Norman Defense at Norman Invasion site (earthworks and ditches) 5th September 2012

This is the revised map of Upper Wilting Farm – Chapel Field – through which the A259 link road is planned (red lines mark the land envelope through which it will be dug). We will be showing this on the video soon when we have the right material. It forms definitive proof that the Normans were camped here because no-one had any need to do this work except the Normans. Its not Iron Age and its not medieval and its not farming – it is a serious earthworks defense with ditches and post holes to hold the fences to fall back upon if required. They had two weeks to prepare it. It is currently hidden and only revealed by dowsing. Earth levels shown in the Wessex Archaeology dig of 1979 confirm that earth has been removed from one side of the field and put on top of earlier inhabitation (probably Iron Age) thus confirming the description in the Carmen of Hastings which states the place where the Normans landed had “dissmantled forts” – in this case one at the top of the field and one at the bottom as shown in the Bayeux Tapestry.

Nothing like a real test to sort things out. If the road builders are so confident then they must make sure this claim is investigated by the Oxford archaeologists. After all if I am wrong then its full speed ahead, but theres the double edge to the challenge, because if I am right then these trenches form proof of the Normans. Maybe I am sticking my neck out on this but why not? Dowsing isn’t an infallible art but it works for me most of the time and if I’m right people will know the truth what ever excuse they come up with this time. These ditches can be seen on the LIDAR scans and the eareth is physically piled up on the defense at the East end and the ditches can be seen at the West end of the fort.

2nd Norman Invasion Landing Site video and Lidar scan 26th August 2012

Saturday, 25th August 2012 – A further walk of the Norman Invasion landing site. Also, a brief overview of the LIDAR scans covering the area. The LIDAR was supplied by East Sussex County Council. It confirms the presence of the ditches and earthworks which were claimed to exist at the Public Inquiry but denied by the legal representatives of the Highways Agency. Now the work has been done this evidence confirms those Norman earthworks exist at the upper fort and lower fort where the ditch being dug is shown in the Bayeux Tapestry. Ditches dug by the Normans for defences form the major evidence of the use of the land. It can no longer be denied they are there.

There is a good possibility that the boats which are held in the Combe Haven can be identified by non intrusive magnetometry survey – which we plan to do later this year (funds permitting – donate donate donate:).

Point of interest: The mystery seam on the LIDAR is a secondary ditch in front of the mainNorman defense and the reason I have listed this entry from the blog in the discoveries secion. In the past evidence has been provided by the Highways Agency paid archaeologists that has proven to be incorrect. At Public Inquiry it was claimed the earthen bank at the top of the hill at Wilting, now known to be the fort of William whilst he camped at Wilting, was natural and not man made. This false evidence is repeated time and time again by those who oppose the detailed historical evidence that points to this site as the Invasion camp. In order to be clear: the evidence provided by Wessex Archaeology was an assumption put forward by Dr Gardner who sought to dissprove the Norman habitation evidence, by claiming it was a natural lynchet, which form on hillsides or slopes. However once Wessex had done the archaeology it was shown conclusively that it could not be a lynchet because the slop of the underlying hillside was less than 5% – the minimum slope required for one to form.  Lynchets do not form on four sides of the same field. The inspector was therefore missled and therefore he dissmissed the evidence of the Norman earthen defense, because he was given false expert evidence at the Inquiry. Similarily post hole evidence containing 11th century pottery was ignored because the expert witness claimed at Inquiry that a very large post hole with 11th century pottery in it did not mean it was an 11th century post hole. If this principal were accepted by archaeologists as true no post holes could ever be used to date sites.

We are now going to look for the other ditches that may be there which we can see on the Lidar.

Bone found in Malfosse north (horse?)

A bone found in the north malfosse stream responds to horse in dowsing but we have been unable to get confiration. Several vets have looked at it and shrugged. One suggested it might be a sheep but it doesnt appear to be a badger as first though and may be relevant – so we are not throwing it away because it was found just downstream of the Malfosse incident site. If ever we get the facilities we will get it confirmed by an expert. Dowsing responded to Norman Horse:)

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Which goes to show even identifying a bone is difficult. It looks like the canon bone of a horse to me – a small horse.

Horse head stick (iron) 20th August 20112

This is what was at the center of the footwell ball of clay (mr footwell). At first it just looked like a bit of iron slag. But after going in the tank it now looks like a horse head on a stick of some kind, again someone has to look at this. The slit in the top where the ear would be initially looks like a split in the iron but careful examination shows the metalwork on the flake away from the main body of the head is a different metal on the inside of the split. Its is definitely a personal weapon of some sort according to the sticks.

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Image of ear split featuring different metal

Item needs xray to determine how fixed – probably to metal handle at bottom back

Spear Head in tank and others 20th August 2012

Item from the bottom tray top left into the ultrasonic cleaning tank – looks and feels like a spear head

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After it is cleaned a bit we will try to get it xrayed

Found atthe bottom of Station Road in the road excavation heap with Mr  Footwell

And where did the council men put the earth they dug from under the battlefield road – right in front of us as we went to the dig – bit obvious someone was having a laugh because it had the right stuff in it probably because no-one has ever dug there before.

Saturday finds table – all right period according to the rods all found under station road – excavated by council men – thank you how appropriate:)

Close image of another new helmet rim 6th August

Here is a close up of a second helmet rim inner section, slightly different construction but this looks like it fitted inside the outer rim. Found lower down the Malfosse adjacent to the lower battlefield in silt – anaerobic black when taken out.

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No rivets – smaller with different construction possibly Saxon origin

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Good Saturday dig in the malfosse immediately adjacent to lower battlefield. Another helmet rim. Different construction. This one – very interesting because it has an inner rim still in existence which is much more fragile than you would expect. I will post the images. This first one shows both the outter rim very similatr to the previous one but without the rivets on the sides. Slightly smaller diameter but when we took it out (Mark dug it out of the side of the stream in grey/blue anaerobic silt) it was found to have an inner edge which may have been the original helmet edge stuck to the bottom inside. When I washed it in the water the inner rim came loose as it was broken at one point.

Looking closely the bottom edge is folded and pretty much perfectly formed. It looks too clean to be iron. I will be going up to the Wallace Collection soon with the other rim and will take this as well. http://​www.secretsofthenormaninvasion.​com/imagemapfinds/​battlefieldfinds/​20saxonhelmetrim.jpg

Norman Helmet Rim posted 23rd January 2012

I’m looking for authentication for part of a conical Norman helmet found under the Malfosse stream about a month ago (found with Mark – Keeper of the Tools). Started out black and now after some serious cleaning in a electronic tank used to clean jewelery we have something that may be unique. Doesn’t look very interesting until you know about Norman helmets and the fact only around seven authentic ones exist and none are like the ones in the Bayeux Tapestry. What we have looks to me like the helmet rim of a very early conical helmet. If you want to understand this you need to read chapter one and two of this book(right click save as)
http://​www.secretsofthenormaninvasion.​com/imagemapfinds/​battlefieldfinds/​ARecordofEuropeanArmour.pdf (22.66Mb)

Now the first stage is probably to get the metal work looked at. The location was below the level of a 11th or 13th century Saxon horse shoe in exactly the right place to be a battlefield loss. I am cautious because I have found from previous experience that showing material to so called experts who have themselves never seen an object like the one they are shown is not the way forward (like the crossbow). Someone will have the expertise and they may be in France and are unlikely to be in England. I am also not going to leave it with anyone (because they may just think its just farm scrap and lose it

More to follow
So far so good – cautiously optimistic

Long thread with a number of photos here

and another here and more here and more here

and here and here

and last of all here