Orthophoto of Hartygrove excavation site 2023, by KorecGroup – Trimble X7 Laser Scanner
Project Summary
Every year the University of Bristol runs a Student Training Excavation for Anthropology and Archaeology students to gain fieldwork experience, and to host our International Summer School. After 15 years digging at Berkeley Castle, as of 2022 we are now excavating at Hartygrove in South Gloucestershire! The site itself has been under excavation for the past 12 years by the Thornbury Archaeology Group, a group of community volunteers who have so far uncovered some wonderful finds.
Excavations at Hartygrove are focusing on Medieval England’s Anarchy period (1135-1153 CE), a time of rivalry, fear, and violence as Empress Matilda and King Stephen fought each other for the united throne of England and Normandy. The story began with the drowning of Henry I’s legitimate son and heir, William Adelin, in a shipwreck in 1120, and Henry’s attempts to ensure his daughter, Matilda, became recognised as his heir instead. Yet when Henry died in 1135, Henry’s nephew, Stephen of Blois, seized the throne. In 1139, Matilda, with the help of her half-brother, Robert of Gloucester, launched an all-out campaign to claim the crown. The conflicts that ensued across plunged the country into civil war. In response to the crisis, defensive castles were constructed by nobles, and churches were fortified. Rivals to Stephen set up their own mints and produced new coinage, generating economic confusion. Meanwhile, the peasantry suffered deprivation as armies criss-crossed the country, ravaging land and burning property.
Archaeological research on the Anarchy Period to date has focused mainly upon the castles of this era. This has resulted in a partial understanding of the material record of the period. A unique opportunity now exists to assess the impact of the Anarchy Period on rural populations through excavation and analysis of a twelfth-century building complex in the South Gloucestershire. Through this, we will be able to recognise more substantially the impact the turmoil had on the majority of the population, rather than the minority elites who have been recorded by history. The site is also located in an area with considerable Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Roman evidence, which is also being examined.
2023 Excavation Season
The 2023 student training was a great success, with hard work paying off from the UoB staff, our Red River Archaeology Project Officer, volunteers, and students alike.
Prior to the HARP23 (Hartygrove Anarchy Research Project) excavations, we were lucky enough to be able to use C14 Radiocarbon dating methods on a sample of charcoal (more specifically, the charred remains of an oat grain), which yielded a date of 1031-1162calAD (95.4% probability). This gave us confirmation that the site was indeed in use during the Anarchy period in England (1135-1153AD).
Fast forward to the 2023 season and we have made some exciting new discoveries. In Trench 1, it has become clear that there is a ditch present, predating the stone wall building comprising the Norman Hunting Lodge. What was not initially clear was the sheer scale of this ditch. With at least two cuts that are evident so far, and a potential new retaining wall visible in the north-westerly end above the ditch, which will alter our understanding of the site and contextualise it for us. In terms of finds, plenty of animal bone has been excavated, and most importantly thus far, a sherd of Saxo-Norman pottery. This find illustrates to us that the site has an earlier phase, and while it was definitely in use during the Anarchy, the significance and usage of this site begins before this. This is also indicated in Trench 2 by the presence of a beam/building slot, again, accompanied by Saxo-Norman pottery. Other exciting finds include dateable charcoal from the feature uncovered in Trench 2, multiple 12th-13th century pot sherds (potentially from 1 or 2 large vessels), and highly decorated Ham Green Glaze pottery, that appears across the site.
2024 Excavation Season
Preparations are already under way for our 2024 excavation season. Alongside our student training excavation will be hosting our International Summer School. If you are interested in applying to take part in our International Summer School, applications are now open on the field school website.