Excavations on Wether Hill, Ingram, Northumberland, 1994-2015

The Northumberland Archaeological Groups (NAG) Wether Hill project investigated several sites, including a burial cairn containing two Beakers in an oak coffin, a stone-built cist containing three Food Vessels, Iron Age cord rig cultivation and clearance cairns, a series of Middle/Late Iron Age timber-built palisaded enclosures, a cross-ridge dyke, and three stone-built roundhouses. The 18 radiocarbon dates obtained from various contexts in the hillfort make it one of the better-dated forts in the Borders. The excavations also help contextualise some of the RCHME survey evidence, providing data to model chronology, potential prehistoric settlement density, and land-use patterns at different time periods in the Cheviots.

Format: Hardback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 15 July 2023
Publisher: Oxbow Books

The Northumberland Archaeological Groups (NAG) Wether Hill project, spanning from 1994 to 2015, took place on the eponymous hilltop overlooking the mouth of the Breamish Valley in the Northumberland Cheviots. This project was inspired by the remarkable 'Southeast Cheviots Project' conducted by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England (RCHME), which had uncovered and documented extensive prehistoric and later landscapes in the region.

During the 11 excavation seasons, the NAG project investigated several key sites within the Wether Hill area. These sites included evidence of residual Mesolithic activity (microliths), a burial cairn containing two Beakers in an oak coffin, which was later replaced by a stone-built cist containing three Food Vessels, Iron Age cord rig cultivation and clearance cairns, a series of Middle/Late Iron Age timber-built palisaded enclosures, a cross-ridge dyke that protected the southern approach to the Wether Hill fort, and the sampling of the multi-period bivallate hillfort.

The hillfort sequence on Wether Hill began with a succession of palisaded enclosures, which were later replaced by bivallate earth and stone defenses. Both phases appear to have been associated with timber-built houses. Over time, the fort was abandoned, and three stone-built roundhouses were constructed within its walls. The 18 radiocarbon dates obtained from various contexts within the hillfort make it one of the better-dated forts in the Borders region.

The chronology of the Wether Hill fort spanned the Middle/Late Iron Age, aligning with dates from palisaded enclosures excavated elsewhere on the hilltop spur. This evidence provides a valuable snapshot of settlement hierarchies and agricultural practices during the later Iron Age in this part of the Northumberland Cheviots. The excavations also contribute to contextualizing some of the RCHME survey evidence, providing valuable data for modeling chronology and understanding the development of the region over time.

The Wether Hill project was a significant undertaking that shed light on the rich history and cultural heritage of the Northumberland Cheviots. It has contributed to our understanding of the region's past and has helped preserve and protect the archaeological sites for future generations to explore and appreciate.

Weight: 940g
Dimension: 217 x 305 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781789259698