Bibliography - Dr. Michael J. Allen M.I.F.A., F.L.S., F.S.A.
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This Blessed Plot 1, (The Natural History of the Catchment Area of Steyning Grammar School Between Arun and Adur), by Michael Allen, published 1979 (Steyning Grammar School) accessible at: West Sussex Libraries

Ouse Valley Deserted Medieval Village Survey, Hamsey, by M. J. Allen, published August 1981 in Sussex Archæological Society Newsletter (no. 34, article, p.245, ISSN: 0307-2568) accessible at: S.A.S. library   Download PDF

Field Boundary Ditch, Cuckoo Bottom, Lewes (TQ 393105), by Mike Allen and Alan Fennemore, published 1984 in Sussex Archæological Collections (vol. 122, archaeological note, pp.207-208) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 9140] & The Keep [LIB/500309] & S.A.S. library

Plumpton Roman Villa (TQ 360147), a Cursory Note, by Michael J. Allen, published 1984 in Sussex Archæological Collections (vol. 122, archaeological note, pp.219-221) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 9140] & The Keep [LIB/500309] & S.A.S. library

Southease Church (TQ 423053), by Michael J. Allen, published 1985 in Sussex Archæological Collections (vol. 123, archaeological note, pp.261-262) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 9514] & The Keep [LIB/500310] & S.A.S. library

A Possible Barrow at Lewes. TQ 40791047, by Michael J. Allen, published 1986 in Sussex Archæological Collections (vol. 124, archaeological note, pp.252-254) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 9762] & The Keep [LIB/500311] & S.A.S. library

The Prehistoric land-use and human ecology of the Malling-Caburn Downs. two Late Neolithic/early Bronze Age sites beneath Colluvial Sequences, by Michael J. Allen, published 1995 in Sussex Archæological Collections (vol. 133, article, pp.19-44) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 13209] & The Keep [LIB/500288] & S.A.S. library

Tree trunks, Bronze Age remains and an ancient channel exposed on the foreshore at Bognor Regis, West Sussex, by Michael J. Allen, David A. Bone, Charlotte Matthews & Roger G. Scaife, published 2004 in Sussex Archæological Collections (vol. 142, article, pp.7-23) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 15489] & The Keep [LIB/500360] & S.A.S. library   View Online

Exceptionally violent storms in January 1998 exposed numerous scattered tree trunks and the snaking course of an ancient channel on the foreshore at Bognor Regis. Records of previous antiquarian and archaeological studies, particularly the discovery of a 'submerged forest', had already highlighted the foreshore as an area of importance. The remains of waterlogged trees and prehistoric finds have been found since the mid-19th century along the edge of the former course of the Aldingbourne Rife, now a small river which divides Bognor Regis from Felpham. These remains and the fills of the ancient channel have only occasionally been exposed on the beach at low tides, following the removal of beach sand and gravels by storms. The tree trunks and branches were radiocarbon dated to the Early Bronze Age. Bronze Age activity in the form of pottery, worked flints and a fence line were found along the western side of the ancient channel. Pollen evidence and dendrochronological analysis suggest that there had been a wood in the area, its demise being due to rising relative sea levels.

Beaker occupation and development of the downland landscape at Ashcombe Bottom, near Lewes, East Sussex, by Michael J. Allen, published 2005 in Sussex Archæological Collections (vol. 143, article, pp.7-33) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 15610] & The Keep [LIB/500361] & S.A.S. library   View Online

Research excavations were conducted of colluvium in the dry valley of Ashcombe Bottom to the west of Lewes. Colluvial deposits in the centre of the valley were only 1.5 m thick but contained a buried soil on which was a series of parallel ard marks, which were confirmed by soil micromorphological analysis and indicated prehistoric tillage. The colluvium contained a number of sherds of Beaker pottery and at least 26 Beaker vessels were represented, indicating a settlement site rather than a funerary monument.
Environmental analysis of the sediment provides a broad history of the landscape from the Neolithic period to Middle Bronze Age and spans the construction and disuse of the causewayed enclosure at Offham, and the activity associated with the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age flint scatters recorded in the Houndean-Ashcombe area.
The results of this research excavation provide settlement and environmental data which enhance our understanding of the Early Bronze Age prehistoric occupation and use of the Sussex Downs.

Beaker and Early Bronze Age activity, and a possible Beaker valley entrenchment, in Cuckoo Bottom, near Lewes, East Sussex, by Michael J. Allen, published 2005 in Sussex Archæological Collections (vol. 143, article, pp.35-45) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 15610] & The Keep [LIB/500361] & S.A.S. library   View Online

Speculative examination of a series of trees and shrubs uprooted by the 'Great Storm' in 1987 at Cuckoo Bottom, at the head of the Houndean Bottom dry valley, revealed prehistoric features and colluvium. A number of Beaker and Early Bronze Age sherds were recovered from the colluvium and from a ditch thought to be a part of the valley entrenchment. The combination of careful examination, recovery of artefacts and land-snail analysis recorded a Beaker occupation site akin to that in Ashcombe Bottom buried under hill wash. Further evidence for Beaker valley entrenchment is suggested.

Beaker Settlement and Environment on the Chalk Downs of Southern England., by Michael J. Allen, published January 2005 in The Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society (vol. 71, article, pp.219-245)   View Online

This paper is dedicated to John Evans, environmental archaeologist extraordinaire, who died 14 June 2005, while this paper was in press. He continually reminded us that environmental data should address questions of people and landscape and be relevant to the understanding of Prehistory by our archaeological colleagues.
The Beaker period in north-west Europe is abound with objects, burials, and monuments, but evidence of settlement and domestic life is often absent or less easily found, and England is no exception. Despite the thousands of barrows with rich artefacts assemblages (eg, Amesbury Archer) and the numerous pits with non-domestic assemblages of placed items, evidence for houses and settlement are sparse despite the indication of increased agriculture and sedentism. This paper explores this problem on the chalklands of southern England that are rich in Beaker finds, and which are generally recognised as one of the best studied and well understood landscapes in Europe. From this study it is suggested that Beaker domestic sites are present, but are often in low lying positions on the chalk downs and have subsequently been buried by variable depths of hillwash, making them invisible to normal archaeological survey and reconnaissance.

Prehistoric and medieval environment of Old Town, Eastbourne: studies of hillwash in the Bourne Valley, Star Brewery Site, by Michael J. Allen, published 2007 in Sussex Archæological Collections (vol. 145, article, pp.33-66) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 15980] & The Keep [LIB/500363] & S.A.S. library   View Online

The prehistoric (Iron Age), Roman and medieval environment of the Bourne valley was examined via the study of dry-valley sediments, comprising a prehistoric lynchet overlooking the 'floodplain', and sediments on the Bourne 'floodplain' in Old Town. This research discovered an Iron Age site at the face of the lynchet, and investigated the area of the valley floor and the former Bourne Stream. Analytical investigations of magnetic susceptibility and archaeomagnetic dating were applied as novel techniques to examine their applicability to colluvial sediments and utilise any results they yielded. This research has provided a rare glimpse into the environment and land use of early Eastbourne and complements that from the downs and the results of the Eastbourne Urban Medieval Excavation Project (directed by Lawrence Stevens), under whose auspices this excavation was undertaken. This report, though long in gestation and fruition, is dedicated to Lawrence Stevens whose concept this excavation was, and who has, for so long, tirelessly championed the archaeology of Eastbourne.

New Mesolithic for the Weald? Recent investigations at Chiddingly Wood Rocks, by Mike Allen, Andrew Maxted and Richard Carter, published August 2008 in Sussex Past & Present (no. 115, article, pp.4-5, ISSN: 1357-7417) accessible at: The Keep [LIB/500475] & S.A.S. library   View Online

Mesolithic activity in southern England and Sussex typically includes 'open air' sites such as Iping, Selmeston and Rock Common, and rock shelter sites such as High Rocks or The Hermitage. Rock shelters often produce evidence of restricted activity that may be seasonal, with archaeological investigation usually limited to stratified deposits within the shelters or at their mouths. These sites do, however, potentially contain in situ artefact assemblages and good, stratified palaeoenvironmental data, while open-air sites and flint scatters may contain relatively large artefact and charred assemblages displaying patterning and spatial array, but often with little good palaeo-environmental and geoarchaeological context (e.g. Horsham, Halt, Streat, Iping). Rapid geoarchaeological research at a site at Chiddingly Wood Rocks, West Hoathly in the High Weald, West Sussex has demonstrated the presence of Mesolithic activity in topographical locations not previously expected.

Archaeological Excavations on the Route of the A27 Westhampnett Bypass West Sussex, 1992: Volume 1: Late Upper Palaeolithic-Anglo-Saxon, by A. P. Fitzpatrick, Andrew B. Powell and Michael J. Allen, published 17 November 2008 (284 pp., Wessex Archaeology, ISBN-10: 1874350191 & ISBN-13: 9781874350194) accessible at: West Sussex Libraries

Hidden Roman Waterways? Geoarchaeological research at Barcombe Roman villa, by Mike Allen, published April 2010 in Sussex Past & Present (no. 120, article, p.7, ISSN: 1357-7417) accessible at: The Keep [LIB/500475] & S.A.S. library   View Online

Between the Barcombe Roman villa (Dunstalls Field) and bath-house (Church Field) is a small ditched drain running from Barcombe toward the Ouse floodplain. Today it's an inconvenience as we have to cross the footbridge to go between these two Roman sites. But what was it like in Roman times; how did they cross between the villa and bathhouse? Perhaps the stream didn't exist then. . . or perhaps it, like some of the other small field-side ditches, were much larger water courses. If so, surely it is important to know a bit about the nature of these before we can really understand the villa and bath-house at Barcombe and the other Roman sites at Culver Farm. While we're on the subject of water, Church Pond next to St Mary's Church is large and auspicious, and clearly today a managed and landscaped feature. With the important Roman activity here, perhaps this water too was an important resource and factor in the choice of location here?

Prehistoric Wetlands Discovery: A new Middle Bronze Age waterlogged site in Sussex, by Michael J. Allen, published December 2011 in Sussex Past & Present (no. 125, article, pp.6-7, ISSN: 1357-7417) accessible at: The Keep [LIB/500475] & S.A.S. library   View Online

As part of the geoarchaeological and hydrological study by Mike Allen, funded by a Margary grant from Sussex Archaeological Society, of the environs of Barcombe villa and bathhouse (see previous issues of SP&P for details of these excavations), a preliminary investigation was undertaken in a former tributary valley of the river Ouse at 'The Wilderness'. This steep-sided broad flat-bottomed valley is now heavily wooded but in the past was an important tributary of the Ouse that may have allowed access to the Roman bathhouse and villa by shallow-draught boats or barges.
Preliminary augering in November 2009 with assistance from archaeology students John Kane and Philippa Whitehall of Sussex University, indicated the presence of alluvium over rare important prehistoric waterlogged peats in the former channel. In November 2010, with the permission of the land owner through the kind auspices of Rob Wallace, Mike Allen directed a further group of Sussex University students (Andy Bradshaw, John Kane, David Millum and Jan Oldham) during the excavation of a small test pit (1.2m x 1.2m) to examine and sample the site. This revealed 70cm of alluvium over a 40cm thick peat deposit with hazelnuts, twigs and preserved leaves. The most astonishing discovery, however, was a large waterlogged oak stake over 0.5m long and more than 20cm in diameter and clearly cut into a point (Fig. 2) with adze marks clearly visible. We assume it formed part of a trackway or platform over the peat-filled channel, later buried under nearly 1m of Roman and medieval alluvium.

Probing the Willingdon Levels: . . . and Shinewater from afar, by Michael J. Allen, published August 2012 in Sussex Past & Present (no. 127, article, pp.10-11, ISSN: 1357-7417) accessible at: The Keep [LIB/500475] & S.A.S. library   View Online

As a response to a development proposal for a superstore at Arkwright Road, Eastbourne a programme of archaeological investigation was required by the county council and borough council. The area is currently an industrial estate built in the early 1980s on a raft of 1m of imported chalk and lies on the edge of the Willingdon Levels. Earlier significant discoveries of well preserved Neolithic to Roman waterlogged artefacts, structures, platforms and trackways and palaeoenvironmental evidence considered to be nationally important, have highlighted the archaeological and palaeo-environmental potential of the peat and alluvial deposits in this area. The presence of extensive waterlogged deposits are rare in south east England and the potential for pollen referencing not only local wetlands, but also the vegetation of the chalk which is essentially devoid of pollen was clearly important.

Eastbourne: Aspects of Archaeology, History and Heritage, edited by Michael J. Allen, published 1 August 2014 (114 pp., Eastbourne Natural History and Archaeology Society, ISBN-10: 0954291867 & ISBN-13: 9780954291860) accessible at: Eastbourne Natural History and Archaeology Society

A tribute to Eastbourne Archaeologist Lawrence Stevens. This collection of archaeological essays provides an easy insight into the wealth and diversity of archaeology and heritage in the Eastbourne area.

This volume has been produced to honour the tireless efforts of Lawrence Stevens, and his wife Pat, in researching and promoting the archaeology of Eastbourne for about forty years. I understand that Lawrence, the worthy recipient of a "festschrift", was taken completely by surprise by its presentation to him during a conference this summer, so the occasion was touching and delightful.
The first chapter is a short biography of Lawrence and describes his research, teaching and encouragement of other archaeologists and historians in the area. The extent of the Stevens' interests is indicated by the range of papers. On my first perusal, three contributions stood out as particularly note-worthy: Hayley Forsyth's analyses of skeletal material ("Eastbourne Ancestors") from two Anglo-Saxon cemeteries (Ockynge Hill and ECAT) - dating, inferences of nutrition, childhood home location, and disease; Martin Bell and Chris Butler's chapter on their excavation below the Long Man of Wilmington, with the conclusion that it is a post-medieval construct, created between AD1540-1710 (brick fragments tell the story) and David Rudlings's synopsis of the 1970's fieldwork on Bullock Down in the light of current interpretations of Romano-British rural settlements and votive practices.
On my second reading I found further interesting topics, for instance in Mike Allen's paper which provides dateable sequences for the inundation and drying out of the Willingdon Levels against hill wash data from elsewhere in town and also in that by Chris Greatorex, ostensibly about Crowlink Barrow, but leading on to a consideration of Beaker evidence on the Beachy Head block of Downland. This area is also the subject of Julie Gardiner's paper on Neolithic flintwork, with thoughts on socio-economic reasons for differences by location and date. It was also interesting to learn that the 1963 discovery of boat fragments in a sewer trench, might now be dateable to the Norman or Saxon period, shunting a medieval interpretation back to 10th-11th centuries AD, so it was a much rarer and more significant vessel. Finally, the topic of Lawrence Stevens' own particular interest in mills has been tackled by Peter Hill in an informative paper on the local examples.
This celebratory volume has variety, yet academic substance, and will introduce readers to many interesting aspects of Eastbourne's heritage. I congratulate both the recipient and the editor, and commend the volume.

The Archaeology of the Ouse Valley, Sussex, to AD 1500, edited by Dudley Moore, Michael Allen & David Rudling, published 2016 (xxii + 137 pp., Archaeopress Archaeology, ISBN-10: 1784913774 & ISBN-13: 9781784913779) accessible at: East Sussex Libraries

The Ouse valley, East Sussex, is a key communication route from the Channel coast, via the Downs (and the historic county town of Lewes), to the wide expanse of the Weald. It traverses and encompasses landscapes and archaeological sites of both regional and national importance - all connected by the river Ouse and its valley. This is the first review of the archaeology of this important landscape - from Palaeolithic to medieval times by contributors all routed in the archaeology of Sussex. Binding together the archaeology is a review of the geoarchaeology and palaeo-environment following which the chapters document the collective archaeology and potential from the Palaeolithic of Boxgrove vs Piltdown, via Mesolithic archaeology from the textbook excavations of Grahame Clark to recent 21st century investigations. Monuments of causewayed enclosures, long barrows and round barrows represent some of the Neolithic and Bronze Age evidence with some extraordinary finds recorded in the Bronze Age. From hillforts and villas, to medieval rural and urban excavation; the Ouse valley represents a microcosm of the wider region, the contributions collectively reveal the importance and significance of this valley to the development of landscape history and society of a quintessential English county. The narrative concludes with the first detailed research agenda for the Ouse valley.