3.4: 'Deposits'


The Havering hoard, a deposit
of Late Bronze Age metalwork
The term 'deposit' in archaeology can have two meanings, first as a general term synonymous with 'layer' and referring to something that has been physically deposited either by human or natural activity.

In the narrower sense it can be used to refer to certain groups of artefacts or layers that have been 'deposited' (usually by human activity) within the archaeological record. Examples of these may include graves or hoards where something was put on or in the ground as the result of a single (and often intentional) act.

Obviously, archaeological study of such deposits consists of more than just getting all the objects out of the ground as a group.

Hoards

The site under excavation, before the coins were found
The Beau Street Hoard was a block of silver coins fused together while digging a site on Beau Street in Bath discovered in a small pit under what was once the floor of a Roman building about 450 feet from the famous Roman Bath after which the town was named. Archaeologists think the coins were kept in a wooden box or cloth bag which has now rotted away leaving only the stuck together coins behind.
The hoard was carefully lifted as a single block that was taken to the laboratory for dissection. X-ray analysis of the block found that the coins had been stored in a number of leather bags. As they were removed from the individual bags, each of the coins was then cleaned by manual and chemical processes to enable identification. It was discovered that there were:
- One bag of denarii dating from 32 BC to the 240s AD, plus a handful of radiates from the 250s.
- Four bags of high-silver radiates from the 3rd century, dating up to the 260s.
- Three bags of debased (low-silver) radiates from the 3rd century, dating up to the 270s.

Obviously, if the hoard had been removed in any other way, the information about the different coin batches would have been lost.

The coins under excavation

The coins under excavation, the shape of the wooden box can be seen here. 

The coins under excavation, showing the shape of the vanished leather bags. 


The Seaton Down Hoard was reported by its metal detectorist finder (following the Treasure Act Code of Practice) and therefore properly excavated by a professional team, properly equipped, by a recognised methodology allowing proper observation and documentation and at a proper pace. This was facilitated by arrangements made by the finder to secure the site and guard it over three nights. It consists of 22,000 coins, dating from the A.D. 260s through the 340s.

The original hoik hole (from the finder's video):
The finder's hole

The hoard was reported, and left until it could be properly examined, here it is under methodical excavation:

excavation in progress, finder's photo

excavation in progress, planning grid

The hoard was properly exposed and recorded by drawing and photography. Here we see a close-up of the hoard showing its structure in situ, there seem to be two discrete groups of coins here, it is not one tangled mass of coins


The hoard


Graves
These too are a specific type of deposit that have to be excavated systematically and carefully in order to document the layout of the objects and human remains. The example here is a prehistoric cremation grave from Baley in Bulgaria:


Baley, Bulgaria (Archaeology in Bulgaria)
The relationship between the various forms of vessels is carefully revealed and recorded and compared with other graves of the period to analyse the patterns of deposition, which in turn may reveal information about the function of the vessels and the beliefs behind their deposition.


Livius, 'Roman coin hoard found in Bath by archaeologist' The History Blog  March 25th, 2012




Tamara Kroftova comments:
"The terminology used by British archaeologists is little help in explaining basic concepts to outsiders. The word 'deposits' is a case in point. Perhaps part of the reason why insular archaeologists seem so unwilling to even try to educate artefact hunters is due to the terminological muddle they have created in their own discipline. Not all archaeologies in Europe share these problems, central European archaeology has a much more developed literature on the nature of the archaeological sources than the current situation in Britain". 


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