When it was completed in 1209, medieval London Bridge was the only fixed crossing of the Thames downstream of Kingston-upon-Thames (until Fulham Bridge was built in 1729). Remarkably, it was also home to some 500 people – equivalent to the population of a small medieval town. In London Bridge and…
• War, betrayal, and loss: retracing the story of the Klein Hollandia
• Illuminating Icenian interactions with Rome at Caistor St Edmund
• Christianity and continuity: exploring life in early medieval Wales
• Hard times: investigating life in a 19th-century London workhouse
• Monastic memories: hunting for Hyde Abbey in Winchester…
There are lots of great opportunities to get involved in history, heritage, and archaeology this winter. Whether you’re looking for new exhibitions, lectures, or days out, there’s something for the whole family. If you would rather take advantage of resources available online, there are plenty on offer, ranging from digital…
Archaeologists and historians tend to approach the early medieval period through the lens of what was lost after the collapse of Roman rule. In her new book on life in Wales between c.AD 300 and 1050, Nancy Edwards shows us what survived from the centuries of Roman control – in…
The discovery of an anonymous shipwreck off the coast of Sussex set archaeologists on the trail of a 350 year-old mystery. Mark Beattie Edwards reports on efforts to identify the sunken vessel and to protect its historic remains, sharing a story of bravery in battle, acts of ‘piracy’, and tragic…
This spring marked 300 years since the introduction of the 1723 Workhouse Test Act, often seen as the origin of the workhouse system in England and Wales. These institutions were designed as refuges for the destitute, but ultimately became a byword for cruelty and neglect. What can archaeology add to…
Your thoughts on issues raised by CA.…
Excavations by the Caistor Roman Project outside the walls of Venta Icenorum are revealing the impact on local Iron Age communities of the development of a Roman regional capital. This summer, Carly Hilts visited the site and spoke to Giles Emery to find out more.…
In partnership with: We are pleased to announce the latest details of our upcoming conference: Current Archaeology Live! 2024 will be held on Saturday 24 February, returning to University College London’s Institute of Education near Russell Square, and run in partnership with the UCL Institute of Archaeology. We hope you…
A new virtual-reality experience in London transports visitors to the Great Pyramid of Giza, allowing them to explore its interior and immerse themselves in the world of ancient Egypt. Carly Hilts tried it for herself.…
Community excavations in Winchester are helping to piece together the layout of a long-demolished Benedictine monastery. Carly Hilts visited this summer’s investigations to find out more.…
A round-up of some of the latest archaeology news from around the UK.…
An ongoing project at Navan Fort, led by Dr Patrick Gleeson and Dr James O’Driscoll, is providing new evidence on the long-term evolution of the site and how it fits into the wider archaeological landscape. Navan Fort is a hilltop enclosure with prehistoric origins, but is famous in literature as…
The remains of a rare Neolithic cairn have recently been excavated at Holm in East Mainland, Orkney, showing that, despite 19th-century plundering, many of its main features survived, including a number of burials. In Orkney, most chambered tombs survive as upstanding monuments, but the tomb at Holm had become buried…
Ancient Alaskan house uncovered Excavations on the shore of Karluk Lake on Kodiak Island in Alaska have revealed a 3,000-year-old ancestral Alutiiq house, so well preserved that woven grass mats were still present on the floor. The house was found to be oval in plan and made of sod with…
The first major archaeological investigations of the moated house of St John’s Jerusalem in Sutton-at Hone, Kent – once home to a Knights Hospitaller Commandery – have revealed some of the site’s medieval origins, as well as its evolution during the Tudor period. Founded in the 13th century after the…
A recent project has set out to rediscover the archaeology and history of the textile mill complex in Bannockburn, Stirling. In its heyday during the late 18th and 19th centuries, it was one of the largest producers of tartan, furnishing many of the Highland Regiments with their uniforms. The initiative,…
The remains of a late Iron Age and Roman farmstead have been revealed during works by Archaeological Research Services Ltd which, since late February, have been investigating archaeological remains identified during topsoil stripping for Leicestershire County Council’s new road scheme at Melton Mowbray. Agricultural boundaries and enclosures dating back to…
This month’s ‘Odd Socs’ column pays tribute to the late Tony Rook, who died on 11 September 2023 at the age of 91. Tony and his wife Merle Rook (who died in 2012) jointly founded the Welwyn Archaeological Society (WAS), originally to undertake fieldwork around the town. The front page…
It has long been assumed that the advent of agricultural and pastoral practices during the Neolithic saw a major shift in human eating patterns, focusing more on a terrestrial diet than a marine-based one. Numerous isotopic analyses from across Europe have seemed to support this view, showing that, on the…
A recent excavation at Glendaruel’s Stronafian Community Forest on the Cowal Peninsula in Argyll has uncovered evidence of prehistoric occupation of the site. It had long been thought that a pattern of unusual cell- like features found at a site known as Creag Liath (or Grey Stones), near Glendaruel, could…