Current Archaeology

The remarkable cargo of the Dom van Keulen: Examining the fate of a 17th-century Dutch merchant ship

On 30 April 1995, a member of the newly formed South West Maritime Archaeological Group saw a glint of gold in the sand while diving in Devon’s Salcombe Bay. Meticulous excavation by the group led to the discovery of a cargo of coins and jewellery of such importance that it was acquired by the British Museum. Archival research finally led to the identification of the ship that was carrying this extraordinary cargo, revealing new details about life on board the vessel, as well as trading relations between Morocco and northern Europe in the 17th century. Chris Catling reports.

The Leek embroidery

In last month’s CA, Sherds wrote that Reading Museum’s copy of the Bayeux Tapestry was censored by the women of the Leek Embroidery Society when they stitched the facsimile in 1886. Sherds has since learned that the ladies of Leek have been maligned.

DUACE24 Haselrig Trench (c) Megan Olshefski Durham University

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

There are lots of great ways to get involved in 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 by museums to podcasts, TV shows, and more. Kathryn Krakowka has put together a selection of some of the options available.

Aphrodite: the making of a goddess

A sweeping new exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford explores how an all-powerful but anonymous goddess from Bronze Age Cyprus evolved into the Classical deity that we are familiar with today, and how she continues to influence modern popular culture. Carly Hilts reports.

Korea

A new exhibition at the British Museum traces 2,000 years of innovation, influence, and endurance on the Korean peninsula. Carly Hilts visited to learn more.

Tales from the Trent Valley: Exploring an evolving landscape through prehistory

When humans settled the Trent Valley after the end of the last Ice Age, they set in train a 10,000-year transformation that saw the wooded wetlands turn into a well-ordered agricultural landscape. At an exhibition tracing the story of the river and those who lived alongside it during prehistory, Carly Hilts spoke to David Knight and Clare Pickersgill to learn more.

The Celtic World: a history

John Waddell’s new book, a beautifully illustrated historiography of Celtic Iron Age studies, is a very valuable addition to the literature. To begin, Waddell discusses Celtic identity as debated territory, stating that, for him, a Celt is someone who speaks…

Pagans

With Bayeux Tapestry fever still seizing London, James Alistair Henry’s debut novel offers a thought-provoking opportunity to imagine how Britain might look if the Norman Conquest had never taken place. The story is set in 21st-century London, but this is…

Documenting Activism, Creating Change: archaeology and the legacy of #MeToo

This volume discusses the changes that have occurred in the realm of archaeology in the wake of the #MeToo movement, acknowledging the discrimination and harassment that women have continued to face despite living in what is considered a post-feminist society.…

The Wreck of the London: archaeological investigations of a 17th-century warship

The wreck of the London – an English second-rate ship-of-the-line built in Chatham in 1656, during the Interregnum – has been the subject of a decade-long research programme by Cotswold Archaeology (see CA 308). This volume documents the project and…

Ancient Places: archaeology and history on the N5 Westport to Turlough road project, Co. Mayo

This book documents the archaeological investigations carried out by Transport Infrastructure Ireland in advance of the construction of the new N5 in County Mayo. While not a full site report, it provides an easily digestible and succinct summarisation of the…

Sketching Sherds: a comic handbook for pottery drawing and typology

I have a seven-year-old son who, like many children his age today, is obsessed with comics and graphic novels. This art form is seeing a bit of a resurgence at the moment, thanks in part to the growing popularity of…

CA 441 Letters – November

Grave matters I enjoyed Chris Catling’s report on the work of Brent Elliott and Roger Bowdler on the British cemetery (CA 439). There is a further dimension to cemeteries not considered in that article, though: their value to the student of…

Potted history: Recreating a Roman kiln at Stanwick Lakes

The latest experimental archaeology initiative at a nature reserve and heritage park in Northamptonshire has seen the construction of a full-scale, working Roman pottery kiln. Carly Hilts visited its first firing to learn more.

Science Notes – Following the lead: the impact of the metal industry in medieval England

While today the health impacts of lead exposure are well documented, in the past its hazards were unknown, a silent killer that had an impact on potentially millions of people over the the millennia in which it has been mined.…

The 50m concrete ring on Orford Ness. Credit National Trust Images

Rings a bell: Orford Ness, Suffolk

An enigmatic concrete ring 50m (160ft) in diameter, located at the National Trust site of Orford Ness in Suffolk, has been the subject of much debate for decades. This area was once home to a top-secret military testing site, and…

Nautical Archaeology Society

Sea levels have risen by around 120m (400ft) since the last Ice Age, only stabilising at their current position around 3,000 years ago. Given how much human activity has taken place around the coast in that time, a huge amount…

Anglo-Saxon hall uncovered near Gloucester

Cotswold Archaeology’s excavations on the outskirts of Gloucester continue to reveal illuminating evidence: having previously uncovered a large Bronze Age waterhole (see CA 435), the team have now discovered traces of what is believed to be one of the few…

Recycled Roman sarcophagus reinvestigated at Westminster Abbey

Recently published research focused on a late Roman sarcophagus found in Westminster Abbey’s grounds more than 150 years ago has shed new light on the coffin’s history, as well as the possible identity of the person buried within it. First…

Assembly Rooms renovation expands Roman Bath

Continuing renovation works at the Assembly Rooms in Bath are revealing not only the history of this almost 300-year-old building, but also the history of this area of the city over the last 2,000 years – including previously unknown areas…

Woodstown Viking settlement reveals more secrets

A collaborative team of Irish and Norwegian archaeologists working at the Viking settlement of Woodstown, located on the banks of the River Suir, west of Waterford City, have uncovered the largest building yet found at the site, reinforcing previous suggestions…

Early medieval jewellery workshop at Govan Old

An excavation at the 1,500-year-old churchyard of Govan Old in Glasgow has revealed evidence of early medival craftworking, including two incomplete finger-rings, which were discarded before completion. While the church that currently occupies the site was built in the Victorian…

Revealing Rossett Roman villa

Discovered in 2019 after a metal-detectorist found a lead ingot near the site, a Roman villa at Rossett, Wrexham – the first of its kind to be found in north Wales – is now being excavated, revealing new details about…

Finds Tray: Bronze Age hoard

This is a Bronze Age hoard that was found near Blyth Bridge in the Scottish Borders. It comprises two bronze axe-heads, a complete copper ingot – the first of its kind to be discovered in Scotland – and the remains…

World news

Continuation of the Caral Culture Caral is considered to be one of the oldest civilisations in the Americas, emerging c.3000 BC on the north-central coast of Peru. Its main settlement is believed to have been a site known as Caral-Supe,…

UK news in brief

Young Archaeologists take over York A new Young Archaeologists’ Club has been established in York, giving children aged 8-16 the opportunity to get hands-on experience of the history of their city. The club was set up by four friends and…

The Burpham Big Dig: Transforming the story of two Sussex villages

A recent series of excavations across Burpham and Wepham in West Sussex has revealed new – and sometimes surprising – insights into their origins and evolution. James Sainsbury reports.

Finds Tray: Bronze Age button

This Bronze Age button comes from a hoard of three copper-alloy items that also included two axe heads. One of the axe heads was noticed by a farm worker in 2021, while backfilling a water pipe trench in Lessingham, Norfolk.…

Defence to domesticity: Exploring the evolution of Irish castles

Marking the 1,000th anniversary of the birth of William the Conqueror, 2027 has been designated the Year of the Normans. Events to mark the millennium are planned all over Europe, with castles as a major theme. In Ireland, the best guide to the hundreds of defended structures surviving from the Anglo-Norman invasion of 1169 is the late David Sweetman, Ireland’s former Chief Archaeologist, whose book on The Medieval Castles of Ireland reveals how these 12th- and 13th-century symbols of Anglo-Norman power evolved from earthworks to commodious towers that dominated the landscape. Chris Catling reports.

Current Archaeology’s October 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 by museums to podcasts, TV shows, and more. Kathryn Krakowka has put together a selection from the options available.

CA 440 Letters – October

Defending the Demetae I enjoyed the fascinating feature on the wonderful Halberton Roman villa in CA 438. By a happy coincidence, the day before, I had visited Carmarthenshire Museum, which has recently renovated its galleries, including the Roman display for…

The Wemyss Caves: Tracing 40 years of conservation, community, and discovery

The caves at East Wemyss are home to traces of human activity spanning prehistory to the present day, including important Pictish carvings. In recent decades some of these interactions have been destructive, but the local community is working to preserve this unique collection. As they mark the 40th anniversary of these efforts, Mike Arrowsmith reports.

Barton burial reveals complex picture of the Norman Conquest

New research into a man buried at St Peter’s in Barton-upon-Humber almost 1,000 years ago has shed new light on the complexity of society in Britain during the Norman Conquest. The unusual burial was first excavated almost 50 years ago,…

Museum news

The latest on acquisitions, exhibitions, and key decisions.

Beyond conquerors and kings: Encountering ordinary people in the Bayeux Tapestry

The Bayeux Tapestry is perhaps the most recognisable piece of early medieval art – and, almost 1,000 years after the brutal events that it depicts, rather friendlier relations between England and France have seen the famous embroidery travel to the British Museum for a hotly anticipated exhibition. Carly Hilts visited to learn more about what its images can tell us about life in the 11th century.

The Bayeux Tapestry

Britain has been overcome by Bayeux Tapestry fever (as has CA: see our feature on here and more in Sherds on here) with the famous embroidery returning to British soil for the first time since its creation almost 1,000 years…