'The history of a battle, is not unlike the history of a ball. Some individuals may recollect all the little events of which the great result is the battle won or lost, but no individual can recollect the order in which, or the exact moment at which, they occurred, which makes all the difference as to their value or importance.'
The Duke of Wellington
The Duke of Wellington
Battlefield Archaeology
Battles by their nature, are often transient affairs only lasting a few hours, meaning that their archaeological signature is often quite different from other archaeological sites.
The objects deposited during the fighting, such as musket balls, badges or buckles remain unstratified within the topsoil rather than contained within archaeological features.
The main method for the widespread retrieval of this material is through systematic metal detector survey, whereby artefacts are individually recovered and recorded by GPS to create finds distribution plots. These results can be combined with more 'traditional' techniques to create a complete archaeological picture of a site.
Analysis of this archaeological data, when examined in conjunction with the historic landscape and contemporary written accounts, can ultimately lead to a far greater understanding and even a reinterpretation of the battle action.
The objects deposited during the fighting, such as musket balls, badges or buckles remain unstratified within the topsoil rather than contained within archaeological features.
The main method for the widespread retrieval of this material is through systematic metal detector survey, whereby artefacts are individually recovered and recorded by GPS to create finds distribution plots. These results can be combined with more 'traditional' techniques to create a complete archaeological picture of a site.
Analysis of this archaeological data, when examined in conjunction with the historic landscape and contemporary written accounts, can ultimately lead to a far greater understanding and even a reinterpretation of the battle action.