breccia

After removal of the breccia further heavy digging reached the top of the dark grey loam, when mattocks were swapped for trowels.

Fig. 3. Trowelling the dark grey loam

A densely packed surface was revealed containing mint condition flint flakes and a handaxe amongst frost-fractured flint nodules and pieces.

Fig. 4. Excavation reveals mint condition flakes and a handaxe

It was only possible to excavate a small proportion of the main artefact-bearing horizon in 1999, and it is planned to return to the test-pit and complete the excavation in the future.

Fig.5. Selection of handaxes and fragments from Red Barns (1975 fieldwork)

References
Wenban-Smith, F.F. 1999. Recent fieldwork at Red Barns Palaeolithic site. Past 33: 5-7.

Wenban-Smith, F.F. 2000. Red Barns Palaeolithic site. Antiquity 74: 9-10.

Wenban-Smith, F.F., Gamble C.S. & ApSimon, A.M. 2000. The Lower Palaeolithic site at Red Barns, Portchester, Hampshire: bifacial technology, raw material quality and the organisation of Archaic behaviour. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 66: 209-255.

Wenban-Smith, FF. 2003. Bringing behaviour into focus: Archaic landscapes and lithic technology. In (EA Walker, FF Wenban-Smith & F Healy, ed's) Lithics in Action: Proceedings of the Lithic Studies Society Conference held in Cardiff, September 2000. Lithic Studies Society Occasional Paper No. 8. Oxbow Books, Oxford.