Headland Archaeology featured in Current Archaeology magazine
April 27, 2021In March 2021, Current Archaeology magazine featured archaeological discoveries by Headland, an RSK company, which were made while excavating an area to the north and south of Netherhampton Road near Salisbury.
The highlight of the piece was an infant burial featuring a near-complete Beaker vessel. Beakers were a distinctive form of pottery that emerged in Britain about 4500 years ago. As well as the bell-shaped vessels that gave this culture its name, the Beaker โpackageโ included other innovative artefacts such as stone wrist guards, copper daggers and gold ornaments that may have been worn in the hair, and new cultural practices, notably funerary customs that typically featured crouched burials accompanied by the eponymous pots. Archaeologists have been analysing these vessels and their rise to prominence during the late Chalcolithic and Bronze Age (2500โ1700 BC) for decades, trying to deduce how Beaker people and the cultural changes that travelled with them were disseminated, and what exactly people used their beakers for.

Some of the most famous Beaker burials include those of the Amesbury Archer and the Boscombe Bowmen, who were all laid to rest in the Stonehenge landscape and were named after the archery-related paraphernalia, often associated with Beaker burials, that accompanied them.
In 2018โ19, Headland carried out a geophysical survey and then a trial evaluation of the Salisbury site, to help inform a planning proposal for residential and commercial development. The geophysics revealed a host of interesting anomalies, so 137 trenches were opened across the site to investigate these results. While excavating the ring ditch around a barrow, archaeologists discovered an oval-shaped grave cut, measuring 1.38 by 0.94 m and 0.78 m deep. Its occupant was much smaller than these dimensions might suggest, though; the burial was that of a young infant, who had been nestled next to an almost-intact Beaker vessel.

The skeletal remains were fragile and had only partly survived, so the burial was block-lifted and transported to Headlandโs offices to be carefully excavated under laboratory conditions. There, it was estimated that the infant was about nine months old (+/- 3 months) at the time of its death. Owing to its young age, it was not possible to determine the sex, as indicative skeletal characteristics do not appear until after puberty.

The beaker accompanying the child was judged to be too delicate to risk further transportation to a pottery expert, so high-resolution photos and a photogrammetric model were put together and sent to the specialist, who determined that the vessel was most likely to be a low carinated beaker. This was an exciting development, as such pots tend to be from early in the Beaker sequence. It was decorated with comb impressions forming simple but clear geometric patterns: alternating rows of horizontal lines and chevrons.
As the discoveries from this site came from trial trenching, they only present a partial picture of what lies beneath the surface, but they do provide an exciting range of โhot spotsโ for potential targeted fieldwork and give a fascinating snapshot of a small part of Wiltshireโs past.
If you are interested in reading the full article, it is featured in Current Archaeology edition 373. Back issues of the magazine can be purchased on the magazineโs website here.
๐ณ๏ธโ๐ RSK is proud to stand alongside members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community.
๐ People deserve to be their authentic selves and love freely without fear.
You can read Graeme and Abigail's full stories next week in RSK insights. Keep an eye on our social media for more information.
#rskfamily #pride #pridemonth #loveislove #lgbtq
๐ธ #selfiesonsite ๐คณ
Ryan Dunderdale, Senior Surveyor at Central Alliance, providing technical support and on-site training to datum plate install teams down in Bristol.
Want to join our team? View our latest opportunities ๐ www.rskgroup.com/careers
#RSKgroup #behindthescenes #meettheteam #RSKfamily #RSKonsite #engineering #construction
๐ In the June edition of our #employeespotlight, we spoke with with Rosie Pearce at Stephenson Halliday and Carmen Snowdon at WRc Group to find out about their recent achievements ๐
๐ Congratulations to you both!
Click the link in our bio to find out more!
#rskfamily #employeeapprecitation #team #landscapeinstitute #instituteofwater #architecture
"If you donโt feel valued, represented and respected in your workplace, then inevitably your #wellbeing will suffer.โ
๐ In our latest edition of #ADayInTheLife, we spoke with Ellen Lapworth-Maisey, Wellbeing, #Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager at RSK โ a fascinating position that helps to create an inclusive and empowering #culture for all RSK staff.
Click the link in bio to learn more!
#RSKGroup #RSKfamily #diversity #inclusion #mentalhealth
๐ธ #selfiesonsite ๐คณ
Some pictures of the Envireau Water staff on site.
Want to join our team? View our latest opportunities ๐ www.rskgroup.com/careers
#RSKgroup #behindthescenes #meettheteam #RSKfamily #RSKonsite #waterindustry #construction
๐ถ ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฐ๐น๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐
#RSKSteps came to an end on Tuesday 31 May after a month of stepping adventures.
๐๐ป ๐ป๐๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐:
โ๏ธ1449 participants
โ๏ธ332,268,416 steps
โ๏ธยฃ1500 raised for our chosen charity, MIND!
Read more about this fantastic challenge in our bio!
#RSKGroup #RSKfamily #wellbeing #health #mentalhealth #walking
#RSKEvents
๐ Join Dirk Van Look and Chris Hughes on our webinar all about #PFAS โ perfluoroalkyl substances, which are both human-made and known to be harmful to humans.
๐ก We will showcase real-life examples to demonstrate how RSK is responding and developing capabilities to assess these emerging #contaminants.
Find out more and register now in our bio!
#RSKGroup #RSKfamily #PFAScontaminants #foreverchemicals #chemicals
๐ In light of #PrideMonth, we are sharing information about how to become a better ally. #Pride offers a sense of solidarity and a platform for expression.
Keep an eye out for our upcoming posts!
#RSKGroup #rskfamily #LGBT #LGBTQ+ #inclusion #diversity #LGBTally #Pride2022
๐ข RSK is pleased to announce it has further expanded its presence in Ireland by acquiring one of the most reputable tree care companies in the country.
๐ณ Dermot Casey Tree Care was founded in the 1970s by Managing Director Dermot Casey and is one of the most highly regarded tree surgery companies in Ireland, with more than 50 years of experience.
Find out more in our bio!
#RSKGroup #RSKfamily #treecare #landscape #treesurgery #landscaping #nature