Tom Parson's Hut Historic Building Record and Watching Brief

Prior to the building work Tom Parsons' Hut was recorded to Level 1/2 standard, which involved taking notes and making a photographic record before and after the works were undertaken. The full details of the recording methodology are outlined in the accompanying Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) written by Cornwall Archaeological Unit.. All recording work was undertaken according to the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists Standards and Guidance for Archaeological Investigation and Recording (CIfA 2014a; 2014b; 2014c). The report covers the results of the historic building record and watching brief undertaken at Tom Parson's Hut during April 2024. The skeleton of an adult male was positioned in an east-west alignment with the feet towards west. A quartz pebble was deposited with the individual and the burial was likely outlined by a slate edging. The radiocarbon dating results have confirmed the skeleton is of the medieval period and that the individual was buried in a traditional Christian fashion. Tom Parson's Hut directly adjoins an excavated cairn of Early Bronze Age and the worked stone recovered during groundworks are likely to be contemporary with this period. This is included mullers, querns, grinding stones and polished greenstones. Furthermore, the surrounding landscape is densely concentrated with recorded prehistoric archaeology. There were two midden deposits containing limpet shells and purple mussel shells revealed and were separated by blown in sands deposits. Two fragments of sheep bones, a rib and leg, were recorded; however, they were not from sealed contexts.