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#1
12-12-2013, 08:51 PM
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Amble Bronze age cist
Here's a (rather dated!) description from Archaeologia Aeliana of the burial found near Cliff House. Written in 1859
I guess this area in now all well below the high water mark? "ANCIENT SEPULCHRAL REMAINS AT AMBLE. IN the middle of April last, about fifty yards north-east of the Cliff House, Amble, and about twenty yards from the end of what is called Warkworth South Pier, the pilots came upon a long upright stone, standing out of the shale to the height of twelve or fourteen inches, which had been laid bare by the recent heavy gales, but which, from its rude appearance, did not afford the idea of anything beyond a mere accidental tilting. Alongside this upright stone was a large unwrought slab, which, on being raised, was found to be the covering of a cist or sepulchral chamber, containing a perfect skeleton. The figure was lying on its left side, with the head to the south-west, having the knees much doubled, and with the right arm thrown back. By its side stood an urn of unbaked clay. This urn, now in the Museum of the Duke of Northumberland resembles in size and shape that which was found a few years since at Hawkhill, and which is preserved in the Museum of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle. It contained a small quantity of dark earth. Having given this general outline of the discovery, I shall proceed to offer such observations as I have been able to make, and have considered worth recording. I grieve to say, that before the period of my visit the spoiler had been busy with these venerable remains. The skull had been broken up, the jaws smashed, every tooth appropriated, and the bones indiscriminately mingled, after many a century of undisturbed repose. The cist or chamber containing the remains was composed of four slabs, inserted edgewise in a cavity which appeared to have been dug out of the friable shale which lies, upon the harder rock in this locality. It ranged south-east and north-west, and measured as follows : Depth, 18½ inches; width, 26 inches; length at bottom, 4 feet, at top, 3 feet 4 inches ; the difference between the top and bottom measurements being accounted for by the shrinking of the ends. The cavity in the shale was much larger than the cist, and the space between the slabs and the shale was closely filled in with stones, roughly broken, commingled with earth and larger stones. The side slabs projected somewhat beyond the ends. The bottom of the cist was covered, to the depth of about half an inch, with dark, unctuous mould. Amongst the rubbish composing the filling up of the space above mentioned, was found an angular piece of silex, probably an unfinished arrow-head ; and in the south-west corner of the cist lay a large, smooth cobble stone, which, when considered in conjunction with the flint flake, the imagination may easily construe into the club of this ancient denizen of our shores. The slab which constituted the cover of the cist was of great size, and extended in every direction considerably beyond it ; and the upright stone was set up, not at one of the ends, but along its length. It is remarkable that a close inspection of these stones give no trace of chisel-marks in any part. In order that the cover might lie level, pieces of shale, flags, &c., were laid on the uprights which formed the cist, wherever an irregularity presented itself, Within the memory of man the rock ran out from this point for some yards into the sea, at a considerable elevation ; but the construction of a pier in the immediate neighbourhood has caused the removal of much of the stone, and the spray of our wild sea-waves now dashes over the spot which for countless generations may have been peacefully tenanted by these nameless bones. At the same time, it does not appear probable that at any period there has been, at this particular point, a very deep covering of the sand and bent which are found thick and rank upon the adjacent 'links.' The skull must have been very characteristic, having attracted general observation from the extraordinary lowness of the frontal region, the great development of the occipital portion of the head, and the width and length of the lower jaw from its anterior junction to the articulation of the temporal bone. One person observed that during life the man “must have measured as much to the top of his eyebrows as to the top of his head;" and another, whilst expatiating upon the thickness of the skull, irreverently assured me that” they don't make such skulls now a days." The teeth are said to have been very beautiful and regular, and quite sound. With the exception of a front tooth, which was missing in the lower jaw, they were perfect. The thigh-bone measured 19½ inches, indicating a man of large size; whilst the porous internal organization of the bones gave probable evidence of comparative youth. The urn is unbaked, of a light clay colour, and measures in height 8 inches, in depth 7 inches, and in diameter 5 inches. It is ornamented with zigzag scorings, alternating with dotted lines, and upright (and sometimes slanting) scorings, which, appear to have been made with some rude instrument whilst the clay was moist. The scorings are continued over the edge of the rim. On being rather roughly seized by one of the men, it being expected that it contained treasure, a piece was broken off; but no material injury has been occasioned. The stone found in the cist does not resemble any that one may pick up upon the neighbouring shore, and attracted attention from its bearing no assignable relation to what I may call the masonry of the tomb. I have since learned that stones are not infrequently found in Teutonic graves on the Continent, and that recently a singular oval stone was found in a tumulus on Petersfield Heath. It appears that, a few years ago, in the immediate proximity of the present discovery, two or more tumuli were found, which contained urns and bones ; and flint arrow heads of elaborate finish have been occasionally met with. It is, therefore, every way likely that more of these curious and ancient tombs, with other records of an early and primitive race, long since, with all its customs and associations, passed away, will from time to time be brought to light." J. W. DUNN. Warkworth Vicarage. 
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#3
13-12-2013, 11:18 AM
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According to Hodgson flint arrow heads and other implements were found in an arable field east of Hauxley Cottage. They seem to have gone into the possession of the Dands.
In the history of Amble, Hodgson refers to the 1857 discovery and then goes on to describe a major find during quarrying by Cliff House.....20 cists in a cairn. I wonder what happened to the teeth of the skeleton taken by "the spoiler" 
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#4
13-12-2013, 12:20 PM
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Thinking about the Cliff House cairn in relation to the Bondicar one, it sounds like the Cliff house one was complete with that number. The archaeologists at Bondicar were expecting 12 burials in what remained (50% ish). That assumes they (the Beaker people) kept their Cairns about the same size. I'll have to keep my eye out for worked flint on my wanders. I bet they are a difficult thing to spot!
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#5
13-12-2013, 12:22 PM
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Not much on the Portable Antiquities site for the Bronze Age around here:
http://finds.org.uk/database/search/...iod/BRONZE+AGE
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#6
13-12-2013, 12:32 PM
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They have a Neolithic tool recorded:
http://finds.org.uk/database/search/...iod/MESOLITHIC From Warkworth parish. Found with a metal detector it says. I assume visually by the detectorist You can put the lat/long reference into Google and it gives you this: https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=+55...69043&t=h&z=16 Interesting. I've not really and a good spoach about that website. Will have to make time for a better look. we can use that image under the creative commons licence, with a link http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/392760  Hard to spot that in good Northumbrian clayey soil.
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#7
13-12-2013, 12:56 PM
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Probably the best place to look is the 12-24 inches of sand above the peat layer on the coast as it erodes away into the sea. That contains everything - Mesolithic up to Bronze Age. There is a thin reddish layer which is the bronze age 'floor' I believe (our Beaker people period), so you know where you are time wise.
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#9
13-12-2013, 01:45 PM
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According to McAndrews the quarry cairn was 70 yards from the edge of the beach and under 9 feet of blown sand. He refers to a black streak in the sand cover of the quarry almost on a level with the graves which he believes is the surface at the time. He also refers to a kitchen midden about a mile south containing a huge amount of shells, the same amount of blown sand over it and the black streak in the sand bank.
Something close to your heart Coquet "this savage pottery and other instruments....are now in the British Museum, while others adorn the collection of an Alnwick gentleman; but, unfortunately, not a scrap of this wonderful prehistoric discovery is now in Amble."
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#10
13-12-2013, 03:59 PM
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yes it's all scattered to the four winds:
in boxes in university store rooms in boxes in the basement of the British Museum in private hands (in boxes )and a few bits and bobs on display at Alnwick Castle.
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#11
13-12-2013, 04:48 PM
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Coquet, what is your thoughts on the location of the Cliff House burial. I have been trying to visualise it, 50 yards NE and 20 yards from the end of the Amble South pier. To my mind NE of Cliff House would take you towards the present cliff edge which would be a long way from the South pier. What would be the South pier at that time ? as far as I know the present breakwater wasn't constructed until the early 1900's.
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#12
13-12-2013, 05:03 PM
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There must have been some quarrying of the north face of the Cliff House rock at some time. On the maps that show the spot it is now in the tidal zone.
This map has it in front of -north, side of - of what we used to call the 'Giant's Cave' It all seems a bit unlikely to me but that's what the documents are saying. 
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#14
13-12-2013, 07:15 PM
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It must be refering to the landward end, and quarrying to that north face around the giant's cave makes sense. My only other thoughts were that the area changed totally with the dredging of the harbour and the deepening of the channel for shipping led to the expanse of rocks we see at low tide
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#15
13-12-2013, 09:14 PM
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Quite easy spotted as very little flint in this area , so had to be brought in one of several Eyes only Finds from same area . couple of pieces on the data base are actually wrongly identified as Neothithic when they are actual flints for a flintlock,
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#16
13-12-2013, 09:30 PM
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I think you showed me once a flintlock flint that had been misidentified? It is something to keep in mind when looking for these things for sure!
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#17
13-12-2013, 09:36 PM
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interestingly I had bronze age from same fields after potato had been lifted extra deep plough>
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#18
13-12-2013, 09:42 PM
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Ah.. it's one of yours - but it is identified correctly on the PAS website? - that is it is a neolithic tool not a flintlock flint?
Was the little bronze hammer/axe head thing you showed me from this area as well? - That is a rather nice object by the way.
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#19
13-12-2013, 09:51 PM
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yes it is id correctly as a blade could not see it used as a scraper! it is end of a blade , these items are id by students . yes i showed you bronze ax head
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#20
14-12-2013, 10:28 AM
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