Books by Richard Cuttler
"A Corridor Through Time presents the results of archaeological investigations undertaken prior t... more "A Corridor Through Time presents the results of archaeological investigations undertaken prior to the construction of the A55, a dual-carriageway which extended the North Wales Expressway to Holyhead. This detailed examination of a 32km corridor across Anglesy provided a rare and significant oportunty to delve into one of the richest archaeological landscapes in Britain.
This volume provides a fascinating account of the island’s cultural heritage from early Neolithic occupation onwards, with the diversity of archaeological remains offering a tantalising glimpse into how the island community experienced life and death over millennia. The detailed descriptions of sites, artefacts and environmental analysis include a complex, second millennium BC cremation cemetery at Cefn Cwmwd, an exceptionally well-preserved Iron Age farmstead, complete with industrial workshop and granary, at Cefn Du, and an Iron Age/Romano-British farmstead at Melin y Plas. The longevity of occupation is aptly reflected at Tŷ Mawr, Holyhead, where the local community reuses landscape monuments after many centuries, transforming the concentric circles of a prehistoric ring ditch to become the focus of an early medieval inhumation cemetery.
A Corridor Through Time describes the discoveries made during archaeological excavations carried out by Gwynydd Archaeological Trust and the University of Birmingham and places 9000 years of Anglesey’s heritage into its wider regional and national context.
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BAR 533: Birmingham Archaeology Monograph Series 8 , 2011
Between June 2000 and April 2004 four sites within the City of Worcester were subjected to archae... more Between June 2000 and April 2004 four sites within the City of Worcester were subjected to archaeological investigation by Birmingham Archaeology. The results from these four sites are documented in this volume. One site is located to the northeast of the historic city core at St Martin’s Gate. The three remaining sites are located to the north of the city in an area known as The Butts. Archaeological excavations were undertaken at 8–12 and 14–24 The Butts, and an evaluation at 1 The Butts. At all four sites, the stratigraphy is characterised by Roman and post-medieval deposits, with a distinct lack of intervening material. Ditch features relating to Civil War remodelling of the city’s defences were located at St Martin’s Gate, 8–12 The Butts, and 14–24 The Butts, and it seems that this and later activity was responsible for the disturbance and removal of earlier material. At 1 The Butts, the creation of the medieval city defences in the 13th century had been responsible for the removal of earlier deposits, but a stone-lined well and other features of Roman date survived on the berm between the medieval city wall and ditch. At all four sites, the Roman deposits yielded a significant array of features and rich assemblages of pottery and other materials, which have added to an understanding of life and industry in the suburbs of Roman Worcester.
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Analysis of excavations at Orton's Pasture to the south of the Roman fort at Rocester. Roman acti... more Analysis of excavations at Orton's Pasture to the south of the Roman fort at Rocester. Roman activity dated from the late 1st to the mid 2nd century AD and was associated with several enclosures, a Roman road and pitting. One enclosure contained what appear to be ritual deposits, including a fragment from an altar, while a small stone building located in another enclosure was identified as a shrine.
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The results of five excavations carried out in Cambridgeshire between 1998 and 2002. The sitesare... more The results of five excavations carried out in Cambridgeshire between 1998 and 2002. The sitesare all within small towns or villages that have been the site of continuous settlement since at least medieval times. The excavations revealed evidence for a wide range of activities and considerable spans of occupation. At Woodhurst, a Romano-British settlement was later succeeded by Saxon and then medieval occupation of the same area. Fordham provided a detailed insight into changing patterns of activity in a single location during the Anglo-Saxon period. Investigations at Buckden produced a less wide-ranging but nonetheless significant view of economic activities during medieval times. Finally, the excavations at Soham and St Neots revealed sequences running respectively from the Late Saxon and medieval periods through until modern times. In addition, all five sites produced small-scale evidence for prehistoric activity.
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BAR 563 : Birmingham Archaeology Monograph Series 13. , 2012
The site of Delamere Street lies just outside the North gate of the Roman and medieval Chester, E... more The site of Delamere Street lies just outside the North gate of the Roman and medieval Chester, England. In recent years this has been subject to intensive investigation as part of the Gorse Stacks development. This publication represents the culmination of those investigations carried out by Birmingham Archaeology during 2006 and 2008.
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This report outlines the results of archaeological investigations at Old Hall Street, Wolverhampt... more This report outlines the results of archaeological investigations at Old Hall Street, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, UK (NGR SO 916984), carried out between 2000 and 2007. The results of the archaeological work have been combined with documentary, cartographic and genealogical studies, together with finds and scientific analyses, to present a broad interpretation of the history of settlement in the area and the motives behind it. The site was the location of a moated Elizabethan mansion house, the Great Hall, which lay at the edge of the then settled area of Wolverhampton in an area that had once been part of the town fields. A documentary reference suggests that there was an earlier house on the site, but there is only limited archaeological evidence to support this. The building of the Great Hall was intended to make a clear statement about the status, wealth and prestige of its owners, the Leveson family, who were prominent Wolverhampton merchants, also involved in the early industrialisation of the Black Country. The aspirations of the family are clearly demonstrated by their construction of one of Staffordshire’s most significant early brick buildings The later history of the Great Hall mirrors that of the Black Country, for towards the end of the 18th century it was converted for use as a japanning factory, known as the Old Hall Works, artefacts from which were exhibited in the Great Exhibition of 1851. A large-scale map of 1852 gives a detailed insight into the layout of the japanning factory, which was finally demolished in 1883, an Adult Education College being built on the site in 1899. The archaeological excavations took place ahead of the redevelopment of the college. This report shows something of the process by which the Black Country attained its distinctive personality.
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Papers by Richard Cuttler
This report outlines the results of archaeological investigations at Old Hall Street, Wolverhampt... more This report outlines the results of archaeological investigations at Old Hall Street, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, UK (NGR SO 916984), carried out between 2000 and 2007. The results of the archaeological work have been combined with documentary, cartographic and genealogical studies, together with finds and scientific analyses, to present a broad interpretation of the history of settlement in the area and the motives behind it. The site was the location of a moated Elizabethan mansion house, the Great Hall, which lay at the edge of the then settled area of Wolverhampton in an area that had once been part of the town fields. A documentary reference suggests that there was an earlier house on the site, but there is only limited archaeological evidence to support this. The building of the Great Hall was intended to make a clear statement about the status, wealth and prestige of its owners, the Leveson family, who were prominent Wolverhampton merchants, also involved in the early industrialisation of the Black Country. The aspirations of the family are clearly demonstrated by their construction of one of Staffordshire’s most significant early brick buildings The later history of the Great Hall mirrors that of the Black Country, for towards the end of the 18th century it was converted for use as a japanning factory, known as the Old Hall Works, artefacts from which were exhibited in the Great Exhibition of 1851. A large-scale map of 1852 gives a detailed insight into the layout of the japanning factory, which was finally demolished in 1883, an Adult Education College being built on the site in 1899. The archaeological excavations took place ahead of the redevelopment of the college. This report shows something of the process by which the Black Country attained its distinctive personality.
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Between June 2000 and April 2004 four sites within the City of Worcester were subjected to archae... more Between June 2000 and April 2004 four sites within the City of Worcester were subjected to archaeological investigation by Birmingham Archaeology. The results from these four sites are documented in this volume. One site is located to the northeast of the historic city core at St Martin’s Gate. The three remaining sites are located to the north of the city in an area known as The Butts. Archaeological excavations were undertaken at 8–12 and 14–24 The Butts, and an evaluation at 1 The Butts. At all four sites, the stratigraphy is characterised by Roman and post-medieval deposits, with a distinct lack of intervening material. Ditch features relating to Civil War remodelling of the city’s defences were located at St Martin’s Gate, 8–12 The Butts, and 14–24 The Butts, and it seems that this and later activity was responsible for the disturbance and removal of earlier material. At 1 The Butts, the creation of the medieval city defences in the 13th century had been responsible for the removal of earlier deposits, but a stone-lined well and other features of Roman date survived on the berm between the medieval city wall and ditch. At all four sites, the Roman deposits yielded a significant array of features and rich assemblages of pottery and other materials, which have added to an understanding of life and industry in the suburbs of Roman Worcester.
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Mortuary and Bioarchaeological Perspectives on Bronze Age Arabia, 2019
This chapter examines tomb construction and its use from the Neolithic through the late Pre-Islam... more This chapter examines tomb construction and its use from the Neolithic through the late Pre-Islamic period on the Gulf Peninsula of Qatar. Geomorphological and environmental factors that may have influenced mortuary practices are considered. The authors present evidence that suggests that the density of cairns was influenced by landscape, geomorphology, and hydrology. Further, the authors understand that more information is necessary before other researches make comparisons of similar tombs from other regions of the Arabian Peninsula.
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The site of Delamere Street lies just outside the North gate of the Roman and medieval Chester, E... more The site of Delamere Street lies just outside the North gate of the Roman and medieval Chester, England. In recent years this has been subject to intensive investigation as part of the Gorse Stacks development. This publication represents the culmination of those investigations carried out by Birmingham Archaeology during 2006 and 2008.
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Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2016
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Qatar Foundation Annual Research Forum Proceedings, 2013
Since 2008, the Qatar Museums Authority (QMA) and the University of Birmingham have collaborated ... more Since 2008, the Qatar Museums Authority (QMA) and the University of Birmingham have collaborated on a cutting-edge research programme called the Qatar National Historic Environment Record (QNHER). This has made a significant contribution to our understanding of Qatar's diverse cultural heritage resource. Commencing with the analysis of terrestrial and marine remotely sensed data, the project expanded to undertake detailed terrestrial and marine survey across large parts of the country, recording archaeological sites and palaeoenvironmental remains ranging from the Palaeolithic to modern times. The project was not simply concerned with the collection of heritage data, but how that data is then stored and accessed. After consultation with Qatar's Centre for GIS, the project team designed and developed a custom geospatial web application which integrated a large variety of heritage-related information, including locations, detailed categorisations, descriptions, photographs and survey reports. The system arc...
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Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy, 2015
Archaeological survey by the Qatar National Historic Environment Record Project (QNHER) in 2009, ... more Archaeological survey by the Qatar National Historic Environment Record Project (QNHER) in 2009, led to the discovery of a Neolithic flint scatter, a settlement and an ancient, raised shoreline associated with higher, mid-Holocene sea levels at Wādī Ḍebayʿān, north-western Qatar (Al-Naimi et al. 2010, 2011; Cuttler, Tetlow & Al-Naimi 2011). The QNHER project is a collaboration between Qatar Museums and the University of Birmingham, which over the past five years has developed a national geospatial database for the recording of archaeological sites and historic monuments in Qatar. A significant aspect of the project involved archaeological survey and excavation in advance of major construction projects. Between 2012 and 2014 excavations at Wādī Ḍebayʿān revealed a burial of a typology previously unknown in Qatar, the unmarked graves (Cuttler, Al-Naimi & Tetlow 2013).
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The Historic Environment: Policy & Practice, 2015
Abstract The Qatar National Historic Environment Record (QNHER) Project, developed by the Univers... more Abstract The Qatar National Historic Environment Record (QNHER) Project, developed by the University of Birmingham in collaboration with Qatar Museums, has been working in Qatar for five years helping to develop the country’s archaeological resource management. The need to develop a robust system to deal with development control is vital in Arabia, which boasts some of the most rapid and intensive development and construction in the world. Qatar is developing at such a rapid rate that, if left unchecked, it could destroy much of the nation’s heritage, whether it is known or unknown. Legislation cannot be the end of heritage protection but merely the starting point. The QNHER has developed a bespoke software package to manage the historic environment that enables heritage professionals to have control over geographical information system (GIS) functions such as a spatial database, map building, or thematic mapping. The introduction of this software has had a major impact on how Qatar manages its cultural heritage resources and is making significant changes to archaeological resource management in the country. This paper will discuss the approaches that have been taken in Qatar to develop modern systems for archaeological resource management which include the heritage professional in development control and enable them to manage the historic environment.
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ISPRS Annals of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, 2013
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Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy, 2013
ʿUbaid pottery was famously recorded by H.R. Hall during the excavation of a tell mound at Al ʿUb... more ʿUbaid pottery was famously recorded by H.R. Hall during the excavation of a tell mound at Al ʿUbaid, and for nearly half a century became associated with the origins of urbanisation and developments in social hierarchy in southern Mesopotamia. The discovery in 1968 of ʿUbaid pottery around the western Gulf littoral, some 1000 km to the south of Mesopotamia, raised questions regarding the nature of interaction between these two societies. This paper considers the origins of this interaction and the effects of geomorphology, hydrology and the palaeoenvironment on regional migration. The extent to which topography and marine transgression were a catalyst for migration is also discussed as well as how, or if, such factors influenced post-transgression settlement dynamics.
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It is no surprise that the integration of remotely sensed data from both terrestrial and marine s... more It is no surprise that the integration of remotely sensed data from both terrestrial and marine sources is improving our discovery and interpretation of cultural heritage. As technological advances provide the capacity to produce and utilise large spatial data sets, their integration with existing data presents new challenges for heritage managers and future researchers. In terms of large datasets, countries such as Qatar are in a unique position given the vast amounts of commercially gathered geophysical and geotechnical data These data can be used to model past landscapes and inform future research within the region, without the major expense of large scale geophysical survey. However, the true value of such datasets can only be achieved if this leads to the pro-active management and protection of the resource, from designation and curation to forward planning and future research. Over the past year Qatar has developed a new National Historic Environment Record (known as QNHER) for this purpose. This includes data standards for recording and archiving both currently known and new archaeological sites. The diversity of cultural heritage, site types and chronology between the Arabian Peninsula and Europe meant that simply attempting to transplant western models of Historic Environment Records and heritage management was inappropriate. QNHER was therefore developed as a bespoke database together with staff from the Department of Antiquities and specifically geared towards regional chronologies, local environments, chronological and spatial variation and existing data standards. This is not to say that useful aspects of data management in other regions were ignored. Data managers were extensively consulted about the most efficient way in which data should be stored to optimise retrieval. Combined with GIS QNHER becomes a very powerful management and research tool, able to map the distribution of sites according to variable criteria and produce reports on the data from specific queries. This combined database and GIS is not simply a tool for analysis but facilitates a flow of data between the Department of Antiquities and the Urban Planning Development Authority, bringing heritage into the frame when planning decisions are taken. In addition QNHER facilitates a systematic digital record of Qatar’s known archaeological and built heritage in accordance with the Qatar Antiquity Law No. 2, 1980. By managing monuments in this way this will empower and inform heritage custodians, while leaving a lasting legacy for future researchers. A number of Antiquities departments within the GCC countries are investigating models for Historic Environment Record development and it currently seems an ideal opportunity for heritage managers across the region to meet and discuss international Arabian data standards. Such strategies impact upon education, the accessibility of heritage information to the public, and how the historic resource is managed across the Arabian Peninsula.
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Books by Richard Cuttler
This volume provides a fascinating account of the island’s cultural heritage from early Neolithic occupation onwards, with the diversity of archaeological remains offering a tantalising glimpse into how the island community experienced life and death over millennia. The detailed descriptions of sites, artefacts and environmental analysis include a complex, second millennium BC cremation cemetery at Cefn Cwmwd, an exceptionally well-preserved Iron Age farmstead, complete with industrial workshop and granary, at Cefn Du, and an Iron Age/Romano-British farmstead at Melin y Plas. The longevity of occupation is aptly reflected at Tŷ Mawr, Holyhead, where the local community reuses landscape monuments after many centuries, transforming the concentric circles of a prehistoric ring ditch to become the focus of an early medieval inhumation cemetery.
A Corridor Through Time describes the discoveries made during archaeological excavations carried out by Gwynydd Archaeological Trust and the University of Birmingham and places 9000 years of Anglesey’s heritage into its wider regional and national context.
"
Papers by Richard Cuttler
This volume provides a fascinating account of the island’s cultural heritage from early Neolithic occupation onwards, with the diversity of archaeological remains offering a tantalising glimpse into how the island community experienced life and death over millennia. The detailed descriptions of sites, artefacts and environmental analysis include a complex, second millennium BC cremation cemetery at Cefn Cwmwd, an exceptionally well-preserved Iron Age farmstead, complete with industrial workshop and granary, at Cefn Du, and an Iron Age/Romano-British farmstead at Melin y Plas. The longevity of occupation is aptly reflected at Tŷ Mawr, Holyhead, where the local community reuses landscape monuments after many centuries, transforming the concentric circles of a prehistoric ring ditch to become the focus of an early medieval inhumation cemetery.
A Corridor Through Time describes the discoveries made during archaeological excavations carried out by Gwynydd Archaeological Trust and the University of Birmingham and places 9000 years of Anglesey’s heritage into its wider regional and national context.
"
New research conducted by the QNHER Project during the season 2013-2014 has revealed an important 4th millennium BC burial, the first confirmed in Qatar through absolute dating. The excavation of this 4th millennium BC burial provides the foundation for a robust framework of research within the wider area. This poster will detail the results of the excavation of burial cairns in the Wadi al-Jalta (north-eastern Qatar), and the excavation of tombs in Al Ghafat (central Qatar). Excavations at both sites revealed complex and extensive chronologies which have providing a range of important proximal data.
The development of the QNHER project in Qatar over the past 5 years, has involved the creation of the first national HER in the Middle East, combining practical aspects of developing high profile research teams with sustainable capacity building and infrastructure. The challenges of rapid regional development presented significant challenges, in particular the need for a re-evaluation of Eurocentric approaches to the management of heritage. The simple transplanting of heritage management concepts from one region to another is often inappropriate and does not account for a wide range of issues from cultural sensitivity to an understanding of regional taphonomy or alternative conservation approaches in differing environments. In response to these demands, the QNHER project has developed a range of innovative methodologies based within digital frameworks. Focusing upon the growing issues of cross-communication of idiosyncratic data and the role of holistic software platforms can play in effective interrogation, analysis and dissemination of data, we have integrated Remote-sensing, Terrestrial & Marine Survey, HER software development and web-based applications through appropriate dissemination strategies and the customisation of concepts and data standards to regional needs. These concepts have formed the basis for sustainable capacity building, infrastructure and co-operative practice between government departments, academic missions and the private and public sectors.
New research conducted by the QNHER Project during the season 2013-2014 has revealed an important 4th millennium BC burial, the first confirmed in Qatar through absolute dating. The excavation of this 4th millennium BC burial provides the foundation for a robust framework of research within the wider area. This presentation will detail the results of the excavation of burial cairns in the Wadi al-Jalta (north-eastern Qatar), and the excavation of tombs in Al Ghafat (central Qatar). Excavations at both sites revealed complex and extensive chronologies which have providing a range of important proximal data. Given the absence of settlement sites, the systematic excavation and recording of burial sites is fundamental to our comprehension of pre-Islamic social groups. Providing valuable insights into not only their perception of the afterlife but also of the social organisation and general cosmology of early inhabitants. Prehistoric archaeology represents a key period in the development, migration and establishment of early societies within the Arabian Peninsula. These sites not only contribute to national historical narratives but are essential in terms of understanding the development and dispersal of early human societies within an international context.
The utilisation of such methodologies has enabled the accurate identification of over 7000 archaeological sites in Qatar, the poster explores some of the emerging research themes and techniques behind the current work.
Submitted to the ICOMOS 18th General Assembly as part of the 'landscape as cultural habitat' session.
primarily to provide a dataset of high-resolution orthomosaics for the evaluation of the
suitability of using KAP within Qatar for the prospection, recording and monitoring of archaeological and historical sites.
The survey collected a range of aerial photographs from six sites; each site represented a range of alternative feature classes within varying environmental conditions and states of preservation. The criteria for judgement was based on the ease of acquisition of data; compatibility with known GIS platforms; representation of the selected feature class; and further 2D or 3D products which can be derived from the primary data sets.
Based within the southern extreme of Qatar, the survey covered approximately 20% of the Qatari landmass. The survey collected a range of geospatial data; as well as the location of identified sites; survey personnel produced an extensive dataset outlining the position, spatial morphology and extent of possible cultural heritage sites. In addition each feature was given a HER record including a range of proximal textual evidence for later reference, combined with the spatial data captured by the survey teams this dataset can be used as a preliminary to a further schedule of work aimed to accurately map, test and date the identified sites.
More Info: Simon Butler and Richard Cuttler
Publisher: Archaeopress
Publication Date: 2011
Publication Name: BAR 533: Birmingham Archaeology Monograph Series 8
Research Interests: Romano-British history and archaeology and Roman Archaeology