A Saxon Fish Weir and undated fish trap frames near Ashlett Creek, Hampshire, UK: static structures on a dynamic foreshore
Cooper, JP; Caira, G; Opdebeeck, J; et al.Papadopoulou, C; Tsiairis, V
Date: 7 January 2017
Article
Journal
Journal of Maritime Archaeology
Publisher
Springer Verlag for University of Southampton, Centre for Maritime Archaeology
Publisher DOI
Abstract
The remains of a wooden V-shaped fish weir and associated structures have been
discovered near Ashlett Creek on the tidal mudflats of Southampton Water in
Hampshire, southern Britain. Radiocarbon dating of oak roundwood stakes taken from
the main weir structure date it to the middle Saxon period. Clusters of as-yet undated
roundwood ...
The remains of a wooden V-shaped fish weir and associated structures have been
discovered near Ashlett Creek on the tidal mudflats of Southampton Water in
Hampshire, southern Britain. Radiocarbon dating of oak roundwood stakes taken from
the main weir structure date it to the middle Saxon period. Clusters of as-yet undated
roundwood posts within the catchment area of the weir are interpreted as the frames
for fish traps that are assumed to pre- or post-date the operational period of the weir
itself. The weir is contemporary with wooden V-shaped fish weirs found elsewhere in
southern and central Britain, and also Ireland, but its circular catchment ‘pound’
remains restricted, in these islands, to the Solent and Severn estuaries: it has a close
parallel with another Saxon-era weir on the nearby Isle of Wight. It also shows
striking structural similarities with examples in use today in Basse Normandy, on the
southern shore of the English Channel. The paper discusses the function and operation
of the weir, and places it in its social and historical context. Regressive cartography
demonstrates that the structures have become exposed as a result of saltmarsh retreat
in this area of Southampton Water since the 19th century. The radiocarbon dates
returned for the posts demonstrate that this transgression of the marsh must have been
preceded by a prolonged period of progradation, which covered and preserved the
site; its subsequent re-exposure has negative implications for its survival.
Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies
Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
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