UK news in brief: a Roman wall and a virtual roundhouse
A round-up of some of the latest archaeology news from across the UK
News
The latest from the past: Re-excavating Boles Barrow
Over the course of a very rainy week this past March, Wessex Archaeology and volunteers from Operation Nightingale, led by DIO archaeologist Richard Osgood, carried out a small-scale excavation of Boles Barrow (also known as Bowl’s Barrow), a Neolithic long…
Historic England invites people to share pictures and memories of listed sites
'Their stories are still being written – and they won’t be complete until you share your side.'
Anglo-Saxon ivory: exploring exotic artefacts from Scremby’s early medieval cemetery
In CA 349, we reported on the discovery of a previously unknown Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Scremby, Lincolnshire. Since the dig finished in 2019, study of the 49 graves and their contents has continued back in the laboratory, giving fascinating insights into the lives of those buried in the Lincolnshire chalk c.AD 480-540. Katie Hemer (UCL) and Hugh Willmott (University of Sheffield) reveal the findings from their work with colleagues Jane Evans and Michal Buckley on one of the most exotic Anglo-Saxon materials: ivory.
Hunt begins for submarine buried beneath Dartmouth park
Launched in 1917, she saw a brief period of service during the final year of the war, and was responsible for sinking the German U-B
Blenheim Palace Orangery to undergo historic conservation project
The glass roof of the Orangery was installed in 1861, following a fire in an adjacent bakery which damaged the original structure
History of Sheffield Castle foundations revealed by archaeologists
Archaeologist and Digging for Britain presenter Dr Cat Jarman with Dr Daniel Young from Wessex Archaeology examining the Sheffield Castle core samples at the Wessex Archaeology labs. Image: Wessex Archaeology.
RAF Museum receives Royal Charter to mark 50th birthday
It was granted to the museum by Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, ‘in recognition of its objectives to educate and inform the public and members of the RAF about the history and traditions of the Royal Air Force'
Shortlist for 2022 Baillie Gifford Prize announced
The award, presented annually since 1999, focuses on non-fiction writing, ‘bringing the best in intelligent reflection on the world to its new readers’
Anniversary of the raising of the Mary Rose to be celebrated with a series of lectures
Leading historians and marine archaeologists will deliver talks on the history of Henry VIII's warship as part of a commemoration programme hosted by the Mary Rose Trust
Chelsea History Festival returns in September with rich programme of events
Founded in 2019, the Chelsea History Festival aims to ‘entertain, educate and inspire through local, national and global history’.
Rare bones of men and horses found at Waterloo
The discovery was announced by Waterloo Uncovered, the archaeological charity which has returned to the battlefield site in Belgium for its first excavations there since 2019.
Stained-glass windows of Notre-Dame Cathedral restored following fire
Although none of the stained-glass windows were destroyed or damaged by the fire, many of them, already dusty, were exposed to smoke and soiled as a result.
Doune Castle, star of ‘Outlander’ and ‘Monty Python’, reopens to the public
Built in the early 14th century, the castle is known for its striking 100ft-high gatehouse and one of the best preserved great halls in the country.
London’s finest craftspeople come together to discuss city’s heritage
The event, Meet the Makers Behind London's Heritage, is being hosted by the Heritage of London Trust (HOLT), an independent charity which has spearheaded restoration projects in the city for over 40 years.
New exhibition honours veterans of WWII airborne division
Formed in April 1943, the 6th Airborne Division took part in the Normandy Landings the following year, remaining in the line until the breakout to the Seine in late August 1944. During this time, casualties amounted to one in five men.
Dundee Repertory Theatre granted A-listed status
Dundee Rep is also the only theatre in Scotland that is home to a permanent full-time company of actors.
Bosworth Medieval Festival to return in August following two-year absence
The event, which attracts thousands of visitors, re-enactors, and traders, was cancelled in the last two years because of the pandemic.
Veterans, curators, and authors head line-up of first ever IWM live event
The Imperial War Museum has announced its first ever all-day live event, consisting of talks from conflict veterans, museum curators, and leading authors in the field of military history.
Two rare letters by Jane Austen acquired after fundraising effort
The letters form part of the Honresfield Library, a private collection of manuscripts and books associated with some of the greatest writers in English and Scottish literature.
Rediscovered document reveals how Henry VIII dissolved one of England’s richest monasteries
A document detailing the process by which Henry VIII dissolved one of England’s wealthiest monasteries has been rediscovered. The Reformation-era blueprint, which discusses the suppression of Furness Abbey, was found recently by an English Heritage historian in the National Archives…
Restored Battersea Power Station finally removed from ‘heritage at risk’ register
Battersea Power Station is one of several sites to have been removed from Historic England’s ‘heritage at risk’ register, the organisation has announced. The former electricity station in southwest London is in the final stages of an extensive redevelopment project…
Royal Engineers Museum opens ‘momentous’ new study centre
The military museum, based in Gillingham, is the largest of its kind in Kent and contains many exhibitions telling the story of Britain’s military engineers from the Roman period through to the modern Corps of Royal Engineers.
Napoleonic tunic and weapons on display at new exhibition marking emperor’s death
Napoleon in Exile at the Fusilier Museum in Bury tells the story of the military leader’s final years and will include several personal items which have never been on display in the UK before.
Mass graves of Crusader soldiers identified in Lebanon
Each of the bodies showed signs of serious injury and were buried with swords, maces, and arrows.
Samurai armour goes back on display after conservation
The armour is the property of National Trust's Snowshill Manor in Gloucestershire and is part of the largest collection of its kind in the UK.
WWII minesweeper HMS Mercury identified in the Irish Sea
The discovery was made as part of a joint research project between maritime archaeologists at Bournemouth University and scientists at Bangor University’s School of Ocean Sciences.
Historic Dockyard building rated top sustainable structure
The Fitted Rigging House at the Historic Dockyard Chatham won The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) South East Sustainability Award 2021 for its £8.2m preservation project.
New evidence of Nazi war crimes uncovered in Poland’s ‘Death Valley’
New research has uncovered evidence of the first large-scale atrocity committed in Nazi-occupied Poland during the Second World War. Around 30-35,000 people were murdered in the country’s Pomeranian province in the first months of the conflict. One area saw so…
Nine historic sites recognised to mark Festival of Britain anniversary
Running from May to September 1951, the Festival of Britain was a national exhibition and fair promoting British design, science, technology, architecture, industry, and the arts.
Date announced for HMS Belfast’s reopening
Although primarily closed because of the pandemic, Belfast has undergone significant restoration in that time. Work
Early Royal Navy submarine prototype given protected status
The wreck of the Royal Navy’s first long-range diesel-powered submarine has been awarded protected status by the British government.
Aircraft at RAF museum get a spring clean
The annual high-level cleaning took place at the end of April and was conducted by specialists from ArcoServices. The team also carried out various safety checks on the suspension cables which keep the aircraft in 'flight'.
Exhibition on Nero promises to shed new light on Roman emperor
‘Nero: the man behind the myth’ promises to challenge ‘traditional preconceptions’ about the figure.
Discoveries in the desert
Since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the 1940s, the caves - which have preserved fragile objects like the scrolls – have been the target of looters.
IWM announces reopening dates with #MissingMuseums campaign
The #MissingMuseums campaign invites fans of the institution to use social media to share what they missed about its galleries and exhibitions during the last several months.