Current Archaeology 280 – out now!
Comparisons with Pompeii or Tutankhamen’s tomb are easily overused when attempting to convey the excitement of a new archaeological discovery. Recent media reports labelling an excavation at the new Bloomberg Place in the heart of London the ‘Pompeii of the North’ could risk dooming the results, however exciting, to disappointing comparisons with the Bay of [...]
Time Team: the end of an era?
As Time Team ends its run, Jim Mower – an archaeologist and producer for ten years on the programme – reflects on two decades of television archaeology and asks: what’s next? Time Team is the longest running history/archaeology strand in television history. Although often criticised over its lifetime, this is, by any reckoning, a remarkable [...]
Is there a future in studying the past?
Is this the time to pursue a course in archaeology? The word from the field that reaches the Current Archaeology offices is that graduates are disillusioned with their prospects: jobs are scarce, competition is fierce and projects are poorly funded. What’s the point? Archaeology is a fascinating and diverse subject that is hugely enjoyable to [...]
Rainford’s Roots Community Archaeology Project
Rainford’s Roots is a project designed to explore the heritage of Rainford village in St Helens. The project is run by the Merseyside Archaeological Society and National Museums Liverpool, with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The project aims to engage the local community in their own heritage and to encourage wider participation and learning [...]
Time Team
Mick Aston’s Dig Diary: new bi-monthly column in Current Archaeology
For those missing their Time Team fix now that the final … [More]
Stop all the spades, fill all the trenches in…
While browsing the web for fun archaeological things to … [More]
Time Team: the rise and fall of a television phenomenon
In mid October an all-points bulletin was emailed to Time … [More]
Latest News
Walbrook channel: mystery panel
A 6-month excavation in the heart of London has revealed thousands of artefacts illuminating the city’s Roman past – including a unique sheet of decorated leather. Working ahead of construction on the Bloomberg site, home to London’s Temple of Mithras, MOLA archaeologists have recovered around 10,000 objects spanning the whole period of Roman occupation in [...]
Coins and the Bible
Render unto Caesar . . . Many people study Roman coins, but how were they actually used? For the student of Roman coins by far and away the best source of information is the Bible, or more specifically, the Gospels. The classical Roman writers were all far too highbrow to deal with anything as [...]
After the Ice: exhibiting life at Star Carr
11,000-year-old artefacts from Star Carr, Britain’s largest-known Mesolithic settlement, will go on display for the first time tomorrow (24 May), with the opening of a new exhibition at the Yorkshire Museum. With highlights including deer skull head-dresses, bone harpoons, and amber and shale jewellery, preserved by the peaty environment of the lakeside camp where they were [...]
Digging London’s past: Syon Park excavation
This summer the Museum of London will return to Syon Park, Hounslow, with digging opportunities for adult and children, it has been announced. Having previously focussed on investigating the house of Sir Richard Wynne, a Parliamentarian on whose land the 1641 Battle of Brentford was fought as anti-Royalist forces tried to stop Prince Rupert’s troops reaching [...]
Cradle of Stonehenge: interview with David Jacques
In CA 271 we brought you news of astonishing Mesolithic finds at Vespasian’s Camp on Salisbury Plain, a potentially game-changing site for our understanding of the Stonehenge landscape. With the site about to star in the first episode of a new BBC archaeology series, we caught up with project director, Buckingham University’s David Jacques, to find [...]
Scale models: George and the dragon
Standing just 4cm high, St George raises his lance to strike a fatal blow against the tiny dragon staring back at him. His outstretched hand probably once gripped his scaly foe by the tail, though they have since broken apart. Discovered by a metal detectorist in the Carlisle area last April, these silver gilt figures [...]
Roman in the snow: hundreds visit NW Cambridge Site open day
Almost 500 people braved the snow to visit the Northwest Cambridge Site’s extensive archaeological remains during an open day last month. A 14ha excavation by Cambridge Archaeological Unit has revealed Roman activity spanning four centuries, as well as archaeological features stretching back to the Middle Bronze Age (c.1500 BC), suggesting that the rolling green farmland northwest [...]
Cambridge’s Roman development
The rolling green farmland northwest of Cambridge was once crowded with bustling Roman settlements and industry, recent excavations suggest. Cambridge Archaeological Unit has investigated 14ha outside the city, revealing Roman activity spanning four centuries, as well as archaeological features stretching back to the Middle Bronze Age (c.1500 BC). Zig-zag ditches thought to represent practice trenches from [...]
Murmillo magic
A tiny amber amulet shaped like a gladiator’s helmet has been discovered in the Walbrook area by Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA). Measuring just over 1cm across, the object was found amongst the remains of a demolished Roman building, together with large amounts of pottery and animal bone. It is hoped that analysis of these [...]
