Cover Story
Oxford Archaeology at 50: Exploring half a century of excavations With one of the UK’s oldest commercial units recently celebrating its 50th birthday, Carly Hilts spoke to its founding director, Tom Hassall, and current CEO, Ken Welsh, about how the archaeological profession has changed over this period – and what… Features
The Swansea Canal: Navigating the history of an industrial artery In 1789, an opinion column in The Times hailed Britain’s canal-building achievements as a matter of national pride – contrasting them with the revolutionary turmoil in France. Aristocrats and entrepreneurs… 
People of Ranelagh: Repopulating a forgotten settlement-cemetery in Co. Roscommon Archaeological investigations ahead of a road improvement scheme near Roscommon town have uncovered traces of more than 1,000 years of medieval life, as well as a major multi-generation cemetery. Carly… 
If walls could talk: Tracing the lost defences of Beaumaris Excavations in Beaumaris, Anglesey, have uncovered elements of the town’s medieval defences that were thought to have been demolished half a century ago, as well as providing vivid insight into… News
Recent storms reveal further burials at the Wemyss Caves Two burials were discovered this past December along the coastline in front of the Wemyss Caves in Fife. While investigations are ongoing, it is thought – based on the date… 
Caithness Broch Project moves forward The Caithness Broch Project (CBP), a charity aiming to build a replica of an Iron Age broch, has finally found – after an extensive search – the perfect location for… 
Stunning details of the Harpole Treasure revealed by conservation More than a year after the discovery of one of the most significant early medieval female burials in Britain (see CA 395), expert conservation work has revealed the artistry of… 
World news: From ritual evidence to the Herculaneum scrolls Ritual evidence from ancient Arabia Recent research into two different mustatils – prehistoric open-air structures seen across northern Arabia – has found that they may have been used for communal… 
New Roman garden opens at Butser Ancient Farm A new Roman garden and mosaic has been unveiled at Butser Ancient Farm, an open-air museum in East Hampshire that hosts a number of historical building recon-structions, spanning from prehistory… 
Final year of excavation at Rendlesham reveals exciting new discoveries The third and final season of excavation at Rendlesham, the East Anglian royal settlement near Sutton Hoo, has revealed the foundations of at least three new structures, including a possible… 
New evidence for the changing importance of cattle husbandry in Ireland Although cattle were introduced to Ireland during the Neolithic period (specifically, by at least 3800-3700 BC), archaeological and documentary evidence indicate that early medieval communities in Ireland put increased value… 
Science Note: Developing a collective osteobiographical approach to cemetery analysis In the past, most analyses of human remains have examined specific, discrete aspects of osteological data such as health, trauma, and migration. In an attempt to provide a more holistic… Views
Current Archaeology Live! 2024 What's on In partnership with: Current Archaeology Live! 2024 is almost here, but it is not too late to book your place. The conference, held in partnership with University College London’s Institute… 
Current Archaeology’s January Listings: exhibitions, events, and heritage from home What's on There is a great range of opportunities to get involved in history, heritage, and archaeology this year, with new exhibitions, lectures, activities, and more coming up over the next few… 
Excavating the CA archive Comment Joe Flatman explores over half a century of reports from the past. 
Finds tray – Medieval ampulla Objects This is a medieval ampulla, probably dating to c.1350-1500, that was recently found near Titchmarch in Northamptonshire. It is made of lead and has a bulbous body that tapers into… 
Living with Land and Sea at the British Museum Museum, What's on As the British Museum launches its first permanent display dedicated to the cultures of Peru and the Andes, Carly Hilts visited to find out more. 
Colliery headstock and winding house listed : Swanwick, Derbyshire The Picture Desk This rare example of a private colliery – called Swanwick Common Colliery and dating to the early 20th century – was recently granted Grade II-listed status. Surviving collieries are rare… 
British Sauna Society Groups The British Sauna Society (BSS) qualifies for inclusion in our ‘Odd Socs’ column by virtue of its support for the bid to secure listed status for Britain’s oldest sauna, a… 
Sherds CA 407 Comment Christopher Catling, Contributing Editor for CA, delves into the eccentricities of the heritage world. Reviews
Current Archaeology Live! 2024 In partnership with: Current Archaeology Live! 2024 is almost here, but it is not too late to book your place. The conference, held in partnership with University College London’s Institute… Current Archaeology’s January Listings: exhibitions, events, and heritage from home There is a great range of opportunities to get involved in history, heritage, and archaeology this year, with new exhibitions, lectures, activities, and more coming up over the next few… Living with Land and Sea at the British Museum As the British Museum launches its first permanent display dedicated to the cultures of Peru and the Andes, Carly Hilts visited to find out more. 
Britain’s Landmarks and Legends: the fascinating stories embedded in our landscape REVIEW BY EDWARD BIDDULPH How did a giant ship create the White Cliffs of Dover? Why can Oxfordshire’s Rollright Stones never be counted? Which ghost said to haunt Lake Windermere… 
50 Post-Medieval and Modern Finds REVIEW BY AB We have so many written and pictorial records created between 1500 and the present day that it might be supposed that artefacts from this time are of… 
Castles and Fortifications of the West Country REVIEW BY KK This brief volume provides a succinct overview of the main castles and fortifications found across the West Country. Starting in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Powell-Thomas… 
In the Shadow of Segsbury REVIEW BY CH Large infrastructure schemes are often archaeologically exciting because they allow us to explore underlying features on a landscape scale. This comprehensive monograph summarises the results of one… 
War Paths: walking in the shadows of the clans REVIEW BY ROBBIE MACNIVEN It is sometimes best to start a review with a comment on what a book is not: War Paths is not an academic work, as the… 
Discovering Medieval Ferns, Co. Wexford REVIEW BY MARIE THERESE FLANAGAN Discovering Medieval Ferns, Co. Wexford, focuses on the town as a regional religious and royal centre in the Kingdom of Leinster during the medieval period.… 
From the editor
Happy New Year! And happy birthday, too, to Oxford Archaeology, one of the UK’s oldest commercial units, which recently celebrated 50 years in operation. When an archaeological organisation reaches such a significant milestone, it is a cause for celebration for all of us, demonstrating that the profession continues to thrive. Our cover feature explores how archaeological practices have changed over half a century, how these changes are reflected in some of the sites dug by OA, and what the future might hold for exploring the past.
From development led investigations to pioneering feats of engineering, we then head west from Oxford into Wales, to take a trip through the 225-year history of the Swansea Canal and its industrial influence.
Travelling further west still to Co. Roscommon in Ireland, our next feature spotlights a different aspect of infrastructure, revealing how investigations associated with road improvement works have uncovered the remains of a previously unknown medieval settlement and multigenerational cemetery.
For our final feature, we return to Wales but move further back in time to learn how recent excavations in Beaumaris, Anglesey, have revealed the surprise survival of a section of the town’s medieval defences that was thought to have been demolished long ago.
Finally, don’t forget to cast your vote in the upcoming CA Awards. Turn to p.60 to learn how to have your say, and for the latest details of our annual conference, at which the results will be announced.
You must be logged in to post a comment.