Archaeology
Archaeologists excavate experimental WWII catapult
Archaeologists from MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology) have excavated an experimental WWII prototype catapult at Harwell in Oxfordshire, England.
Named the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) Mark III Catapult, the system was developed to rapidly catapult bomber planes into the air over shorter runways.
Constructed between 1938 and 1940 in Harwell, Oxfordshire, the catapult had a rotating turntable for guiding aircraft toward one of the two short concrete runways, each measuring a mere 82 metres in length. To initiate the launch, the aircraft was connected to an underground pneumatic ram via a towing hook.
Beneath the turntable, a dozen Rolls-Royce Kestrel aero engines were deployed to pressurize air to 2,000 psi, which was channelled into a pneumatic ram causing it to swiftly extend along the guided track. The result was a literal catapulting action that propelled large bomber planes into the air.
The prototype encountered various design issues, such as engine wear and a design mismatch with the intended bomber planes. The project was subsequently abandoned, and by 1941 the structure was filled in and a conventional runway built across the end of the southern arm of the catapult system.
In preparation for the development of the land, archaeologists from MOLA conducted a detailed study of the WWII relic and faithfully recreated a 3D digital replica of the remains.
Susan Porter, MOLA Project Officer, says: “This fascinating structure reminds us of the rapid experimentation and innovation of the interwar years and WWII. Crucially, recording the location and appearance of every inch means that the catapult is preserved by record for future generations.”
The team also uncovered finds from a later runway in the vicinity, including large runway lights, roughly 1m square, and a previously unknown gun emplacement that defended the runway from attack.
Once the study is completed, all the information and discoveries will be preserved in an archive, creating a lasting archival monument of this unique relic from the early days of WWII.
Header Image Credit : MOLA
Archaeologists from the University of Warwick are conducting an underwater study to document the submerged Mesolithic site of Bouldnor Cliff before it vanishes due to erosion.
Bouldnor Cliff is situated in the Solent between the Isle of Wight and the southern coast of England. The site was first discovered in 1999 when divers observed a lobster discarding worked flint tools from its burrow on the seabed.
At a time when Britain was cut off from mainland Europe by rising sea levels, the area of the Solent was a river valley inhabited by an advanced Mesolithic community who developed a boat building technology 2,000 years ahead of their time.
The study aims to find new data on the nature of the late Ice Age environment during the development of the Mesolithic era, and the extent of the interaction between the inhabitants of Bouldnor Cliff and Europe, including the exchange of materials.
Professor Robin Allaby, who is leading the expedition, said: “This is an incredible opportunity to understand the lost world in which the Mesolithic developed using the latest techniques before our chance is gone.”
The study will involve a comprehensive palaeoenvironmental analysis, in addition to state-of-the-art techniques such as optical simulated luminescence for constructing ecological profiles. Furthermore, archaeologists intend to recover archaeological artefacts and environmental markers to reconstruct the past environment.
Dr Kinnaird adds: “This is an exciting research project to showcase the new innovations in luminescence dating, which can tell when an object was last exposed to the Sun. The relevance of this technique in writing the narratives for 4000 years of history, at the time that the British coastline was rapidly changing, is huge!”
According to the researchers, these discoveries carry the potential to significantly transform our comprehension of the era when Britain emerged as an island.
Header Image Credit : University of Warwick
Sources : University of Warwick
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
A study of the “Excalibur” sword found in Valencia has been revealed to have Islamic origins sometime during the 10th century AD.
Valencia is one of the oldest cities in Spain, founded under the name of Valentia Edetanorum by the Romans in 138 BC.
The city was conquered by the Moors in the 8th century AD, and was destroyed by Abd al-Rahman I of the Umayyad dynasty. Under Caliphate rule, the wider city area became known as Madînat al-Turâb (meaning “city of earth” or “sand”).
The sword was discovered back in 1994 in a house on Valencia’s Historiador Chabàs Street, where it was found standing upright in a grave beneath an Islamic era house.
Dubbed “Excalibur” due to the circumstances of its discovery, the sword is made from iron and has a hilt decorated with bronze plates. In mythology, Excalibur was the legendary sword of King Arthur and appears in various medieval poems describing Arthur pulling the sword from a stone.
However, the “Excalibur” from Valencia was found in a sedimentary strata from the 10th century AD and was likely the weapon of a cavalryman from the Andalusian Caliphate Era.
According to the archaeologists, the sword measures 46 centimetres in length and has a slightly curved blade towards the tip. Swords from this period are rarely found well-preserved due to the levels of oxygen and water in the soil that causes oxidation of the iron.
“It is the first Islamic sword that appears in the city of Valencia, with only one similar example being found during the excavations of Medina Azahara, the caliphal city of Abd al-Rahman III, in Córdoba,” said the Valencia City Council.
Header Image Credit : The Archaeology Service (SIAM) of the Valencia City Council
Sources : Valencia City Council
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
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