Cover Story
Uncovering a lost landscape: The archaeology of Llanddwyn Island Located off the south coast of Ynys Môn (Anglesey), Llanddwyn Island was home to a small monastic community for more than 1,000 years. Now a decade of archaeological investigations have shed vivid light on this remote religious community, documenting the… Features
A Victorian rock garden: Celebrating ‘dahlia-mania’ at Stonehenge For a brief snapshot of the mid-19th century, flower festivals drew thousands of visitors to Stonehenge, long before the Neolithic monument became a popular tourist attraction in its own right.… 
Ad Gefrin: Distilling the spirit of Northumbria’s Golden Age In the early medieval period, Yeavering was the site of seasonal gatherings by the Northumbrian royal court, whose palatial halls were famously excavated by Brian Hope-Taylor in the 1950s and… 
Avalon Archaeology: A new open air archaeological museum in Somerset An eight-year effort by a dedicated band of more than 100 volunteers has borne fruit with the recent opening of a new heritage attraction in the heart of the Avalon… 
Rooted in the future: A cultural ecology of the Sycamore Gap tree Do archaeological remains represent static monuments, or do they remain ‘alive’ in their natural and cultural landscapes? Emily Hanscam and Cornelius Holtorf discuss how Hadrian’s Wall and the Sycamore Gap… 
The tale of a tree: An archaeological history of Sycamore Gap The Sycamore Gap tree was an immediately recognisable feature of the central section of Hadrian’s Wall. Jim Crow, who directed excavations of this portion of the Roman frontier between 1982… 
Alternative views: Exploring ‘icons’ of the Hadrian’s Wall landscape In the aftermath of the felling of the famous tree at Sycamore Gap, David Breeze examines how artistic interest in different sections of Hadrian’s Wall has changed over the centuries. News
Highlights from the CARD Fund: Community radiocarbon-dating fund delivers fresh results A specialist grant that helps volunteer and community groups to date their finds has opened applications for its 2023 funding cycle. Robin Holgate discusses some of the key findings from… 
‘Glencoe Massacre’ coin hoard discovered Excavations at a site believed to have been used as a ‘summerhouse’ by Alasdair Ruadh ‘Maclain’ MacDonald, chief of the MacDonalds of Glencoe from 1646 to 1692, have revealed a… 
Brownfield site yields unexpected finds in Cambridge When a team from Oxford Archaeology and RPS Consulting were called in to evaluate a brownfield site at King’s Hedges, on the northern outskirts of Cambridge, they did not expect… 
World News Earliest engravings? A series of marks, found in the La Roche-Cotard cave on the north bank of the Loire River in France, could be the earliest examples of Neanderthal engravings… 
Second World War catapult found in Oxfordshire Work by MOLA in advance of the development of a Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire has uncovered the remains of an experimental catapult from the Second World War.… 
Revealing the lives of Iron Age and Roman farmers in Nottinghamshire Extensive excavations near Newark-on-Trent have revealed a complex farmstead that was in use from the late Iron Age through to the Roman period. Back in June, the investigations – carried… 
Science Notes: Determining the textures and colours of the Parthenon Sculptures When you envisage Greek statues and friezes, you probably picture pure white marble sculptures, pockmarked with age – that is, after all, how they appear today. But that was not… 
Stonehenge Altar Stone is probably not from Wales New research is calling into question the origin and function of the Altar Stone at Stonehenge. A century ago, Herbert Thomas announced that the non-sarsens, dolerites, and volcanic tuffs making… 
Pair of rare Roman-era swords found in Gloucestershire A pair of Roman swords – the first to be found in the Cotswolds, and thought to be only the second time two have been found in the same context… Views
Current Archaeology’s November 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… 
Excavating the Current Archaeology archive Comment Joe Flatman explores over half a century of reports from the past. 
Clearing the cairns – Carn Glas, Inverness The Picture Desk In March and August this year, members of the North of Scotland Archaeological Society (NOSAS) worked together with local volunteers to remove thick gorse that had grown up around three… 
Pipe up for Pipe Organs Groups Thomas Hardy’s second novel – Under the Greenwood Tree (1872) – is a masterpiece of rural comedy with a tragedy at its heart: the usurpation of the centuries-old tradition of… 
Sherds CA 405 Comment Christopher Catling, Contributing Editor for CA, delves into the eccentricities of the heritage world. 
Finds Tray: Early medieval brooch Objects This is an early medieval brooch made from a gilded silver penny, which was found over a year ago by a metal-detectorist in Wiltshire. It was recently acquired by the… 
Museum news and exhibitions Museum, What's on The latest on acquisitions, exhibitions, and key decisions Reviews
Current Archaeology’s November 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… 
The Bone Chests: Unlocking the secrets of the Anglo-saxons REVIEW BY KK For those not familiar with the eponymous ‘bone chests’, they are the – rather innocuous-looking – wooden chests placed high atop the choir screens in Winchester Cathedral,… 
Ballynahatty: excavations in a Neolithic monumental landscape REVIEW BY VICKI CUMMINGS Six miles from Belfast city centre is the monumental complex at Ballynahatty. Today, the circular earthwork known as the Giant’s Ring, with a small megalith set… 
The Forgotten Cemetery: excavations at Ranelagh, Co. Roscommon REVIEW BY CH In the 4th century AD, a modest defended farmstead was established close to what is now Roscommon, in the Irish county of the same name, and over… 
The Archaeology of Ironbridge Gorge in 20 Digs REVIEW BY AB Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire might be a peaceful spot today, but this steep valley on the River Severn was once a hub of industry and manufacturing, and… 
Roman Towns REVIEW BY KK Rogers’ book serves well as a succinct introduction to the Roman towns of Britain. It starts by discussing how these towns evolved, whether de novo or through… 
The Living Stone: stories of uncanny sculpture, 1858-1948 REVIEW BY CH This magazine should reach you in November, bridging the period between Hallowe’en and Christmas – both dates traditionally associated with the sharing of spooky stories. If you… 
From the editor
Our cover story travels to Llanddwyn Island, off the coast of Anglesey, where archaeologists have been documenting traces of two remote and self-sufficient communities: a medieval monastery, and the lighthouse keepers and their families who overlooked the Menai Strait in more recent centuries.
We next travel to Stonehenge to share a little known episode of this world-famous monument’s past: the colourful dahlia festivals that saw crowds of up to 10,000 people flocking to the site in the 1840s.
Eagle-eyed readers might spot that we don’t have a museum or exhibition review this month; this is because two of our features focus on recently opened heritage attractions. The first is Ad Gefrin in Northumberland, which tells the story of the early medieval kingdom of Northumbria and the royal centre at Yeavering; the other is Avalon Archaeology, an innovative open-air museum in Somerset.
You will also doubtless have seen the sad news about the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree. We have taken this as a springboard to explore three different perspectives: how ideas of ‘iconic’ views of Hadrian’s Wall have changed over time, the archaeological context of the tree itself, and how its loss can help us to reflect on current environmental issues.
Finally, tickets are now on sale for the next Current Archaeology Live! – join us in London on 24 February for our annual conference, featuring a full day of talks from leading experts about the latest discoveries and research. See
http://www.archaeology.co.uk/live for more information.
