There are a very large number of artefacts (1,885 as an estimate), mostly pottery sherds, from Mount Caburn in the Museum, forming part of the founding collection. These are probably the largest collection of artefacts excavated by Pitt Rivers in the founding collection. The figures in round brackets are measurements.
1884.37.104 Accession Book IV entry - 1884.37.1-113 Pottery Ancient Wheel-made. Small jug of red ware, with high handle and globular body, trefoil mouth Mt Caburn Sussex ?Roman [Drawing]
1884.46.27 Accession Book IV entry - 1884.46.1-27 Weaving - Chalk ?loom weight (in Museum House) From Pit 40 Mt Caburn 10.7.78 PR Excavs
1884.123.447 Accession Book VI entry - 1884.123.1-911 Neolithic and Mesolithic Madelainean etc - Suboval flat flake scraper with projecting lateral striking plane at rounded end, worked all along more curved sides (7 1/2) Outside W camp Mount Caburn S Sept ?1870 [Drawing]
1884.123.470 Accession Book VI entry - Roughly flaked block of calcareous flint, ends truncated (black ?lichenous deposit) (7 1/4) Mt Caburn (Surface) ALF 28.9.67 [Drawing]
1884.125.107 Accession Book VI entry - 1884.125.1-415 Neolithic implements. High round-backed pointed oval thick plano-convex end scraper, scraping edge as above [1884.125.106] (8 1/2) Mount Caburn 28.9.67 [Drawing]
1884.125.117 Suboval white patinated thick plano-convex flake, back ridge half cortex-covered (6 1/2) Mount Caburn 28.9.67 [Drawing]
The items from this point were accessioned later than the rest of the founding collection, but the date of accessioning is unknown.
1884.137.1 .1-80? Added Accession Book VI entry - 1884.137.1-172 Mount Caburn (= The Caburn) nr Lewes Sussex. First excavations by General Pitt Rivers in Sept - October 1877 and July 1878. An early Iron Age hillfort, today possessing a double rampart. Recent excavations have indicated 4 stages of fortification viz, about 250 B.C., about 50 B.C., about A.D. 50 and finally some Norman refortification. Prior to all these there was an 'open' village site in existence between 400 - 250 B.C. In the excavations of 1877 - 78 a section was cut through both ramparts and ditches (the second rampart, mentioned below, refers to the outer one) and 40 storage pits (cut in the chalk) to hold grain, which had been refilled later in the Iron Age were also examined. Later discoveries and increased accuracy of dating have not invalidated the facts and general observations originally recorded in 1877 - 78.
Added Accession Book VI entry - For original excavations see Archaeologia vol XLVI p 423 seq for later excavations see Susssex Archaeological Collections vol 68 p 1, vol 79 p 169 and vol 80 pp 193 - 262 (the last is the most important).
Added Accession Book VI entry - About 80 sherds of coarse EIA 'A' type pottery, roughly fixed and with much fluid admixture in the paste, from the body of the 'Upper' (= lower [sic - illegible]) rampart [Drawing]
1884.137.2 .1-60? About 60 sherds of plain Iron Age wares from the filling of Pit 14
1884.137.3 .1-50? About 50 sherds from the bottom ('ABC' type pottery) and the top of Pit 39
1884.137.4 .1-40? About 40 sherds of 'ABC' Iron Age pottery from Pit 4
1884.137.4 .41-46 6 pieces of daub from Pit 4
1884.137.5 .1-24? About 2 dozen sherds of Iron Age coarse wares from Pit 5
1884.137.6 .1-24? About 2 dozen sherds (some of 'AB' type) from Pit 20
1884.137.7 .1-12 A dozen Iron Age sherds from Pit 19
1884.137.7 13-18 6 beach pebbles (?slingstones) from Pit 19
1884.137.8 .1-12 A dozen Iron Age sherds from Pit 23
1884.137.9 .1-33? About 30 sherds of coarse E.I.A [Early Iron Age] ware and 3 'AB' type rims from Pit 26
1884.137.10 .1-5-? About 50 sherds of EIA coarse ware from Pit 14
1884.137.11 .1-24? About 2 dozen sherds of Iron Age coarse ware from Pit 22
1884.137.12 .1-35? Circa 30 EIA 'ABC' and a few Romano British sherds from Pit 38
1884.137.13 .1-25? c 25 Iron Age sherds of coarse ware from Pit 35 (top)
1884.137.14 .1-25 c 25 Iron Age sherds of coarse ware from Pit 35 (bottom)
1884.137.15 .1-20? c 20 Iron Age sherds of coarse ware from Pit 37
1884.137.16 .1-20 c 20 Iron Age sherds of coarse ware from Pit 25
1884.137.17 .1-30 c 30 sherds mostly of hard buff wheel-turned ware, almost certainly medieval pottery from the filling of the 'Large Pit' 35 ft across but only 2 ft deep within the Camp
1884.137.18 .1-15? c 15 sherds of Iron Age pottery from Pit 16
1884.137.19 .1-15? c 15 sherds of Iron Age pottery from Pit 14
1884.137.20 .1-12? c 12 sherds of Iron Age pottery from Pit 13
1884.137.20 .13 A piece of daub with impression of wattle from Pit 13
1884.137.21 .1-50? c 50 sherds of undifferentiated Iron Age coarse ware from interior slope of second rampart
1884.137.22 .1-50? c 50 sherds of undifferentiated Iron Age coarse ware from body of second rampart
1884.137.23 .1-40? c 40 sherds of Iron Age coarse pottery of A2 type from body of second rampart
1884.137.24 .1-20? c 20 sherds of EIA coarse pottery from body of Second Rampart
1884.137.25 .1-30? c 30 sherds of EIA coarse pottery from body of Second Rampart
1884.137.26 .1-15? c 15 sherds of EIA coarse pottery (incl 1 'AB' rim) from pit 30
1884.137.27 .1-20? c 20 sherds of EIA coarse pottery (incl 3 'AB' rim) from pit 32
1884.137.28 .1-30? c 30 sherds of EIA coarse pottery (incl several 'AB' rim) from pit 24
1884.137.29 .1-25? c 25 sherds of EIA coarse pottery (incl typical 'flower pot' type rim) from pit 27
1884.137.30 .1-15? c 15 sherds of EIA coarse pottery from pit 28
1884.137.31 .1-50? c 30 sherds of EIA coarse pottery (incl several good 'A ''AB' rims) from the bottom of and c 20 sherds of EIA coarse pottery from the top of pit 40
1884.137.32 .1-50? c 50 sherds of EIA coarse pottery from pit 33
1884.137.33 .1-30? c 30 sherds of biscuit-coloured wheel-turned ware, some decorated with condons and girth grooves along the carination. Surface levels of pit 36 and of medieval date
1884.137.34 .1-10? Pit 6 (top) About 10 sherds of late Iron Age or early R-B ware [Romano-British]
1884.137.35 .1-12? c 12 Iron Age sherds, too small to date, from Pit 8
1884.137.35 .13-14 2 pieces of charcoal from Pit 8
1884.137.36 .1-10? c 10 Iron Age sherds, too small to date, from Pit 29
1884.137.37 .1-6? c 6 Iron Age sherds, too small to date, from top of Pit 5
1884.137.38 .1-6? 6 Iron Age sherds, too small to date, from Pit 12
1884.137.39 .1-3 3 decorated EIA sherds with dotted bands below the rim (?AB or ABC) from pit 26
1884.137.40 .1-10 c 10 sherds of EIA coarse ware from the inner rampart and miscellaneous pits
1884.137.41 .1-20? c 20 sherds of Iron Age coarse ware from upper rampart
1884.137.42 .1-10 c 10 sherds of Iron Age coarse ware from pit 2
1884.137.43 .1-5? c 5 sherds of Iron Age coarse ware from bottom of upper ditch
1884.137.44 .1-15? c 15 sherds of Iron Age coarse ware from the 'twin pits'
1884.137.45 .1-15? c 15 sherds of Iron Age coarse ware from pit 10
1884.137.46 .1-10? c 10 sherds of Iron Age coarse ware from second (ie outer) rampart beyond ... [sic illegible - possibly 'wall']
1884.137.47 .1-10? c 10 sherds of Iron Age coarse ware with one or two R-B sherds from Pits 8 21 (top of) and 22
1884.137.48 .1-10? c 10 sherds of Iron Age coarse ware from bottom of Pit 5
1884.137.49 .1-20? c 20 sherds of Iron Age coarse ware from Pit 11
1884.137.50 .1-10? c 10 sherds of Iron Age coarse ware from the body of the upper rampart
1884.137.51 .1-15? c 15 sherds of Iron Age coarse ware from the bottom of pit 35
1884.137.52 .1-25? c 25 sherds of Iron Age coarse ware (very small) from the bottom of pit 3
1884.137.53 .1-10? c 10 sherds of Iron Age coarse ware unstratified from Pits 14 20 and 36
1884.137.54 .1-5? c 5 sherds of Iron Age coarse ware from the surface of Pits 1 and 2
1884.137.55 .1-20? c 15 sherds of Iron Age coarse ware mixed with a few R-B sherds from the surface of Pits 1 and 2
1884.137.56 .1-15? c 15 decorated sherds from various pits including typical 'slashed' carination of A2 situla and several sherds with AB dec (punched dots)
1884.137.57 .1-15? c 15 coarse EIA sherds (and a few R-B) from surface of upper ditch
1884.137.58 .1-25? c 25 EIA sherds incl [including] 3 'AB' bead rims from pit 9
1884.137.59 .1-25? c 25 EIA sherds of coarse wares incl [including] 2 bead rims from Pit 17
1884.137.60 .1-30? c 25 EIA sherds of coarse wares with a few Romanised ones added from the surface of Pit 3
1884.137.61 .1-20? c 20 EIA sherds of coarse wares from second rampart incl [including] 1 A2 slashed shoulder of situla
1884.137.62 .1-10? c 10 EIA sherds of coarse wares from pits 3 6 and 26
1884.137.63 .1-20? c 20 EIA sherds of coarse wares from surface of second rampart
1884.137.64 .1-6? c 6 EIA sherds of coarse wares from top and bottom of Pit 5
1884.137.65 .1-15? c 15 EIA sherds of coarse wares from pit 7
1884.137.66 .1-3 3 EIA sherds of coarse wares ('AB') from pit 23
1884.137.67 .1-20? c15 EIA sherds of coarse wares with a few Romanised sherds from surface of Pit 3
1884.137.68 .1-15? c15 miscellaneous EIA and RB sherds from Pits 1 10 17 27 and 30
1884.137.69 .1-2 Two wheel-turned probably RB but possibly Medieval sherds from 'Large pit'
1884.137.70 .1-5 5 sherds of EIA and ?RB ware from top of 'Large Pit'
1884.137.71 .1-4 4 EI A sherds (incl one A2 'slashed shoulder' from Second Rampart
1884.137.72 .1-2 2 sherds of late EIA or RB coarse ware from the bottom of the deep shaft under the 'Large Pit', the only pottery found in it
1884.137.73 .1-6 6 decorated EIA sherds (most of 'AB' dot filled lines type) from Pits 9 and 11
1884.137.74 .1-2 2 EIA 'AB' sherds dec with dot filled lines and pendant 'swags' from Pit 5
1884.137.75-115 42 Flint flakes or partially worked implements, white patinated, from surface of the vicinity of the Caburn and also in the body of the second Rampart
1884.137.116-131 16 Flint flakes or partially worked implements, white patinated, from surface of the south slope of the Caburn
1884.137.132 .1-5 5 fragments of wood from Pit 10
1884.137.133 .1-12? c 12 fragments of wood from Pit 9
1884.137.134 Small flat fragment of iron from Pit 33, probably a knife blade
1884.137.135 British EIA Bronze coin, type uncertain, from Pit 22
1884.137.136 Fragment of bone handle, 2 1/2" long, pierced with hole and slotted for blade from Pit 37
1884.137.137 .1-? Small fragments of wood from post holes in Second Rampart
1884.137.138 .1-? Small fragments of wood from bottom of pit 7
1884.137.139 .1-? Small fragments of wood from second post hole in Upper Rampart
1884.137.140 .1-? Small fragments of wood from pit 8
1884.137.141 .1-? Small fragments of wood from old turf line below outer rampart
1884.137.142 .1-? Small fragments of wood from posthole in Upper Rampart
1884.137.143 Tooth of Bos from interior slope of Second Rampart
1884.137.144 Fragment of wood from 'Turn Pit'
1884.137.145 Fragment 1 3/4" long of small iron knife from Pit 37
1884.137.146 Fragment 1 1/2" long of iron knife from pit 22
1884.137.147 Tip of blade of small iron knife from Pit 33
1884.137.148 Fragment of small iron knife, No find spot recorded
1884.137.149 Iron arrowhead c 2 1/2" long, no find spot recorded
1884.137.150 Fragment c 3" long of small iron dibber, no find spot recorded
1884.137.151 Tusk of boar from bottom of Pit 35
1884.137.152 Tusk of boar fragmentary from Pit 35
1884.137.153 Fragment 2 1/2" long of stone hone of square section Pit 9
1884.137.154 Fragment of smooth gneiss, originally triangular or semi circular, probably the nether stone for some pounding or rubbing process Pit 35
1884.137.155 Fragment of thin ovoid stone used as a muller in pounding Pit 35
1884.137.156 Fragment of the upper stone of a rotary quern Pit 35
1884.137.157-169 13 Small beach pebbles, probably used as slingstones from pits 33 35 or 38
1884.137.170 .1-100? c 100 small sherds of EIA pottery unstratified found during filling in the excavations
1884.137.170 .101-105? Several flint flakes unstratified found during filling in the excavations
1884.137.170 .106-110? Few animal bones unstratified found during filling in the excavations
1884.137.171 .1-40? c 40 pieces of daub with impressions of wattles from the walls of EIA huts etc from the old surface line of turf below the outer rampart
1884.137.172 .1-15? c 15 fragments and chips of antlers, many sawn through in one two or three places Pits 20 and 24 Early Iron Age
1884.137.173 Bronze coin weight for Portuguese dobra 36/- dated 1747 (John V) found among the material from Mt Caburn
1884.140.490 Mount Caburn. Piece of iron ?slag, found unentered and unaccessioned in 2004.
There are also some to-date unaccessioned items from Mount Caburn that are probably in the Pitt Rivers Museum:
Delivery Catalogue I entry - Chalk weight Mount Caburn 489/ 12191 or 485/ 12191 Case 49 222
and other unmatched pottery sherds and flakes.
Find out about the Pitt Rivers' excavations at Mount Caburn
There are also a large number of items from Ranscombe Camp though fewer than from Mount Caburn (circa 533):
1884.136.1 .1-100 1884.136.1-30 Ranscombe Camp (nr Lewes) Sussex. Large Early Iron Age hill fort excavated by General Pitt Rivers in July 1878. It is composed of a single rampart combined with a steep natural slope. A section was dug through ditch and rampart, on the side facing the Caburn hillfort 500 yards away. A very few sherds of EIA 'A' type fabric (but no rims etc) were found at the bottom of the ditch and on the old turf line under the rampart; while insufficient to date its construction securely, these add some confirmation to Curwen's likely theory that Ranscombe Camp (and others of the same kind in Sussex) were built as temporary refuges by EIA 'A2' people during the 'AB' invasion 'scare' about 250 BC. EIA 'ABC' and RB sherds were also found (see below) but not in association with any definite occupation site.
Added Accession Book VI entry - Original account in Archaeologia XLVI p 471 seq
Added Accession Book VI entry - see S.A.C. 80 p 215 and fig II (Sussex Archaeological Collections)
Added Accession Book VI entry - See Chronological Table of E.I.A. periods in Sussex (as at 1937) in S.A.C. vol 79 p 169
Added Accession Book VI entry - Compare Castle Hill Newhaven: Hawkes in S.A.C. 80 p 289 fig 6
Added Accession Book VI entry - About 100 sherds of coarse EIA ABC ware (with a few Romano British) from trenches along interior slope of rampart at its foot. No details are given of their relative stratification
1884.136.2 .1-100? About 100 sherds as 1884.136.1 from trenches in the interior slope of the rampart
1884.136.3 .1-150 About 150 sherds as 1884.136.1 found in the interior slopes of the rampart
1884.136.4 .1-6? Upper level of the ditch c 6 Romano British sherds
1884.136.5 .1-6? Interior slope of rampart c half a dozen sherds of late EIA/ early RB coarse ware [late Early Iron Age, early Romano-British]
1884.136.6 .1-20? At foot of inner slope of rampart c a score of sherds of R-B grey ware
1884.136.7 .1-20? On interior slope of rampart 20 sherds of Pseudo Samian R-B ware
1884.136.8 .1-50? Upper level of ditch c 50 sherds of R-B coarseware
1884.136.8 .51-53 Upper level of ditch 3 flakes
1884.136.9 .1-12 Interior slope of rampart: a dozen decorated 'ABC' Iron Age sherds with typical shallow girth grooves and finger tipped applied condons
1884.136.10 .1-10 Interior slope of ramparts 10 sherds of late Iron Age ABC or early RB coarseware
1884.136.11 .1-6 6 plain sherds of EIA 'A' type coarse ware with much pounded flint in the clay from bottom level of ditch
1884.136.12 .1-3 3 small plain sherds ware as 1884.136.11 from the old original turf line underlying the ramparts
1884.136.13-29 Flint flakes or partly worked implements from the interior slope of the rampart and the bottom of the ditch
1884.136.30-59 Flakes, white patinated from the bottom level of the ditch
Pitt Rivers' excavations at Ranscombe Camp
There are also a significant number of items listed in various documents for items which have not yet been located or accessioned but are from Mount Caburn and may be in the founding collection of the Pitt Rivers Museum:
Delivery Catalogue I entry - Chalk weight Mount Caburn 489/ 12191 or 485/ 12191 Case 49 222
Blue book entry - 1415 Flakes Mount Caburn Camp nr Lewes Sussex (3265)
Delivery Catalogue II entry - Prehistoric flint cores flakes etc from various localities 1 flint core Mt Caburn [Case or screen] 96 382
'Green book' entry - South Kensington Receipts, 5 April 1881 - Collection of objects as per list attached nos 293 to 639 428 6 fragments of British pottery Mount Caburn
Delivery Catalogue II entry - Collection from Mount Caburn Many trays contg various fragments of pottery
Delivery Catalogue II entry - Collection from Mount Caburn Tray contg various pieces of pottery and flint 562/ 12191 [Case or screen] 23 363 364
Delivery Catalogue II entry - Collection from Mount Caburn Tray (large) contg Various fragments of pottery 6 circular boxes contg fragments of wood 1 circular box contg bos tooth [1884.137.143] 1 box contg piece of charcoal 2 tin boxes contg fragments of wood Glazed case contg fragments of pottery Object in bone Fragments of pottery in envelope Cut shell in envelope 1 fragment of pottery [1 Chinese seal Co Cork [sic] - matched] 5 fragments of pottery on 2 stands [Case or screen] 23 363 364
Delivery Catalogue II entry - Collection from Mount Caburn Tray contg 37 flint flakes etc 3769 1415 [Case or screen] 23 363 364
Delivery Catalogue II entry - Collection from Mount Caburn 1 stone implement portion of (Mount Caburn) [Case or screen] 23 369
Delivery Catalogue II entry - Collection from Mount Caburn 5 pieces of pottery on stand Mount Caburn [Case or screen] 23 369