glass

An Egyptian presence in Roman York?

A small glass bottle excavated at Tanner Row in York 40 years ago has been identified as a kohl bottle – a type of eye make-up container that was very common in Roman Egypt, but is extremely rare outside this…

Anglo-Saxon Beads, 400-700 AD: a visual guide to types and techniques

Anglo-Saxon beads are important as, along with cruciform brooches, they are among the most studied and datable of all the objects found in Anglo-Saxon graves, made useful by their long date-range and by them being the most numerous objects found…

The Trading and Consumption of Roman Glass in Britain 43-500 CE

REVIEW BY RACHEL TYSON This study analyses the glass from 29 sites across Roman Britain to provide us with a picture of its consumption within different socio-economic groups and gain a better understanding of the trade and distribution of glass…

The Past

Glass fragments highlight Islamic connections in late medieval Scotland

Discovered at Caerlaverock Castle, the glass fragments are believed to have been part of a vessel made in modern-day Syria, Iraq, or Egypt during the late medieval period.

Opposite Looking north east over recent excavations led by the University of Reading in the grounds of Holy Trinity Church, Cookham. Headed by Dr Gabor Thomas as part of the university’s Middle Thames Archaeology Partnership, the project’s findings are helping to illuminate the location of a long lost Anglo Saxon monastery, associated with a powerful 8th century queen.

A lost monastery revealed? Investigating an Anglo-Saxon community at Cookham

In the 8th century, Cookham minster was the focus of a decades-long power struggle between early medieval kingdoms, but over time the religious community’s location faded from memory, despite its association with a powerful Anglo-Saxon queen. Now excavations in Berkshire are thought to have brought its remains to light once more. CA Editor Carly Hilts spoke to Gabor Thomas about what has been found.

The Past

British Museum restores Beirut objects

Eight glass vessels which were destroyed in the Beirut port explosion in Lebanon, 4 August 2020, are currently being restored by the British Museum, with the support of The European Fine Art Foundation.

Opposite Recent radiocarbon dating of materials excavated at Chedworth Roman villa in Gloucestershire suggests that this mosaic may have been laid after AD 424 which would make it Britain’s first known 5th century mosaic.

The case for Chedworth villa: exploring evidence for 5th-century occupation

Excavations at Chedworth villa in Gloucestershire have provided striking evidence of its inhabitants enjoying life in the style of high-status Romans, long after the traditional end of imperial occupation in this country – including what might be Britain’s first 5th-century mosaic. Martin Papworth reports.

ABOVE Among the different types of burials excavated at the necropolis were five sandstone sarcophagi.

Roman discoveries at ancient Augustodunum

Excavations directed by Carole Fossurier found a range of different burial practices. There were mausoleums, a wooden building, and a tile structure, which resembled burials of the early empire, as well as five sandstone sarcophagi and 15 lead coffins.

Overlooking the Priors Hall excavation site, where Oxford Archaeology East has revealed the remains of a Roman temple mausoleum that was subsequently repurposed as a major tile and brick making centre.

Romano-Celtic villa: a temple-mausoleum and evidence of industry at Priors Hall, Corby

Excavation just outside Corby has shed vivid light on the construction of a Roman villa, the reuse of an enigmatic religious building, and a bustling array of industrial activity, as Paddy Lambert explains.

Sifting through the remains of Scotland’s kelping industry

For a brief period, from around 1750 to 1820, the west coast and islands of Scotland experienced a boom in demand for kelp, a seaweed-derived substance used in the soap and glass-making industries. Kevin Grant – formerly St Kilda Archaeologist with the National Trust for Scotland, now Archaeology Manager at Historic Environment Scotland – has been studying the fragile and elusive remains of this once-thriving industry, as Chris Catling reports.