The UK’s first crematorium
Sherds was intrigued to encounter two interesting items recently that have to do with the treatment of human remains. (Anyone who is grieving or has suffered a recent bereavement might like to skip over these reports.)
CA425
Roman towns and cities: Cirencester – Excavating the CA archive
This month’s column comprises the latest in a ‘Roman towns’ miniseries. I have recently visited Chester and Colchester, and next up is Cirencester (Corinium).
Revealing Roman Wroxeter: New insights from one of Britannia’s largest urban centres
The first research excavation to take place at Wroxeter in more than 30 years has illuminated a previously unexplored area of one of the largest urban centres in Roman Britain. Peter Guest, Roger H White, and Mike Luke report.
A life on the tiles: Exploring the work of David Neal as artist and archaeologist
David Neal’s name is synonymous with Romano-British mosaics: since 1960, he has documented every new discovery (more recently in collaboration with Stephen Cosh). His meticulous records and reconstructions fill the five-volume corpus of Roman Mosaics of Britain published by the Society of Antiquaries between 2002 and 2024 (see CA 223). Based on his new autobiography, Chris Catling reports on David’s formative years and the people who led him to a life in archaeology.
The future of studying the past: Showcasing archaeological science at Fort Cumberland
Historic England’s laboratories at Fort Cumberland, near Portsmouth, recently reopened after major refurbishment. Carly Hilts visited the new facilities and spoke to Gill Campbell, Jen Heathcote, Ian Morrison, Simon Mays, Francesca Gherardi, and Angela Middleton to learn about some of the latest advances in archaeological understanding to which the site’s specialists have contributed.
Festival of Archaeology
This month sees a return of the Council for British Archaeology’s annual Festival of Archaeology, with a wealth of in-person and online events taking place across the UK between 19 July and 3 August. The theme for 2025 is ‘Archaeology and Wellbeing’. Here is a selection of regional highlights; for more details, and to explore the full programme, see www.archaeologyuk.org/festival.html.
Current church archaeology: Exploring the peculiarities of excavating in sacred spaces
Churches have long been a key feature of Britain’s urban and rural landscapes, and many are of great historical significance in addition to their religious meaning. In this article, Chiz Harward outlines some of the features (and challenges) particular to carrying out archaeological work within parish churches.
CA Letters 425 – July
Finding lost farmsteads I was intrigued by the article on South Yorkshire (‘Fields and farmsteads’, CA 424) and the reference to the absence of evidence of farming and occupation of the area between the late 10th century and the 16th/17th centuries…
A Midlands milestone: Marking 30 years of excavations by the University of Leicester Archaeological Services
With one of the UK’s major commercial units celebrating its 30th birthday this year, Carly Hilts spoke to Vicki Score, John Thomas, Jen Browning, Matt Beamish, and Alice Forward about ULAS’ journey into the past.
Current Archaeology’s July Listings: exhibitions, events, and heritage from home
There is a fantastic selection of opportunities to immerse yourself in history and heritage this summer, from new exhibitions and heritage attractions to conferences and activity days. Or, if you would prefer to get stuck into archaeology at home instead, there is plenty to choose from, including digitised museum collections, virtual site tours, and online resources. Amy Brunskill has put together a summary of some of the options available.
Go digging!
Following on from our special sections in CA 422, 423, and 424,
this selection of summer digging opportunities includes projects
in Gloucestershire, the Cotswolds, and Nottinghamshire.
Cornwall Museum & Art Gallery, Truro
Cornwall Museum & Art Gallery in Truro is undergoing a major transformation. Carly Hilts visited the recently refurbished ‘Heart of Cornwall’ archaeology displays.
Museum news
The latest on acquisitions, exhibitions, and key decisions.
Victory at Vindolanda – Bardon Mill, Northumberland
During this year’s annual excavations at the Roman auxiliary fort of Vindolanda, Jim and Dilys Quinlan from Merseyside – who have been volunteering on the site for 21 years – discovered this sandstone relief. It was found in May, in…
Castles of Scotland
REVIEW BY KK With more than 1,500 castles – a term that Andrew Powell-Thomas uses to cover everything from medieval military fortifications and tower houses to crenellated mansions and great estates – still standing in Scotland today, no book can…
‘Your Church Newly Built…’: a history of the Church of the Holy Trinity, Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire
REVIEW BY ADAM KLUPS Few church reordering projects are lucky enough to be celebrated with a book, but this publication by archaeologist Chiz Harward is a compelling exception. Commissioned to oversee archaeological work during the church’s major 2016-2021 reordering –…
Between Peak and Plain: Excavations on a Multiperiod Site at Mellor, Stockport, 1998-2009
REVIEW BY HEATHER BEETON This report is a result of 11 seasons of extensive excavations of the multiperiod site at Mellor hilltop in Stockport, carried out by University of Manchester Archaeological Unit. Occupation started in the Mesolithic and continued in…
Landscape Stability and the Formation of Social Memory in Prehistoric Britain
REVIEW BY RICHARD BRADLEY Archaeologists study memories in prehistory and help to create them in the present. Ancient people must have had a sense of the past, just as we do today. That is why older monuments were visited and…
The Celts: a modern history
REVIEW BY JODY JOY Many books have been written about the ancient Celts, whether from the standpoint of a shared identity across a connected Europe, or a more sceptical perspective, arguing for regional diversity and more complicated histories. This book…
A Land Won from Waste: Scotland AD 400-1400
REVIEW BY SOPHIA CHAPPLE Richard Oram presents a thorough and digestible environmental history of medieval Scotland in his new book A Land Won from Waste. Covering AD 400-1400, this is one of three in a wider series spanning from AD…
Science Notes: Analysing amino acids to ascertain Palaeolithic chronologies
In this month’s ‘Science Notes’, we are examining amino acid geochronology (AAG) – a dating technique that can be used to help date the whole Quaternary period, from c.2 million years ago up to the present day. Recently, a team…
UK news in brief
Napoleonic war camp saved for the nation The first purpose-built prisoner-of-war camp in the world – dating from the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars – has been saved for future generations through its recent purchase by Nene Park Trust, with…
Sutton Hoo bucket revealed as cremation urn
Following the discovery of more pieces of the Bromeswell Bucket at Sutton Hoo last year (see CA 414), the fragments have now been micro-excavated, revealing its intact base along with the cremated remains of both human and animal bones. The…
Redating the famous Maiden Castle burials
New dating evidence from the burials found at the Iron Age hillfort of Maiden Castle, in Dorset, has revealed that they were interred over a period of a century or more, and were not all from one mass casualty evident.…
Excavating Eaglais na h-Aoidhe on the Isle of Lewis
The medieval Eaglais na h-Aoidhe (St Columba’s Church) stands on the coastline at Aiginis on the Isle of Lewis. In 2015, coastal erosion threatened to undermine parts of the Scheduled church and graveyard site and revealed deeply stratified midden layers.…
Uncovering Moira Castle
A community excavation within Moira Demesne – a public park in Northern Ireland – has revealed finds spanning from prehistory through to the 18th century. Once the location of a fine country house called Moira Castle, the excavation is being…
Relapsing fever bacteria identified in skeletal remains
Four archaeological samples taken from contexts spanning in date from the early Iron Age to the medieval period have tested positive for Borrelia recurrentis – a bacterium that causes relapsing fever, an illness with many recurring episodes of fever. It…
World News
Dionysian frieze discovered in Pompeii Ongoing excavations of a grand domus in Pompeii’s Insula 10, Regio IX, have revealed a series of spectacular finds, including a dining room decorated with scenes from the Trojan War (CA 412), a lararium or…
Ground-penetrating radar reveals new details of Lincoln Castle
A ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey conducted on the open spaces of Lincoln Castle has revealed a series of archaeological features, including previously unknown structures that probably pre-date the Norman castle and which add to our overall understanding of the evolution…
Holst Victorian House
Gustavus Theodore von Holst was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, just over 150 years ago, on 21 September 1874. (He changed his name to plain Gustav Holst because of anti-German feeling during the First World War.) His birthplace is now a…
Finds Tray – Silver cross pendant
This is a gilded silver cross pendant or pectoral cross, dating to the early medieval period – most likely the 8th century. It was discovered in August 2021 by a metal-detectorist in a field near Leeds, and was recently acquired…