This month, we spend a lot of time up north. There’s a lot going on in the chilly wilds up there, and we braved the cold to bring you profiles of York’s biggest excavation in the past 25 years, as well as a newly opened reconstruction of a centurion’s house at South Shields. Additionally, Andrew Selkirk profiles his trip along the Antonine Wall in Last Word and discusses the recent bid for World Heritage status: is it worthy? We also go deep inside Silbury Hill and show you what the tunnels were really like, and why it’s necessary to seal the mound forever. By the way. we’re very busy here at CA getting ready for the Archaeology 2008 conference, which is just around the corner. We hope to see you on 9-10 February at the British Museum!
SILBURY HILL: A LAST LOOK INSIDE
Silbury Hill is one of Britain’s most enigmatic and impressive prehistoric monuments. Plagued by structural problems and frequent collapse as a result of unsympathetic excavation and tunnelling in the past, the landmark mound was in serious danger. We take you inside for a last look, and delve into English Heritage’s newly completed conservation project.
3D LASER SCANNING FOR HERITAGE: THE FUTURE OF THE PAST?
3D Laser Scanning has come a long way since 1990 and is a regular, if still changing, tool for archaeologists, conservators and building specialists. English Heritage Chief Archaeological Advisor David Miles explains how the fascinating technology has evolved, and how it is changing the way we ‘see’ archaeology.
HUNGATE: THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF MODERN URBAN POVERTY
Seebohm Rowntree’s revoltionary 1901 study of poverty and town life in York inspired decades of social reform to eradicate poverty and construct a welfare state. Hungate, the area of Rowntree’s study, is today one of the most overlooked parts of historic York. However, all that is changing as archaeologists embark on a five-year project to excavate the slums and reveal past chapters of the buried history of Hungate.
SOUTH SHIELDS: REBUILDING A ROMAN FORT
What was a Roman centurion’s house like? Visitors to Arbeia Roman Fort at South Shields can now wander around a new, full-size reconstruction of one. Roman emperor Septimius Severus’ death-bed advice to his two sons was ‘Look after the soldiers, boys!’, and in this surprisingly large and luxurious structure it is easy to see how officers were especially favoured.
