Postpipe
Encyclopedia
In archaeology
, a postpipe (or post pipe) is the term given to the remains of an upright timber placed in a posthole
. Given the right conditions, timbers may survive over long periods of time and a recovered postpipe can simply be of solid wood. Under less preservative conditions however, only a dark circular stain of organic material may be left in the fill of the posthole observable in plan and section
. This differs in consistency from the less organic backfill of the posthole and can be identified simply through this change in make-up. The size and depth and of the postpipe can provide information as to any reuse of the posthole especially if several different postpipes can be identified. They can also indicate the species of wood used and help suggest the nature of the structure that the timber once supported. The term was first used by Maud Cunnington
when she excavated the site of Woodhenge
in the English
county of Wiltshire
during the 1920s and found numerous examples of decomposed timber posts.
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
, a postpipe (or post pipe) is the term given to the remains of an upright timber placed in a posthole
Posthole
In archaeology a posthole is a cut feature used to hold a surface timber or stone. They are usually much deeper than they are wide although truncation may not make this apparent....
. Given the right conditions, timbers may survive over long periods of time and a recovered postpipe can simply be of solid wood. Under less preservative conditions however, only a dark circular stain of organic material may be left in the fill of the posthole observable in plan and section
Archaeological section
In archaeology a section is a view in part of the archaeological sequence showing it in the vertical plane, as a cross section, and thereby illustrating its profile and stratigraphy. This may make it easier to view and interpret as it developed over time....
. This differs in consistency from the less organic backfill of the posthole and can be identified simply through this change in make-up. The size and depth and of the postpipe can provide information as to any reuse of the posthole especially if several different postpipes can be identified. They can also indicate the species of wood used and help suggest the nature of the structure that the timber once supported. The term was first used by Maud Cunnington
Maud Cunnington
Maud Edith Cunnington , was a Welsh-born archaeologist, most famous for her pioneering work on the prehistoric sites of Salisbury Plain....
when she excavated the site of Woodhenge
Woodhenge
Woodhenge is a Neolithic Class I henge and timber circle monument located in the Stonehenge World Heritage Site in Wiltshire, England. It is north-east of Stonehenge in the parish of Durrington, just north of Amesbury.-Discovery:...
in the English
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...
county of Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
during the 1920s and found numerous examples of decomposed timber posts.