CA 397 Letters – March
Your views on issues raised in Current Archaeology.
UK
Cave in Cumbria used for centuries of burials
The cave was first excavated in 1958, when a Bronze Age urn and some human skeletons were discovered, but more recent work has shed vivid light on its contents.
Detectorists and levelling up the heritage sector
the programme dramatised one of the essential differences between detectorists and archaeologists: the first are interested in objects (preferably ones that are worth a bob or two), the latter in knowledge.
Facing the Enemy? A GIS study of 1st century Roman fortifications in the Scottish landscape
Review by Kathryn Murphy In Facing the Enemy, Andrew Tibbs presents analysis of Roman fortifications and the Scottish landscape, focusing on the positioning, intervisibility, orientation, and interconnectivity of Flavian sites. Stemming from his PhD thesis, this volume discusses one of…
Evidence of resilience in the face of Viking raids at Lyminge
This evidence adds to recent research focused on Iona suggesting that multiple monasteries across Britain may have been able to continue or re-establish themselves after initial Viking raids at the end of the 8th and the beginning of the 9th centuries.
Cosmati at Canterbury Cathedral? Piecing together the history of a medieval mosaic
Detailed analysis of an elaborate 13th-century mosaic at Canterbury Cathedral has revealed a medieval masterpiece that may be unparalleled in either Roman or medieval Britain. Warwick Rodwell explains further.
Labyrinth: Knossos, Myth and Reality
Ancient myths meet archaeological treasures in this new blockbuster at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. Carly Hilts went along to learn more about the great palace at Knossos, legendary location of the Minotaur-haunted labyrinth, and real-life repository of Minoan culture.
Royal Photographic Society
Every month, when we open the pages of Current Archaeology or any of its sister publications, we are presented with wonderful photographs as well as compelling stories about our heritage. It is evident that there are many skilled photographers working…
Becoming an Archaeologist: a guide to professional pathways (2nd edition)
Review by Edward Biddulph Ask most people what comes to mind when they hear the word ‘archaeologist’ and, if not immediately going to Indiana Jones, they will most likely imagine an academic poring over artefacts or heavy tomes, or carefully…
World news: discoveries at Fayum and Vulci
A round-up of some of latest archaeology news from around the world.
UK news in brief: a shipwreck is grant protection, and there is a new management strategy for the MOD
A round-up of some of the latest archaeology news in the UK.
Conserving the keep
Orford Castle in Suffolk has reopened to visitors after detailed conservation work – a project 13 years in the making – was completed in January. The castle was originally built for Henry II between 1165 and 1174, as a royal…
Dictionary of Fortifications: an illustrated glossary
Review by David Flintham From Iron Age hillforts to Second World War pillboxes, fortifications are all around us. Yet there are probably more terms relating to fortifications than anything else in military history. Author Jean-Denis Lepage has challenged himself to…
The ‘peaceful Neolithic’ is dead: the dawn of agriculture coincided with rising violence
In this month’s ‘Science Notes’, we will explore the evidence for this hypothesis, and examine how violence-related injuries are distinguished in archaeological human remains.
Museum news: exhibitions on Rendlesham and Lindisfarne open
Royal sites revealed Lying more than 275 miles apart, Rendlesham and Yeavering belong to a handful of sites named as a vicus regius or ‘royal settlement’ by the Anglo-Saxon cleric Bede. Later this month, both are set to showcase their…
Scars of early Civil War battle found at Coleshill Manor
Archaeologists from Wessex Archaeology, working in advance of HS2 construction, have been excavating the site for the past three years.
Druce Farm Roman villa: celebrating a community dig in the heart of Dorset
Roman villas are rarely excavated these days, because we already ‘know about them’. Yet when a villa is excavated – in part or as a whole – what we find defies what we think we know. The report on Druce Farm Roman villa, excavated between 2012 and 2018 by volunteer members of the East Dorset Antiquarian Society, has been published in quick time and in exemplary form. As Chris Catling discovers, it makes us think again about what defines a villa.
Down the Bright Stream: the prehistory of Woodcock Corner and the Tregurra Valley, Cornwall
Review by Jacqueline A Nowakowski A late Neolithic decorated slate disc adorns the front cover of this substantial and well-illustrated publication. Down the Bright Stream presents full technical reports on excavations (2009-2015) in Tregurra Valley by Cornwall Archaeological Unit. Key…
Excavating the Hebrides
the star of the show is undoubtedly Cladh Hallan in the south of the island, famous for its Bronze Age ‘mummies’, the earliest evidence of deliberate mummification found in Britain.
Iron Age axle revealed in Suffolk
The axle has been radiocarbon dated to the middle Iron Age, c.400-100 BC.
Secrets of a secluded life: updating the story of the All Saints ‘anchoress’
When an unusual female burial was discovered in the apse of All Saints Church, York, it was interpreted as possibly representing the remains of a religious recluse. Since then, archaeological science and historical research have given new perspectives on the woman’s life, as Carly Hilts reports.
Exhibitions, events, and heritage from home – Current Archaeology’s February Listings
Over the next few months a wide variety of fantastic opportunities are on offer to get involved in history, heritage, and archaeology, with exciting conferences, new exhibitions, events, and more. If you would prefer to explore the past from home, though, there are plenty of resources available, from virtual tours of museums and heritage sites to podcasts, TV shows, and online games. Amy Brunskill has put together a selection of some of the latest options.
The Rise and Decline of Druce Farm Roman Villa (60-650 CE): excavations 2012-2018
Review by Simon Esmonde Cleary The excavations at Druce Farm in Dorset were carried out by local volunteers between 2012 and 2018, along with geophysical, drone, and laser surveys of the environs. The full publication of the results only four…
Finds tray – Romano-British putto
This is a Romano-British figurine of a chubby, naked boy, known as a putto. Although discovered in 2019 in Cox Green in Windsor and Maidenhead, it was recently highlighted in the latest Portable Antiquities Scheme annual report. It is made…
First evidence that Vikings travelled with animals across the North Sea
Previously it had been thought that Vikings probably pillaged such animals from British populations on their arrival.
Conservation project to turn Craigievar Castle pink again
The grounds of Craigievar will remain open to visitors whilst the work is being carried out, and a grand reveal of the new exterior is planned for spring 2024.
Mesolithic site found in the Vale of Pickering
In total, the trench yielded over 1,000 stone tools and more than 200 animal bones.
Coffin of asylum surgeon excavated at Leicester Cathedral
‘Over his lifetime, he made significant contributions to the development of modern medicine in Leicester, leaving a lasting impact on the city and beyond.’
Bog bodies part of burial tradition spanning millennia, study finds
Several bog bodies are famous for being extremely well-preserved, such as Lindow Man from the United Kingdom, and Tollund Man from Denmark.
What Neanderthals ate: the feasibility of using zinc isotopes as a proxy for diet
In this month’s ‘Science Notes’, we explore recent research that has tested whether zinc (Zn) isotopes could be used as a proxy for nitrogen in such cases.
Finds tray – a gold bulla
This pendant, known as a bulla, was found by a metal-detectorist in the Melton district of Leicestershire in November 2021. It is hemispherical in shape and formed of two plain gold sheets, one formed into a hollow dome and the…
Medieval market town revealed in County Kilkenny
A large mill complex was discovered in the south-east corner, on the banks of the River Nore.
Re-excavating Arminghall Henge: a burnt timber circle from prehistoric Norfolk
Last September, an excavation at Arminghall Henge in Norfolk reopened a trench first dug by Grahame Clark almost a century earlier – revealing a glimpse of a large timber monument that may have met a fiery end. Andy Hutcheson, Matt Brudenell, and Mark Knight report.
Excavating Orkney and Shetland
before I leave the Mainland, I must mention one other site of this era, the stunning Neolithic house at St Ola, just south of Kirkwall... Here was discovered the oldest art yet found on the islands.
CA 396 Letters – February
Your views on issues raised in CA.
Exhibitions, events, and heritage from home – February Listings
There are many fantastic archaeological events on offer over the coming months, including new exhibitions, lectures, and conferences. Or, if you would prefer to get your history and heritage fix at home, there is a wide variety of resources available, from virtual exhibitions and 360° tours of museums and heritage sites to radio shows, games, and documentaries. Amy Brunskill has put together a summary of some of the options available.