CA426

A game of tombs? Rethinking what the dead can tell us about Neolithic society in Ireland

Who was buried in the passage tombs of Neolithic Ireland? For centuries, many thought that these monuments were the final resting places of a ruling elite, and in 2020 this seemed to be confirmed by ancient DNA analysis which revealed that some of the individuals interred within them were related. Now, however, Penny Bickle, Kerri Cleary, Catherine J Frieman, Neil Carlin, Daniela Hofmann, and Jessica Smyth describe recent research that examines the results in light of their wider archaeological context, exploring complex funerary rites which, they argue, were just one form of kin-building among
a community with much wider social networks.

‘Cathedrals of commerce’ : A guide through the Golden Age of the British High Street

In her new book about High Street heritage, Kathryn Morrison takes us on a trip down memory lane and reminds us that design quality was once a proud part of a retailer’s branding and public appeal, shaping our shopping experiences and the appearance of our historic town centres. Some claim that the High Street is in decline, but the best shops from the past provide a legacy on which to build a bright future, as Chris Catling reports.

The UK’s first purpose-built prisoner-of-war camp

Most of us associate prisoner-of-war camps with 20th-century conflicts, but an archaeological evaluation undertaken in July 2009 by Channel 4’s Time Team revealed that the first specially constructed camp dates to the late 18th century, when it was used for incarcerating thousands of enemy prisoners taken during the Napoleonic Wars of 1793-1815.

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

There are lots of great ways to get involved with history and archaeology over the next few months, including exhibitions, lectures, and conferences exploring a wide range of subjects. If you would prefer to get your heritage fix from the comfort of your sofa, though, there is a variety of resources on offer online, too, from virtual site tours and digital offerings from museums to podcasts, TV shows, and more. Amy Brunskill has put together a selection of some of the options available.

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Roman towns and cities: Lincoln – Excavating the CA archive

As part of my ongoing mini-series on the towns of Roman Britain, I will focus in this column on Roman Lincoln (Lindum), which was founded as a legionary fortress during the reign of Nero (AD 54-68), and subsequently developed into a colonia (a settlement for retired soldiers) after AD 86 during the reign of Domitian (AD 81-96).

CA Letters 426 – August

Counting Quaker Meeting Houses I enjoyed the article on the Quaker Meeting Houses in CA 422. I have searched for the Meeting Houses associated with 250 years of my Quaker ancestors, via train, bus, and foot, and found seven extant,…

Repast: the story of food

REVIEW BY CH Packed with more than 300 illustrations, this wide-ranging book is as much a feast for the eyes as it is a fascinating exploration of humanity’s relationship with food. Throughout history and across cultures, one thing that unites…

Ice Age art now

Ice Age Art Now

REVIEW BY HANNA MCNULTY What if Ice Age art was not confined to glass cases or academic articles, but displayed in galleries alongside contemporary artists? In Ice Age Art Now, Jill Cook curates just that experience. Spanning the final 20,000…

The Great War Aviation Society

The decade between the first successful powered flight – made by the Wright Brothers on 17 December 1903 – and the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914 is known as the pioneer era for aviation, as research…

Finds Tray – Spherical knop

This artefact was discovered by a metal-detectorist near Corringham, Lincolnshire, earlier this year. It has been identified as one of the spherical knops from an Iron Age openwork toggle or possibly a fragment from a horse harness, and is believed…

Big feet at Magna Roman Fort

During the latest digging season at Magna Roman Fort, a number of unusually large shoes were discovered, larger even than any of the approximately 5,000 ancient shoes that have been uncovered at nearby Vindolanda. It is currently the third season…

Surveying Skomer Island

A new 3D digital survey of Skomer Island, located a mile off the coast of Pembrokeshire, has revealed new details of its archaeological sites, allowing the public to appreciate many of them for the first time. The island, which is…

Fengate Ware found at Fordingbridge

Excavations at Fordingbridge, Hampshire, just outside the New Forest National Park, have revealed an important rural settlement that was occupied from the Iron Age into the Roman period. Traces of much earlier Neolithic activity were also found, with rare 5,000-year-old…

Barbican uncovered in Chichester

The remains of a stone tower have been discovered during a recent archaeological dig in Chichester’s Priory Park. They are believed to be the remains of a barbican that would have been used to defend the West Sussex city’s Norman…

World news

‘Dragon Man’ was Denisovan? New palaeoproteomic and DNA evidence suggests that ‘Dragon Man’ – a hominin cranium first discovered in the 1930s near Harbin in north-east China – is not a new species as had previously been hypothesised but is…

UK news in brief

Final ‘Victories’ tapestry back at Blenheim After a long conservation process, the final tapestry in the ‘Victories’ series, The Surrender of Lille, has been reinstated in the First State Room of Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire. The tapestry depicts the famous parley…