Standing Buildings and Built Heritage

This essay examines the available archive of articles on standing buildings published in Post-Medieval Archaeology. After setting out some general trends evident in a brief analysis of the number of buildings archaeology articles published over the last 50 years, their subjects and authors, this essay places these articles in three key wider contexts: the relationship of buildings archaeology to architectural history; buildings archaeology in Post-Medieval Archaeology in an international context; and the Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology’s relative lack of engagement with modern buildings and contemporary built heritage

Gentlemen's residences in 1850s Christchurch: an examination of the home of Joseph Brittan and John Cracroft Wilson

The Canterbury earthquakes have seen the demolitions of many buildings in Christchurch, including some of the city's earliest building stock. Linwood House was built for John Britten at around the same time as John Cracroft Wilson built Cracroft House. Although both men would have been members of the elite in the new settlement, the first houses they built are quite different. The houses were recorded by archaeologists prior to and during demolition, using the techniques of buildings archaeology. This paper discussesthe results of those investigations and considers the similarities and differences between the two houses in terms of both style and construction techniques

The impact of climate change on cultural heritage: evidence and response

This paper presents the first broadbased research on the impact of climate change on historic buildings, buried archaeology, parks and gardens. Research coincided with the publication of the UKCIP02 climate change scenarios and other studies assessing regional climate change and the impact on nature conservation and gardens. The methodology consisted of an assessment of climate change and adaptation literature, a questionnaire, site visits, regional and policy workshops. It conflated evidence from climate and heritage specialists, pointing to physical changes in cultural heritage and concluding with several policy recommendations

Archaeological Survey of the Proposed Bear Creek Corporate Center Dallas County, Texas

EVP Developmental/Avere Real Estate is proposing to construct the Bear Creek Corporate Center at the southeast corner of SH161 and Conflans Road in Irving, Texas on approximately 16 acres. This is located in the Bear Creek floodplain 300 meters form the creek channel.AR Consultants, Inc. was contracted to survey the entire property. The survey and shovel testing were conducted on May 17, 2016. The water table was relatively high at the time of survey, inundating almost a third of the property. No prehistoric or historic archaeological sites were found during the survey. This follows the predictions made prior to field work regarding prehistoric and historic sites. Given the results of this survey, AR Consultants, Inc. recommends that further cultural resource investigations are unnecessary for this project, and requests that the Texas Historical Commission and Fort Worth District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers concur with this recommendation

Stinking Foreshore to Tree Lined Avenue: Investigating the Riverine Lives Impacted by the Construction of the Thames Embankments in Victorian London

Victorian London saw dramatic physical changes along the river Thames. Large enclosed Docks and Thames Embankments were constructed as the city struggled to cope with its ballooning population and prospering shipping industry. Whilst the Thames Embankments have been hailed as engineering triumphs, the fate of those whose livelihood relied on access to the river in central London (such as wharf workers, barge, ferry and lighter men, and others) is unknown. In order to investigate the impact of the Embankment, a methodology has been developed which enables characterisation of a large swathe of urban riverside throughout the mid- to late 19th century, whilst also ensuring that the stories of individuals and communities are not lost. The approach combines and adapts established methodologies, such as Historic Landscape/Seascape Characterisation and Maritime Cultural Landscapes, to understand the nature and changes in the urban riverside landscape. This methodology forms the background for detailed research on smaller sites, such as a single street, housing block, or industrial site, in order to create ‘Ethnographies of Place’. These small-scale ‘Ethnographies’ have the potential to tell stories about how the social and economic circumstances of individuals and communities changed as a result of the landscape changes associated with the Embankment construction. This paper presents the initial work to establish the methodology and preliminary conclusions based on key sources