We said goodbye to a very valued friend and MAG member Chris Harris.
His wife Sue asked me (James Gossip) to put a few words together to remember Chris' time with MAG and his interest in Cornish archaeology, and agreed that it would be nice to share them here:
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A tribute to Chris Harris 11.08.43 – 25.10. 24
Chris’ first appearance at Boden, 20 or so years ago, was a memorable one.
I looked up from some hole or other to see his signature luxuriant white locks bouncing in the sunshine. Who was approaching I wondered? Feral farmer? Ageing Hippy? Crazy academic? I soon realised he was much more than any of those, and the moment I met him I knew he would be a massive asset and friend to MAG. Chris dived straight in and never really stopped.
As I got to know Chris, I realised his interests and breadth of knowledge were varied and great. He pored tirelessly over just about every Tithe Map of Cornwall, looking for clues in the fieldnames and hedges to tell us something about our ancient ancestors, and more recently had started studying the LiDAR images of the Lizard, spotting several likely features in the landscape worthy of investigation. On his travels further afield and with expert analytical eye he spotted an unusual gatepost in Porkellis, which experts verified as a hitherto unknown medieval cross. This is now recorded on the Historic Environment Record.
He introduced me to the bog iron of Lowland Point and would frequently show me his finds collected from around the eroding salt making site at Trebarveth – worked flint, prehistoric pottery, shell middens, and pointing out which wreck had ended up where. Another area of expertise was the mills and leats of Tregarne and surroundings, leading informative walks where he would point out ancient ponds and long forgotten leats along the way. He was often the expert voice on many of MAG’s walks and would regale us with the kind of information you would never find in the history books – which farmer found what, where and when – who dug a particular hole, and what was found there. When a George II ha’penny turned up during field walking in Tregarne it made him wonder who might have dropped it and what its loss meant to the owner, commenting that “modern Tregarne farmers never carry money in case of molestation by raffle ticket vendors”.
At MAG, Chris fitted in instantly and threw himself into everything with gusto. He was a key member of the team responsible for restoring Trellil holy well, helped clear and record the ruined farmstead at Guilly and wrote several pieces for the Lizard Blog in his own inimitable and unique style. He played an enormous role at Boden and was rarely to be seen without a shovel in his hand – where others might be seen leaning on theirs (ok, perhaps that’s just me), Chris spent days tirelessly shifting heavy clods of soil over his head. He single-handedly cleared the entrance into what we call the fogou ‘void’, de-turfed much of the site in all weathers without complaint - he was the personification of ‘getting stuck in’. Chris always claimed he would never find anything due to his over-enthusiastic digging style, but if he did hit something with his shovel, at least he would double the number of finds.
As well as having a fierce intellect, Chris was an incredibly practical man, with skills so valuable to us at MAG. With trusty tractor he shifted our caravans still wet with paint along the narrow lanes to Boden and without complaint was instrumental in the seemingly pointless task of moving an entire spoil heap, fearlessly driving a dumper up and down its precipitous slopes.
With the help of Sue, Chris produced the first detailed catalogue of the Boden finds, including the painstaking and methodical recording and research of 630 Roman coins, many of which he photographed. This record has proved invaluable to the British Museum during their conservation work on the coins and will be a major part of Chris’ legacy. You couldn’t fail to be entertained by whatever came out of Chris’ mouth and his gentle micky-taking was legendary – a favourite being to claim I gave a different version of the history of Boden every time I opened my mouth.
Chris’ spin on the finds at Boden, and what they might mean, were unique and added real colour. His thoughts on the discovery of a second piece of Iron Age pewter mould, and whether we might find more, are worth repeating:
“There is a theory in astronomy, possibly mooted in Arthur C Clarke’s Childhood’s End, (but probably not), that 2 is an impossible number. By which he meant if you found another life-bearing planet there would inevitably be more. Were this a cross-disciplinary suggestion, might there be more of the mould lurking nearby?”
Chris was MAG’s own polymath - funny, modest, engaging, enthusiastic, with natural curiosity, an essential trait for the archaeologist. His occasionally left-field wit never failed to raise a smile (once the penny finally dropped on us mere mortals), and his input over the years was invaluable.
We will miss you Chris, your hard work, your humour and your amazing hair."
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