Historic England research records

Historic England Research Records

The Meare Lake Villages
Hob Uid: 194185
Location : Somerset Mendip Meare
Grid Ref : ST4466042110
Summary : Late Iron Age and Roman occupation sites. Excavations indicate a total of four Iron Age phases from the 3rd BC to the 1st century AD and two Roman phases. Pottery, fibulae and evidence for metallurgy, spinning, weaving and agricultural activities were found. Scheduled.
More information : (ST 44394222 and 44664211). Lake Village (NR) (twice) (1) Two occupation sites, classified by Hawkes as Iron Age SW 3rd B, near the village of Meare. They were first noticed by a farmer, Mr S Laver, in 1895 when pottery etc was found in digging post-holes, and were followed up by Bulleid in 1896. The western site was excavated sporadically from 1910 to 1933, and the eastern site from 1933 onward. See sketch plan and air-photograph. There were some 50 to 60 hut sites in each of the villages, represented by mounds some 4 ft high, having successive floors of clay above a foundation of timber and brushwood, with central hearths. These huts were circular, but there was evidence of earlier rectangular huts. The finds, mostly in Taunton Museum, include decorated and coarse pottery, vessels of wood, evidence of spinning and weaving, agriculture and metallurgy, and fibulae (La Tene 1 - 3) and other personal ornaments. Roman coins from Constantius II to Valens and pottery including Samian were found at both sites. (2-5) Both sites are marked by low, irregular contiguous mounds and are under permanent pasture. Outline of the sites surveyed at 1:2500. (6) Excavation of a limited area of the eastern village in 1966 suggests a new scheme for the sites history. This envisages 4 Iron Age phases, from the 3rd century BC to the 1st century AD, and 2 Roman phases, the first sterile and flooded (the reason for IA abandonment?) and the second 4th century. After this the site suffered from repeated floodings. (7) ST 443 422 and ST 446 421: Lake villages, Meare, scheduled. (8) Report on work at Meare Lake Village West, 1979. (9) Additional reference (10-11) 1979 excavations at Meare Village West - detailed report. (12) Excavations at Meare Village East, 1982 - report. (13) Meare Village East - 1932 - 1986 - detailed account (14) Meare Village East - Volume on the excavations of A. Bulleid and H St George Gray, 1932 - 1956. (15) Meare villages East and West - bibliography. (16) Additional reference. (17) Centered at ST445423. Meare Village East. A small area of this village site was surveyed at !:1000 scale by the RCHME in 1997. Commissioned by the Somerset County Museums Service the survey was part of a trial, linked to a geophysical survey, in advance of a major project to record the surviving elements of the village. The RCHME survey included ground modelling, contouring and conventional depiction of a small part of the site. A number of amorphous mounds up to 0.7m high as well as linear drainage channels were recorded in an undulating pasture field. (18)

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Source Number : 1
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Source details : OS 6" 1961
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Source Number : 2
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Source details : (C F C Hawkes)
Page(s) : 178,182
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Vol(s) : 33 - 1959

Source Number : 11
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Source details : (B Orme J Coles)
Page(s) : 189-190
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Vol(s) : Jul-81

Source Number : 12
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Source details : (B Orme J Coles A Caseldine G Bailey)
Page(s) : Dec-69
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Vol(s) : Jul-81

Source Number : 13
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Source details : (B Orme J coles R Silvester)
Page(s) : 49-74
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Vol(s) : Sep-83

Source Number : 14
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Source details : (J Coles)
Page(s) : 27-105
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Vol(s) : Dec-86

Source Number : 15
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Source details : (J Coles)
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Vol(s) : 13 - 1987

Source Number : 16
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Source details : (J Coles)
Page(s) : 70
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Vol(s) : 15 - 1989

Source Number : 17
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Source details : //// Meare Lake Village 3 1966 (H St G Gray)
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Source Number : 18
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Source details : Fletcher M. 20-MAY-1997 RCHME Field Investigation.
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Source Number : 3
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Source details : Meare Lake Village 1 and 2, 1948 and 1953. (Bulleid & Gray)
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Source Number : 4
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Source details : (A Bulleid)
Page(s) : 112-3
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Vol(s) : 79 - 1933

Source Number : 5
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Source details : Air-photograph, (O G S Crawford Udt)
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Source Number : 6
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Source details : F1 GHP 06-JUL-66
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Source Number : 7
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Source details : (M Avery)
Page(s) : 21-39
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Vol(s) : 112 - 1967

Source Number : 8
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Source details : //// Eng. Heritage Schedule of AMs, County List Dec 1987 6
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Source Number : 9
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Source details : (B Orme, J Coles, C Sturdy)
Page(s) : Jun-32
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Vol(s) : May-79

Source Number : 10
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Source details : //// Prehist. of Somerset Levels, 1980 54-63 photo figs. (J Coles B Orme)
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Monument Types:

Monument Period Name : Late Iron Age
Display Date : Late Iron Age
Monument End Date : 43
Monument Start Date : -100
Monument Type : Lake Village, Enclosed Hut Circle Settlement
Evidence : Sub Surface Deposit, Find

Monument Period Name : Roman
Display Date : Roman
Monument End Date :
Monument Start Date :
Monument Type : Lake Village
Evidence : Sub Surface Deposit, Find

Components and Objects:

Period : Late Iron Age
Component Monument Type : Lake Village, Enclosed Hut Circle Settlement
Object Type : VESSEL, BROOCH
Object Material : Pottery

Period : Roman
Component Monument Type : Lake Village
Object Type : VESSEL, BROOCH
Object Material : Pottery

Related Records from other datasets:

External Cross Reference Source : SMR Number (Somerset)
External Cross Reference Number : 2/33/02
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : Scheduled Monument Legacy (County No.)
External Cross Reference Number : SO 349
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : SMR Number (Somerset)
External Cross Reference Number : 2/33/03
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : National Monuments Record Number
External Cross Reference Number : ST 44 SW 1
External Cross Reference Notes :

Related Warden Records :

Related Activities :

Associated Activities :
Activity type : EXCAVATION
Start Date : 1910-01-01
End Date : 1932-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : EXCAVATION
Start Date : 1932-01-01
End Date : 1956-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : EXCAVATION
Start Date : 1966-01-01
End Date : 1966-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : FIELD OBSERVATION (VISUAL ASSESSMENT)
Start Date : 1966-07-06
End Date : 1966-07-06

Associated Activities :
Activity type : EXCAVATION
Start Date : 1968-01-01
End Date : 1969-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY
Start Date : 1978-01-01
End Date : 1978-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : EXCAVATION
Start Date : 1978-01-01
End Date : 1979-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : EXCAVATION
Start Date : 1982-01-01
End Date : 1982-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : EXCAVATION
Start Date : 1984-01-01
End Date : 1984-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY
Start Date : 1984-01-01
End Date : 1984-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY
Start Date : 1996-01-01
End Date : 1997-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : MEASURED SURVEY
Start Date : 1997-05-01
End Date : 1997-05-30

Associated Activities :
Activity type : EVALUATION
Start Date : 1998-01-01
End Date : 1998-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : THEMATIC SURVEY
Start Date : 2015-01-01
End Date : 2015-12-31

Historic England Research Records

The Meare Lake Villages