Description
In this issue:
– A monumental mystery: the surprising origins of England’s round mounds
– Ebbsfleet, 54 BC: tracing Caesar’s British invasion
– Hidden houses of worship: England’s Nonconformist chapels
– Investigating a possible plague burial ground in Nottingham
– Conserving the Mary Rose’s cannonballs
Plus: News, Reviews, Comment, Sherds, Odd Socs, and more!
From the Editor:
Scattered across England, a host of monumental mounds have long been interpreted as Norman castle mottes. Large round mounds boast a much earlier pedigree, however – as this month’s cover star, Silbury Hill, attests. A recent project has been investigating whether any sisters to Silbury are hiding in plain sight – with some surprising results.
Equally sensational, to the Romans, were Caesar’s invasions of Britain in 55 and 54 BC, which carried him and his soldiers beyond what Rome saw as the known world. The resulting peace settlement bound Britain to the Roman Empire. Now hints of the spot where these game-changing events began are emerging.
It was another watershed change that led to the birth of Nonconformist Christian groups in this country; we explore the artistic and architectural legacy of their diverse places of worship. There was no religious building associated with a series of hurried burials excavated outside Nottingham’s medieval defences, though. Do the bones of two of those interred there preserve evidence of plague? Finally, we learn how cutting-edge techniques are helping to conserve cannonballs from Henry VIII’s flagship, the Mary Rose.
Returning to our cover – or, rather, to the wider Stonehenge landscape in which Silbury Hill sits – debate continues about plans for the Stonehenge tunnel. While some heritage bodies see the latest scheme as a happy compromise, other archaeologists – not least those working at Blick Mead, 2018’s CA Research Project of the Year – have raised concerns about the impact on the historic environment. A public consultation runs until 6 April; you can read more about the plans and add your voice to the discussion at https://highwaysengland.citizenspace.com/he/a303-stonehenge-2018/.
Carly Hilts
Cover Date: Apr-2018, Volume 29 Issue 1