ca388

The archaeology of Black Cat Quarry: farming, flooding, and fighting in the Great Ouse valley

Recent excavations at Black Cat Quarry in Bedfordshire have revealed a story of farming communities spanning the Neolithic to the early medieval period, as well as the possible remains of an important Viking encampment described in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Ben Dyson, who supervised the majority of excavations and undertook the post-excavation analysis for Archaeological Research Services Ltd, explains more.

CA 388 Letters – June

Digging up memories I was delighted to see a reference to the 1974 excavation alongside the Mermaid Theatre in London (CA 386, ‘The triumphal arch’). I was one of the students working with Martin Millett on the site, while on…

Finds tray – Roman owl figurine

This copper-alloy owl figurine was found last year by a metal-detectorist on cultivated land in the Cotswolds, and it dates to the Roman period, when owls were associated with the goddess Minerva. The 6.8cm-tall bird is perched on a round,…

Farming Wales

This image shows Esgair Llewelyn in Powys, one of the oldest farmhouses in Wales. It was built as a cruck-framed upland hallhouse c.1500. It would have originally had an open fire in the middle of the hall floor, but the…

Below Marble Hill in Twickenham is one of the last survivors of a grand neighbourhood of Georgian villas that once stood beside the Thames.

Restoring Marble Hill: how archaeology helped to revive a Georgian gem

When Henrietta Howard (née Hobart) built her Thames-side country house in Twickenham in the 1720s, it represented so much more than a fashionable escape from the bustle of court life: it was a refuge from her abusive marriage, and a sign of hard-won independence. With the house and its grounds now restored to their Georgian glory, and the site reopening to the public, Carly Hilts visited to find out more.

Archaeology events, exhibitions, and heritage from home

There is a wonderful selection of archaeological and historical events and exhibitions scheduled for this summer, ranging from the return of Europe’s largest Viking festival to new exhibitions at the British Museum and the London Transport Museum. There are also still many ways to get involved in history and heritage at home, with online museum tours and educational resources, social media accounts, TV shows, and much more. Amy Brunskill has put together a summary of some of the options out there.

Left Craig yr Aderyn (‘Bird’s Rock’) is a hill rising 258m above sea level near Llanfihangel y Pennant in Gwynedd. It is home to an Iron Age promontory fort.

What are hillforts? Investigating one of the most misunderstood monuments in Britain and Ireland

Not so long ago, the word ‘hillfort’ was habitually preceded by the words ‘Iron Age’, but now we know plenty of older examples. Not all of them are built on hills, and as for the word ‘fort’ there is little evidence for a defensive or offensive function. So what on earth are they? Having read the new Atlas of the Hillforts of Britain and Ireland, Chris Catling explores decades of research into these puzzling prehistoric monuments.

When was Hadrian’s Wall built?

We know that Britain experienced tumultuous events during Hadrian’s reign. What we do not know is the order in which they played out. The answer may hold the key to understanding Britain’s premier Roman monument, as Matthew Symonds explains.

Fragments of the Bronze Age

Review by Chris Griffiths. Those with an interest in Bronze Age metalwork will know that the literature tends to focus on the question of why metal objects were destroyed and buried: were they deliberately broken for recycling, to serve a…

Far left The Marlipins c.1926, when the building first opened as a museum.

The Marlipins Museum, Shoreham-by-Sea

With its distinctive chequerboard exterior combining Caen stone and knapped flint, the Marlipins building in Shoreham-by-Sea has been an eye-catching landmark for centuries – in fact, dendrochronological analysis suggests that it is the earliest surviving secular building in Sussex. Its…

The Faversham Society

‘Widening access’ and ‘access for all’ are two of the slogans that characterise today’s heritage practice, but the community-minded people of Faversham have been doing access for half a century. Open House, held almost every July since 1982, sees the…

RIGHT When did Hadrian’s ambitious frontier fortifications begin, and was there any kind of dedication ceremony to commemorate the construction? This coin depicting the emperor was minted in AD 129/130.

Commemorating Hadrian’s Wall: searching for signs of a 2nd-century celebration

This year marks the 1,900th anniversary of the visit of the emperor Hadrian to Britain where, according to his biographer writing more than 200 years after the event, ‘he put many things to right and was the first to build a wall 80 miles long to separate the Romans and the barbarians’. In 2022, the anniversary is being marked by events across Britain – but was there a ceremony in AD 122 to mark the building of Hadrian’s Wall? David Breeze, Christof Flügel, Erik Graafstal, and Andreas Thiel explore the possibilities.

ABOVE & LEFT CA’s forays into Essex’s archaeology have included prehistoric and Saxon features at Springfield (CA 108) and, more recently, the discovery of the Burnham Hoard (CA 252).

Excavating Essex

One discovery in Essex above all others has regularly hit the archaeological headlines since the early 2000s – the spectacular Saxon princely burial from Prittlewell, near Southend-on-Sea. This was... one of the most exciting finds made in Britain in this period.

Silures: resistance, resilience, revival

Review by Miranda Aldhouse-Green. Ray Howell’s new book focuses on the Iron Age and the transition to the Roman period as experienced by one particular tribe (or polity), zooming in on the Silures of south-east Wales. In 11 succinct chapters,…