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CA Letters – January 2022

Your view on past issues of Current Archaeology.

LEFT Julien Lorieux’s 1908 sculpture La Sainte Catherine depicts a lively cluster of ‘Catherinettes’ in Paris’ Square Montholon.

The patron saint of spinners and spinsters

In 1473, Robert Wodelarke marked the feast of St Catharine by founding a college of priests in Cambridge, commanding them to pray for their founder daily while completing their theological studies

London Clay: journeys in the deep city

London Clay is an impressionistic survey of London and its history, filtered through the prism of the underlying geological strata. It is at once personal and overarching, meandering from pre-Roman to Victorian, south London to north, via what Chivers (a…

Ice Age mammoth bones and Neanderthal tools found in Swindon

The find has been dubbed the ‘biggest mammoth discovery for a generation’

UK news in brief: Roman crucifixion, Tudor paintings, and Skara Brae

A brief look at some of the latest stories within the realm of UK archaeology, including evidence of crucifixion from Roman Cambridgeshire, the discovery of Tudor wall paintings at Old Hall in Yorkshire, and the creation of a 3D model of Neolithic Orkney's Skara Brae settlement.

Early Medieval Britain c.500-1000

Is there room for another general history of early medieval Britain? The answer is ‘yes, of course’ when it is as fresh and interesting as this one. Its USP is that it examines the history of the different peoples of…

Current Archaeology LIVE! 2022

Current Archaeology Live! 2022 is coming up quickly, with the event scheduled to run over the weekend of 25-27 February. Like last year, it will be held online, with all the talks going live on our YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/c/currentarchaeology) on…

RIGHT This was the campaign chest of abolitionist activist Thomas Clarkson, in which he collected West African textiles and other objects that he used to argue against the slave trade. It was given to Wisbech & Fenland Museum in 1870.

From West Africa to Wisbech: analysing 18th-century textiles in Thomas Clarkson’s campaign chest

Cutting-edge analysis of 18th-century West African textiles collected by the abolitionist campaigner Thomas Clarkson has shed vivid light on their manufacture, make-up, and where they may have been made. Sarah Coleman, Margarita Gleba, and Malika Kraamer explain what has been revealed so far.

Cornwall’s Military Heritage

Cornwall is a county with a long military history, and reminders of its past can be found scattered across the landscape, ranging from Iron Age hillforts to Cold War control centres. Surrounded by sea on three sides, Cornwall has been…

Right The discovery of the skeleton of Richard III underneath a car park in Leicester in 2012 drew international attention and led to three CA cover features.

Excavating Leicestershire and Rutland

The discovery, excavation, and analysis of the Richard III's remains in Leicester between 2012 and 2015 was one of the most famous archaeological projects of recent times, drawing global attention to the city.

Rebuilt Romano-Celtic temple unveiled in Kent

It is 70m from where archaeological remains thought to represent a 1st-century AD temple were discovered

Left The wall paintings on the south wall of the south aisle at St Cadoc’s church, Llancarfan, Vale of Glamorgan, with the magnificent St George in the centre and Death and the Gallant to the left. Higher up is the princess rescued by St George and her royal parents peering anxiously from the battlements of their palace. To the right is the Virgin blessing the scene beneath the shield of the probable sponsor (the Bawdrip family, of nearby Fonmon Castle), and beyond are depictions of the Seven Deadly Sins.

Lost and found: wall paintings and rood-screens in Welsh churches

In response to the Black Lives Matter protests of June 2020, influential voices within the Anglican church called for the removal of every monument and stained-glass window commemorating people connected with slavery and empire. Ideologically motivated change on such a scale might seem unprecedented, but it has happened time and again throughout history, not least in the 16th and 17th centuries when wall paintings were obliterated and rood-lofts demolished. New discoveries remind us what we have lost, as Chris Catling reports.

Opposite The first or bottom panel of the mosaic, showing Achilles (on the left) and Hector duelling on chariots. Achilles, the victor, appears larger than his opponent, whose horses are also smaller. Lines can be seen under the horses’ front feet, added to indicate movement, ULAS’ John Thomas said.

Greek myth in Roman Rutland: unearthing scenes from the Trojan War

An intricate Roman mosaic depicting the triumph of the Greek warrior Achilles over Hector of Troy, recently unearthed in Rutland, has been hailed as the region’s most stunning archaeological discovery to-date. Hazel Blair spoke to John Thomas, Anthony Beeson, David Neal, and Peter Kruschwitz to find out more about the meaning behind its motifs.

Time Team survey Sutton Hoo

The results will be shared in spring, in a new episode of Time Team that will air on the ‘Time Team Official’ YouTube Channel.

Manuscripts in the Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms: cultures and connections

Associated with the 2019 British Library exhibition Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms: art, word, war, these 14 short essays demonstrate the specialised scholarship that lies behind the choice and description of items in such an exhibition. The contents of each closely focused chapter…

Events, exhibitions, and heritage from home in Spring 2022

At the time of writing, many new archaeology- and history-related events are being scheduled around the UK. We have put together another selection of some of the upcoming ‘in-person’ activities and resources you can take advantage of, but there are also still lots of ways to get your archaeology fix from home, ranging from new online museums to TV shows that go behind the scenes at heritage sites. Amy Brunskill has gathered some of the highlights.

Left The Nebra Sky Disc, the earliest known representation of the cosmos.

The world of Stonehenge

In February, the UK’s first major exhibition focusing on the story of Stonehenge will open at the British Museum. Carly Hilts went to a preview of the upcoming blockbuster to find out more.

Culduthel: an Iron Age craftworking centre in north-east Scotland

The rapid suburban expansion of Inverness in recent decades has led to a patchwork of prehistoric sites being discovered through developer-funded excavations. In 2005, however, Headland Archaeology hit the motherlode at Culduthel. They had discovered a multi-period prehistoric site whose…

The Wall ‘warrior’ in context: exploring African identities in Roman Britain

Recent analysis of a 1st-century lead figurine at Wall Roman site in Staffordshire, depicting a man from sub-Saharan Africa, has shed new light on perceptions of identity in Roman Britain. Carly Hilts spoke to Cameron Moffett to find out more.

Museum news – January 2022

The latest on acquisitions, exhibitions, and key decisions.

Burghead Pictish fort digitised in 3D

The fort sits on a sand dune and is thought to have been occupied as early as the 6th century AD

A trick of the light: the Great North Museum

Glowing in vivid technicolour against a pitch-black backdrop, the stone blocks pictured here are part of a group of seven Roman altars that have been reimagined in colour using only projected light – all as part of a new, immersive…

ABOVE A single church can yield no end of treasures. In this case, the church of St Mary, in Chilham, Kent, has the remarkable English Renaissance tomb of Margaret Palmer (d. 1619) made from the local grey Bethersden marble, polished then etched with rose and honeysuckle blossoms and vine leaves in shallow relief. Nearby is the monument to Arthur and Edmund Hardy (d. 1858, presumably of a childhood illness), whose family owned Chilham Castle from 1861 to 1918, sculpted by Alexander Munro, with its unique depiction of a bat and shuttlecock. In the opposite (southern) aisle is the monument to Lady Mary Digges (d. 1631), with alabaster figures of Justice, Temperance, Prudence, and Fortitude (shown here) carved by Nicholas Stone.

Church Crawlers Anonymous

This ‘society’ consists of an informal Facebook group with some 1,600 members. Anyone who shares the group’s passion for exploring places of worship and contributing photographs that inspire others to enjoy visiting such places can join. Perhaps more people would…

The Middle Ages: a graphic history

Spanning roughly 1,100 years, this lively book is billed as ‘a romp across continents and kingdoms’, and it does not disappoint. Historian Eleanor Janega unpicks complex topics with verve, irreverent humour, and a scattering of pop-culture references, all accompanied by…