MOLA buildings archaeologists exploring National Trust property Knole, in Kent, have uncovered a series of 17th century witchmarks with an intriguing history. Discovered in a room built to accommodate royalty, the marks lay hidden for centuries. The discovery comes as part of the National Trust’s five-year project, supported by Heritage Lottery Fund, to conserve Knole, one of Britain’s most important historic houses.
Using dendrochronology, or tree ring dating, our archaeologists precisely dated the marks to early 1606 and the reign of King James I, thereby connecting their engraving to a fascinating episode in Britain’s history. A few months before the marks were engraved the infamous Gunpowder Plot of 1605 had caused mass hysteria to sweep across the county. Accusations of demonic forces and witches at work were rife.
