Description
In this issue:
– Aberdeen’s Mither Kirk
– Great Excavations
– London: 18th-century slum life
– Skye: Viking naval base
Plus: News, Reviews, Comment, Sherds, Odd Socs, and more!
From the Editor:
September is Scottish archaeology month. In celebration we open with two projects delivering spectacular results.
The largest excavation ever undertaken in Aberdeen has uncovered four churches, and the remains of over 2,000 individuals. These reveal the impact of improved living standards, and a gradual Reformation.
A suspected Viking harbour on Skye has been big news. But this remarkable Medieval naval base is only part of the western Scottish seaboard story. Renowned for its tranquillity today, this was once a bustling maritime highway.
The St Giles Rookery in London was a notorious den of Victorian vice and squalor that both fascinated and repelled contemporary commentators. How accurate was their testimony? Recent excavations have produced a more nuanced picture, showing pockets of wealth amongst the poverty.
Everyone who has been on a dig knows they are powerful bonding experiences. The hard graft required to peel back the centuries forges friendships that last a lifetime. We explore how great excavations have shaped modern archaeology, and individual lives.
Finally, Sherds dissects the stir Cllr Alan Melton caused by casting archaeologists as obstacles to development. However ill-informed his views may be, they serve as a reminder that those who love heritage can never be complacent. Despite the discoveries flowing from developer-funded archaeology, there are those who are itching to bulldoze it away without record.
Cover Date: Sep-2011, Volume 22 Issue 6