DOI Artikel:
Breeze, David J.: Plough marks at Carrawburgh on Hadrian's Wall
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.48999#0199
PLOUGH MARKS
189
o __ io
METRES
Plough-marks at Carrawburgh on Hadrian’s wall,
(The Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne).
0 10 2 0_ 3 0
FEET
Pflugspuren in Carrawburgh am Hadrianswall, (The
Society of Antiquaries, Newcastle upon Tyne).
earthwork. They were observed in and imme-
diately to the north of four of the five rooms
at the rear of the headquarters building used
by the administrative staff, an area measuring
20 by 7 m, and although noticed at an early
stage of the excavation were discovered no-
where else on the site.
Most of the marks discovered ran approxi-
mately north-south though in the easternmost
room a few cross marks were noted running
east-west. The distance between the marks
varied between 150 and 400 mm though most
were about 200 or 400 mm apart. They were
from 10 to 100 mm thick, though usually nearer
the lower figure. The marks clearly resulted
from the action of a plough or ard. The pre-
Roman top-soil was about 200 mm thick and
only the tip of the ard had penetrated through
this and left its mark, a few millimetres deep,
in the natural clay. Where the distance between
the plough marks was greater than the normal
200 or 400 mm, for example in the room second
from the east, it is probable that the intervening
furrow(s) had not been deep enough to reach
the subsoil. Since the marks were so regular, it
may be presumed that all the furrows had been
ploughed about 200 mm apart. The appearance
of so few of the cross marks in the subsoil
suggests that they were later, but it was not
possible to determine whether they were made
in the same season as the original ploughing
or in a subsequent season. The fact that the
marks were at right angles to each other might
be taken to imply that ploughing was done both
ways in the same season. The occurrence of
cross ploughing in the same season elsewhere
lends support to this (Megaw, Thomas and Wai -
les 204-214; Bowen 7-9; Fowler 161-166, 175).
The 400 mm marks, and possibly the 200 mm
marks, probably represent the primary deep
ploughing intended to break-up the field, the
secondary ploughing carried out before seeding,
both one way and across, in the first and sub-
sequent seasons, not usually being deep enough
to penetrate through the top soil to the subsoil.
No evidence was found, apart from that im-
posed by the stratigraphy, to date the plough
marks. A tanged and barbed arrowhead of the
early Beaker period, found above the plough
marks in the build-up for the floor of one of
the rooms may have been dropped at any time
and may not be associated with the plough
189
o __ io
METRES
Plough-marks at Carrawburgh on Hadrian’s wall,
(The Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne).
0 10 2 0_ 3 0
FEET
Pflugspuren in Carrawburgh am Hadrianswall, (The
Society of Antiquaries, Newcastle upon Tyne).
earthwork. They were observed in and imme-
diately to the north of four of the five rooms
at the rear of the headquarters building used
by the administrative staff, an area measuring
20 by 7 m, and although noticed at an early
stage of the excavation were discovered no-
where else on the site.
Most of the marks discovered ran approxi-
mately north-south though in the easternmost
room a few cross marks were noted running
east-west. The distance between the marks
varied between 150 and 400 mm though most
were about 200 or 400 mm apart. They were
from 10 to 100 mm thick, though usually nearer
the lower figure. The marks clearly resulted
from the action of a plough or ard. The pre-
Roman top-soil was about 200 mm thick and
only the tip of the ard had penetrated through
this and left its mark, a few millimetres deep,
in the natural clay. Where the distance between
the plough marks was greater than the normal
200 or 400 mm, for example in the room second
from the east, it is probable that the intervening
furrow(s) had not been deep enough to reach
the subsoil. Since the marks were so regular, it
may be presumed that all the furrows had been
ploughed about 200 mm apart. The appearance
of so few of the cross marks in the subsoil
suggests that they were later, but it was not
possible to determine whether they were made
in the same season as the original ploughing
or in a subsequent season. The fact that the
marks were at right angles to each other might
be taken to imply that ploughing was done both
ways in the same season. The occurrence of
cross ploughing in the same season elsewhere
lends support to this (Megaw, Thomas and Wai -
les 204-214; Bowen 7-9; Fowler 161-166, 175).
The 400 mm marks, and possibly the 200 mm
marks, probably represent the primary deep
ploughing intended to break-up the field, the
secondary ploughing carried out before seeding,
both one way and across, in the first and sub-
sequent seasons, not usually being deep enough
to penetrate through the top soil to the subsoil.
No evidence was found, apart from that im-
posed by the stratigraphy, to date the plough
marks. A tanged and barbed arrowhead of the
early Beaker period, found above the plough
marks in the build-up for the floor of one of
the rooms may have been dropped at any time
and may not be associated with the plough