Description
In this issue:
– REDATING EARLY ENGLAND: Explaining the end of Anglo-Saxon pre-Christian funerary traditions
– ENSHRINED BY CONSERVATION: A Romano-British shrine in Rutland Water
– DORSTONE HILL: How halls for the living became homes for the dead in Herefordshire
– ALAN SORRELL: ‘An artist, and not an archaeologist’
Plus: News, Reviews, Comment, Sherds, Odd Socs, and more!
From the Editor:
The Early Anglo-Saxon tradition of burying the dead in their finery has bequeathed some of Britain’s most spectacular archaeology, from the regal splendour of Sutton Hoo to cemeteries laden with individuals wearing jewellery or weapons. But how did this practice die out? For many years it was believed to have gradually faded away, with little interference from the Christian Church. Now a major project has redated Early England and rewritten the story. Instead of experiencing a drawn-out decline, furnished burial appears to have been abruptly stamped out by a single Archbishop of Canterbury.
Fascinating insights into religious activity have also been provided by a Roman shrine discovered in Rutland. Inside, discarded animal parts were left decaying on the floor alongside scattered treasures and a curse tablet. The ruined shrine became a tomb in the Anglo-Saxon period, when a shallow grave was dug within its walls.
Another case of works for the living ending up as receptacles for the dead has been encountered in Herefordshire. Here, two monumental Neolithic halls were put to the torch and recycled as burial mounds. As well as the remains allowing a unique glimpse of the halls’ appearance, their funerary role hints at how a founding Neolithic community was venerated by their descendants.
Finally, Alan Sorrell’s much-loved archaeological artistry is being showcased in a new exhibition. We explore the work of a self proclaimed ‘artist, and not an archaeologist’, while Alan’s daughter reveals how a moment of boredom led to a heritage revolution.
Cover Date: Dec-2013, Volume 24 Issue 9