Dudley's Archaeological Heritage

 

The Archaeology of the Borough incorporates the whole range of human activity and basically is a study of what people have made or left behind. Flint artefacts of the first human beings who came into the area are regularly found in the south of the Borough. These range from 50,000 - to 2,500 years ago and have been identified as tools of the Old, Middle and New Stone Ages. Bronze Age artefacts found in the Borough include flints and pottery sherds and the Iron Age promontory hillfort of Wychbury Camp is our oldest Scheduled Ancient Monument.

 

Roman coins have been found across the Borough in the past. Recent systematic field walking has now revealed Romano-British pottery sherds in large quantities at particular sites. The site's wares have included tankards, storage jars, mortaria (mixing bowls) in pottery that have come from as far away as the continent. Other items include brooches and glass beads.

 

Although so far there has been little material found from the Anglo-Saxon Period, the place-names and the parish/estate boundaries all relate to this time and the sites of the villages and churches were nearly all there by this date. The coming of the Norman's after AD1066 led to an impetus of building in stone; Dudley Castle, St Mary's Abbey, Halesowen, St. James' Priory, Dudley and all the parish churches were rebuilt. Special sites like the market place in Dudley were selected for borough status and re-planned accordingly. By the 13th century the population had risen enormously. New towns were built like Stourbridge, raw materials; iron ore, coal and charcoal were mined and gathered across Pensnett Chase. The result was that the woodland and waste was growing less and less. But with the Black Death in 1348 the population was halved. Potsherds of this period can be found littering the fields.

Part 2: Archaeology From 16th Century To Present