Description
In this issue:
– Bax Farm: Roman baptistery
– Bouldnor Cliff: Mesolithic
– Folkestone: Roman and Iron Age
– Kent’s Cavern: a response
– Kent’s Cavern: the archaeology
– Kent’s Cavern: the maxilla
Plus: News, Reviews, Comment, Sherds, Odd Socs, and more!
From the Editor:
The most exciting thing about archaeology is the way fresh discoveries can overturn established theories in the blink of an eye. Witnessing how a new consensus emerges from these is also thrilling, and the sight of scholars with opposing views scoring and conceding points is a conference staple. Ultimately this debate forges our perceptions of the past.
This issue we bring you one such debate in its raw form. The announcement that a jawbone found in Kent’s Cavern, Torquay, is not only modern human, but also from the earliest modern human in Britain grabbed many headlines this month. Less reported was the concern among archaeologists working in the cavern that the deposits were unsuitable for the dating technique used. Here we present the arguments, and take a detailed look at major research underway in the cave.
Another important discovery is the existence of a key Iron Age settlement under the Roman villa at Folkestone. As archaeologists race to excavate the remains before they are lost to the sea, we examine a prehistoric port on the scale of Hengistbury Head.
The Mesolithic site at Bouldnor Cliff is already underwater. Publication of research there provides an opportunity to catch up with the latest findings. Finally, the excavation of a late Roman octagonal building has reignited debate about the purpose of these high-status structures. Were they custom built for the bulk baptism of pagans?
Cover Date: Jan-2012, Volume 22 Issue 10