Cover Story
At the edge of the world: exploring early medieval asceticism on the Skelligs Skellig Michael – the larger of two rocky islets that lie 8 miles (13km) west of the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland – was the favoured retreat of early medieval monks seeking an escape from worldly temptations. Reading the… Features
King’s Lynn under siege: how a small field in North Lynn illuminated Civil War fortress engineering This year is the 380th anniversary of the Siege of King’s Lynn, an important but often overlooked engagement during the Civil War. David Flintham presents the latest findings of a… 
The Gloucester: piecing together the story of a royal wreck A new exhibition at Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery features artefacts recovered from the wreck of the Gloucester, which sank off Norfolk in 1682. Carly Hilts visited and spoke… 
Standing in the presence of a saint: reconstructing the shrine of Thomas Becket 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… 
Reimagining the Govan Stones: placing archaeology at the heart of a Glasgow community Govan Old Parish Church is home to one of the most significant collections of Viking Age carved stones in the British Isles, and recent fieldwork in the churchyard has revealed… News
Science Notes: recreating Neolithic violence A recent study aimed to determine whether stone axes and adzes – common tools during the Neolithic – were also used as weapons. 
Unusual artefact from Vindolanda re-investigated Researchers suggest that this could have been some kind of sexual implement, something that is rarely considered among archaeological artefacts 
First residue analysis of a medieval stone cresset conducted As most cressets from Britain do not have any evidence of residue on them, it had previously been thought that they may have been used to hold ceramic lamps 
Work begins on reassembling the Newport ship This January, conservation of the roughly 2,500 timbers recovered from the wreck was completed – a process that took 14 years 
Roman place of worship found under Leicester Cathedral The chamber is believed to have been built in the 2nd century AD and would have been semi-subterranean, with brightly painted stone walls and a concrete floor. 
Iron Age comb made from human skull bone among A14 finds 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). 
Re-examination of the Colchester Vase reveals it was made locally The vase was found in a grave, located outside Roman Colchester, having been reused as a cremation urn. Views
Go digging! Fieldwork opportunities in the UK and Ireland What's on This summer offers a wealth of opportunities to get involved in fieldwork in the UK and Ireland. Ceri Pennington has put together some regional highlights for 2023, but see http://www.the-past.com/digs… 
Excavating Glasgow and Edinburgh Comment, Places This was the first evidence for the cult of Mithras in Scotland, and it changed our view of Roman religion on the northern frontier. 
On the origins of ‘woke’ Comment Most of us would guess that this was a word of recent coinage, but it first occurred in the lyrics of a 1938 song by the blues singer Lead Belly 
Exhibitions, events, and activities – April listings Museum, What's on There are lots of great archaeological events coming up over the next few months, including new exhibitions, lectures, and conferences. Or, if you would prefer to get your history and… 
Current Archaeology Live! 2023: the debrief What's on At the end of February, more than 400 people came to UCL’s Institute of Education in London for our first in-person conference since 2020. Here is a round-up of what… 
Wealden Iron Research Group Groups 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,… 
Stories of St James’s Burial Ground What's on A new exhibition running at St James’s Church in Piccadilly tells the story of how HS2 works uncovered a huge Georgian and Victorian burial ground near Euston Station, and introduces… 
Spring cleaning at Fishbourne Roman Palace The Picture Desk IMAGE: Sussex Past 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’… 
Finds tray – medieval silver-gilt strap-end Objects 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… Reviews
Winters in the world: a journey through the Anglo-Saxon world Review by Rosalind Love The engagingly lyrical writing of Eleanor Parker has gained many admirers through her website ‘A Clerk of Oxford’, which gently introduced readers to the rich literature,… 
The Coffin Roads: journeys to the West Review by Hugh Cheape Professor Ian Bradley has identified a network of routes extending for miles across our upland and island areas and radiating out from long-used burial grounds. The… Go digging! Fieldwork opportunities in the UK and Ireland This summer offers a wealth of opportunities to get involved in fieldwork in the UK and Ireland. Ceri Pennington has put together some regional highlights for 2023, but see http://www.the-past.com/digs… 
Medieval Bridges of Southern England: 100 bridges, 1000 years 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.… Exhibitions, events, and activities – April listings There are lots of great archaeological events coming up over the next few months, including new exhibitions, lectures, and conferences. Or, if you would prefer to get your history and… 
The Emperor Nero’s Pottery and Tilery at Little London, Pamber, by Silchester, Hampshire: the excavations of 2017 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… Current Archaeology Live! 2023: the debrief At the end of February, more than 400 people came to UCL’s Institute of Education in London for our first in-person conference since 2020. Here is a round-up of what… 
Treasures of Roman Yorkshire Review by Peter Halkon As the cover note states, this is an accessible introduction to the major artefacts and sites within the county. As Adam is a member of the… Stories of St James’s Burial Ground A new exhibition running at St James’s Church in Piccadilly tells the story of how HS2 works uncovered a huge Georgian and Victorian burial ground near Euston Station, and introduces… 
50 Finds from Somerset: objects from the Portable Antiquities Scheme Review by KK In the latest addition to the 50 Finds series from the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS), Laura Burnett, the Finds Liaison Officer for Somerset, takes us on a… 
From the editor
This month’s cover story takes us to the western fringe of the early medieval Christian world: the isolated islet of Skellig Michael, off the coast of Co. Kerry. Once inhabited by intrepid ascetics, the ruins of monastic structures still cling to its jagged slopes. We explore the history of this and later communities who once called the rocky outcrop home, and why it was designated a World Heritage Site in 1996.
Moving to another coastal site, we next travel to the waters off north Norfolk, where the Gloucester struck a sandbank and sank in 1682. Its wreck was rediscovered in 2007, and since then artefacts eroding from the site have been shedding light on the lives of its passengers – which included the future James II and VII – and the post-Restoration politics that drove its fatal final voyage.
Our next feature reflects another turbulent period in English history, culminating in the murder of Thomas Becket in 1170. An ornate shrine was built in Canterbury Cathedral to house his relics, but it was torn down during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. What has recent research revealed about its appearance?
Completing our trio of conflict-themed articles, we then explore the long-demolished Civil War-era defences of King’s Lynn. What can we learn about their design?
Finally, we travel to Govan Old, an impressive Victorian church in Glasgow’s former industrial heartland which houses a remarkable series of Viking Age carved stones. With recent fieldwork uncovering more such stones in the churchyard, we explore the latest findings and highlight an ongoing initiative working to put the site at the heart of the local community once more.
