Cover Story
Piecing together the puzzle: understanding the Late Roman hacksilver from the Traprain Hoard Excavation work at Traprain Law, an Iron Age hillfort in East Lothian, some 30km east of Edinburgh, was interrupted by the turmoil of the First World War. Two weeks after work began again on 12 May 1919, George Pringle loosened… Features
A battle in the mists of the Lake District? Ambleside Roman fort under attack Recent research has shed new light on a Roman fort in the Lake District, and the violent events that may have taken place there. Manuel Fernández-Götz, John Reid, Lawrence Keppie,… 
Little London: Nero, Silchester, and building infrastructure in the new province Distinctive tiles stamped with the name and titles of the Roman emperor Nero have been found at only two sites from Roman Britain, both in Hampshire. Michael Fulford explores what… 
Caistor St Edmund: excavating an aqueduct in Roman Norfolk Archaeological investigations in a field outside Norwich, close to the remains of a Romano-Celtic temple, have uncovered further evidence of activity associated with the religious complex. Carly Hilts reports on… 
Chedworth Roman Villa: exploring over 150 years of interpretation Chedworth Roman Villa, near Cirencester, has been open to visitors since its discovery 158 years ago – but, until today, the site never had a formal academic publication. A new… 
City of Gallows: tracing the human stories behind London’s history of public executions A new exhibition at the Museum of London Docklands provides poignant and powerful insights into the seven centuries when London hosted more public executions that anywhere else in Britain. Carly… News
8,000 years of footprints preserved at Formby The tracks of 593 individual animals were identified, representing 401 large animals and 192 humans – making this one of the largest-known concentrations of predominately prehistoric faunal tracks in the… 
Cereal consumption at Hebridean crannogs Chemical analysis of pottery found in the waters surrounding crannogs in Scotland has revealed that cereals were cooked in pots and mixed with dairy products, and occasionally meat. 
Revealing royal Rendlesham: luxury living in early medieval Suffolk A second summer of excavation at Rendlesham, four miles from Sutton Hoo, has uncovered further evidence of a high-status settlement that thrived from the late 5th to the early 8th… 
Coring crannogs: a multi-pronged approach to assessing lake sediments Biomolecular and mineralogical techniques applied to lake settlements obtained from Scottish and Irish crannogs have yielded genetic and environmental data, providing evidence of animal butchery and feasting. 
Ancient DNA reveals family relationships in Late Roman grave Ancient DNA analysis has revealed that two of the individuals, though not genetically related, could have shared a kinship through marriage. 
Early farming practices at Balbridie brought to light Analysis of cereal grains recovered from Neolithic sites in Scotland have revealed that the first farmers adapted their methods based on individual soil conditions. 
Rediscovering a Roman mosaic at Folkestone The Canterbury Archaeological Trust team have been working to rediscover and document the mosaic, which had not been seen since it was covered over in the 1950s. 
In search of lost islands in Cardigan Bay New research seems to suggest that two ‘lost’ islands depicted on a medieval map of the Welsh coastline did once exist. Views
CA Letters 393 – November Letters Your views and opinions on issues raised in CA, plus information about CA Live! 2023! 
Ancient DNA and ‘Anglo-Frisians’ Comment I have a personal dislike of the term ‘Anglo-Saxon’ to describe the people and culture of southern and eastern Britain from the 4th to the 8th centuries because it is… 
Recovering an anchor from the North Sea The Picture Desk IMAGE: The Mary Rose Trust Through the combined efforts of ScottishPower Renewables and Maritime Archaeology Ltd, with support from Historic England, a wrought-iron anchor, possibly dating from the Roman period,… 
Excavating Scotland Comment, Places Moving geographically west to east, we then come to Bearsden on the north-west outskirts of Glasgow. This site is, if not the most excavated of Antonine sites, then certainly that… 
The Wesley Historical Society Groups Non-conformist chapels and meeting houses have greatly enriched our townscapes, though we have been slow to recognise their merits. Indeed, the late Princess Margaret, when opening the Keele office of… 
Exhibitions, events, and heritage from home across the UK Museum, What's on There are great opportunities to get involved in heritage, history, and archaeology over the coming months, ranging from new exhibitions to exciting conferences, lectures, and more. Or, if you prefer… 
Finds tray – a Roman cornu Objects This is the mouthpiece of a Roman instrument, called a cornu (plural, cornua), which was found during an excavation at Vindolanda this past May. It was recovered deep under the… 
Circles of stone: Stonehenge and prehistoric Japan Museum, What's on A new exhibition at the Stonehenge Visitor Centre explores striking similarities between the stone monuments built by two unconnected but contemporary cultures, 6,000 miles apart. Carly Hilts went to find… 
Review – The Lost King Comment, TV & Film to highight Langley’s contribution, the film underplays or completely omits the work of the many female academics who played a key role in the project. Jo Appleby does appear in… Reviews
Museum news: from unlocking past lives at the Museum of East Dorset, to changing perceptions at the Museum of Homelessness The latest on acquisitions, exhibitions, and key decisions 
Stonehenge and Middle to Late Neolithic Cremation Rites in Mainland Britain (c.3500-2500 BC) In the middle-to-late Neolithic in southern and eastern Britain a number of important monumental landscapes were host to a series of cremation cemeteries, the deposition of the dead in some… 
Thin Section Petrography, Geochemistry and Scanning Electron Microscopy of Archaeological Ceramics Under normal circumstances, archaeologists tend to report on ancient ceramics, discussing the age, condition, colour/lustre, whether it is glazed or unglazed, sometimes focusing on the petrology of the fabric. To… 
Homo sapiens rediscovered: the scientific revolution rewriting our origins In this slim and accessible volume, Palaeolithic archaeologist Paul Pettitt writes with confidence about the recent history of history, or, rather, prehistory. A prologue introduces us to the immersive world… Exhibitions, events, and heritage from home across the UK There are great opportunities to get involved in heritage, history, and archaeology over the coming months, ranging from new exhibitions to exciting conferences, lectures, and more. Or, if you prefer… 
Hadrian’s Wall: exploring its past to protect its future Ever fancied a behind-the-scenes tour of Hadrian’s Wall? While there are many ways to explore its Roman past on the page or in the field, securing an insider’s peek at… Circles of stone: Stonehenge and prehistoric Japan A new exhibition at the Stonehenge Visitor Centre explores striking similarities between the stone monuments built by two unconnected but contemporary cultures, 6,000 miles apart. Carly Hilts went to find… Review – The Lost King to highight Langley’s contribution, the film underplays or completely omits the work of the many female academics who played a key role in the project. Jo Appleby does appear in… 
From the editor
This month’s cover feature focuses on the largest-known hoard of Late Roman hacksilver, found at Traprain Law, an Iron Age hillfort in East Lothian. With a new study exploring its eclectic contents, what can we learn about the artistic interests of people on both sides of Hadrian’s Wall?
From Hadrian’s Wall to Hampshire, we next visit Silchester and Little London, which are the only places in Britain that have yielded tiles marked with the names and titles of the emperor Nero. What do these fragmentary finds mean?
Our next feature reports on a recent site visit to Caistor St Edmund, near Norwich. There, close to the known remains of a Romano-Celtic temple, other traces of enigmatic activity are emerging from the Norfolk soil.
We then cut across the country to Gloucestershire, to hear the latest news from Chedworth Roman Villa, which was discovered more than 150 years ago but has only recently received the first formal academic publication of its finds.
Villas represent a distinctly privileged lifestyle – and so our next feature provides a complete contrast, as we delve into the period of around 700 years when public executions were an inescapable part of London life – and on such a scale that the capital was nicknamed the ‘City of Gallows’. A new exhibition shares powerful and poignant stories about those condemned under this system, those who made their living from it, and those who campaigned for its abolition.
Our final feature also concerns matters of life and death, as we travel to Ambleside Roman fort in the Lake District. There, analysis of lead sling bullets found scattered around the site is revealing clues about a long-forgotten battle.
