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Current Archaeology’s June Listings: exhibitions, events, and heritage from home
There are lots of great ways to get involved with history and archaeology over the next few months, including exhibitions, lectures, and conferences exploring a wide range of subjects. If you would prefer to get your heritage fix from the comfort of your sofa, though, there is a variety of resources on offer online, too, from virtual site tours and digital offerings by museums to podcasts, TV shows, and more. Kathryn Krakowka has put together a selection of some of the options available.
Understanding Scottish Graveyards
This is the fourth edition of a book that was first published by Betty Willsher (1915-2012) in 1985, with subsequent updates in 1995 and 2005. The original publication came about due to
Peasant Perceptions of Landscape: Ewelme hundred, south Oxfordshire, 500-1650
Review by Susan Oosthuizen. This study of 14 south Oxfordshire parishes covers the lowland valleys of both the Thame and Thames, typified by nucleated settlements and open fields, and the uplands of
Petuaria revisited: searching for Brough-on-Humber’s lost Roman theatre
Eighty-five years ago, an inscription was discovered at Brough-on-Humber hinting that the town was once home to a Roman theatre. Peter Halkon and James Lyall report on more recent excavations seeking to relocate its remains.
Roman furniture-making in rural Cambridgeshire
MOLA Headland Infrastructure uncovered c.300 pieces of animal bone and deer antler while excavating a small Roman settlement between 2016 and 2018 as part of the National Highways A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon Improvement Scheme.
Building an Iron Age broch in Caithness
The building will also incorporate triangular doorway lintels, staircases, and internal cells, as well as outbuildings, including wheelhouses, blockhouses, and ‘wags’.
Beyond the Wall: exploring the prehistoric origins of Scotland
Hadrian’s Wall is often blamed for splitting ancient Britain in two, but a new look at the archaeological evidence suggests that the peoples of what would become Scotland and England were already culturally divergent long before the Romans arrived in Britain – as Ronan Toolis explains.
World News: Canada, Petite Mustique, China
A round up of some of the latest archaeological stories from across the globe, including the discovery of a tudor coin found in Canada, evidence of leprosy in the Caribbean, an ancient murder victim in China.
Iron Age Chariot Burials in Britain and the Near Continent
Review by Peter Halkon. Chariot burials are icons of Iron Age Britain. Apart from those found near Edinburgh and in Pembroke, they are clustered in eastern Yorkshire, with an outlier at Ferry
Highways to the past: excavating the A428 in Bedfordshire
The earliest evidence of settlement at the site consisted of postholes marking out the footprints of two large roundhouses
Finds tray – Seal of Matilda de Cornhill
Seal matrices are inscribed, flat-bottomed metal items used to make impressions on wax to create ‘seals’ – marks of authentication commonly appended to medieval documents. They are made, typically, of lead or
Nottingham Castle
Nottingham Castle reopened last year following a £33-million transformation of its grounds and galleries. Carly Hilts dropped by to see what has changed.
From tents to towns: tracing Torksey after the Vikings
In AD 872-873, a Viking army spent the winter at Torksey in Lincolnshire. Their camp is now well known, but the team that discovered it have since turned their attention to what happened after the Vikings left. Dawn Hadley, Julian D Richards, Gareth Perry, and Elizabeth Craig-Atkins explore the evidence for the town that was left behind, and discuss the significance of this Viking legacy for Anglo-Saxon England.
Unearthing an ‘idol’
Prehistoric anthropomorphic items made of wood represent rare finds in British archaeology.
Excavation at Melksham reveals evidence of Iron Age, Roman, and medieval activity
The team found Iron Age and Roman settlement phases with rubbish pits, postholes, and boundary ditches.
Research underway to find best materials for conserving HMS Victory
Specially designed tests will assess a range of paints, caulking, glues, and metal fastenings.
Roman roadside life and death near Aylesbury
Around ten percent of the excavated individuals were missing skulls, with many clearly decapitations, evidenced by visible cut marks and placement of the head between the legs.
Elaborately carved Burton Agnes chalk drum goes on display
The sculpture had been placed in a Neolithic grave containing the remains of three children.
Ancient Nottingham caves part of plan to regenerate city
The new ‘City of Caves’ project will see researchers exploring historical records and creating 3D laser scans.
Artistic obscurity: analysing Britain’s most elusive Roman sculptures
Research in the hinterland of Hadrian’s Wall has revealed remarkable examples of Romano-British artistry hidden in plain sight. Ian Haynes and Lindsay Allason-Jones explore some of the key examples identified by the Elusive Sculptures project, and how these carvings have evaded archaeological attention in the past.
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The world of Stonehenge: placing a famous monument in context
A new exhibition at the British Museum explores the landscape that Stonehenge emerged from, and the social, cultural, and technological transformations it witnessed. Neil Wilkin and Jennifer Wexler told CA more.