Butser Ancient Farm
Encyclopedia
Butser Ancient Farm is an archaeological open air museum
located near to Petersfield
in Hampshire
, southern England
. Containing reconstructions of late prehistoric buildings such as Iron Age roundhouses, it is used as both a tourist attraction and a site for the undertaking of experimental archaeology
. In this latter capacity, it was designed so that archaeologists could learn more about the agricultural and domestic economy in Britain during the millennium that lasted from circa 400 BCE to 400 CE, in what was the Late British Iron Age
and Romano-British
periods.
Founded in 1970 by the Council for British Archaeology
, in 1972 they recruited experimental archaeologist Peter J. Reynolds to run the site as project director. It was initially located on the site of an original Bronze and Iron Age farmstead on Butser Hill
, but in 1989 was fully relocated to a site at Hillscombe Down before being moved once again, this time to Bascombe Copse on the slopes of Windmill Hill
, in 1991.
The farm is open to the public and runs various events throughout the year. Prominent British archaeologist Mick Aston
has commented that "Virtually all the reconstruction drawings of Iron Age settlements now to be seen in books are based" on the work at Butser Farm, and that it "revolutionised the way in which the pre-Roman Iron Age economy was perceived".
and in 1972 they recruited experimental archaeologist
Peter J. Reynolds (1939–2001) as director. The farm was named after its original site at Little Butser, a northerly spur of Butser Hill
, a few kilometres from Petersfield
in Hampshire. In the original Bronze and Iron Ages, a farmstead had been found on Little Butser, whose occupants had farmed the valley to the north and east.
In 1976 a second site, known as the Ancient Farm Demonstration Area (AFDA), was opened at Hillscombe Down on the southern slopes of Butser Hill, about a kilometre away from the main Farm. This was primarily designed to be a public site which could act as an educational resource for schoolchildren, and it was intended that this would take away the visitor pressure from the original site, where the large quantities of visitors (at times over a thousand people turned up to open days) were getting in the way of the experimental archaeology. The first Butser Farm site at Little Butser was subsequently closed down in 1989.
In 1991 the project moved to Bascomb Copse on the slopes of Windmill Hill, Hampshire
between Chalton, Hampshire
and Clanfield, Hampshire
, about 5 km from the original site.
Buildings at the farm include simulated pre-Roman roundhouse
s and a simulated Roman villa
. The 'Longbridge Deverell House' was the first full-sized roundhouse to be built at the latest site, and at the time the largest in western Europe.
After Peter's death in 2001, the site was run by his partner, Christine Shaw, for a number of years. Under her guidance, one of Peter's projects, a Roman building, was completed, resulting in the first full scale construction simulation of the wing of a Romano-British villa from Sparsholt, near Winchester. It was financed with the support of the Discovery Channel, and was filmed for a ten part series for television.
In 2006/7, a management team was assembled, and with Christine's guidance, took over the running of the Butser Project. The management team consists of Simon Jay and Maureen Page, running the farm under the business "Butser Education CIC".
It was also in 2006 that the 'Longbridge Deverell House' started to collapse, and prompted a programme of redevelopment of the constructions across the farm. A major re-assessment of the techniques of building was undertaken. It was decided to use the opportunity to examine the accumulated information of a further 20 years of excavation evidence.
Following the dismantling of the 'Longbridge Deverell House' (2006), the replacement is based on the excavations of the 'Little Woodbury House'. Under the leadership of David Freeman, construction started in February 2007 and finished December 2007, having gone through one of the wettest summers on record.
at the site.
serial "The Mysterious Planet
" was filmed at the farm. An episode of the 2005
BBC Television
documentary
series What the Ancients Did for Us
examining the ideas and inventions of the Ancient Britons was filmed here.
A Butser Documentary Page Here Visit The Website
Archaeological open air museum
An archaeological open air museum is a non-profit permanent institution with outdoor true to scale architectural reconstructions primarily based on archaeological sources...
located near to Petersfield
Petersfield, Hampshire
Petersfield is a market town and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is north of Portsmouth, on the A3 road. The town has its own railway station on the Portsmouth Direct Line, the mainline rail link connecting Portsmouth and London. The town is situated on the...
in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, southern England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Containing reconstructions of late prehistoric buildings such as Iron Age roundhouses, it is used as both a tourist attraction and a site for the undertaking of experimental archaeology
Experimental archaeology
Experimental archaeology employs a number of different methods, techniques, analyses, and approaches in order to generate and test hypotheses, based upon archaeological source material, like ancient structures or artifacts. It should not be confused with primitive technology which is not concerned...
. In this latter capacity, it was designed so that archaeologists could learn more about the agricultural and domestic economy in Britain during the millennium that lasted from circa 400 BCE to 400 CE, in what was the Late British Iron Age
British Iron Age
The British Iron Age is a conventional name used in the archaeology of Great Britain, referring to the prehistoric and protohistoric phases of the Iron-Age culture of the main island and the smaller islands, typically excluding prehistoric Ireland, and which had an independent Iron Age culture of...
and Romano-British
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
periods.
Founded in 1970 by the Council for British Archaeology
Council for British Archaeology
Established in 1944, the is an educational charity working throughout the UK to involve people in archaeology and to promote the appreciation and care of the historic environment for the benefit of present and future generations...
, in 1972 they recruited experimental archaeologist Peter J. Reynolds to run the site as project director. It was initially located on the site of an original Bronze and Iron Age farmstead on Butser Hill
Butser Hill
Butser Hill is a chalk hill and one of the highest points in Hampshire. It is also the highest point on the chalk ridge of the South Downs and the second highest point in the South Downs National Park after Blackdown in the Western Weald. Although only high, it qualifies as one of England's...
, but in 1989 was fully relocated to a site at Hillscombe Down before being moved once again, this time to Bascombe Copse on the slopes of Windmill Hill
Windmill Hill, Hampshire
Windmill Hill is a chalk hill running alongside the A3 in the East Hampshire District of Hampshire, England, overlooking Chalton to the East, and Clanfield to the west. It measures 193 metres above sea level and is named so because of Chalton Windmill which sits upon its summit...
, in 1991.
The farm is open to the public and runs various events throughout the year. Prominent British archaeologist Mick Aston
Mick Aston
Professor Michael Antony 'Mick' Aston is a prominent English archaeologist. As an academic, he has taught at a number of universities across the United Kingdom, and has helped popularise the discipline amongst the British public by appearing as the resident academic on the Channel 4 television...
has commented that "Virtually all the reconstruction drawings of Iron Age settlements now to be seen in books are based" on the work at Butser Farm, and that it "revolutionised the way in which the pre-Roman Iron Age economy was perceived".
History
Butser Ancient Farm was founded in 1970 by the Council for British ArchaeologyCouncil for British Archaeology
Established in 1944, the is an educational charity working throughout the UK to involve people in archaeology and to promote the appreciation and care of the historic environment for the benefit of present and future generations...
and in 1972 they recruited experimental archaeologist
Experimental archaeology
Experimental archaeology employs a number of different methods, techniques, analyses, and approaches in order to generate and test hypotheses, based upon archaeological source material, like ancient structures or artifacts. It should not be confused with primitive technology which is not concerned...
Peter J. Reynolds (1939–2001) as director. The farm was named after its original site at Little Butser, a northerly spur of Butser Hill
Butser Hill
Butser Hill is a chalk hill and one of the highest points in Hampshire. It is also the highest point on the chalk ridge of the South Downs and the second highest point in the South Downs National Park after Blackdown in the Western Weald. Although only high, it qualifies as one of England's...
, a few kilometres from Petersfield
Petersfield
Petersfield can refer to any of the following places:*Petersfield, Hampshire, a market town in England*Petersfield, Jamaica, a small town in the parish of Westmoreland*Petersfield, Manitoba, in Canada*Petersfield, an area of Cambridge, England...
in Hampshire. In the original Bronze and Iron Ages, a farmstead had been found on Little Butser, whose occupants had farmed the valley to the north and east.
In 1976 a second site, known as the Ancient Farm Demonstration Area (AFDA), was opened at Hillscombe Down on the southern slopes of Butser Hill, about a kilometre away from the main Farm. This was primarily designed to be a public site which could act as an educational resource for schoolchildren, and it was intended that this would take away the visitor pressure from the original site, where the large quantities of visitors (at times over a thousand people turned up to open days) were getting in the way of the experimental archaeology. The first Butser Farm site at Little Butser was subsequently closed down in 1989.
In 1991 the project moved to Bascomb Copse on the slopes of Windmill Hill, Hampshire
Windmill Hill, Hampshire
Windmill Hill is a chalk hill running alongside the A3 in the East Hampshire District of Hampshire, England, overlooking Chalton to the East, and Clanfield to the west. It measures 193 metres above sea level and is named so because of Chalton Windmill which sits upon its summit...
between Chalton, Hampshire
Chalton, Hampshire
Chalton is a small village and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is 2.3 miles northeast of Horndean, just east of the A3 road....
and Clanfield, Hampshire
Clanfield, Hampshire
Clanfield is a village and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is 2.4 miles north of Horndean, just west of the A3 road....
, about 5 km from the original site.
Buildings at the farm include simulated pre-Roman roundhouse
Roundhouse (dwelling)
The roundhouse is a type of house with a circular plan, originally built in western Europe before the Roman occupation using walls made either of stone or of wooden posts joined by wattle-and-daub panels and a conical thatched roof. Roundhouses ranged in size from less than 5m in diameter to over 15m...
s and a simulated Roman villa
Roman villa
A Roman villa is a villa that was built or lived in during the Roman republic and the Roman Empire. A villa was originally a Roman country house built for the upper class...
. The 'Longbridge Deverell House' was the first full-sized roundhouse to be built at the latest site, and at the time the largest in western Europe.
After Peter's death in 2001, the site was run by his partner, Christine Shaw, for a number of years. Under her guidance, one of Peter's projects, a Roman building, was completed, resulting in the first full scale construction simulation of the wing of a Romano-British villa from Sparsholt, near Winchester. It was financed with the support of the Discovery Channel, and was filmed for a ten part series for television.
In 2006/7, a management team was assembled, and with Christine's guidance, took over the running of the Butser Project. The management team consists of Simon Jay and Maureen Page, running the farm under the business "Butser Education CIC".
It was also in 2006 that the 'Longbridge Deverell House' started to collapse, and prompted a programme of redevelopment of the constructions across the farm. A major re-assessment of the techniques of building was undertaken. It was decided to use the opportunity to examine the accumulated information of a further 20 years of excavation evidence.
Following the dismantling of the 'Longbridge Deverell House' (2006), the replacement is based on the excavations of the 'Little Woodbury House'. Under the leadership of David Freeman, construction started in February 2007 and finished December 2007, having gone through one of the wettest summers on record.
Iron Age roundhouses
Roman Villa
There is also a reconstructed Roman villaRoman villa
A Roman villa is a villa that was built or lived in during the Roman republic and the Roman Empire. A villa was originally a Roman country house built for the upper class...
at the site.
Film and television
The Doctor WhoDoctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
serial "The Mysterious Planet
The Mysterious Planet
-Preproduction:In February 1985, the BBC announced that the planned twenty-third season of Doctor Who had been cancelled. After vocal protests by the press and Doctor Who fans , the BBC announced that the programme was merely on "hiatus", and would return in September 1986...
" was filmed at the farm. An episode of the 2005
2005 in television
The year 2005 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2005.For the American TV schedule, see: 2005–06 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-Miniseries:...
BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
series What the Ancients Did for Us
What the Ancients Did for Us
What the Ancients Did for Us is a 2005 BBC documentary series presented by Adam Hart-Davis that examines the impact of ancient civilizations on modern society.-Production:...
examining the ideas and inventions of the Ancient Britons was filmed here.
A Butser Documentary Page Here Visit The Website