Cover Story
Rendlesham rediscovered: Exploring landscapes of power in early medieval East Anglia Over the last two decades, evidence of a high-status early medieval settlement has been emerging just four miles from Sutton Hoo. What can Rendlesham tell us about the evolution and exercise of royal power in early medieval England? Carly Hilts… Features
People of the past: Building a future for Scotland’s archaeological human remains National Museums Scotland holds one of the largest collections of archaeological human remains from Scotland. Following the creation of cutting-edge facilities to care for and study these remains, as well as the… 
From royal hall to cannonballs: Rediscovering the many lives of the Woolwich Rotunda Currently on the Historic England Heritage at Risk Register and described as being in ‘very bad’ condition, the Woolwich Rotunda is supported by a web of scaffolding and faces an… 
History in the shallows: Exploring intertidal and inland sites Underwater archaeology is not all deep-sea diving. Artefacts and historic remains are periodically exposed on the shoreline before vanishing as the tide rises again, and can be found further inland… News
Science Notes: Revisiting Viking Age art using microwear analysis Archaeologists are increasingly revisiting long-held theories about the past and highlighting how these ideas need to be updated in light of evolving evidence. This is especially the case with many… 
Hundreds of projectiles uncovered at Culloden Excavations on Culloden Battlefield, near Inverness, this past October have recovered more than 100 projectiles in an area of the site that had not previously yielded any archaeological discoveries. The… 
Section of Hadrian’s Wall discovered at Drumburgh Excavations at Drumburgh, 10 miles (16km) from Carlisle, have unearthed a section of Hadrian’s Wall – the best-preserved part of the frontier fortification to be revealed west of the city.… 
Big year at Bremenium Fort Further news from the frontier zone comes from Bremenium Fort – at High Rochester, north of Hadrian’s Wall – where recent excavations have revealed a wealth of finds to add… 
Prehistoric finds excavated at Derrygonnelly Castle A community excavation exploring the remains of Derrygonnelly Castle, a 17th-century fortification in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, has revealed unexpected evidence of extensive prehistoric settlement, pushing back the known habitation… 
Death among the Durotriges For more than 15 years, archaeologists from Bournemouth University have been excavating a number of sites around Winterborne Kingston, near Bere Regis in Dorset. This long-running project has revolutionised our… 
Iron Age hillfort excavated near Perth Excavations just north of Perth have revealed the remains of an Iron Age hillfort that appears to have been inhabited for close to 600 years before it was finally abandoned… 
World news Mass graves and migration in Neolithic France Recent isotopic analysis of human remains from Neolithic mass graves found at Bergheim and Achenheim in Alsace, France, have shed new light on… Views
Current Archaeology Live! 2026 What's on In partnership with: Our upcoming conference, Current Archaeology Live! 2026, will be held on Saturday 28 February. We are delighted to be returning once more to University College London’s Institute… 
Current Archaeology’s December Listings: exhibitions, events, and heritage from home What's on There are lots of great ways to get involved with history and archaeology over the next few months, including exhibitions, lectures, and conferences exploring a wide range of subjects. If… 
Bird-beaked masks Comment During the Black Death of 1347 to 1352, doctors wore bird-beaked masks filled with various herbs that were designed to protect the wearer from breathing poisoned air – or so… 
Great prehistoric sites: famous caves – Excavating the CA archive Comment For my third and final column on the Palaeolithic, I will clamber into some of the most famous caves in the country. Even better – as I will outline at… 
Conserving the ceiling of St Mary’s Church: Grandtully, Perthshire The Picture Desk The ceiling of St Mary’s Church in Grantully, Perthshire, is intricately painted with coats of arms, images of saints, and proverbs, with a central panel depicting what is thought to… 
CA 430 Letters – December Letters Football fact-checking It was good to see some football archaeology being reported in CA 429 (‘Cathkin Park commemorated’). However, the article is misleading when it says that after Queen’s Park… 
Bronze Age: Boat Discoveries at Must Farm What's on A new exhibition at Flag Fen Archaeology Park, near Peterborough, brings the area’s prehistoric past to life – including a trio of Bronze Age and Iron Age log boats. Carly… 
Finds Tray: Zoomorphic figurines Objects This is a trio of zoomorphic figurines that was recently acquired by Worthing Museum thanks to the kindness of the finder and landowner, who both agreed to waive their value.… 
The Last Days of Pompeii: the immersive exhibition What's on A new exhibition in London uses cutting-edge technology to recreate the streets of Pompeii – and the explosive events that turned a thriving Roman settlement into an archaeological time capsule.… 
The C F A Voysey Society Groups In his speech of thanks for the dinner that was given to mark his 70th birthday in 1927, the architect and designer C F A (Charles) Voysey (1857-1941) declared: ‘my… Reviews
Current Archaeology Live! 2026 In partnership with: Our upcoming conference, Current Archaeology Live! 2026, will be held on Saturday 28 February. We are delighted to be returning once more to University College London’s Institute… Current Archaeology’s December Listings: exhibitions, events, and heritage from home There are lots of great ways to get involved with history and archaeology over the next few months, including exhibitions, lectures, and conferences exploring a wide range of subjects. If… Bronze Age: Boat Discoveries at Must Farm A new exhibition at Flag Fen Archaeology Park, near Peterborough, brings the area’s prehistoric past to life – including a trio of Bronze Age and Iron Age log boats. Carly… 
The Last Days of Pompeii: the immersive exhibition A new exhibition in London uses cutting-edge technology to recreate the streets of Pompeii – and the explosive events that turned a thriving Roman settlement into an archaeological time capsule.… 
Community, Technology and Tradition: a social prehistory of the Great Orme Mine REVIEW BY PAUL T CRADDOCK This is a very thorough description of every aspect of the prehistoric copper mines on the Great Orme at Llandudno. It is also an attempt… 
Floreat Salopia: a celebration of Shropshire’s history and archaeology REVIEW BY BRANDON BRAUN The Latin motto for Shropshire – Floreat Salopia, ‘may Shropshire flourish’ – has been used since at least the 17th century, so it is a fitting… 
Cat Tales: A History REVIEW BY CH Dogs may be ‘man’s best friend’, but cats also share a long relationship with humans – a tale (tail?) that archaeologist Jerry Moore recounts in this absorbing… 
Living and Dying in a Lancashire Cotton Town REVIEW BY REBECCA GOWLAND The town of Blackburn in Lancashire was a key player in Britain’s industrial cotton boom, which saw a quadrupling of its inhabitants during the first half… 
Landscapes of Kingship in Early Medieval Ireland, AD 400-1150 REVIEW BY FINBAR McCORMICK This book is the first interdisciplinary analysis of early Irish kingship based on both historical and archaeological sources; it was formerly the preserve of just historians.… 
From the editor
The turning of the year is always a point to pause and reflect. For me, this issue marks a mindful milestone, as it is my 100th since I became Editor. But there is also much to reflect on in the ever-evolving world of archaeology. CA 430 showcases the diversity of disciplines that make up our field, combining a report on a major excavation, thought provoking scientific and ethical insights, a historic building with an intriguing story to tell, and opportunities to take part in underwater investigations.
Our cover feature takes us to Rendlesham in Suffolk where, just four miles from the famous burials at Sutton Hoo, excavations have uncovered fascinating evidence of a large and undeniably high-status settlement. What can this site add to our understanding of the evolution of the East Anglian kingdom and the exercise of early medieval political power?
We next head north to Edinburgh to explore how cutting-edge new scientific facilities are helping to bring the stories of long-forgotten individuals to light once more. National Museums Scotland is home to one of the nation’s largest collections of archaeological human remains; an ongoing project is working to learn more about these people of the past, and to improve how their remains are studied and cared for.
In our third feature, we take a tour of the Woolwich Rotunda, a building that was first constructed to celebrate the defeat of Napoleon, and later served as a military museum. With this unusual structure now facing an uncertain future, we trace its eventful history and consider what might come next.
Finally, we dive into the work of the Nautical Archaeology Society (NAS), highlighting three intertidal and inland projects that you can get involved with.
CARLY
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