Continuing last month’s exploration of high medieval monasticism, this month I will visit sites across the country, both well known and less well known, that reflect the profound impact the Church had on society during this era, and the discoveries made by modern-day archaeologists which highlight this
New research into a man buried at St Peter’s in Barton-upon-Humber almost 1,000 years ago has shed new light on the complexity of society in Britain during the Norman Conquest. The unusual burial was first excavated almost 50 years ago,…
This season’s excavation at Huttons Ambo in North Yorkshire has uncovered new details about the small village’s medieval past, including potentially one of the most high-status buildings yet found on the site. This is the fourth year the project has…
It’s a rip-roaring start, with three deaths in five pages as Harald Hardrada (or Haraldr Sigurdarson as he’s termed here), Tostig (wayward brother of Harold Godwinson), and an unnamed farmer all get decapitated. We start on a battlefield, yet not…
This is a small toy figurine dating to between AD 1550 and 1700, recently found by a metal-detectorist near Azerley in North Yorkshire. Measuring approximately 4cm by 2cm (1.6in by 0.8in) and made of lead, it is incomplete but takes…
This site report details excavations carried out by Oxford Archaeology ahead of the replacement of the gas transmission pipeline that crosses the Humber between Goxhill in North Lincolnshire and Paull in East Yorkshire. Palaeoenvironmental evidence sheds light on how this…
A small glass bottle excavated at Tanner Row in York 40 years ago has been identified as a kohl bottle – a type of eye make-up container that was very common in Roman Egypt, but is extremely rare outside this…
Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) has been used to great effect to map underlying archaeology on open-area sites, but how well does it perform in urban environments? John Creighton, Thomas Matthews Boehmer, Martin Millett, and Lieven Verdonck describe the trials and triumphs of recent surveys in York’s historic centre.
After last month’s column on Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, and Canterbury Cathedral, I will continue my ecclesiastical theme this month by exploring three of the great religious buildings in the north of England: York Minster, Durham Cathedral, and Whitby Abbey.
A team from Wessex Archaeology – working with FlyThru, a commercial drone company – have recently conducted a survey of a medieval well, once a vital source of water for Sheffield Castle’s Norman motte. The well was discovered during Wessex…
Why were dozens of people from Roman York coated with liquid gypsum as part of their funerary rites? An ongoing interdisciplinary project at the University of York is exploring this enigmatic practice and the wealth of evidence that it preserves about the individuals who were buried in this way. Carly Hilts spoke to the initiative’s Principal Investigator Professor Maureen Carroll to learn more.
The ways in which archaeologists and historians analyse economies in the past often do not align with how economies are assessed today. Modern economics is primarily based on GDP, which is inherently grounded in monetary values, making it impossible to…
Dozens of items from the largest hoard of Iron Age metalwork ever found in Britain have gone on display for the first time at the Yorkshire Museum in York. Carly Hilts visited to learn more about this unique collection.
A Cold War lookout post has been rediscovered in the grounds of Scarborough Castle. Built in 1963-1964, it is one of over 1,500 posts constructed across the UK to detect nuclear explosions. This example was sealed and buried in 1968;…
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.
This is a medieval seal matrix, made of copper alloy, that was recently found by a metal-detectorist near the village of Patrick Brompton in North Yorkshire. The matrix’s handle extends out from the die in a pinched bell shape with…
The latest on acquisitions, exhibitions, and key decisions.
Excavations near Skipsea Castle in East Yorkshire have uncovered a series of high-status early medieval buildings, suggesting this site may have been a ‘lordly centre’. The project, which is led by Dr Elaine Jamieson and Dr Jim Leary from the…
Excavations by York Archaeology on the site of a former hospital at Clifton Ings have shed light on the institution’s origins as a Victorian asylum, offering insights into how approaches to mental health care have changed over the centuries. Anne Jenner and Katherine Bradshaw report.
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.
This Birdlip brooch was found by a metal-detectorist near Catterton in North Yorkshire this past June, and is believed to date between the late Iron Age and early Roman period. Birdlip, or Beaked Bow, brooches date from between 30 BC…
A new study, which was recently published in Antiquity, has examined a sediment core from a palaeochannel of the River Ure, near Aldborough in North Yorkshire, and combined it with both historical and archaeological evidence in order to discern how…
Increasingly, archaeologists are concerned with the here and now. This is evident in a new study, led by researchers from the University of York, which has examined how our discipline can deal with modern materials. In particular, they consider the…
In CA 426’s exploration of the impact of the Viking Great Army on the north of England, we mentioned research that had shed light on the make-up of a Viking hoard discovered at Bedale, 56km (35 miles) from York. Here,…
Neolithic long cairn granted protected status The Dudderhouse Hill long cairn, located within the Yorkshire Dales National Park, has been granted protected status as a Scheduled Monument by the Government. The scheduling was recommended by Historic England after a number…
REVIEW BY COLLEEN BATEY The arrival of the Great Army on the shores of East Anglia in AD 865 was a seminal moment in English history. This marked the move away from the seasonal raids of war bands to the…
The latest on acquisitions, exhibitions, and key decisions.
A major new exhibition explores the impact of the Viking Age across northern England. Carly Hilts visited the displays and spoke to Adam Parker to learn more.
REVIEW BY HANNA MCNULTY What if Ice Age art was not confined to glass cases or academic articles, but displayed in galleries alongside contemporary artists? In Ice Age Art Now, Jill Cook curates just that experience. Spanning the final 20,000…
If you want to know how liveable a city is, you can ask the rats. The cosmopolitan rodents will know exactly how resource-rich and wasteful in nutrients their human co-habitants are.
Finding lost farmsteads I was intrigued by the article on South Yorkshire (‘Fields and farmsteads’, CA 424) and the reference to the absence of evidence of farming and occupation of the area between the late 10th century and the 16th/17th centuries…
• Iron Age innovation or Roman land-grab? Exploring an evolving frontier landscape in South Yorkshire
• A tale of two hillforts: investigating the inhabitants of Iron Age Leicestershire
• Words on the wave: tracing Continental connections in medieval Ireland
• Subterranean Skye: exploring the significance of High Pasture Cave
• Taking stock of the pot: creating and recreating the Glenfield Iron Age cauldrons
Four archaeological samples taken from contexts spanning in date from the early Iron Age to the medieval period have tested positive for Borrelia recurrentis – a bacterium that causes relapsing fever, an illness with many recurring episodes of fever. It…
This is a gilded silver cross pendant or pectoral cross, dating to the early medieval period – most likely the 8th century. It was discovered in August 2021 by a metal-detectorist in a field near Leeds, and was recently acquired…
Excavations at Holme Hall Quarry, between Doncaster and Rotherham, have revealed how the landscape was transformed into extensive, carefully planned field systems and farmsteads during the early Roman period. Was this development the work of local Iron Age communities, or a land grab by an occupying army? Francis M Morris, who has recently completed post-excavation analysis and publication through Archaeological Research Services Ltd, explains more.
There are lots of great ways to get stuck into history and heritage this summer, from new exhibitions and activity days to lectures and conferences. Or, if you’re looking for opportunities to get involved from home, there are a wide variety of resources available, including virtual site tours and digital offerings from museums, podcasts, and TV shows. Amy Brunskill has put together a selection of some of the latest options.