Cover Story
The Knowe of Swandro: excavating eroding archaeology on Rousay In the concluding part of our Orkney trilogy (see also CA 394 and 395), Carly Hilts reports on her visit to the Knowe of Swandro on Rousay, where Julie Bond and Caz Mamwell took her through the latest findings from… Features
Re-excavating Arminghall Henge: a burnt timber circle from prehistoric Norfolk Last September, an excavation at Arminghall Henge in Norfolk reopened a trench first dug by Grahame Clark almost a century earlier – revealing a glimpse of a large timber monument… 
St Bartholomew the Great: tracing the history of London’s oldest surviving parish church Making people laugh in the 12th century proved to be lucrative work for Rahere (d. 1143), who is variously described as a jester, minstrel, and courtier to Henry I (c.1068-1135;… 
From rat nests to ‘lost’ mines: exploring archaeological pathways in the National Trust 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… 
Conference | Current Archaeology Live! 2023 We’re getting ready to hear leading experts discussing archaeology from across the UK and abroad, and we hope you can join us on 25 February (Saturday) for another stimulating and… News
What Neanderthals ate: the feasibility of using zinc isotopes as a proxy for diet In this month’s ‘Science Notes’, we explore recent research that has tested whether zinc (Zn) isotopes could be used as a proxy for nitrogen in such cases. 
Medieval market town revealed in County Kilkenny A large mill complex was discovered in the south-east corner, on the banks of the River Nore. 
Mysterious ‘Eadburg’ etched into early medieval manuscript The name of an early medieval woman has been found among inscriptions recently identified on an 8th-century manuscript held by the Weston Library. 
Further evidence of Iron Age activity identified along the A428 One of the most noteworthy finds was a huge pit full of burnt animal bones, including those of cattle and sheep/goat, as well as pottery vessels and stones. 
Elizabethan-era ship discovered in Kent quarry Since the excavation, the team from Wessex has laser-scanned and digitally recorded the entirety of the ship. 
Neolithic axe-grinding site discovered near Stirling It appears that this site had been a significant place for local communities for millennia. 
Bronze Age gold-working toolkit revealed The team found that the modified stone cobbles had been used with a percussive action – either as stationary anvils or hammers – and that some preserved traces of gold… 
Excavations in Overstone unearth Bronze Age barrow and a Roman ‘shrine’ Archaeological work ahead of a new housing development in Northamptonshire has revealed hints of possibly ceremonial activity spanning 2,000 years. Carly Hilts reports. Views
Finds tray – a gold bulla Objects This pendant, known as a bulla, was found by a metal-detectorist in the Melton district of Leicestershire in November 2021. It is hemispherical in shape and formed of two plain… 
Excavating Orkney and Shetland Comment before I leave the Mainland, I must mention one other site of this era, the stunning Neolithic house at St Ola, just south of Kirkwall... Here was discovered the oldest… 
Exhibitions, events, and heritage from home – February Listings Museum, What's on 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… 
Museum news: new exhibitions set to open in Norwich and London Museum, What's on The latest on exhibitions, acquisitions, and key decisions. 
Roman women: tracing female archaeologists of the Roman frontiers People David Breeze, Tatiana Ivleva, and Rebecca Jones consider the contribution made to the study of Roman frontiers by Brenda Heywood, who died last December, and other contemporary female archaeologists. 
The British Cartographic Society Groups The British Cartographic Society (BCS) was formed in 1963, and since then map-making has undergone a revolution, from land survey using theodolites to digital survey using satellites. But the infrastructure… 
Defending the dreaming spires: Civil War ramparts discovered in Oxford The Picture Desk 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… 
Gladiators: a cemetery of secrets Museum, What's on Almost 20 years ago, York Archaeological Trust were excavating part of a Roman cemetery when they uncovered dozens of decapitated skeletons. Were these the remains of gladiators? An exhibition at… 
Tennyson, Chaucer, and ‘problematic’ poets Comment The treatment of Tennyson and Chaucer stands as a warning to us all not to adopt similarly reductive techniques in our interpretations of history, heritage, and archaeology. Reviews
Exhibitions, events, and heritage from home – February Listings 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… Museum news: new exhibitions set to open in Norwich and London The latest on exhibitions, acquisitions, and key decisions. 
The Book of the Skelligs Review by Finbar McCormick Skellig Michael, a rocky outcrop off the south-west coast of Ireland, boasts the best-surviving early medieval monastery in Ireland, if not western Europe. Ironically, despite the… 
Canterbury Cathedral, Trinity Chapel: the archaeology of the mosaic pavement and setting of the shrine of St Thomas Becket 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… 
Heritage Dynamics: understanding and adapting to change in diverse heritage contexts Review by Joe Flatman I do not disagree with anything that Kalliopi Fouseki says in this book about the management of cultural heritage. As she summarises in its conclusion, ‘heritage… 
Excavations at Chester: Roman land division and a probable villa in the hinterland of Deva – excavation at Saighton Army Camp, Huntington, Chester Review by Andrew Tibbs The importance of Chester in the Roman period cannot be overestimated. Not only was it an important military centre with the establishment of a legionary fortress… 
Waterlands: prehistoric life at Bar Pasture, Pode Hole Quarry, Peterborough Review by Mark Knight There is something of a contradiction between the main title of this publication and the archaeology presented within its pages. The book details and interprets an… 
Wroxeter: ashes under Uricon Review by Neil Holbrook Many people have a favourite archaeological site, an evocative place that has a personal resonance with the past. The landscape setting is frequently inspirational, sometimes more… Gladiators: a cemetery of secrets Almost 20 years ago, York Archaeological Trust were excavating part of a Roman cemetery when they uncovered dozens of decapitated skeletons. Were these the remains of gladiators? An exhibition at… Conference | Current Archaeology Live! 2023 We’re getting ready to hear leading experts discussing archaeology from across the UK and abroad, and we hope you can join us on 25 February (Saturday) for another stimulating and… 
From the editor
The island of Rousay is only around four miles long, but it boasts such an extraordinary richness of archaeological remains – with sites almost outnumbering people – that it has earned the nickname ‘the Egypt of the North’. Our cover story this month represents the concluding part of the Orkney trilogy that we have been running, drawing on my visit to the archipelago last summer. During this trip, I went to see the excavation at the Knowe of Swandro, an impressively long-lived site, but one whose stonework is being rapidly eroded by the sea.
A relatively more recent feat of masonry is the focus of our next feature: St Bartholomew the Great in Smithfield, today hailed as London’s oldest surviving parish church. As this ecclesiastical edifice marks its 900th birthday, we trace its history back to its earliest origins as the brainchild of an ailing ex-jester.
We then explore Arminghall Henge in Norfolk, home to a mighty timber monument that was described as a ‘second Woodhenge’ when it was discovered in 1929. The site was first excavated in 1935, and last year archaeologists reopened this original trench, revealing glimpses of the timbers’ fiery end.
Finally, our regular contributor Joe Flatman guides us through the myriad roles fulfilled by archaeologists within the National Trust, and updates us on recent research concerning some of its sites.
I hope to see lots of you at our annual conference, which returns as an in-person event later this month. To see the latest details of the event (and how to book your ticket if you haven’t already done so! click here.
