I was down in the very splendid library of the Society for Roman Studies, looking for a book and happened by chance to notice a title Rome and China. I thought, ha ha!, this is a book for me. Since I am devoting my semi-retirement to writing my ‘big book’, a history of the world… [Continue Reading]
Archaeological magazines in Europe – and America: the Paestum experience
December 1, 2011 By Filed Under: Andrew Selkirk
It is always fascinating to find out how archaeological magazines are doing in other countries, and we had a marvellous opportunity to do this at the Annual meeting called the Borsa Mediterranea del Turismo Archeologico which is held every November at Paestum in southern Italy. Paestum is a marvellous place to visit as… [Continue Reading]
Vienna
October 26, 2011 By Filed Under: Andrew Selkirk
We have just been to Vienna for a short break. We had never been to Vienna and we thought it was about time we went. It was intended to be an entirely non-archaeological visit but inevitably archaeology intervened and I began to ask archaeological questions: how and why did Vienna become so important? Vienna is… [Continue Reading]
Another word on Climate Change
January 20, 2011 By Filed Under: Andrew Selkirk
CA’s Editor in Chief discusses the evidence for climate change and wonders whether we are barking up the wrong tree. Our Archaeology 2010 conference at the British Museum was a great success – as recounted elsewhere in this issue. My main role was to chair a session on ‘climate change’, a subject that has become… [Continue Reading]
Quangos and Conferences
January 20, 2011 By Filed Under: Andrew Selkirk
CA’s Editor in Chief considers the impact of our next government on heritage issues, and relives his season’s epic round of conferences. An election is coming: by the time you read this, there will be a new government. The pundits tell us that whichever government is elected, a certain retrenchment may be needed in the… [Continue Reading]
Good idea, wrong architect?
January 20, 2011 By Filed Under: Andrew Selkirk
CA’s Editor in Chief evaluates the British Museum’s new expansion plan and considers whether the end will justify the means. The British Museum is expanding again. After the triumph of the Great Court building, which has been one of the most successful museum transformations in recent years, the museum is now launched on its next… [Continue Reading]
Who champions the amateur?
January 20, 2011 By Filed Under: Andrew Selkirk
CA’s Editor in Chief defines the difference between community and amateur archaeology, and cautions not to leave our past to the politicians. It is commonplace today to say interest in archaeology is growing – a feeling well-expressed by Suzie Thomas in her very interesting article Common Ground (p.28). Yet I can’t help feeling that something… [Continue Reading]
The Roman Baths: Britain's most profitable museum?
January 20, 2011 By Filed Under: Andrew Selkirk
I make a visit to the refurbished Roman Baths at Bath. On 9 September 2010, I was invited down to Bath for a Press Day at the Roman Baths. I had not been there for many years: indeed, I think I last saw the Roman Baths when Barry Cunliffe was still excavating there. I remember… [Continue Reading]
Celebrating 250 Issues of CA
January 20, 2011 By Filed Under: Andrew Selkirk
Editor in Chief Andrew Selkirk reminisces over 250 issues of Current Archaeology. When I launched Current Archaeology, way back in 1967, I never thought I would be around to see CA 250. Mind you, for the first 206 issues, CA was bi-monthly and since it has become monthly, the numbers are adding up rather more… [Continue Reading]
Barbarism and Civilisation
January 20, 2011 By Filed Under: Andrew Selkirk
A response to Miles Russell’s and Stuart Laycock’s theory of UnRoman Britain. In their interesting essay UnRoman Britain, in CA 249, Miles Russell and Stuart Laycock argue that Romanisation in Britain was only a veneer, and that most of the population of the country remained firmly ‘UnRoman’. I disagree. I think that their argument is… [Continue Reading]
After the Cuts: Scorched earth, or clean slate? (Part II)
January 4, 2011 By Filed Under: Andrew Selkirk, Features, News
Editor-in-chief, Andrew Selkirk offers his insight on some issues raised by spending cuts. How will universities fare under the new regime, where funds will go to students rather than to universities? Archaeology is not exactly a subject that will set you up to become a big earner, so will archaeology inevitably go into decline? I… [Continue Reading]
Review: The Fitzwilliam’s Greco-Roman galleries, Cambridge
April 1, 2010 By Filed Under: Andrew Selkirk
In CA 237 I reported on the re-opening of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. Now it is the turn of the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, best known for its pictures and magnificent porcelain collection. But there is also an important antiquities department on the ground floor, which has just received a complete overhaul. The big… [Continue Reading]
Ashmolean Museum
November 9, 2009 By Filed Under: Andrew Selkirk
It is always a little dangerous to revisit old friends. What will they be like? Will you still like them when you have not seen them for a long time? It was with some trepidation that I returned to Oxford for the opening of the new Ashmolean Museum on 28th October after a major rebuilding… [Continue Reading]
Rome: a Barbarian's Perspective
October 28, 2009 By Filed Under: Andrew Selkirk
When I went on holiday this year, I took with me some archaeological books for a little light reading. One of them was particularly interesting: Barbarians: an alternative Roman History by Terry Jones and Alan Ereira, which is the book of the television series and is published by BBC Books. It is based on a… [Continue Reading]
Hadrian's Wall Pilgrimage – again
September 4, 2009 By Filed Under: Andrew Selkirk
One should not start a project that one cannot complete. Having started writing a blog on the first day of my pilgrimage to Hadrian’s Wall I must confess that I failed to keep it up. It was not for lack of trying. Every night in my room I wrote up my diary, often over 2000… [Continue Reading]
The Hadrian's Wall Pilgrimage
August 10, 2009 By Filed Under: Andrew Selkirk
The Hadrian’s Wall pilgrimage is going well. The Pilgrimage is one of the great events of British archaeology. It began in 1849 when a group of young men decided they would ‘walk the wall’ and it has continued every 10 years since then except for the war years: this is now the 13th pilgrimage. For… [Continue Reading]
Why does the Catholic church oppose suicide?
July 31, 2009 By Filed Under: Andrew Selkirk
In view of the current debate about the rights and wrongs of suicide, Terry Jones in his recent book on ‘Barbarians’ provides some interesting background material. The Christian doctrine about suicide, he argues, goes back to St Augustine’s attack on the Donatists: “In the early fifth century, very large numbers of poor African Romans… [Continue Reading]
How to present your accounts
July 14, 2009 By Filed Under: Andrew Selkirk
If your accounts for the year are not quite as good as you might wish— if, for instance, you make a loss of £2.5m on a turnover of £1.6m – how do you convey the news to your members?The past year has been one when many organisations have had accounts that are less satisfactory than… [Continue Reading]
Contra
February 21, 2009 By Filed Under: Andrew Selkirk
The Staffordshire Hoard has thrown up a problem. It is it is all very well to say the finder or the landowner should receive an award, but when that award is £3.3m, who is going to pay for it? The museum that receives the hoard? The British Museum has already declined any interest, but local… [Continue Reading]
Heritage Link revealed
February 5, 2009 By Filed Under: Andrew Selkirk
How does Heritage Link work? Heritage Link is a strange organisation that aims to help heritage charities work better. It presents an image of the utmost political correctness, so as the AGM was to be held just round the corner from me at the old Hampstead Town Hall, I decided to go along and find… [Continue Reading]
