CA420

Current Archaeology’s February Listings: exhibitions, events, and heritage from home

There are many exciting opportunities to get involved in archaeology over the next few months, including upcoming exhibitions, conferences, and lectures. If you would prefer to enjoy history and heritage at home, though, there are lots of great resources to choose from, including virtual museums and site tours, online archives and digital platforms, and new seasons of your favourite archaeological TV shows. Amy Brunskill has put together a summary of some of the options available.

Roman recycling at Reedham: Exploring the imperial origins of a Norfolk church

Some 12 miles east of Norwich, Reedham’s church of St John the Baptist has a distinctive appearance, dominated by reused Roman stone, brick, and tile. Mike Fulford describes how archaeological research has identified a potential source for this material: a possibly military predecessor preserved beneath the existing medieval structure.

From brewing to bread: Exploring the buildings of the British malting industry

In CA 419, Chris Catling reported on the history and development of kilns and oast houses used for drying the hops that help to preserve and give flavour to beer. This month, he reports on the buildings associated with the production of the malted grain used primarily in making beer and whisky, but also as an ingredient in a range of foods, from bagels to biscuits, and from vinegar to Ovaltine.

CA Letters 420 – February

Mentioning money I wanted to comment on the excellent article ‘Fields of Gold’ in CA 419.Snettisham is not only notable for buried torcs but it is also a ‘hot spot’ for coins – less spectacular, maybe, than torcs, but equally…

Bronze Age brutality? Exploring evidence for interpersonal violence at Charterhouse Warren

Why were the remains of dozens of men, women, and children thrown into a deep shaft in Bronze Age Somerset? They had suffered violent deaths, after which their bodies were butchered and probably partly consumed in an act unprecedented in British prehistory. Carly Hilts describes recently published research into possible motivations behind these events.

‘A neat and beautiful theatre’: Tracing the surprising story of Bury St Edmunds Market Cross

Bury St Edmunds’ neoclassical Market Cross recently celebrated its 250th anniversary – but the structure has a much longer tale to tell. Former County Archaeologist Adrian Tindall explores the Suffolk landmark’s colourful past, including its role as a playhouse and its place in the story of the National Anthem.

Current Archaeology Live! 2025

In partnership with: Current Archaeology Live! 2025 is almost here, and tickets are selling fast. The conference, held in partnership with University College London’s Institute of Archaeology, will be on Saturday 1 March, at the UCL Institute of Education, near…

Dover boat & Newport Ship: Excavating the CA archive

My ‘great’ site this month comprises two sites – actually, two ships – linked by common stories of survival against the odds. In September 1992, the remains of a boat dating to the Middle Bronze Age were discovered in central Dover by workers constructing part of the A20 link road leading to Folkestone.

Novel words

Dictionary publishers like to end the year by announcing the new words that that they have added to the lexicon based on the frequency with which they have appeared in print during the preceding 12 months. Not all of these words are new, and this year’s crop consists mainly of familiar words that have undergone shifts in meaning.

Museum news

The latest on acquisitions, exhibitions, and key decisions.

The Great Mughals: art, architecture, and opulence at the V&A

A vibrant exhibition currently running at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London illuminates the ingenuity and influence of the Mughal Empire. Carly Hilts visited to learn more.

Branching out: New genetic analysis illuminates Iron Age and early medieval migrations

A new, more precise way of analysing historic ancestries has revealed previously unknown waves of human movement during the 1st millennium AD. Carly Hilts and Rebecca Preedy report.

Tantalising tesserae: North Leigh Roman Villa

These photographs show a colourful mosaic at North Leigh Roman Villa: the only example in Oxfordshire that remains in situ. The villa was excavated in 1813 by Henry Hakewill, and originally boasted at least 19 geometric mosaics. Today, only one…

The Snettisham Hoards (British Museum Research Publication 225)

REVIEW BY TIM PESTELL Only a handful of British archaeological sites can be truly described as iconic, but Snettisham in Norfolk has a strong claim, having become synonymous with the presence and hoarding there of Iron Age torcs. The questions…

Neolithic Life and Death in the Yorkshire Dales

REVIEW BY PENNY BICKLE For the Neolithic of Britain and Ireland, there is a tendency for the usual famous monuments – such as Stonehenge or Newgrange – to capture the majority of both public and academic imagination. This leaves many…

Terror and Magnificence: The London churches of Nicholas Hawksmoor

REVIEW BY RP To those who regularly stroll the streets of London, the churches of Nicholas Hawksmoor might be a familiar sight, even if the architect’s name is not. Perhaps overshadowed by contemporaries such as Sir Christopher Wren and Sir…

Murder in Anglo-Saxon England: Justice, wergild, revenge

REVIEW BY RP The early medieval period is often thought of as a hotbed of violence. It is perhaps, then, a surprise to learn that only around 90 reported murders exist from five centuries of Anglo-Saxon England. Annie Whitehead’s book…

A Short History of British Architecture: From Stonehenge to the Shard

REVIEW BY ALISTAIR FAIR Simon Jenkins’ Short History of British Architecture ranges over several thousand years of cathedrals, castles, and grand buildings. Jenkins enjoys a good example and a memorable phrase. Inevitably in a survey, there is some unevenness, with…

Baltinglass and the Prehistoric Hillforts of Ireland

REVIEW BY GARY LOCK The Baltinglass area has rightly been called ‘Ireland’s Hillfort Capital’ due to the 13 or so large enclosures on hilltops surrounding the modern town. The area has been intensively studied by a team from University College…

Partners for Sacred Places

For this month’s ‘Odd Socs’, we cross the Atlantic to look at the work of Partners for Sacred Places (PSP), an organisation dedicated to finding creative ways to maintain America’s historic places of worship as civic spaces. These buildings face…

A sticky subject: Exploring ancient adhesives in museum collections

Recent research has shed invaluable light on the use of adhesives on ancient metalwork, and how these substances can be identified and analysed in curated artefacts. Carly Hilts spoke to Tabea Koch, Sophia Adams, and Rebecca Stacey to learn more.

World News

Neolithic site uncovered in Sweden Archaeologists working in the Swedish village of Hammar have excavated the remains of a unique ceremonial site associated with the Funnel Beaker Culture. A large number of finds from the site, which is located on…

Painted dog penis bone linked to Roman fertility rituals

Analysis of hundreds of human and animal bones recovered from a Roman quarry shaft at Ewell, Surrey, has revealed the presence of a red-painted dog baculum (penis bone), which may have had some religious significance. The Nescot shaft, as the…

Rare Roman sarcophagus burial found near Peterborough

A rare stone sarcophagus is among more than 20 Roman burials that have been uncovered by archaeologists working on a road improvement project between Wansford and Sutton. The investigation, undertaken by Headland Archaeology, revealed 15 burials within an enclosed cemetery,…

Roman kiln site found near Poole Harbour

The remains of a large Roman pottery production site have emerged during major excavations at the Moors at Arne, near Poole Harbour in Dorset. Important wildlife habitats are threatened by rising sea levels, which the Environment Agency – in partnership…

‘Lost’ fragment of music identified in Scotland

A short fragment of musical notation has been identified as part of a pre-Reformation religious chant, offering interesting insights into the musical traditions of 16th-century Scotland. The piece of music was originally discovered in 2011, but until recently its identity…

Anglo-Saxon coin hoard discovered in Suffolk

A hoard of more than 300 11th-century coins, still carefully packaged within their lead and cloth container, has been uncovered in Suffolk. The discovery was made during archaeological work ahead of constructing Sizewell C nuclear power station. While investigating a…

UK news in brief

Historic Scottish manuscript made available to public A text from Scotland is being made available to the public for the first time in 500 years after its acquisition by the University of St Andrews. The manuscript consists of a largely…

Finds Tray – Nail cleaner

This object was found by a metal-detectorist in Roxby cum Risby, North Lincolnshire, and was subsequently identified by the local Finds Liaison Officer as a nail cleaner, or possibly a surgical instrument, dating to the late Roman period (c.AD 250-410).…

Ornate sword recovered from Anglo-Saxon cemetery in Kent

Archaeological work centred on an early medieval cemetery near Canterbury has uncovered a number of high-status graves, one of which produced an exceptionally well-preserved 6th-century sword. The weapon is being worked on by archaeologists from the University of Central Lancashire…

Science Notes: Writings on the wall -Revealing the historical graffiti of the Tower of London

A major project at the Tower of London has revealed hundreds of graffiti written by prisoners, as well as other historical visitors to the site, thanks to cutting-edge technology. The initiative, conducted by Dr Jamie Ingram as part of his…