Page 165 - Kennemerland VOC ship, 1664 - Published Reports

C. T. C. DOBBS AND R. A. PRICE: THE KENNEMERLAND SITE, AN INTERIM REPORT
process. The club heads must have stayed in a unit until the shafts had broken off or eroded away and, taking the interpretation further, it may be suggested that they had been bound together at the head.
Conclusions
The golf-club heads from the Kennemerland are important for the history of golf. Together with the clubs from the Lastdrager they consitute the earliest visible evidence for the spread of golf from Northern Europe. Additionally, the Kennemerland examples show that clubs were made for left-handed use.
In addition they serve as examples of the potential of carefully recorded and researched excavation. They contribute to the increasing body of data concerning the export of smaller items to the colonized world-items which are not listed despite detailed historical documents covering the bulk of the trade goods. This under- lines the need to integrate historical and archaeo- logical data for a true picture of the past, even in comparatively recent periods.
The distribution pattern of the golf clubs, found so close together despite the scattered nature of the Kennemerland site, may provide a clue to their storage on board. They also demon- strate that even some small objects can be fairly undisturbed on a scattered site.Theseapparently insignificant little artefacts provide an object
lesson on the need for good recording of all aspects of an excavation even though this may not seem important at the time.
Acknowledgements
A number of experts assisted with analyses, advice or comments: Bas Kist, Riijksmuseum, Amsterdam; James Greig, Birmingham Univer- sity; Dr Mark Redknap and Dr R.E. Bevins, National Museum of Wales; Dr Colin Martin, Scottish Institute of Maritime Studies; the late S.J. H. van Hengel; David Stirk; Robert StBnuit; and most importantly Andrew Williamson, Tommy Watt and Ian Tate of the Shetland Museum. The excavations relied on the gener- osity of a number of trusts and companies for financial support or equipment: Shetland Amenity Trust; Shetland Trust for Maritime Archaeology; Skerries Community Enterprises Ltd.; N.A.S.; J.W . Automarine; Rabone- Chesterman; Comex, Aberdeen; Jim Sheppard, M.H. Plant Hire; Skolla Diving Centre; Hampshire Barotechnics; Shetland Plan Ltd.; Duncan McKellor, Fulling Mill Potteries. The divers who also provided much valuable equip- ment were; J. Adams, N. Blair, C. Chappell, K. Keighley, B. Malcolm, C. Pochin, S.Pochin, N. Rule, D. Rutherford and T. Watt. Finally, the whole community of Out-Skerries, were most warm and generous hosts, particularly Mr & Mrs J. Henderson.
Figure 14. Quernstone, made of basalt.
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