Cover Story
Distilling a clandestine craft: The archaeology and history of illicit whisky-making To avoid paying tax, in the 18th and 19th century, small-scale whisky-production went underground, moving to isolated bothies hidden in remote locations across Scotland. Derek Alexander and Daniel Rhodes have been hunting down these sites across the Highlands and bringing… Features
A monumental undertaking: Unravelling the long and complex story of Crickley Hill’s Long Mound Newly published research has illuminated the evolution of an enigmatic monument at Crickley Hill, near Cheltenham in Gloucestershire. Its role as a religious or ceremonial complex can be traced back… 
Mesolithic microwear: Exploring spatial organisation within the Star Carr structures Analysis of flint tools found within Britain’s earliest-known post-built structures has revealed intriguing evidence of the tasks that they were used for, and how activities were undertaken in specific areas.… 
Turning on the waterworks: Navigating the industrial architecture of the Victorian sanitary crisis Recent discharges of raw sewage into the UK’s rivers and streams are a reminder of the sanitary crisis of the 1840s to 1860s, when water pollution was identified as the… 
From Bayeux to Bosham: Tracing ‘lordly sites’ in medieval England Recently published archaeological research has shed vivid light on the power centres of the Anglo-Saxon aristocracy that were swept away by the Norman Conquest – including a site associated with… News
Cathedral dig reveals traces of early medieval and Roman Exeter Excavations close to Exeter Cathedral have uncovered echoes of the city’s medieval and Roman past. Archaeologists from Devon-based AC Archaeology were excavating in Cathedral Close ahead of the installation of… 
Mum’s the word: tracing a matrilocal society in Iron Age Dorset Analysis of human remains from Winterborne Kingston in Dorset (see CA 281) has revealed evidence of female-centred societal structures in this area of Iron Age Britain, as well as genetic… 
Britain’s largest Neronian coin hoard on display Britain’s largest-known coin hoard from the reign of Emperor Nero (AD 54-68) has gone on display at Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum for the first time since its discovery.… 
Galloway Hoard runic inscription translated Over a decade after its discovery, the Viking Age Galloway Hoard continues to give up its secrets, following the translation of a runic inscription on one of its arm-rings, offering… 
Tudor kiln discovered at Bedfordshire school An exceptionally well-preserved example of a 15th-/16th-century pottery kiln has been excavated at Sutton V.A. Primary School in Bedfordshire. The large, well-built kiln was discovered by Albion Archaeology. It retains… 
New insights into Strata Florida’s medieval monastery The latest phase of excavations at Strata Florida, a former Cistercian abbey near Tregaron, Ceredigion, has uncovered a wealth of new features, some of which pre-date the abbey’s 12th-century origins.… 
Historical birds of prey outed as scavengers Recently published research focused on the bones of birds of prey spanning the early Bronze Age to the medieval period has revealed striking differences between their eating habits and those… 
World news Earliest archaeological evidence of silk in China Mineralised fabric remnants found in pits at a Bronze Age burial site in the Sichuan Basin, south-western China, have undergone specialist analysis which… 
Iron Age offerings: New elements of the Llyn Cerrig Bach assemblage identified A recent metal-detector survey undertaken ahead of maintenance work at the RAF Valley airfield in Anglesey has recovered artefacts thought to belong to one of the most significant Iron Age… Views
Current Archaeology’s March Listings: exhibitions, events, and heritage from home What's on There are lots of great ways to get involved in archaeology, history, and heritage this spring, with upcoming exhibitions, conferences, lectures, and more. If you would prefer to get your… 
CA Letters 421 – March Letters Shining a light on Reedham I was delighted to read Mike Fulford’s article on Reedham (CA 420). In 2021, as part of a Diploma in Archaeology at Oxford University Department of… 
Poetic portents of spring Comment By the time you read this, February fill dyke will be over for another year and March will (perhaps) have come in like a lion. Sherds is always glad when… 
Tintagel: Excavating the CA archive Comment Tintagel in Cornwall can be considered a ‘great site’ for a number of reasons, depending on personal perspective. For some, the draw is its rich archaeology; for others, its links… 
Glorious glass: St Andrew’s Church, Heckington The Picture Desk In 1946, 500 fragments of brightly coloured stained glass were removed from the window of St Andrew’s Church, Heckington, to make way for a modern replacement. This was not their… 
Echoes: Stone Circles, Community and Heritage at the Stonehenge Visitor Centre What's on A thought-provoking photography exhibition explores how contemporary communities relate to stone circles. Carly Hilts visited, and spoke to the artists to learn more. 
Finds Tray – Tumbler-lock slide key Objects This distinctive object, found by a metal-detectorist near Wragby in East Lindsey, Lincolnshire, has been identified as a Roman tumbler-lock slide key. Its handle consists of a sizable, solid, copper-alloy… 
The Watercolour World Groups The invention in 1900 by Eastman Kodak of the Brownie camera, selling for the equivalent in today’s money of £28, brought the watercolour age to an end. This too had… 
Reviews
Current Archaeology’s March Listings: exhibitions, events, and heritage from home There are lots of great ways to get involved in archaeology, history, and heritage this spring, with upcoming exhibitions, conferences, lectures, and more. If you would prefer to get your… Echoes: Stone Circles, Community and Heritage at the Stonehenge Visitor Centre A thought-provoking photography exhibition explores how contemporary communities relate to stone circles. Carly Hilts visited, and spoke to the artists to learn more. 
Britons and their Battlefields: War, Memory, and Commemoration since the 14th century REVIEW BY SOPHIE AMBLER Battlefield commemoration has hitherto been the territory of historians of the modern age, leaning too heavily on the First World War and US Civil War, and… 
Hidden History in the Welsh Mountains REVIEW BY TOBY DRIVER Richard Hayman is an established author on a range of historical, archaeological, and industrial topics, and here he turns his hand to an appreciation of the… 
Digging Lincoln REVIEW BY LISA BRUNDLE The archaeologist Michael J Jones, having worked for 40 years in Lincoln, provides a unique personal account of archaeological discoveries in the former colonia city of… 
50 LGBTQ+ Finds from the Portable Antiquities Scheme REVIEW BY HARRIET HAUGVIK Ben Paites’ addition to the ‘50 Finds’ series is a well-researched and nuanced exploration of the history of sexuality through material culture. The book approaches the… 
Beneath Our Feet: Everyday discoveries reshaping history REVIEW BY CH This beautifully illustrated book highlights the vital work of the Portable Antiquities Scheme in documenting finds made by members of the public, and celebrates the remarkable artefacts… 
The North Pennines from Prehistory to Present REVIEW BY MARK BRENNAND The North Pennines is a bleak old place. I absolutely mean no offence, but its barren, windswept moors, studded with disused mines, are not an easy… 
From the editor
The spectacular scenery adorning this month’s cover features a Highland site known as ‘Calan’s Bothy’ – once home to an illicit whisky still. What has recent fieldwork revealed about this industry in 18th- and 19th century Scotland?
From stunning views to a royal loo, our next feature reveals how the discovery of an early medieval latrine at Bosham in West Sussex held the key to identifying an important power centre associated with Harold II. What can this location, and the wider project that explored it, add to our understanding of Anglo Saxon ‘lordly centres’?
We then travel to Crickley Hill in Gloucestershire, another site enjoying gorgeous surroundings and important archaeological remains, this time an Iron Age hillfort and enigmatic Neolithic monuments. Archaeological investigations explored these features for 25 years, and post excavation analysis is still ongoing; we examine the latest revelations from this work.
With apologies for cycling between scenery and sanitation, we next take a tour of innovative architecture prompted by a Victorian public health crisis. I would like to highlight that, with this article, Chris Catling has become our most prolific feature contributor, having written for every issue since his article about the archaeology of beavers in CA 210. By his reckoning, he has produced over 1.3 million words for CA – an amazing achievement, and hugely appreciated.
And now for something completely different: we conclude with thought- provoking analysis of wear patterns preserved on many of the flint tools that have been excavated at Star Carr in North Yorkshire. What can these markings reveal about how the objects were used, and how Mesolithic communities organised their sites and structures?
CARLY
