Description
In this issue:
– The Ness of Brodgar: uncovering Orkney’s Neolithic heart
– Pictures worth 1,000 words: capturing Orkney’s chambered cairns
– A new hoard of Roman hacksilver from Fife
– Denarii diplomacy: exploring Scotland’s silver age
– Lochmaben Castle: the tumultuous history behind a romantic ruin
– Scotland in six: celebrating stone and steel
Plus: News, Reviews, Comment, Sherds, Odd Socs, and more!
From the Editor:
As 2017 was Scotland’s Year of Heritage, History, and Archaeology (part of a programme of themed years that has been running since 2009), CA’s first issue of 2018 is a ‘Scottish special’, looking back over the festivities and celebrating some of Scotland’s fascinating archaeological sites and the ongoing research that is bringing their secrets to light once more. All our features, a special report in ‘News’, and a stunning ‘Context’ image showcase sites scattered across the country, as well as a wide range of investigative techniques.
Our cover feature takes us to the Ness of Brodgar in Orkney, home to an astonishing array of Neolithic finds from monumental buildings to hundreds of examples of ancient art. We then roam the Orcadian archipelago more widely to see how digital wizardry called photogrammetry is revolutionising records of the islands’ chambered cairns (a monument type that had its own special issue in CA 34), building models that are both a great boon to research and conservation, and are transforming accessibility to these often-remote tombs.
Moving from prehistory to the Roman period, two short pieces explore how silver was first introduced to the people of Scotland by the imperial army, and unpick a hacksilver hoard, recently found in Fife, that is illuminating how Rome secured her northern frontier.
Finally, we visit Lochmaben Castle, where geophysical survey is revealing clues about a medieval ruin that was once both a Scottish royal stronghold and one of the most important English-held castles in the region; and we tour each of Scotland’s six World Heritage Sites to learn about their diverse histories and how they played their part in the 2017 celebrations.
Carly Hilts
Cover Date: Feb-2018, Volume 28 Issue 11