Archaeology And Historic Documents

   Documentary Evidence

Documents are used by landscape archaeologists to gain vital information by revealing existence of unknown archaeological sites or, much more commonly, by assisting in the interpretation of archaeological material. Documents are very useful in providing datable evidence of events, which affected the landscape. Many documents are stored in local county archives or local history libraries and can be easily access by the public.

We will need to look at which documents we can use in our research. These can range from manorial records, estate records, Domesday Book, Boldon Book, leases and yes historic maps can be treated in the same way, as a document. I have seen many a researcher use someone else history project, although; care must be taken as some can be misleading with dates. Care must also be taken our aim is when setting out our desk top study, we will not want to know a person who filed a complaint against his neighbour as this can give no archaeological data, so reading between the lines is the best advice that I can give to anyone who does a research.

We can look for information in legal documents. Such as records like the Anglo Saxon charters and court records that show disputes over boundaries and occasionally land are use. Other documents you will have to look at are wills and inventories that can tell us about the house contents, which provides clues to function. Often overlooked is the pictorial record. Painting, engravings and photographs can give us a wealth of information and are particularly valuable when studying standing buildings. Aerial photographs can be used just like a document highlighting the landscape that can be read like a document when done correctly.

Next is the written account for example diaries, and travelogues that can identify the function, construction methods and identity of many sites. The economic records and also sales books are invaluable to any archaeologists studying industrial archaeology. The final one will be of great benefit is the archaeological record they can be of previous excavations of a site or survey results such documents can be found, in libraries or local museums such details are held by county archaeologist who listed them on to the SMR or NMR

Archaeologists base most of their study on written paper long before going out in the landscape. I have always taken my written study away on archaeological sites, this helps in interpreting the site; I would urge you to do the same. Another document that is sometimes overlooked is the VCH, which stands for Victoria County House, most counties have been completed. the documents gives a full account of dates and other archaeological evidence that may be of help. Some counties may have extracts from the Doomsday Book of 1086.

However, in the north of England they do not have the Doomsday Book and have to make do with the Saxon documents to help in they research or the Boldon Book. I must point out here, that some documents may be in Latin or Old English, but help is always at hand, if you ask or search for it. I hope that this gives some idea of how best to use documents in your research.

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Documents Collection and Information

Website Address

The Domesday Book

http://www.domesdaybook.co.uk/index.html

The Anglo Saxon Chronicle

http://www.britannia.com/history/docs/asintro2.html

The Norman Conquest

http://www.essentialnormanconquest.com/

Medieval English Towns

http://www.trytel.com/~tristan/towns/towns.html

Lindisfarne Gospel (you can turn the pages)

http://www.bl.uk/collections/treasures/digitisation1.html

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