Review by Stuart Brookes Falling somewhere between a gazetteer, reference manual, and coffee-table book, it’s a little difficult to figure out who the intended market for this volume might be. Although containing many beautiful photographs, it doesn’t quite qualify as…
Last month, Warwick Rodwell guided us through recent research in Canterbury Cathedral, focusing on the virtuosic mosaic that once lay before the shrine of Thomas Becket. As a sequel, he now reveals what was learned about the shrine itself, and the chapel in which it stood before the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
Review by James Gerrard This is a handsomely produced and richly illustrated volume detailing the results of the University of Reading’s research excavations at Little London, just to the south-west of the Roman town of Calleva Atrebatum (Silchester; see CA…
The members of the Wealden Iron Research Group (WIRG) are dedicated to recovering the evidence for an industry that began in the Iron Age and blossomed under Roman imperial management, producing materials for the building of towns, villas, and farms,…
Fishbourne Roman Palace in West Sussex is home to the largest collection of in situ Roman mosaics in Britain – including the famous ‘Cupid on a Dolphin’ mosaic seen here. There are 29 such floors on display. In advance of…
This late medieval silver-gilt strap-end was recently featured in the British Museum’s Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) and Treasure annual reports. It was discovered in October 2021 by a metal-detectorist in the parish of Worldham in East Hampshire. Dating to around…
The artefact was found at Bar Hill, approximately four miles north-west of Cambridge, and is believed to date to the Iron Age (c.750 BC-AD 43).
Evidence of a possible prehistoric ring ditch was also identified at the site
The glass roof of the Orangery was installed in 1861, following a fire in an adjacent bakery which damaged the original structure
Your observations, your objections, and your opinions: send them to cwaletters@world-archaeology.com
REVIEW by COLIN POMEROY A renowned writer on air combat in World War II, Professor Patrick Eriksson is well known for his detailed research, something he fully demonstrates in this new book, which takes its name from the fighter pilot’s…
Last month’s CA reviewed an exhibition in Cirencester that features six ‘gladiator’ skeletons excavated in York. Struck by the fact that Cirencester has an impressive amphitheatre, but no direct evidence for the individuals who may have fought there, while York has potential gladiators but as-yet no trace of any amphitheatre, Carly Hilts presents a tale of two settlements, exploring life and death in the ancient arena.
This evidence adds to recent research focused on Iona suggesting that multiple monasteries across Britain may have been able to continue or re-establish themselves after initial Viking raids at the end of the 8th and the beginning of the 9th centuries.
Detailed analysis of an elaborate 13th-century mosaic at Canterbury Cathedral has revealed a medieval masterpiece that may be unparalleled in either Roman or medieval Britain. Warwick Rodwell explains further.
A round-up of some of the latest archaeology news in the UK.
This is a Romano-British figurine of a chubby, naked boy, known as a putto. Although discovered in 2019 in Cox Green in Windsor and Maidenhead, it was recently highlighted in the latest Portable Antiquities Scheme annual report. It is made…
Archaeologists from MOLA were excavating the site in Northamptonshire when they uncovered a group of some 30 pendants, other grave goods, and fragments of tooth enamel in a grave.
There are many fantastic archaeological events on offer over the coming months, including new exhibitions, lectures, and conferences. Or, if you would prefer to get your history and heritage fix at home, there is a wide variety of resources available, from virtual exhibitions and 360° tours of museums and heritage sites to radio shows, games, and documentaries. Amy Brunskill has put together a summary of some of the options available.
The name of an early medieval woman has been found among inscriptions recently identified on an 8th-century manuscript held by the Weston Library.
Review by Nathalie Cohen This monograph, the result of a project started by David Neal and Warwick Rodwell in 2015 to examine the historic floors in the eastern arm of Canterbury Cathedral, is a stunning achievement. Over nearly 400 pages,…
Since the excavation, the team from Wessex has laser-scanned and digitally recorded the entirety of the ship.
The National Trust cares for more than 250,000ha of land, encompassing historic sites and structures spanning prehistory to the present day – but what do the Trust’s archaeologists do? Joe Flatman highlights some of their diverse roles, recent research, and how routes into the profession are evolving.
Between 2015 and 2020, Oxford Archaeology and MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology) investigated, prior to development, parts of a Civil War rampart buried below an access yard to Savile House at New College School in Oxford. The city’s defences were…
Across 7 Vegetables domesticated c.8000 BC (8)9 George ___, 20th-century French archaeologist noted for his work in French Indochina and Siam (6)10 Boudica’s tribe (5)11 Huntress of Greek mythology (8)12 Mayan ceremonial centre in Guatemala (5)13 Caleb ___, American antiquary…
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Why not mark the start of the other calendric festivals and their associated deities with holidays?... Time to bring back bonfires, dancing at dawn, May Day frolics, and the dressing of rivers, springs, and wells.
The artefacts were found during the 1977-1981 excavations of nearly 200 graves at Ozengell, near Ramsgate in Kent.
The instrument is remarkably well-preserved, and was found in association with medieval pottery dating to between the 12th and 15th centuries.
The remains found at Boxgrove – consisting of two teeth and part of a tibia – were re-examined by an international team using advanced 3D imaging and virtual reconstruction techniques.
Which Germanic god is closely connected to the pagan festival of Yule?
Which Persian king did Alexander defeat at the Battle of Gaugamela?
Small finds included 3rd- to 4th-century Roman pottery – comprising local coarse ware, Oxfordshire ware, and a few shards of Samian ware – as well as a small number of 4th-century Roman coins.
The musical instrument was crafted from a sheep or goat tibia shaft.
Historic England recently published its Heritage at Risk Register for 2022.