Cover Story
Power of place: Illuminating Iron Age hillforts in Wales In CA 388 we asked, ‘what are hillforts for?’, and Toby Driver’s new book Hillforts of Iron Age Wales has some suggestions. Based on his many years spent recording these monuments on the ground and from the air, he concludes… Features
The Hidden Valley: Finding Anglo-Saxons in rural Lincolnshire More than 20 years ago, CA 175 described the investigation of two Anglo-Saxon cemeteries in Winterton Vale. Since then, interpretations of the finds have changed and understanding of their significance… 
A monumental mystery: Unpicking the evolution of Arthur’s Stone Three years of excavations centred on a c.6,000-year-old burial monument in Herefordshire have revealed that its story is much longer and more complex than was previously thought. Carly Hilts visited… 
Excavating Ankerwycke: From priory to pleasure ground For the last two years, archaeologists have been exploring the remains of a medieval nunnery that once occupied the bank of the Thames opposite to where Magna Carta was signed.… 
A Cheshire treasure: Exploring the contents of the Knutsford Hoard More than a decade ago, a metal-detectorist discovered a plough-scattered hoard of over 100 Roman coins, together with items of jewellery. Vanessa Oakden explores what has been learned about the… News
Roman farmstead excavated at Milton, Cambridgeshire Earlier this year Archaeological Research Services Ltd excavated a Roman farmstead west of Milton, on the northern outskirts of Cambridge, providing new insights into rural domestic life and adding to… 
Science Notes: Plant DNA successfully extracted from 2,900-year-old brick It seems that every few months ‘Science Notes’ is covering another breaking story on advances in a DNA research, a testament to how quickly the field is evolving. After our… 
Modelling the Roman road network in the south-west A recent modelling project has created a probable map of the Roman road network across the counties of Devon and Cornwall, showing how it may have connected with the wider… 
Bronze Age burial found at Iron Age site in Dorset Staff and students from Bournemouth University, together with local volunteers, have been excavating Iron Age settlements around Winterborne Kingston in Dorset as part of the Durotriges Project since 2009. This… 
Whales in Anglo-Saxon England Two recent studies have assessed a large quantity of worked whale-bone recovered from Anglo-Saxon contexts in Southampton (Hamwic), Ipswich, and Flixborough, finding that each site may have employed different strategies… 
World news Cooking curries in Vietnam 2,000 years ago Microscopic analysis of plant remains from 12 grinding stone tools found at the site of Óc Eo, in southern Vietnam, has provided new… 
Multi-period finds at Faughan Hill A recent publication in the Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society (https://doi.org/10.1017/ppr.2023.6) has brought to light a major archaeological complex – spanning in date from the Neolithic to the Iron Age… 
Investigating a Neolithic cursus on the Isle of Arran A new project aims to conduct an in-depth analysis of the prehistoric landscape near Drumadoon on the west side of the Isle of Arran, including the investigation of a large… Views
Current Archaeology’s October Listings: exhibitions, events, and heritage from home What's on There are lots of great opportunities to get stuck into history and heritage this autumn, whether you’re looking for conferences, exhibitions, or archaeological days out. If you would rather get… 
Burma to Myanmar Museum, What's on The UK’s first major exhibition to focus on the history of Myanmar (also known as Burma) is set to open at the British Museum next month, marking the 75th anniversary… 
Sherds CA 404 Comment Christopher Catling, Contributing Editor for CA, delves into the eccentricities of the heritage world. 
Excavating the Current Archaeology archives Comment Joe Flatman explores over half a century of reports from the past. 
Finds tray – Eprouvette Objects This unusual object was recently found in a garden near Boldre in the New Forest. While its function was a bit of a mystery when the finder first brought it… 
National Churches Trust Groups Many societies are concerned with a specific aspect of church heritage (monuments, sculptures, or wall paintings, for example) but the National Churches Trust (NCT) is arguably the most holistic, raising… Reviews
Current Archaeology’s October Listings: exhibitions, events, and heritage from home There are lots of great opportunities to get stuck into history and heritage this autumn, whether you’re looking for conferences, exhibitions, or archaeological days out. If you would rather get… Burma to Myanmar The UK’s first major exhibition to focus on the history of Myanmar (also known as Burma) is set to open at the British Museum next month, marking the 75th anniversary… 
Beacons in the Landscape: The Hillforts of England, Wales, and the Isle of Man (2nd edition) REVIEW BY GEORGE NASH One of the most impressive archaeological site-types in the British Isles is the Iron Age hillfort. Archaeological evidence has shown that it took many generations to… 
From Hunter-Gatherers to Early Christians: The archaeology of ancient societies in the Llŷn peninsula REVIEW BY KATE WADDINGTON This very readable book discusses the archaeology from a beautiful stretch of coastal north-west Wales: the Llŷn peninsula. As this volume demonstrates, it has produced a… 
Broken Pots, Mending Lives: The Archaeology of Operation Nightingale REVIEW BY IAIN BANKS This is a landmark publication, summarising as it does the 12 years (and counting) that Operation Nightingale has been in existence. During this period, some excellent… 
Death and the Body in Bronze Age Europe: From inhumation to cremation REVIEW BY MICHELLE GAMBLE This book is the culmination of almost two decades of research on Bronze Age burial practices and the social context of the body by Marie Louise… 
Fabric of the Frontier: Prospection, use, and re-use of stone from Hadrian’s Wall REVIEW BY ANTONY LEE This volume, an output of the WallCAP project (2018-2022), directly and successfully addresses historic disconnects between archaeological and geological studies of Hadrian’s Wall. It presents a… 
A Woman’s Will: The changing lives of British women, told through the things they have left behind REVIEW BY AB A hive of bees, ‘nine pair of bedde stockes’ (bed socks), ‘my worst petticoat’, and the famous Sutton Hoo treasure: these are just some of the objects… 
From the editor
Our cover story stems from one of this summer’s site visits, which took me to the stunning surroundings of Herefordshire’s Golden Valley, to learn more about Arthur’s Stone. This Neolithic monument has an intriguing (pre)history, rising from a landscape rich in ceremonial remains and shape-shifting from one type of tomb to another. Thanks to three years of excavations, this enigmatic evolution is now coming into focus.
Heading back east, our next feature ventures to another valley, this time in north Lincolnshire, where twin Anglo-Saxon cemeteries representing dramatically different burial traditions were excavated in the 1990s. Thirty years on, analysis of the finds has shed vivid light on a fascinating period of religious change and continuity.
Moving forward in the medieval period, we then travel to Ankerwycke, a peaceful spot on the riverbank opposite Runnymede. While one side of the Thames was witnessing the creation of Magna Carta, the other was home to the nuns of St Mary’s Priory. What have recent investigations revealed about this long-vanished religious community, and the grand Tudor residence that succeeded it?
Following this we tour the hillforts of Wales, considering what these mighty monuments were for, and if one definition can capture a purpose for all of them.
We end by unpicking the contents of the Knutsford Hoard, a collection of over 100 Roman coins and items of jewellery, and what it tells us about life in Cheshire c.2,000 years ago.
Finally, I would like to offer a grateful salute to my indomitable, indefatigable, and entirely indispensable deputy, Kathryn, for keeping the good ship CA sailing smoothly and overseeing this issue while I’ve been away for much of September.
