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THE EASTBOURNE NATURAL HISTORY & ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Founded 1867 NEWSLETTER No 76 October 2013 Hayley Forsyth is an osteoarchaeologist who, as part of the Eastbourne Ancestors Project, has been examining human bones from various excavations in the local area. We are delighted that she is coming to our next meeting to outline the work she has done and share her research and exciting results with us. (See page 15 for more details.)

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Page 1: THE EASTBOURNE NATURAL HISTORY & ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY€¦ · THE EASTBOURNE NATURAL HISTORY & ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Founded 1867 NEWSLETTER No 76 October 2013 Hayley Forsyth is

THE EASTBOURNE NATURAL HISTORY &

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETYFounded 1867

NEWSLETTERNo 76 October 2013

Hayley Forsyth is an osteoarchaeologist who, as partof the Eastbourne Ancestors Project, has been

examining human bones from various excavations inthe local area. We are delighted that she is coming toour next meeting to outline the work she has done and

share her research and exciting results with us.(See page 15 for more details.)

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THE EASTBOURNE NATURAL HISTORYAND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY

Founded 1867PRESIDENT: Olive Woodall

Chairman Robin Reffell Robin Cottage

12 The VillageMeads, Eastbourne BN20 7RD

Tel: 01323 [email protected]

Hon. Secretary Alison Selmes27 Selwyn Rd

Eastbourne BN21 2LETel: 01323 638962

[email protected]

Hon. Treasurer & Membership Secretary John WarrenNewsletter Editor Helen Warren

49 Prideaux RdEastbourne BN21 2NE

Tel: 01323 [email protected]

Programme Secretary Lawrence StevensTel: 01323 734496

Ass. County Archaeologist Greg ChuterTel: 01273 481608

[email protected]

Committee: Patricia Stevens, Derek Leppard, Richard Ribbons

A Message from the EditorSome came along to hear Lynn and Kevin Cornwell speak at our September meeting at thee new venue : St. Saviour’s Church Hall in Spencer Rd. Read all about “Archaeological Discoveries in the Hastings Area” in a report on pages 4 to 7. There is a full autumn programme planned so don’t forget the second Friday of the month at St. Saviour’s Church Hall were the chairs are soft and the welcome is warm! I am always pleased to receive articles for the Newsletter, send to me by Monday 25th November for the December issue.

Best wishes, Helen Warren, Editor

Eastbourne Natural History and Archaeological Society is on Facebook. Find us on:www.facebook.com/pages/Eastbourne-Natural-History-and-Archaeological-Society

We are also planning to have a website so watch this space!

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Heritage Service Plans Revealed at Public MeetingReport from Jo Seaman, Heritage Officer

On the 11th September the Eastbourne Heritage Service held a public meeting at the Town Hall to discuss the future plans and Heritage Lottery Fund bid for the metamorphosis of the Redoubt into a ‘Heritage Hub’ for Eastbourne. All local societies were individually invited to attend as well as a wider audience from the community.

Plans were revealed that involve a complete restoration to the unique Georgian building as well as a sea change in what will actually be represented in a widened museum and visitor offer. It was suggested that the archaeology and local history collections be given a large portion of the Fortress to tell the ‘Eastbourne Story’, using our artefacts to create a vibrantand thought provoking display telling the story of the area from Geological time to the present day. The military section of the museum is also to receive a complete makeover, concentrating on the story of the “Sussex Soldier” (and Navy and Air Force of course) with displays concentrating on people’s actual experiences rather than a broad sweep view of military history in general. Other major changes to the displays would be the addition of a far more comprehensive ‘Story of the Redoubt’ and the complete restoration of certain Casemates to their C19th appearance. These rooms would then become an interactive arena where replica objectscould be handled and kit put on to give a tangible experience of life as a soldier in the Redoubt.

Probably the most important works would involve the removal of the Colonnade structure and concrete capping on the moat and the use of the Pavilion Tea Room as a new entrance to the building with a lift and stairs tomake the entire experience accessible to all.

The HLF bid is in its’ early stages and a first round application is due to be submitted in October with, if successful, funding to develop the plans duringin 2014 and a further application for the main bulk of funding (around £3.5 million) in October 2014.

The meeting was a great success with plenty of questions and interest fromthe floor which was extremely valuable as meaningful consultation with users and non-users is essential to build a rounded and inclusive application for what should truly be a magnificent resource for Eastbourne. If you have any thoughts, questions or queries please contact [email protected]

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Recent Archaeological Discoveries around Hastings

Report on our September talk by Lynn & Kevin Cornwell

In the new meetings’ venue at St Saviour’s Church Hall, with plush upholstered seats for all, (real luxury), 27 members and guests gathered to hear Lynn tell us of HAARG’s (Hastings Area Archaeological Research Group), recent fieldwork. The area ranged from Ninfield to Winchelsea, including Robertsbridge, Westfield, Bodiam, Herstmonceux, Seddlescombe, and the new Hastings link road. HAARG have certainly notbeen idle! Kevin managed the technology by projecting images and joining in as necessary. Lynn began by telling us that, generally speaking, these days farmland in the Hastings area is largely put to grass, consequently field-walking is ruled out as there is no turned soil, so HAARG have concentrated on geophysical surveys, Resistivity and Magnetometry, to indicate what may be present beneath the surface, followed by exploratory digs where appropriate. Lynn praised the book on the subject written John Gater, of Time Team fame.

The first site looked at was Castle Croft, in Ninfield, just off the Bexhill to Herstmonceux road, where there is an imposing earthwork of at least 4000 square metres, with associated ditches, which was investigated by a Worthing group together with HAARG. Roman building waste in the form of Classis Britannia (CLBR) stamped tiles and combed box flues has been found, and also parts of a medieval horse harness. The Croft, or raised platform, itself is domed, and built up, with a second ridge of equal height, also built up, alongside it. These ridges are at the edge of dry land on the natural water line, at the tidal point of the river running around them, and the two ridges look suspiciously like the two arms of a harbour, an idea reinforced by 3D modelling. The underlying geology of the adjoining fields isclay and sandstone, which is not so good for magnetometry, but a resistivitysurvey revealed a host of rectilinear features, with intense areas of burning and associated slag. The CLBR tiles, the possible harbour, or at least a docking bay, together with the areas of burning & slag suggest a possible link to an official Roman military managed site for the extraction and export of iron from the Weald. Future work hopes to further prove this.

A new drainage ditch had been cut at Kitchenham Farm, and Roman glass, roof tiles and a complete Romano-British cooking pot had been found in the spoil heaps. This pot was of rather crude East Sussex ware made during the 2nd century AD. The land had been traversed by the Darwell pipeline in 2004, and a report of the time listed a cremation pit, a possible bread oven and a boundary ditch that had been found. Mag results

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revealed hundreds of artefacts from the ditch spoil, a curving feature, linear features, pits, iron working slag and more pits with intense burning. The proposed “oven” in upper East field has now been re-interpreted at a collapsed bloomery furnace. These furnaces were apparently built up using clay in the form of a short chimney, dried out, and filled with ironstone, charcoal and lime, then heated to approx.1000 degrees centigrade or more to melt the iron out of the ironstone. Iron Age Britons would then allow the furnace to cool, then break it open to retrieve the “bloom” of iron, but the Romans had evolved ways to tap out the molten iron with associated slag, and recharge the furnace whilst it was still hot to produce the iron much more efficiently. A post hole which post-dated the furnace was found within the furnace circumference, proving the site’s use over several periods.

Finds included a child’s leather shoe found between the furnace and the post, Roman roofing and floor tiles, (some stamped CLBR), with amphora handles packed around the post backfill, black burnished dog-bowl ware, and lots of mill stone, all in a ditch fill, with a capping layer of iron working slag. There were other artefacts among the slag including a lady’s sandal with worn heel and toe and a thong integral to the structure of a sandal, both made from a single piece of leather. Also in the slag were tree timbers,stakes, and planks. Many of the timbers were very water-worn, with one that seemed large enough for dendrochronology dating, but that proved to not be possible. However samples were sent for Carbon 14 dating, returning a 190 AD date. The Classis Britannica were active from 130-230 AD, so it looks like a military riverside settlement with ditches, revetments, and a possible toilet. Most interesting finds were a bronze handle for a surgeon’s scalpel, though the iron blade is missing, it is of a “Jackson” type,similar to examples from Pompeii, and a softwood fine toothed comb. The mag results proved to be very sensitive, detecting a largely ploughed-out, 5 cm deep ditch, with the bases of pots within it whose pot bodies had apparently been destroyed by the ploughing.

The sandals and comb were sent to the UCL, where a student led project conserved them, which was free of charge to HAARG. The artefacts were freeze-dried, which caused them to shrink somewhat, but all were well conserved and presented to the meeting for close inspection after the talk. The leather particularly proved to be of very construction, and quite high status, with thongs, wood inserts, copper nails, and hob-nails still in place insome examples.

HAARG had been asked to survey Rookery Field, within the planned area of medieval Winchelsea, and revealed a cellar, building platforms, a track-way and road extensions not apparent to the naked eye. Also, at Pinwell

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House, Westfield, HAARG had been asked to find a suspected Roman road. The road was nowhere to be found, but the survey revealed a medieval cottage by the side of the present road. This structure was in the written historical record, but the precise location had been lost. HAARG were pleased to have been able to re-locate it.

The owner of Robertsbridge Abbey, a listed building, refused to pay for a full English heritage survey prior to proposed alterations, so HAARG were called in. There were some up-standing wall remains, but the very clear survey revealed the ground-plan of the Abbot’s guest hall, with vaulted cellar, the complete floor plan of the Abbey church, previously only known from parch marks, some walls and a gatehouse outside the scheduled area not known before, together with evidence of ploughing. They were pleased to recommend that the scheduled area be extended to include them to ensure the new discoveries’ survival for future study.

At All Saints, Herstmonceux, the parish wished to see if there was any space within their graveyard for more burials. HAARG were pleased to identify tombs and graves unknown before.

Oxford Archaeology have been awarded the contract to run the survey priorto building the Hastings/Bexhill Link Road, and are making full use of HAARG’s volunteers. To scotch any speculation, there is no Norman boat, nor pre-battle Norman camp, nor hint of a battle at Crowhurst, but masses of other finds. There are health and safety issues with a very large site and the associated use of big machinery, but it is obvious that there is evidence of a large industrial site associated with iron working, plus some Iron Age pottery, a host of linear and rectangular features, and pits. There is a massive charcoal and slag bank running into the valley, with a series of bloomeries, at least seven, along its edge. This has been surveyed, but Lynn was not allowed to show any results. Suffice it to say that it is of national significance. Most unexpectedly, around the edge of the edge of anancient marsh there have been found masses of Mesolithic flint scatters, plus some burnt mounds, proving the sites popularity and use from deep history. Many of the flint finds are circular and indicate a single knapping episode. (We visited the site with HAARG a couple of weeks ago when the O.A. archaeologist said that they were hoping to re-assemble the chippings as had been done at Boxgrove, to reveal the original cores.) No flint is native to the site, someone took the trouble to go and fetch the raw materialfrom a distance of many miles. It seems that the site may have been semi industrial, preparing flint items to be traded. It is projected that at least 100,000 individual pieces of flint will be recovered! All finds on the

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extensive site are GPS registered and mapped. We were told that the report is unlikely to be ready for at least five years.

Casper Johnson, the County Archaeologist, had a brief to survey Doke’s Field at Bodiam to ascertain the route of the Beauport to Rochester Roman road. There is a known CLBR site near to the river, but Lynn told usthat it is at least 2 metres below present ground surface, so HAARG were not interested in that, but rather in the route of the Roman road. This had been identified by Margave in the past, but the surveys revealed a bi-linear feature running approximately North to South in a completely different place, nor was it straight, but followed the natural contours of the land. In 1902 cremation burials had been found, probably in the road ditches. Thesewere dated to 150 AD, and were probably associated with the Iron Industry going down to the known CLBR port on the river.

At Footlands Farm, Seddlecombe, just off the A21, Romano-British iron workings had first been identified in 1924 from the slag bank, and worked on by several groups between 1925 and 2012, HAARG were asked to survey for the Roman road, and traced it for over a mile through several fields. It was a similar bi-linear feature as had been found at Bodiam with many hot-spots of slag, burning, and dense rectilinear features intermittently along its length. The route bisected earlier field systems and tracks with a possible round house near Hancocks, a 14th century house, and finds included yet more Mesolithic flints.

From the evidence presented, the whole Hastings area is a crowded, multi-period landscape with continuous occupation and periods of intense industrial activity, which HAARG are actively helping to reveal.

Following questions, Lynn was thanked profusely for the extraordinarily richand interesting story of HAARG’s involvement. A variety of interesting finds were displayed, these led to further discussion.

John Warren

Nanotesla?

At the beginning of the September talk Kevin Cornwell introduced us to the magnetometers he is using and the characteristics of the subsurface anomalies they can locate. Kevin quoted some typical values of magnetic field strength for these anomalies as 20 nanoteslas or less, but wisely avoided getting into definitions.

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Nano, like mega, is now a commonly used, but not necessarily understood, hyperbole. By definition it denotes a billionth part, so I was sufficiently intrigued to do some digging of the Google variety. A billionth of anything is quite a difficult concept (a footballer or TV celebrity’s remuneration package being the exception - we all know what a 1p coin looks like), so I wanted to put it into perspective.

The tesla is the SI unit of magnetic field strength in the International System of Units that was adopted by most of the world in 1960. SI defines derived physical units in terms of base units that include the metre and kilogram. The previous system used the centimetre and gram, and the tesla equals 10,000 gauss in old money. A familiar area affected by the change to SI units was the energy value of food.Labelling now quotes both kilojoules (SI) and kilocalories (not SI)

Modern magnetic materials are capable of achieving field strengths of several teslas, but for everyday use milli, micro and nanoteslas give us more convenient numbers. For example, a fridge magnet may produce a field strength of 5 milliteslas (5 million nanoteslas) and the earth’s magnetic field ranges from 30 to 60 microteslas (30,000 to 60,000 nanoteslas), sufficient to swing a compass needle. On the other hand, joules and calories are rather small - a spoonful of sugar contains 16,000 calories. This sounds scary, so kilo values are used to provide digestible data. An exception to the suppression of zeros was the love of the lira, when most Italians were millionaires to the bitter end.

The modern magnetometer or gradiometer is clearly a pretty impressive piece of kit, being able to detect and quantify anomalies that are less than one thousandth of the background magnetic field strength. The instruments have vertical poles with a sensor at each end. The lower sensor picks up the aggregate of the earth’s magneticfield plus that due to the anomaly. The upper sensor picks up the earth’s magnetic field and a much reduced field from the anomaly- the Inverse Square Law applies to the distance between the magnetic source and the sensor. The machine computes the difference between the two readings and the resultant value gives a good representation of the anomaly. Happily, Kevin doesn’t need to be too concerned about the technical intricacies as the software produces the sort of stunning maps that he and Lynn were able to

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display and interpret for us. I forgot to ask them how many shades of grey the programme utilises….

So why can an anomaly have a magnetic field? The burning associated with a hearth or oven is a good example. Natural magnetic materials such as iron bearing deposits consist of particles,or domains, that are randomly orientated and their fields tend to cancel each other out. When subjected to high temperature the domains become fluid and align themselves with the earth’s magnetic field. On cooling they retain this alignment and aggregate to produce a measurable field.

By the way, Nikola Tesla was a naturalised American engineer and physicist of Serbian origin who lived from 1856 to 1943. Among otherachievements, his discoveries made a major contribution to the development of alternating current power systems.

Derek Leppard

Motcombe Dovecote Mystery From the 29th July to 4th August a small team of volunteers from the Heritage Service under the supervision of Jo Seaman undertook some fieldwork in the heart of ‘old’ Eastbourne in Motcombe Gardens. The aim was to try to establish a date for the building of the Grade II Listed Dovecote by examining its foundations and construction and a trench was opened on the eastern side of the building to do so. A second small trench was opened on the lower grassy area to the south of the Dovecote to see if any evidence of earlier pond silts could be detected.

Thankfully the weather was good and great progress was made in both trenches. However results were not necessarily as hoped, with the Dovecote having undergone extensive repair to its’ outer walls and underpinning to the foundations over the last couple of

ENHAS would like suggestions for next year’s programme.We would like to include archaeology/natural history walks, field

work, workshops and outings together with our talks.Any ideas would be very welcome.

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centuries. This meant that little or no undisturbed early archaeology remained in situ, so finding an accurate date for construction from this evidence was impossible. However the nature of the repairs hashelped to understand the chronology of theses phases and further investigation and survey within the building should provide us with the dating that we need. The Gardens underwent considerable development in 1909 but it would appear that much of the physical repair was carried out before this time although landscaping around the building undoubtedly took place. At the moment the research is pointing to a build date in the C16th at the latest with alterations carried out in the C17th-C18th due to rats (this will be explained in the report!) and more in the C19th due to a change in use.

The lower trench proved very interesting with a series of rough ‘surfaces’ directly beneath the turf line and no evidence of fine pond silts. At around 60cm down the groundwater penetrated the cleaned area making excavation difficult but there was the hint of a corner of a substantial building located in the south east corner that is certainlydeserving of further investigation.

All in all it was a fascinating week and a site that will have to be revisited during our Community Excavation programme in the future.

Jo Seaman

Scarlet Tiger Moths

At the end of my garden is an area of‘waste ground’ that I lovingly neglect andlet nettles etc flourish. Do not under anycircumstances think that I, for one minute,have failed to maintain and trim this area!(well maybe...) Anyway back in the year,after that over-extended winter, when spring decided to arrive, I noticed a large number of caterpillars munching away on the pulmonaria/comfrey plant thatwas growing down there, by the nettles.

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Anyway I didn’t give it much thought until late one afternoon in June Inoted some fluttering of red — rather like red rose petals rising from the ground- and realised that I had some-thing unusual. I resorted to a good few books before (after seeing them resting) I knew I had scarlet tiger moths. These are a day flying moth that live in colonies, and if disturbed they rise up from the ground looking truly spectacular! Thus for a couple of weeks or so back in the summer I hosted some beautiful moths.

I was not the only person to have seen this tiger moth, as I have been speaking to a couple from Meads who have also seen some of them and thought it rare enough a sighting to talk about.

When they, the scarlet tigers, had finished another day-flying moth put in an appearance — the six spot burnet. This moth took me back to my childhood, and the long grasses growing along the verges of our village; from these long, dry grasses their caterpillars would encase themselves in papery cocoons before emerging as black and red hovering beauties. They almost seem to vibrate as they move.Absolutely stunning!

Now I need no real excuse to leave an area of ‘waste ground,’ and letthe grass and weeds grow, — all the conservationists say we should-but can I encourage the rest of the society to experience the joy ofthese beautiful moths? They may not come at first but, given time, I’m sure you will be rewarded — and if not by them — who knows what!

Alicia Page

Extract from the Sussex Archaeological Forum Meeting held in June

Eastbourne: Bay Pond Road, Old Town Evaluation: The earliest depositson-site were dated to the mid-17th to early 18th century. No features or artefacts predating the post-medieval period were encountered during the work. Trench 2 revealed the possible remains of a track that is shown on the 17th- century Grier map, and may also be associated with the terraces noted in the adjacent allotments to the west of the site, while Trench 3 at

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the north end of the site revealed a possible ditch / linear feature dating to the mid-17th to early 18th century (Chris Butler Archaeological Services).

Eastbourne: The Pub, Hampden Park. Evaluation - Both trenches were excavated down to 1.2m with a sondage at the end of each trench down to 2.2m. No features were found and only a handful of artefacts predating the 20th century. The Willingdon: peat horizon was not encountered. A geoarchaeological assessment suggested that this site was on slightly higher ground above the level at which the peat had formed (Chris Butler Archaeological Services).

*Eastbourne Motcombe Gardens Dovecote:An evaluation trench was excavated in March but unfortunately was abandoned after one day due to extreme weather conditions (blizzards). The aim of this evaluation was to try to establish a date for the construction of this building and see if the standing structure is the original build. Though this project was aborted after one day, we did establish a number of phases of repairs and areas of the foundations that look original to the building. July 29th – August 4th 2013 - A community

excavation is planned to further investigate the origins of this iconic buildingprior to a bid for restoration. Also investigation into the silting up of Motcombe Pond, the source of the River Bourne, is planned. (Eastbourne Museum). Report to follow.

Eastbourne: Cornish Farm Barrow, Beachy Head. An evaluation community project is planned on a ploughed out suspected barrow to assess survival of archaeological features. (Greg Chuter E.S.C.C.) Report to follow.

Eastbourne: Gildredge Manor, Borough Lane. A watching brief in May was undertaken during trenching for foundations to a new wall around the site of the stables/car park of the building formerly housing the Towner Gallery and Museum. Two walls of two apparently separate buildings were recorded, one on the west side of the site relating to a row of post-medievalbuildings that occupied the site until the mid C19th. The other to the extreme north of the site that seems to be part of an earlier substantial building that ran south-north towards the road. A C19th- rubbish pit was also revealed in the trench and may represent a later use of an earlier feature. In the last week a stone built well (still in working order) was

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uncovered in the centre of the site that appears to have been in use until the late C19th. Further investigation to this feature is planned (Eastbourne Museum).

Gildredge Manor 2013

P. S. From the Editor: l am delighted to tell you that Emma and Markare doing a fantastic job saving and restoring Gildredge Manor(formerly The Towner Art Gallery and Local History Museum).Having been sold by the Council to a property developer, theneglected and vandalised building was in a parlous state. Now it is acomfortable family home, a foreign language school and lettingvenue with a license for weddings. In fact, I am very much lookingforward to attending a friend’s wedding there next April!

Bird Watcher’s Diary from Peter Cullen

June: A visit to Ashdown Forest on the 18th recorded Cuckoo, 2 Nightjarand 2 Woodcock.

July: At Weirwood Reservoir on the 12th records were Buzzard, GreenSandpiper, Little Egret, and 3 Mandarin. A visit to Dungerness on the 13 th

noted Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper and 2 Little Ringed Plover atthe Reserve and Great White Egret, 2 Marsh Harrier and Stock Dove atDenge Marsh. A return visit to Weirwood Reservoir on the 26 th recorded 2Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, 2 Mandarin, Little Egret and 4Common Tern.

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August: Records on the 1st at Dungerness were: 2 Wood Sandpiper, 2Little Egret, 2 Ringed Plover, Little Egret and Hobby at the ARC with 2 LittleEgret at the Reserve and Little Egret and Sparrowhawk at Denge Marsh. Avisit to Pulborough on the 2nd noted Pectoral Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper,4 Blacktailed Godwit and 2 Buzzard. Records at Dungerness on the 6th

were Garganey, little Ringed Plover, Green Sandpiper, Little Egret andYellow Wagtail at the ARC, Hen Harrier and Marsh Harrier at the Reserveand 3 Little Egret, Great White Egret and 2 Marsh Harrier at Denge Marsh.At Dungeness on the 20th records at the Reserve were 2 Egyptian Geese, 2Little Gull, 3 Green Sandpiper, 3 Little Egret and Sparrowhawk.

Interesting to note that Peter saw anEgyptian Goose. Egyptian Geesewere considered sacred by theancient Egyptians, and appeared inmuch of their artwork. They havebeen raisedfor food and extensivelybred in parts of Africa since theywere domesticated by the ancientEgyptians. Because of theirpopularity chiefly as ornamental bird,escapes are common and small feralpopulations have become establishedin this country.

Learning from Eastbourne’s Excavated Human Bones

Hayley Forsyth, Project Officer: Eastbourne Ancestors

ENHAS Meeting on Friday 11th October at 7.30pm

The Eastbourne Borough Council Museum Service was awarded a grant of £72,000 by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for its exciting new project ‘Eastbourne Ancestors’ which is the first of its kind in the UK.

There are over 300 skeletons in the Eastbourne Museum Service collection, most of them Anglo-Saxon from around 1500 years ago but some are possibly Neolithic, over 4000 years old. The aim of ‘Eastbourne Ancestors’ is to give an osteo-biography or story from the bones for each individual in the collection. This will involve detailed scientific analysis which

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will not only confirm the gender, age and size of each individual but could also tell us about their health, diet, social status, regional (or national) origins and perhaps how they died.

Come along to our October meeting to find out what Hayley has discovered. The collated results will form the basis of a fascinating exhibition to be staged in the Pavilion Tea Rooms, next to the Redoubt Fortress, in December.

ENHAS Autumn Programme 2013

11th October Learning from Eastbourne's Excavated Human Bones Hayley ForsythHayley is an osteoarchaeologist who has been examining human bones from various excavations in the Eastbourne area. She will outline the work she has done on the Eastbourne Ancestors Project and share her findings with us. (See page 15.)

Sally Sainsbury It is with deep sadness that I have to report the passing of Sally Sainsbury after a long illness. Sally was a life-time and active member of theSociety who supported us in many ways and was a regular at meetings until the onset of her illness. She worked behind the scenes for the Society and undertook the mammoth task of cataloguing our library collection. Our condolences and thoughts were passed to her family. She will be missed. Robin Reffell Chairman

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8th November The Archaeology of the Friston to Folkington Water Pipe Line Tim AllenTim of Kent Archaeological Projects will talk about his archaeological work for South East Water ahead of the installationof a pipeline, uncovering evidence of previously unknown prehistoric and medieval settlement along and below the South Downs.

13" December Christmas Meeting with four short talks(Details of the talks will be in our December Newsletter) mince pies and tea/coffee, raffle and book sale

Our meetings are now held at:St Saviour’s Church Hall, Spencer Rd, Eastbourne BN21 4PA

The talk starts at 7.30 pm, doors open at 7.15 pm.Members free, visitors £2

For more details please contact Robin Refiell T: 01323 648226 E: [email protected]