Blog
East, West, Who’s Best?
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 [...]
Archaeological magazines in Europe – and America: the Paestum experience
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 [...]
Vienna
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 [...]
An Interview with Rónán Swan of the National Roads Authority
The road more travelled: Rónán Swan discusses life on the road schemes with CA Editor Lisa Westcott. Why did you become an archaeologist? My father, Leo Swan, was an archaeologist, so I grew up with it. All my holidays were spent on sites, or fieldwalking places like the Dublin mountains, Tara, and the Boyne Valley. My [...]
Are we all Druids now?; National Trust lacks soul?; Carlisle Castle; Socks with sandals; World Heritage diet
Are we all Druids now? Tuning in to the BBC’s religious affairs programme on 1 October, Sherds was amused to hear Emma Restall Orr, founder of the Druid Network, talking about the ‘long hard struggle’ to persuade the Charity Commission for England and Wales to grant charitable status to the Druids. This was a frustrating [...]
State of play; concrete countryside; Halloween reflections; advice on meeting a witch
State of play Believing that things are not what they used to be is a viral disease that strikes as you enter adulthood and gets worse with age, says folklorist Steve Roud. One symptom is the perennial complaint that children do not play proper games any more. In 1804, the demise of childhood games was [...]
Rock and roll; The Dunster cobbles; Historic Scotland; stonemason sparks cathedral row; Berlusconi’s appendage
Rock and roll Bits of rock, in various guises, form a running theme in this month’s Sherds, starting with Neolithic ball bearings. Numerous attempts have been made to explain how the slabs of stone used in the construction of Stonehenge got to their destination. Could these huge blocks, weighing up to 4 tonnes, have been [...]
Another word on Climate Change
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 [...]
Quangos and Conferences
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 [...]
Good idea, wrong architect?
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 [...]
