Current Archaeology 436
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Current Archaeology’s June 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 of some of the options available.
Understanding Scottish Graveyards
This is the fourth edition of a book that was first published by Betty Willsher (1915-2012) in 1985, with subsequent updates in 1995 and 2005. The original publication came about due to
Landscape and Society in Dumnonia
REVIEW BY JACQUELINE A NOWAKOWSKI Diligent reporting of a dispersed hoard of more than 50 Roman coins by metal-detectorists to the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) in 2009 led to a major landscape
CA 431 Letters – January
Memories of Gallowgate Reading your news article ‘Evidence of Glasgow’s medieval expansion uncovered at Gallowgate’ (CA 429) reminded me of previous work carried out in the area as part of the Youth
Not in mint condition: Mint House, Pevensey
Mint House is a Grade II*-listed timber-frame building, which stands opposite Pevensey Castle on Pevensey High Street in East Sussex. It has been on the Heritage at Risk Register since 2022, and
Neolithic and/or Bronze Age mines: Excavating the CA archive
Since CA 428, my columns have focused on prehistoric Britain, and while researching these I read about a series of mines dating to the Neolithic and/or Bronze Age. This is a fascinating rabbit-hole to climb into, and next month I will follow it with an exploration of medieval and modern mines.
Students reading decline
A sign that Sherds saw in a bookshop recently claimed that ‘reading is cheaper than therapy’, but universities in the UK are reporting the opposite: that students suffer stress when asked to read.
Cooling Tower Appreciation Society
Reviled when they were first constructed, cooling towers are now admired for their gracious hyperboloid curves and sculptural presence, just as they are about to disappear from the landscape. The Twentieth Century
Blazing a trail: Earliest evidence of humans making fire discovered in Suffolk
Excavations at East Farm, Barnham, have uncovered the oldest-known traces of deliberate fire-making – a game-changing step in the human story that we now know took place 350,000 years earlier than was previously thought. Carly Hilts reports.
Lord of the Isles: Uncovering Finlaggan’s elite archaeology
The Lords of the Isles ruled large swathes of the western islands and highlands of Scotland between 1140 and 1493, but documentary evidence for their activities is thin and the period is shrouded in myth. By excavating two islands in Loch Finlaggan, reputed to be the site of inauguration ceremonies and meetings of the Council of the Isles, a team led by David Caldwell of National Museums Scotland has enriched the story of this powerful Gaelic state. Chris Catling reports.
Hadrian’s Wall and its trees: From Sycamore Gap to the Vindolanda tablets
Hadrian’s Wall may be primarily associated with stone fortifications, but trees played a key role in Roman life on the northern frontier. Complementing our preceding geological exploration of this region, David Breeze now turns the spotlight on to sacred species, wooden artefacts, and iconic views.
Rediscovering west London’s lost landscapes: Six millennia of change and continuity at Sipson Farm
Today, Heathrow is Europe’s busiest airport – but the underlying and surrounding river terraces have long been a rich hunting ground for archaeologists, concealing a palimpsest of buried landscapes. Since the late 1960s, they have seen dozens of excavations ahead of quarrying and development. Robert Cowie reports on one such project.
Between a rock and a hard place: Exploring the geology of Hadrian’s Wall
Archaeologists have long sought to understand how the Romans made use of natural resources on their northern frontier, both in constructing its famous fortifications and supporting the lives of those who garrisoned them. Ian Jackson offers a thought-provoking insight into what geology can add to this picture – and what it cannot.
Surveying Sennen
A recent field-walking and metal-detecting event in coastal Cornwall has added new details to our knowledge of the area, from prehistory to the present day. Laura Miucci reports.
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Rendlesham rediscovered: Exploring landscapes of power in early medieval East Anglia
Over the last two decades, evidence of a high-status early medieval settlement has been emerging just four miles from Sutton Hoo. What can Rendlesham tell us about the evolution and exercise of royal power in early medieval England? Carly Hilts spoke to Christopher Scull, Faye Minter, Stuart Brookes, and Tom Williamson to learn more.
Current Archaeology Live! 2026
In partnership with: Our upcoming conference, Current Archaeology Live! 2026, will be held on Saturday 28 February. We are delighted to be returning once more to University College London’s Institute of Education
Science Notes: Revisiting Viking Age art using microwear analysis
Archaeologists are increasingly revisiting long-held theories about the past and highlighting how these ideas need to be updated in light of evolving evidence. This is especially the case with many artefact types
People of the past: Building a future for Scotland’s archaeological human remains
National Museums Scotland holds one of the largest collections of archaeological human remains from Scotland. Following the creation of cutting-edge facilities to care for and study these remains, as well as the recruitment of Scotland’s first Curator of Osteoarchaeology, Jess Thompson, Matthew Knight, Kirsty Owen, Adrián Maldonado, Bethany Simpson, and Vesna Podržaj explore what excavated individuals can tell us about past populations, and consider the ethical issues surrounding such research.
Current Archaeology’s December 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 of some of the options available.
From royal hall to cannonballs: Rediscovering the many lives of the Woolwich Rotunda
Currently on the Historic England Heritage at Risk Register and described as being in ‘very bad’ condition, the Woolwich Rotunda is supported by a web of scaffolding and faces an uncertain future. Chris Catling reports on a new book that tells the story of this remarkable 200-year-old building – constructed as a ballroom and then repurposed as a military museum – and explains why it must be saved.