Archaeological Journal/Volume 2/Queries and Directions, intended to assist Correspondents in the arrangement of topographical communications
Queries and Directions,
INTENDED TO ASSIST CORRESPONDENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT OF TOPOGRAPHICAL COMMUNICATIONS.
It will be seen on reference to the proceedings of the Committee on the 8th of January, that a correspondent suggests the publishing of a list of "Desiderata" for the guidance of persons about to make local archæological investigations. In compliance with this suggestion, and with the view, also, of aiding gentlemen who may propose to furnish the next annual meeting of the Association with information of a local nature, it is hoped that the following series of questions, although it does not allude to every kind of information desirable, may, nevertheless, be found useful.
Some of these questions are taken from a list sent, I believe, by M. Guizot, when Minister of Public Instruction, to each of the 33,000 communes or parishes in France; but several which are found in the French list have been here omitted, and their place supplied by others which are more applicable to English monuments. w. bromet.
No. I.
1. Are there in the parish or township any rocks or stones which are objects either of tradition or of popular superstition—and what names do they severally bear?
2. Are they adherent to the soil, or placed there by the hand of man?
3. Of what nature (geologically considered) are they; and, if not similar to the stones in their immediate vicinity, from what locality and from what distance were they probably brought; and whether over a hilly or plane country?
4. What is their number—their average height, breadth, and thickness—and their distance from each other? If arranged circularly, elliptically, in parallel rows, or otherwise, a ground plan would be desirable.
5. Are any of them long stones vertically planted in the earth; are they isolated, or are they within, or near a circle of similar upright stones or other such monuments of a similar character?
6. Are any poised in equilibrio upon one another, as rocking-stones—Or are they in groups of two, three, or four, with another placed upon them horizontally so as to form a kind of altar—Or, if in greater numbers than three or four, are they so arranged as to form a long covered gallery, and to what point of the compass does such gallery open?
7. Have any through, or between, them a hole sufficiently large to admit the passage of a child or adult—Have they been fashioned into any regular form—Have they any kind of sculpture, and have the horizontal stones any natural or artificial channels on them.
8. Have any excavations been made near them, and have they any appearance of having been formerly included within the centre of tumuli formed of small stones or earth—And what has been found near them?
9. Are any of these monuments on or near the bounds of the parish, or other ancient geographical division?
10. Are there any isolated or grouped conical or other shaped earthen mounds formed by man, not being parts of medieval fortifications—and were they, apparently, for military or sepulchral purposes; or as places of refuge for the inhabitants of a district subject to inundation—Have they ever been dug into—What was found in them—And what was the construction of any masonry they may have exhibited?
11. Are there any artificial or natural caverns apparently employed either as sepulchres or as granaries, or hiding-places?
12. Are there any trees, wells, or springs which are of superstitious interest—And at what distance are they from the present Church?
13. Is there any ancient trackway or road in the parish—what are its materials, construction and direction, whether winding on the sides of hills or nearly in a straight line?
14. Have any bones of man been found, and to what compass-point was the upper part of the skull directed? or the bones of inferior animals, or any wedge or hatchet-like objects of stone or metal—any shields, spears, swords, or other weapons—arrow-heads or knives of bone and flint—pottery, bone-pins, rings, beads, bracelets, collars, coins, been discovered under or near any such monuments as above designated, or in other localities?
II.
1 . Is there in your parish any kind of road said to have been formed by the Romans or their immediate successors, or any traces of such—And what are the materials and mode of its construction?
2. What name and history do the peasantry attach to it?
3. What is its general direction by compass—And what are the names of those parts of the parish, whether hamlets, farms, or fields, which it traverses?
4. Have any ancient sculptured stones, or the foundations of any edifice been discovered near it?
5. Are there any regular elevations of earth, or enclosures called ancient camps, and does any ancient road or causeway terminate at such enclosures?
6. Is there any spot traditionally said to be a battle-field—and have any intrenchments, bones, warlike instruments, &.c. supporting such tradition, been found thereon or about?
7. Have any fragments of urns of glass or pottery,—any lamps, coins, buckles, pins, or bracelets, brooches, rings, seals, keys, cubes of clay for mosaic pavement, or small figures of men or animals, been discovered in your parish, and in what precise localities?
8. Are there any walls faced with small squared stones, either regularly or irregularly coursed, and divided horizontally at certain distances by bricks peculiarly shaped, and are such buildings in straight or curved lines? Of what texture and composition is their mortar or any cement on them?
9. Have there been found any inscribed stones—or portions of columns, or statues of bronze or marble?
10. Have any coffins of stone or of baked earth been found, either singly or in groups—And in what direction of the compass were the heads laid— If such coffins still exist, and have any ornaments or inscriptions, it would be desirable to take rubbings or impressions from them according to the method stated at page 211 of our first volume; and this remark is applicable to all objects whether engraved, or sculptured in low relief.
11. Have any ancient coins or seals been found—If so, state the metal of which they are composed, and send impressions in sealing-wax from the various kinds of them, stating precisely in what locality, and with what other ancient objects they were found?
12. In whose possession were, or now are, any such remains as above enumerated?
No. III. (Externally.)
1. What Ecclesiastical Edifices or Conventual remains are there in the parish?
2. Is there an old Church, and of what general plan is it, whether cruciform, with or without aisles, tower or porch? Is the east end flat or otherwise, and in what precise direction of the compass are the chancel and the nave built?
3. What are its extreme dimensions, and the general thickness of the walls?
4. Of what materials is it—Are there any Roman-like bricks about the doors and windows, or in the body of the walls?
5. Are the buttresses flat or graduated, and how ornamented and terminated—Are they placed at regular distances?
6. Are there any remains of a rood-loft staircase?
7. Are the parapets plain or embattled—Have they pinnacles or gable crosses or gurgoyles—Are the walls ornamented with sculptured bands or moulded strings vmder the windows, or as continuations of the dripstones, or elsewhere—Has the gable of the nave or aisles any bell-turret?
8. How many doorways are there? are any now stopped up, and are their heads semicircular or pointed, whether of lancet or equilateral form, or struck from two or four centres, or of ogee form, or flat?
9. Are the doorway mouldings round or angular—plain or ornamented—and of what architectural style?
10. Has the chancel any low narrow doorway, and of what form is its head? Do any of the doors themselves appear ancient, and of what form is their iron-work?
11. Of what shape are the window-arches—especially those at the east and west ends of the Church?
12. Have they dripstones—Are the mullions and transoms of the windows plain or moulded—Is the tracery of their heads in straight or flowing lines?
13. Are there any niches for images—Or water-stoups externally?
14. Are there any covered gates or lich-gates to the church-yard—Or crosses in the church-yard or village?
15. What is the form and position of the tower—How many stages has it, and is it embattled—Has it a beacon-turret, or spire, and of what shape?
16. Is there any tree of remarkable size or age in the church-yard?
(Internally.)
17. Are the pillars cylindrical or angular—simple or clustered—Are their bases or capitals sculptured, and in what style?
18. Are the pier-arches semicircular or pointed—plain or moulded?
19. Are there any half-pillars (responds) attached to any of the walls?
20. Is there a triforium or gallery over the aisles—And, if so, what kind of openings has it?
21. Are there any windows in the upper walls of the nave or chancel—(Clearstory windows?)
22. Are the jambs and heads of the doorways and windows ornamented, and how? Have they any paintings on them?
23. Are the walls adorned with moulded strings, sculptured bands, or stone panelling—niches—corbels, or brackets?
24. Are there any sedilia in the chancel—Have any of them had a perforation at the back, as if for confessional purposes?
25. Is there a piscina hidden or apparent—plain or ornamented—Has it a shelf—Is there any closet-like recess or aumbry in the walls, and where?
26. Is there any one window more lowly-silled than the other windows? and in what part of the Church is it?
27. Are there any small passages through the chancel walls, below the level of the windows, communicating either with the church-yard, or with an aisle, directly or diagonally? Hagioscopes or Confessionals?
28. Are there any chantry or rood-screens, or stair, or the remains thereof?
29. Are there any inscriptions or paintings on the walls, ceiling, or roof—Is the design diapered or heraldic?
30. If there be any ancient stained glass, state of what class are its subjects, and what the prevailing colour of the ground, and take tracings therefrom on thin paper.
31. Of what description is the ceiling—Of stone, and groined—or flat and of wood, or lath and plaster—If the internal part of the roof be visible, how is it supported—And are any of the timbers carved or painted?
32. Of what does the pavement consist—If of large slabs on which are, or have been, brasses, armorial bearings, or figures drawn by incised lines, or with inscriptions prior to the 17th century, or if there be any figured tiles, heraldic, or otherwise, send rubbings or tracings from them.
33. Of what pattern is the carved wood-work of the altar-piece, pulpit, lectern, screens, rails, communion-table, or seats, church-chest, or poor-box? If unusual, take impressions from it on damped paper.
34. Of what material and form is the font—Is it ancient—Are there any sculptures on it, and what? Has it a cover, plain or ornamented?
35. Does the communion plate bear any inscription, armorial bearings, or ornaments worthy of notice? Are there any ancient hangings, embroideries, or altar coverings?
36. How many bells are in the tower—Are any of them inscribed with Gothic letters?
37. Are there any altar-tombs, monumental effigies, ancient armour, banners, or achievements, prior to the 18th century? To whom do they relate—If they have arms, describe them, or take tracings from them.
No. IV.
1. Is there any ancient Castellated building in the parish? what is its natural position, and its ground plan, as to fosses, (wet or dry,) walls, ballia, mounds, towers, keep, chapel, kitchen, lodgings for the garrison, well, &c.
2. What old domestic edifices are there, whether mansions, halls, granges, or farm-houses? What are their general ground-plans, and their elevations, as to gables, parapets, dormer windows, roofs and chimneys, oriel windows, porches, and doorways?
3. In what style are any ancient gardens belonging to such edifices laid out, as to pieces of water, terraces, vases, statues, clipt hedges, &c.?
4. What parks are there, and in what style are they planted? are the clumps of trees right-lined masses? and are they said to represent the formation of troops in any battle? or do the avenues radiate from a centre?
Such questions as the above are always circulated by the French Archæological Society preparatory to their great annual Congress; and which, we may here observe, is to be held during the second week of June, at Lille and Tournay, where the writer of this article, from repeated experience, will vouch for the kind reception of any of his readers who may be inclined to accompany him thither.