Q & A with Tony Wilmott

Which archaeological achievement are you proudest of? 
Without doubt, the discovery at Birdoswald fort of the timber buildings of the immediate post-Roman period, which allowed the period to be examined in a more informed light. Standing on top of the farmhouse tower, looking down and recognising the rectangle of a huge timber building was a great feeling.

What was your archaeological moment of the year?
Finding that the Maryport Roman altars had been reused as packing in the post-pits of a huge late-Roman timber building (CA 259). This blew received ideas about reverent ritual burial out of the water. Overturning established ideas by further excavation is a real highlight in any archaeological life.

How do you view the future of archaeology?
Now is a time when the various branches of archaeology – academic, public,  commercial, and amateur – need to take a long hard look at how they can co-operate. There are encouraging signs of this and some good models to follow.

Archaeologist of the year

Tony Wilmott won the Archaeologist of the Year 2012 award at the prestigious Current Archaeology awards, announced earlier this year during an evening reception at the Current Archaeology Live! 2012 conference at Senate House, London.

Tony made the following comments on receiving the award:

“Thank you, Current Archaeology, for nominating me for this award – it was a bright spot at the end pf a very difficult year. I’m accepting this award on behalf of all people working in public service archaeology – and I’m also delighted to be the second Sheffield Wednesday supporter (along with Clive Waddington) to be collecting an award tonight.

“I have been in this game for a long time – it has been over 40 years since I first lifted a trowel. My school history teacher first introduced me to Current Archaeology magazine and it was them that got me into archaeology in the first place.

“But how do you define ‘Archaeologist of the year’? There are so many more people who are equally or more deserving of this award than me. I have known Martin Carver for years – in fact, he was my mentor during my Birmingham University days. And Mike Heyworth’s radio interview with Councillor Melton was one of the highlights of my archaeological year. After being in fieldwork for over 4 decades I realise the importance of getting information out there – such as Martin Carver with Antiquity or the work of CBA. The difference is that excavation is particularly visible.”

Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage, added: “One of our best – well done Tony.”

We recently interviewed Simon Thurley on challenges facing the heritage sector, and the draft National Planning Framework.  To read the full interview, click here.

One of the great privileges of working at CA is meeting the archaeologists teasing out this country’s past. This year we would like to put forward the following individuals for special recognition of their work over the last 12 months.

Once you have made your choice, please vote at the bottom of this page.

Martin Carver

A former soldier who was inspired by the archaeological sites he saw while posted in Arabia, Martin Carver’s fate was sealed when he became hooked on reading Antiquity – the journal which he now edits. After spending almost 4 decades in the field, Martin has worked on sites from early Medieval towns (1975-1985) to Sutton Hoo (1983-2005) to Portmahomack’s Pictish monastery (1996-2007). He became the first secretary of the newly-formed Institute of Field Archaeologists in 1982, Professor of Archaeology at York University (where he was head of department for the next 10 years) in 1986, and was Vice-President of the Society of Antiquaries between 2002 and 2007.

Mike Heyworth

Currently Director of the Council for British Archaeology, Mike Heyworth’s interest in excavating began when he took part in a weekend dig at Old Down Farm, near Andover, aged 14. He joined the CBA over 20 years ago, working on the British and Irish Bibliography Service, and subsequently became the institution’s first ever Information Officer. Today Mike is not only in charge of strategic objectives at the CBA, but is also a trustee of Heritage Link, chair of the Archaeology Training Forum and Secretary to the All Party Parliamentary Archaeology Group.

Tony Wilmott

Currently Senior Archaeologist for English Heritage, Tony Wilmott is one of the leading authorities on Hadrian’s Wall and the amphitheatres of Roman Britain. Specialising in the Roman and Medieval periods, he has recently excavated at Birdoswald, Chesterand Richborough. His work at Maryport, where he was site director, shed new light on the magnificent set of altars dedicated to the god Jupiter found there, and was reported in CA 259. Tony is also a member of the Institute for Archaeologists and Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries.

 Please vote at the bottom of this page for Archaeologist of the Year 2012

Rescue archaeology is carried out in areas revealed or threatened by development, or else involves taking preventative measures on a previously unexcavated site. The following nominees, each featured in CA in the last year, highlight the vital importance of this work.

Once you have made your choice, please place your vote at the bottom of this page.

Roman remains at Cockermouth

(CA 255 – Grampus Heritage/North Pennines Archaeology)

The devastating floods that swept Cumbriatwo years ago left destruction in their wake but also uncovered previously-unknown archaeological remains. Subsequent investigations revealed a remarkable range of Roman roads, ditches and both domestic and industrial buildings across the floodplain.

Heathrow’s everyday landscape

(CA 256 – Framework Archaeology)

Before Heathrow’s Terminal 5 was built, some 80 hectares of land were excavated in one of the largest ever archaeological investigations inBritain. Eight years of fieldwork uncovered sweeping evidence of a landscape evolving over 8000 years of occupation.

Bedlam burials

(CA 257 – Crossrail)

Although founded in 1247 as a place of quiet prayer, the priory of St Mary of Bethlehem, later known as ‘Bedlam’, would becomeBritain’s most notorious lunatic asylum. Archaeologists excavating the site of a new ticket hall for Liverpool St Station discovered hundreds of skeletons interred beneath theLondontarmac. Were these the remains of the institution’s unfortunate inmates?

Aberdeen’s Mither Kirk

(CA 258 – Aberdeen City Council Archaeological Unit)

Excavations beneath Aberdeen’s Kirk of St Nicholas revealed the remains of four previous churches and seven centuries of burials. Almost 900 skeletons were uncovered, spanning the 11^th-18^th centuries, provided vital clues to how the diet, health and lifestyles of the area’s residents had changed over time.

Sea of troubles: Scotland’s eroding heritage

(CA 259 – SCAPE)

Scotland’s frequently turbulent weather has uncovered archaeological treasures like Skara Brae but can also cause terrible damage, with many sites now threatened by coastal erosion. For the last decade SCAPE (Scottish Coastal Archaeology and the Problem of Erosion) has been working with national and local organisations to record coastal sites before they are lost to the sea forever.

Please vote at the bottom of this page for Rescue Dig of the Year 2012

This year has brought many excellent new books through our door, but the following titles are those we feel deserve special recognition.  Once you have made your choice, place your vote at the bottom of the page.

Celtic from the West – CA 251

Barry Cunliffe/John Koch

It was long thought that Celtic-speaking peoples first appeared in west-central Europein the 5^th or 6^th century BC, but this daring volume argues a radically different case. In a move sure to inspire lively debate, Koch and Cunliffe suggest proto-Celtic in fact arose among Bronze Age traders with Eastern Mediterranean contacts and spread from Iberia to Orkney as a commercial lingua franca. 

The Story of Silbury Hill – CA 252

Jim Leary/David Field

This accessibly-written book explores one of the most enigmatic monuments of the late Neolithic. Supported by a wealth of plans and diagrams, Field and Leary take their readers through the mound’s multiple stages of construction, as well as the centuries of investigations which pulled it apart again, ultimately leading to the top collapsing in 2002.

Social Relations in Later Prehistory: Wessex in the first millennium BC – CA 254

Niall Sharples

Bridging the gap between the late Bronze and Iron Ages for the first time, Sharples presents an alternative account of later prehistoric society. This book elegantly synthesises previous scholarship on the subject and sets an ambitious new agenda for the study of this period.

Becoming an Archaeologist: a guide to professional pathways – CA 260

Joe Flatman

This free and frank discussion of life as an archaeologist in the UK, USA, and Australia pulls no punches. Some of Flatman’s assessments of typical pay and working conditions may seem pessimistic, but his enthusiasm for the discipline shines through. This comprehensive volume is a treasure trove of advice for anyone aspiring to enter the field.

The Frontiers of Imperial Rome – CA 261

David Breeze

The Roman Empire’s frontiers span three continents, covering 4800 miles across 20 modern countries. Today their walls stand as a physical reminder of both Rome’s expansive ambitions and the ultimate limitations of these. Breeze charts the development of these fortifications, considering whether they were intended as physical barriers or merely reflective of the Romans’ love of spectacular architecture.

Please vote at the bottom of this page for Book of the Year 2012

This has been another  great year for archaeological research, with fascinating projects going on all over the country. We have really enjoyed following the latest advances in theory, technology and methodology – and we hope you’ve enjoyed reading about them in CA. The following are the projects which particularly captured the imagination of readers and editors alike in the last 12 months.

Once you have made your choice, please place your vote using the multiple choice options at the very bottom of this page.

Silchester: how it all began

(CA 250 – University of Reading)

Rejoining the long-running excavations at Silchester 8 years after our last report, CA learned the investigations had reached a crucial point and the site still had secrets to reveal. Recent investigations have uncovered tantalising clues about the settlement’s pre-Roman past, adding substantially to our picture of how Iron Age Britain became Britannia.

Settlement under the sand

(CA 253 – Oxford University)

Orkney’s Bay of Skaill is best known for being the location of Skara Brae, a Neolithic settlement stunningly-preserved beneath a thick layer of windblown sand. But this is not the only archaeological treasure hidden by the weather; excavations have recently uncovered a massive Norse longhouse 2m below the sand, granting rare insight into the life and death of a major Viking settlement.

Roman rings and the cult of Toutatis

(CA 254 – Adam Daubney, Lincs FLO)

Best known to us from the Asterix comics, Toutatis was a Gaulish god and favourite patron of Roman soldiers who identified him with their war deity Mars. Evidence of Toutatis-worship is seen across the Roman Empire, but strangely limited inBritain. Now a new study of 68 finger-rings inscribed with the god’s name seems set to change all this.

Massacre at Fin Cop

(CA 255 – Archaeological Research Services)

Iron Age hillforts are commonly viewed as peaceful – if monumental – settlements, statements of prestige and power rather than military fortifications. But harrowing evidence from a Derbyshire site suggests these communities could come to a tragic end, with women and children massacred during the settlement’s destruction.

The second radiocarbon revolution

(CA 259 – Alasdair Whittle, Alex Bayliss, and Frances Healy/EH)

In October we covered a breakthrough in dating methodology that promised to rewrite our understanding of the early Neolithic. Exciting advances in radiocarbon dating, permitting more secure chronologies and more precise dates than ever before, allowed a fascinating new research project on causewayed enclosures to be carried out.

Please vote for Research Project of the Year 2012 at the very bottom of the page using the multiple choice options

We are always on the lookout for fresh ideas and new writers, and the Jeffrey May Award exists to encourage new contributions to Current Archaeology and Current World Archaeology. Many of the winners in the past have been from amateur groups or local archaeological societies, keen to tell us of their trials and their triumphs. But we are also looking for work from professionals to hear of some of the work that they are doing. Why not – with the permission of the developers – write up some of that grey literature that otherwise perishes ignored, and give the developers some good publicity?

The award is a prize of £1,000 that can be divided among several winners. The best entries will also be published in CA or CWA. The deadline for entries is 1 February 2012. Potential entrants are encouraged to e-mail the chairman of the judges, Andrew Selkirk (andrew@archaeology.co.uk), who will be pleased to advise on the suitability of entries.

We are delighted to announce Sam Moorhead as our official ‘Archaeologist of the Year 2011′.

Sam Moorhead

Sam Moorhead is the National Finds Advisor for Iron Age and Roman coins in the Department of Portable Antiquities at the British Museum. But he is much more than that: his many achievements and the range of his contributions to archaeology are truly phenomenal. He is a specialist and scholar of the highest standards, yet at the same time a very modest, self-effacing colleague, and also a populariser with a missionary zeal about bringing the prehistoric and ancient worlds alive for the general audience. He has been especially prominent over the last year because of his involvement in the AD 410 commemorations, and in the excavation and analysis of the Frome Hoard – the biggest hoard of Roman coins ever found in Britain.

Sam was central to the major two-day conference at the British Museum in March to debate the end of Roman Britain, which saw the emergence of a new academic consensus that is likely to underpin research for a generation. And, despite his extensive commitments, he also found time to co-author a superb narrative history book, AD 410 – The Year That Shook Rome.

Over the years, we have come to know many fascinating individuals and have been fortunate to share their work in the pages of CA, as well at our conferences. We would like to congratulate all of the 2011 nominees on their past year’s work and their excellent contributions to the field of archaeology:

Philip Crummy

Philip Crummy has been Director of the Colchester Archaeological Trust since 1971 and has dedicated the his archaeological career to understanding the story of Colchester (Roman Camulodunum).

Philip is much loved and respected by the local community, which was proved by the enthusiastic, and ultimately successful, response to the appeal that he led last year to purchase the land where he had discovered the Colchester Circus – the city’s Roman chariot racing track. Many private citizens, as well as schools and supporters of the local football club, contributed to the appeal. Philip’s discoveries have enriched the lives of the people of Colchester and helped to make it an attractive and interesting town. If Destination Colchester’s recent bid for World Heritage status succeeds, it is because of Philip’s decades of research, and his efforts to share his understanding of the city through his talks and through the pages of The Colchester Archaeologist, which he has edited for the last 20 years. His efforts have put Colchester on a par with such landmarks as Hadrian’s Wall or Bath’s Roman baths.

Tam Ward

Tam Ward is known as one of the most dedicated amateur archaeologists in Scotland. As founder and driving force behind the Biggar Archaeology Group, Tam’s dedication, leadership, and commitment have introduced countless people to fieldwork, research, and the importance of publishing archaeological information. Tam discovered archaeology 30 years ago through classes at the Biggar Museum, which eventually led him to active participation with the Lanark and District Archaeology Society, as well as the extra-mural fieldwork certificate at Glasgow University. In the past three decades, he has managed the many activities of the Biggar Archaeology Group on a shoe-string budget and is known for working as hard, and as professionally, as anyone who is paid to do archaeology. As a result, BAG is an active, well-attended and successful local society.

BAG’s discoveries this year at Howburn Farm (CA 243) proved evidence of the earliest Palaeolithic habitation in Scotland – an impressive achievement for an amateur group; it shows how important it is to have someone like Tam lead the way.

Click here for a fuller description of the finalists

Current Archaeology‘s Book of the Year 2011 is awarded to Julian Bowsher and Pat Miller for The Rose and the Globe: Playhouses of Shakespeare, as reviewed in CA239.

We wish to send many congratulations to Julian and Pat for their fascinating study, and to all our worthy nominees.

The Rose and The Globe: Playhouses of Shakespeare’s Bankside – CA 239

Julian Bowsher and Pat Miller

Bankside playhouses had a very brief shelf-life, and disappeared as quickly as they had arrived. The structures themselves were recycled; this book is a tribute to the archaeologists who painstakingly reconstructed so much, from so little evidence, of two of London’ s most famous and important playhouses.

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This has been a year filled with fabulous reading. So many great books have crossed our desks! We have done our best to review as many as possible, and we hope you have had a chance to read some. The following titles made the 2011 shortlist:

Click here for a fuller description of the finalists

European Influence on Celtic Art – CA 242

Lloyd Laing

Exploring the influences that shaped Celtic art, the author explores evidence that suggests ‘Celtic’ art, far from being insular, nationalistic or genetically determined, was open to a diversity of cultures from across Europe and through them created a uniquely distinctive style.

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Archaeological Investigation – CA 243

Martin Carver

A great number of archaeologists have written about life and work at the trowel’s edge; of these plentiful books, a handful have gone on to influence future generations. Archaeological Investigations takes its place among them, drawing together key concepts, theories, and practice.

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The Making of the British Landscape – CA 247

Francis Pryor

Pryor’s new book takes on a massive topic in surveying the whole of British landscape history. It is a stupendous feat of research. The book also offers plenty of the authentic Francis Pryor of his previous books, which is an essential element to the enjoyment of its reading.

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The Planning of Roman Roads and Walls in Northern England – CA 248

John Poulter

Lurking within this book is an exciting Big Idea. Poulter’s methodical research seems to prove  Hadrian’s Wall was designed to face south towards the forts of the Stanegate, rather than north, as is more generally accepted.

Click here for a fuller description of the finalists

This year, the much coveted ‘Research Project of the Year’ prize went to The Ness of Brodgar, and was accepted on behalf of the team by Nick Card, Senior Projects Manager at the Orkney Research Centre for Archaeology.

Congratulations to all involved in the project. We eagerly await the next chapter of this captivating archaeological story as it unfolds before us!

Neolithic Temples of the Northern Isles: Stunning new discoveries in Orkney – CA 241

The excavation of an artificial mound, five times the size of a football pitch, has revealed monumental stone structures and massive pits of prehistoric rubbish. As more and more of the structures are uncovered, stunning discoveries are causing a radical rethink or prehistoric religion in Orkney.

Over the last year, the research projects going on all across the country shot to the forefront of archaeology’s most fascinating stories. There is surely more to come as we follow these fascinating advances in theory, technology, and practice. The following projects captured the imagination of readers and editors alike:

Dark Satanic Mills: The archaeology of the world’s first industrial city – CA 242

By 1850, Manchester had a population of 300,000 and was synonymous with both explosive economic growth, as well as the squalid worker’s conditions that came with it. A decade of archaeology charts the growth of this great city.

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Raiders and Traders – CA 245

Recent research and discoveries is causing a re-think of the Vikings and their place in our history. Were they really just heathen raiders, bent on destruction and plunder, or were they perhaps a more cultured people, with a previously unrecognised level of skill in areas such as metalworking, navigation, and storytelling?

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Liquid History: Excavating London’s great river – CA 244

The Thames has played a central role in the life of London for over 2,000 years. Now, prehistoric forests, skeletons, Tudor palaces, AngloSaxon fishtraps and more have emerged from the mud and gravel of the Thames foreshore, thanks to the Thames Discovery Programme, an exciting new project to record the archaeology of London’s great river..

Digging up Plugstreet: The archaeology of WWI – CA 247

Modern conflict archaeology is growing swiftly in popularity, due to projects like Plugstreet, which traced the fortunes of the Australian 3rd Division from their training grounds on Salisbury Plain, to battle in the trenches of the Western Front in Belgium.

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Click here for a fuller description of the finalists

Congratulations to the team behind the Frome Hoard, which was named as Current Archaeology‘s Rescue Dig of the Year 2011.

The award was accepted by Sam Moorhead on behalf of the project team, including Dave Crisp (finder), Katie Hinds and Anna Booth (Finds Liaison Officers), Bob Croft and Alan Graham (excavators).

The Frome Hoard CA 246

The Frome Hoard, discovered by a metal detectorist in a Somerset field, is the largest coin hoard ever found in Britain in a single pot. Another great success for the Portable Antiquities Scheme, the 52,000 coins in the pot have much to say about wealth, ritual and political upheaval in Roman Britain.

Rescue archaeology is archaeological survey and excavation carried out in areas revealed or threatened by development, or preventative measures taken on a previously unexcavated site. The following nominees have shown the great importance of this work, as detailed in the pages of CA this year:

Click here for a fuller description of the finalists

Lanton Quarry: New evidence in Northumbria CA 239

A routine investigation ahead of gravel quarrying turned up some very exciting multi-period results, but it was the discovery of a rare, low-status Anglo-Saxon settlement that captured the most attention. Could these modest dwellings be the ‘support centre’ for the elite Anglo-Saxon royal town at nearby Yeavering?

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Bouldnor Cliff: Diving into the Mesolithic  CA 241

The dark green, fast-flowing waters of the Solent have proven to be a prehistoric paradise for archaeologists. The discovery of a drowned Mesolithic landscape off the coast of the Isle of Wight has provided insight into the wood-working ability and changing lifestyles of our Mesolithic ancestors.

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Excavating All Saints: A Medieval church rediscovered CA 245

Archaeologists in York found much more than they expected when excavations began on the site of a ‘lost’ Medieval church. Mass graves were discovered, containing the remains of Cromwell’s soldiers from the Siege of York in 1644.

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When the Celtic Tiger roared: The golden years of commercial archaeology in Ireland CA 247

The prosperity of Ireland’s Celtic Tiger economic boom created an unprecedented period of success for commercial archaeology: big sites were excavated, worldwide controversies were created, and a new system of archaeology was put to the test.

Click here for a fuller description of the finalists

Top honours for Archaeologist of the Year went to Mike Parker Pearson, Professor of Archaeology at Sheffield University and co-director of the Stonehenge Riverside Project (SRP).  The SRP team was also recognised for their work with the recent Bluestonehenge discoveries, receiving a gong for Research Project of Year.  The Staffordshire Hoard won Rescue Dig of the Year, with Kevin Leahy, National Finds Advisor on Early Medieval Metalwork for the Portable Antiquities Scheme, accepting the accolade on behalf of the project team.  Sir Barry Cunliffe’s recent publication Europe between the Oceans, 9000BC-AD1000, was voted Book of the Year.

The awards are chosen annually from work published in Current Archaeology, and the final selection is based on votes cast by the readers. Professor Brian Fagan of the University of California, Santa Barbara, hosted the awards ceremony and remarked on the day’s proceedings:

‘This unique conference is a form of vital public outreach that I have never experienced elsewhere in the world and ranks among the most important contributions we can make to archaeology. Contact with the broader public is essential in order to provide archaeology with a promising and vibrant role in today’s society. Bringing together many diverse archaeological, environmental, and historical strands as well as cutting edge research and new ideas, this event made a forcible point—that archaeology has much to offer us.’

The ceremony also included awards from major archaeological organisations, representing a full scope of work from amateur to academic and professional endeavours.  In conjunction with the Current Archaeology Awards, these additional prizes offer the most comprehensive recognition of archaeological work in Britain. Andante Travels, who specialise in archaeological tours, awarded Dr Elizabeth Graham of the UCL Institute of Archaeology their top laurel for her Mayan settlement site in Lamanai, Brazil.  Steve Kiln of the Robert Kiln Trust, an organisation which focuses on projects carried out by voluntary bodies or individuals, selected the High Morlaggan Project, a community archaeology project based in northern Scotland near Loch Lomond, as their 2010 winner. Adam Daubney, Finds Liaison Office for Lincolnshire, was awarded the CA Jeffrey May prize for writing, for his article entitled Credit crunch and Venetian Galleys.

Awards for the Presentation of Heritage Research joined with Archaeology 2010 in a new partnership with English Heritage and the main heritage organisations in Britain and Ireland: the Royal Archaeological Institute, English Heritage, Cadw (Wales), Historic Scotland, the Environment and Heritage Service (an agency within DOE(NI), and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Republic of Ireland).

Against a field of ten top presentations on British and Irish archaeology, historic buildings, and heritage conservation, first prize was scooped by Chris Yates of the South West Maritime Archaeology Group, for his talk entitled Bronze Age Trade in Copper: Evidence from a Maritime Environment. Brendon Wilkins, of Headland Archaeology (Ireland) Ltd, was awarded the runner-up prize for his work on Recently reported road deaths on the N6: 3500 BC to 1500 AD, while the Under 30′s category was won by Chantal Summerfield for The archaeology of soldier’s identity in the 20th century, uncovered through a comparison of arborglyphs.  The awards were presented by Julian Richards, the archaeologist and broadcaster best known for his work on Meet Ancestors.

The Archaeology 2010 conference was organised by Current Archaeology magazine and co-hosted by the Portable Antiquities Scheme. Sponsors included English Heritage, Towergate Insurance and Andante Travels.  In its third year, the conference has established itself as a must-go event, attracting over 500 delegates and representatives from every aspect of archaeology.  A full conference review and photos will be available soon on the Current Archaeology website, www.archaeology.co.uk, and plans are already under way for the 2011 event.

For more information, please contact Lisa Westcott, Editor, Current Archaeology magazine, lisa@archaeology.co.uk or 0208 819 5585.