CAG cropmark study group reports back

Yesterday (13th January), senior Trust archaeologist Howard Brooks spoke to the Colchester Archaeological Group (CAG) at their weekly meeting. This session was presented by members of the CAG cropmark study group, including Howard; the other speakers were Andrew White, Anna Moore, Mark Curteis and Philip Cunningham. The CAG is the local voluntary archaeological group, and Howard not only works on projects with them on behalf of the Trust, but he is also a member of the CAG in his spare time! Philip Cunningham has also recently joined the Trust’s Council of Management as the representative of the CAG.

The cropmark study group were reporting back to the CAG on the progress of their work on the cropmarks of the Stour Valley. Cropmarks are the traces left on the ground of prehistoric monuments. The Stour Valley is an important area for cropmarks – one of the best prehistoric sites in East Anglia, according to Howard. The Stour Valley cropmarks have been known about and recorded for a long time, but they have never been fully studied before. The prehistoric monuments which the cropmark study group have been working on include one or two examples of a Neolithic cursus, a group of Bronze Age barrows (mounds now showing as ring-ditches), and one huge barrow.

Howard says that the meeting was very interesting: he presented a summary of and comment on the work so far, and the session included a video of the sun rising over the Stour Valley to observe the alignment of the cropmarks in relation to the rising sun, and a video taken by Philip Cunningham as he photographed the cropmarks from the air in a light aircraft.

When the cropmark study has been completed, the CAG will publish the results.

The CAG was founded in 1955 and holds weekly meetings, which are also open to non-members. The CAG undertake voluntary excavations and studies and publish the results, including in their annual Bulletin – visit the CAG web-site and join up at http://caguk.net . (The CAG library is currently housed at Roman Circus House.)

Thanks to Howard for the information.

The image shows a group of cropmarks near Wormingford, which are being studied by the cropmark study group (photo. by Ida McMaster).

.