Maldon Archaeology - Books & Reports

Maldon, Essex, England

This site is primarily a home for MAHG Maldon archaeology books and reports which are no longer in print. Formerly URL maldonsx.freeserve.co.uk & maldonsx.co.uk

Prompted by the millennium of the Battle of Maldon (AD 991) this book sets the historic battle in the context both of chronological history and of events outside the narrow confines of Maldon and Essex. It draws, not only on the writings of experts, but also on the local knowledge and amateur enthusiasm without which the book would not have been produced. It also provides an opportunity to publicise some of the archeaology projects undertaken by MAHG over the years.

The Battle of Maldon and the story of Essex earldorman Bryhtnoth's heroic last stand has been immortalised by an Old English Poem - one of the most important fragments of Anglo-Saxon literature to have survived to our day.

A series of interim archaeological reports produced at various stages of the Lofts Farm Project. They outline the progress of the Project and describe the most significant discoveries. Only minor changes have been made to the original text for this year 2000 electronic publication, however, it does take advantage of the medium with regard to images and hyperlinks.

The watching briefs and excavations reveal many exciting remains. They ranged from mammoth tusks to Neolithic ditches, cooking pits, flints and pottery. From Bronze Age Barrows, cremation burials and wells to Iron Age trackways, enclosures, fields, round houses, wells, loom weights and spindle whorls. The Romans left us rearranged field systems and a new straight track, presumably to ease the transport of gravel and farm produce to the nearby trading town and port at Heybridge. We did not recognise evidence of Saxons at Lofts but we did have the shadow of a Medieval Moated site which was perhaps the precursor of the present Lofts Farm which we know is over 200 years old.

This was 'real' rescue archaeology carried out between 1979 and 1984. However the work of processing and publishing the results continues to this day. Additional details of Lofts Farm archaeology can be found here .

An Internet version of a popular booklet first published by Maldon Archaeological Group in 1986. There have been several important excavations since but they do not appear to have produced any new evidence contrary to that presented in the original Maldon Burh Jigsaw.

The very earliest historical records of Maldon describe visits by King Alfred's son Edward the Elder in his campaigns to recapture the Danelaw. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles tell us that he built or refortified 'burghs' (forts) at Maldon and nearby Witham. The Maldon Burh Jigsaw attempts to put together small pieces of surviving evidence of the Maldon Saxon burh.

A big problem with rescue archaeology in a working gravel pit is that the landscape tends to change rather rapidly. Generally it is not practical to use a grid system to record isolated archaeological discoveries in this type of situation. Pitcalc was devised to enable a single person (married people as well!) to accurately plot isolated discoveries in a vast changing landscape.

The sad death of Pat Adkins in December 2003 brought to an end a rather remarkable life. A life which enriched the lives of many others, not only those privileged to have known Pat personally but also the community at large. Despite serious health problems in latter years Pat dedicated much time and effort to rescue archaeology on numerous Essex sites, mostly lying between Maldon and Colchester. Pat was often assisted by his son Kelvin on archaeological projects and it is Kelvin who now presents some of Pat's outstanding work on the Internet.

Between 1979 and 1984 most Lofts Farm Project hedges were walked and species recorded. Many years later this simple record was transfered to a computer spreadsheet to aid interpretation. This data is just a record of hedges as observed and there is no attempt to interpret the data.

The site is managed by Paul N Brown

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Pitcalc Web Site