Iron Age coin hoard uncovered in Anglesey

An Iron Age hoard consisting of 15 gold coins known as ‘staters’ was discovered in Llangoed Community, Anglesey, by three metal-detectorists between July 2021 and March 2022. This is the first hoard of gold staters to be found in all of Wales, whose Iron Age communities did not mint their…

First finds from Milecastle 46

Last month we reported on the launch of the first modern excavations at Magna Roman fort and the nearby Milecastle 46 on Hadrian’s Wall, and finds from this period have already started to appear. One of the most exciting artefacts recovered so far is a copper-alloy steelyard beam, which would…

Exploring Norfolk’s Deep History Coast

REVIEW BY NATALIE BUTLER John Davies and David Waterhouse take the reader on an absorbing journey into Norfolk’s past. Exploring Norfolk’s Deep History Coast is carefully researched and beautifully presented. It offers a whole and knowledgeable guide to the rich early archaeological and geological past of Norfolk’s coastline. The authors…

Millstones of the Pennines and North West England

REVIEW BY CERI PENNINGTON This engaging read explores the archaeology, geology, and history of millstones in North-West England and the Pennines. Initially focusing on the background of the study, the volume then moves into examining case studies of specific sites, individuals, and groups involved with all aspects of millstone production.…

The Road: a story of Romans and ways to the past

REVIEW BY ANDREW TIBBS The Road is a personal journey by the author to experience Roman roads and how they impacted the lives of those around them, and the surrounding landscape, not just 2,000 years ago, but in more recent times. Seeking the essence of Roman roads, how and why…

Wild History: Journeys into Lost Scotland

REVIEW BY HUGH CHEAPE James Crawford, broadcaster and writer, has won plaudits for the cultural biographies in his Fallen Glory: the lives and deaths of history’s greatest buildings, and its tales of ‘hubris, power, violence and decay’. Now, he has turned his attention to more modest structures. ‘Wild history’ may…

Another Antonine Wall fortlet found

In the wake of the discovery of the Antonine Wall fortlet found at Carleith Farm in West Dunbartonshire (see CA 400), another one has been revealed, this time at Bonnyside, near Falkirk, on the more eastern side of the wall. This is now the 11th Antonine Wall fortlet to be…

Rare Neolithic axe-sharpening stone discovered in Dorset

A stone used by Neolithic people to sharpen stone axes, known as a ‘polissoir’, has been discovered in the Valley of Stones near Portesham in Dorset. Previously, most polissoirs in England had only been discovered buried in chambered tombs, placed there after they were no longer in use. This is…

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Footmarks: a journey into our restless past

REVIEW BY RICHARD BRUNNING Footmarks is a long and pleasant walk through the mind palace of prehistorian Jim Leary. Along the way, Leary’s delight in the mysteries of past human behaviour gushes forth in an engaging torrent of information, loosely based around some connection with an aspect of human movement.…

Current Archaeology 402

• Beyond Birdoswald: exploring life and death outside a Hadrian’s Wall fort
• Magnifying Milecastle 46: new excavations at the Hadrian’s Wall site
• Gladiators: arena spectacles in Roman Britain
• Vernacular houses in Jersey: hints from Hamptonne
• Unearthing a medieval mystery: searching for Saline’s lost church
• Archaeology on prescription: using fieldwork to…

Hints from Hamptonne: How to build a Jersey farmhouse

When, in 1988, the National Trust for Jersey purchased a semi-derelict farmstead called Hamptonne, a detailed archaeological investigation followed as part of a seven-year restoration programme. The multi-period site, with 15th-century origins, opened to the public as the Hamptonne Country Life Museum. Building on what was learned from this project,…

Gladiators: A day at the Roman games

Colchester was the first capital of Roman Britain, and excavations within the town frequently uncover evidence of this chapter of its past. Colchester Castle, built over the ancient temple of Claudius, is currently home to an exhibition exploring one aspect of Roman life (and, for many unlucky participants, death): the…

Park life then and now: Victoria Park, London

For 40 years, since the establishment of the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England in 1983, Historic England has been protecting the country’s parks and gardens – with the Register now comprising more than 1,700 sites. To celebrate this milestone, images of a number of…

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