Description
In this issue:
– VINDOLANDA: Revelations from the Roman frontier
– MILLS, DOWN SOUTH: Exploring a forgotten heritage
– OPENING THE CLARENCE VAULT: The search for Richard III’s brother
– THE ‘REAL-TIME’ TEAM: The future of fieldwork
Plus: News, Reviews, Comment, Sherds, Odd Socs, and more!
From the Editor:
In 1929, a bright young scholar named Eric Birley arrived at Vindolanda, the Roman fort and settlement lying just south of Hadrian’s Wall. Eric was to embark on an archaeological journey that forms an important part of British history, and is a voyage of discovery pursued by his family to this day. From his son’s unearthing of the eponymous tablets that report on socks, underpants, and (nasty) little Brits, to his grandson’s recent excavation of a temple dedicated to the eastern god Jupiter Dolichenus, what is the story of Vindolanda ‚ then, and now? Andrew and Tony Birley take us behind the scenes at this most extraordinary and personal site.
Moving through time, we turn to a very different sort of history: the heritage of textile mills, but with a twist. We tend to associate such mills with the North, so it may come as a surprise to discover that many of the earliest (and most beautiful) mills are to be found in the green valleys of the Cotswolds, Somerset, Devon, and Dorset, as Chris Catling reveals.
From there, we embark on a royal detective mission at Tewkesbury Abbey, which houses bones traditionally held to be those of the Duke of Clarence, elder brother of Richard III, plus those of his young wife. But is this really so? John Ashdown-Hill has gone in search of the truth.
Finally, we have brought you a bumper issue of CA this month, with our annual Digs Special, an extra section with sites and advice on where to excavate in 2015.
Happy digging, and good reading!
Nadia Durrani
Cover Date: May-2015, Volume 26 Issue 2