Becoming America: How science shaped a nation
What role did science play in the emergence of the United States of America? Matthew Symonds spoke to Elissavet Ntoulia about scientific knowledge and its practical applications as a nation was born.
cartography
CA 437 Letters – July
Preserving trig points There are various ways of protecting trig points (‘Sherds’, CA 436). This example (below) sits within the Iron Age hillfort known as Castle Hill, close to the Roman fort of Bar Hill on the Antonine Wall in…
Retreading old trails
A comprehensive road system underpinned the exceptional degree of mobility and trade that characterised the Roman Empire, and much of the modern road system in Europe and the Mediterranean region is built on top of Roman constructions. Roman roads are also among the earliest relics of antiquity to be studied and mapped.
Site of Washington’s ‘friendly fire’ incident located in Pennsylvania
Archaeologists in western Pennsylvania have identified the site of a tragic episode during the North American conflict known as the French and Indian War (1754-1763). On the evening of 12 November 1758, two Virginia regiments, led by Lieutenant Colonel George…
The Nile Mosaic at Palestrina
Robert R Frost explores Graeco-Roman Egypt through the scenes in a stunning Nilotic mosaic.
Nelson’s Pathfinders: A forgotten story in the triumph of British sea power
REVIEW BY NICK HEWITT No matter how long you study a subject, there is always something new to learn, and this reviewer learned a great deal from Michael Barritt’s excellent account of ‘how Thomas Herd made hydrographic capability a crucial…
Maps that tell a story
When Venice features in the media, the story is usually about the malign consequences of flooding, cruise ships, and tourism, which crowds out more positive news, like the development of the Venice Time Machine, due to be showcased at this year’s European Association of Archaeologists conference in Rome.
Forum: Comments and conundrums
Your observations, your objections, and your opinions on CWA.
UK news in brief
A round-up of some of the latest archaeology news from around the UK.
Modelling the Roman road network in the south-west
A recent modelling project has created a probable map of the Roman road network across the counties of Devon and Cornwall, showing how it may have connected with the wider province of Britannia. While the presence of a few Roman…
Bismarck’s War: the Franco-Prussian war and the making of modern Europe
REVIEW BY DAVID PORTER Although the often-forgotten Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871 was launched by the French Empire of Napoleon III, the truly central figure in the conflict – as the title of this new book by historian Rachel Chrastil suggests…
The British Cartographic Society
The British Cartographic Society (BCS) was formed in 1963, and since then map-making has undergone a revolution, from land survey using theodolites to digital survey using satellites. But the infrastructure for the old ways still exists and the most recent…
In search of lost islands in Cardigan Bay
New research seems to suggest that two ‘lost’ islands depicted on a medieval map of the Welsh coastline did once exist.
British Historic Towns Atlas – Volume VII: Oxford
Review by Graham Keevill The Historic Towns Trust was established in 1965 as part of the International Commission for European Towns to publish analytical maps of our historic urban centres. The early publications in the 1960s-1970s were multi-town volumes covering…
Heritage on the River Thames
I was reminded of his contempt for journalism during the summer, when the BBC and scores of newspapers that consider themselves serious reported that the drought was so severe that the source of the River Thames had dried up.
Land Surveying in Ireland, 1690-1830
Review by William D Shannon. O ’Cionnaith, himself a land surveyor, presents a vivid account of how Ireland became one of the most-mapped countries in the world, following the Cromwellian and Williamite land redistributions, which led to the Down Survey…
This week: Mapping the cosmos
These days, we take it for granted that we carry the world – and the cosmos – in our pockets. Powerful smart phones and ever-more-sophisticated technology mean that we can summon up highly detailed maps both of the earth and the heavens above with just a few taps of the screen. It was not always like this, of course.
Maps Quiz
In Greek myth, who carried the heavens on his shoulders?
The Shaping of the English Landscape: an atlas of archaeology from the Bronze Age to Domesday Book
Review by Andrew Tibbs. As a collection of maps covering almost every imaginable aspect of landscape-usage, from the Bronze Age to the early medieval period, this book covers many types of ancient landscape-use, including settlement, foodways, belief, mobility, defence, and…
The Society for Landscape Studies
When The Making of the English Landscape by W G Hoskins was published in 1954, its author claimed that ‘no book exists to describe the manner in which the various landscapes of this country came to assume the shape and…
‘A roof o’er their heads’: exploring the archaeology of Achtriachtan township in Glencoe
The Highland valley of Glencoe is notorious as the location of a brutal 1692 massacre, but until recently little was known about what remained of the settlement that existed at this time. Now, though, archaeological fieldwork by the National Trust for Scotland has shed new light on 17th- and 18th-century remains within the glen, as Derek Alexander reports.
Saint-Bélec Slab
What is it? This engraved stone dating to the early Bronze Age (c.1900-1650 BC) is known as the Saint-Bélec Slab. Made of grey-blue coloured schist, the slab is c.2.2m long, 1.53m wide, and 0.16m thick. New research suggests that the…
Oldest 3D map in Europe unearthed
'The Saint-Bélec Slab highlights the cartographic knowledge of past societies that we tend to underestimate in the era of the GPS.'
Spanish Armada maps saved ‘for the nation’
They depict one of the most significant events in English history. Now a collection of incredibly rare maps representing the defeat of the Spanish Armada will remain in the country, following the success of a last-ditch fundraising appeal. After a…
The English Civil War
Review of 'The English Civil War:
An Atlas and Concise History of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, 1639–51' and 'English Civil War: Operations Manual'.
In View
MHM’s round-up of the latest military history titles.
Unexpected discoveries at Beacon Ring
Archaeologists excavating the Welsh hillfort Beacon Ring (Caer Digoll) made an unexpected discovery relating to the 19th-century Ordnance Survey this summer, which has cast new light on early map-making fieldwork. Beacon Ring is on the Long Mountain overlooking Welshpool. Since…
The Giant’s story revisited: identifying the Cerne Abbas hill figure as ‘The Choice of Hercules’
Following our feature exploring the Cerne Abbas Giant’s date, Brian Edwards offers some thought-provoking insights into the Dorset hill figure’s historical context.
Keeping your eye on the GOAL
In his final column, Mick leaves us with some tips on how to unpick the evolution of a local parish on the ground. What could you discover in your neighbourhood?