Current Archaeology 327

2 mins read

Why were Pictish symbols carved into Trusty’s Hill, far to the south of where they usually occur? Investigation of a hillfort towering over the images reveals that the site developed into a prosperous centre in the 6th century AD, and may even have been at the heart of the lost kingdom of Rheged. If so, it seemingly attracted the envious eye of its neighbours in Northumbria.

Crosse & Blackwell found fame by offering customers a taste of the British Empire. The story of this company’s rise is one of celebrity chefs, new flavours from distant lands, and cutting-edge ways to prevent food from perishing prematurely. Excavation of the Crosse & Blackwell factory in London has revealed how changing tastes and technology led to its produce being shipped around the world.

The effects of international travel may also have made their mark on Pocklington, East Yorkshire. Discovery of a square-barrow cemetery has resulted in the first largescale investigation of such a site for 30 years. One of the deceased was buried with a chariot, a funerary tradition that seemingly betrays strong links with northern France.

At Worth Matravers in Dorset, the surprise finding is that activity on a hilltop overlooking the English Channel was not restricted to the Iron Age and Roman period as was once thought. Instead, it played out over 5,000 years and included some sumptuous prehistoric feasts.

Finally, Neolithic miners at Grime’s Graves showcase another side to prehistoric life. There, subterranean speculators braved hazardous conditions in search of the finest nodules of an essential raw material: flint.

Matt Symonds

IN THIS ISSUE:

FEATURES

RHEGED REDISCOVERED

Uncovering a lost British kingdom in Galloway
We investigate the enigmatic Pictish carvings of Trusty’s Hill, a hillfort in Dumfries and Galloway. This artwork was found much further south than usual, raising questions about whether the carvings are even genuine. And can they be connected to a lost kingdom?


AN IRON AGE CHARIOT BURIAL

Excavating a square-barrow cemetery at Pocklington
Discoveries at Pocklington, East Yorkshire, look set to transform our understanding of an Iron Age culture. We explore a cemetery with a remarkable chariot burial and unusual grave goods, and the new insights into burial rituals recent excavations have provided.


PAST PRESERVES

Excavating Crosse & Blackwell
Nearly 200 years ago, Edmund Crosse and Thomas Blackwell set up their food-manufacturing company at Tottenham Court Road. Ahead of building a new ticket hall at the station as part of the Crossrail project, archaeological excavations have been carried out on the site, building a picture of how the firm’s premises functioned.


WHAT LIES BENEATH

Revealing 5,000 years of occupation at ‘Football Field’
Excavations at what was assumed to be a fairly ordinary Iron Age and Roman site in Worth Matravers have unearthed activity dating as far back as the Neolithic. We take a look at the long history of activity on a Dorset hilltop.


GOING UNDERGROUND

The secrets of Neolithic mining
The landscapes of sites like Grime’s Graves in Norfolk have been marked by Neolithic mining, but what went on below the cratered surface? And why did these ancient miners descend to dangerous depths for flint?


NEWS

Dorset’s new-found Fame; Revealing Norton’s unusual Roman remains; Roman riches at Scotch Corner; Much Wenlock’s golden find; Rethinking the Uffington Horse; Archbishops emerge from Lambeth church; Reflections on archaeology; Finds tray


REGULARS

Comment
Joe Flatman excavates the CA archive

Context
Laser-scanning in a Shropshire hamlet

Reviews
Dress and Society; Neanderthals in Wales; An Anglo-Saxon Cemetery at Collingbourne Ducis, Wiltshire; The People of Early Winchester; Medieval Cross Slabs of Derbyshire; Secrets of the High Woods

Museum
Jorvik Viking Centre reopens

Sherds
Chris Catling’s irreverent take on heritage issues

Last Word
Andre Selkirk on computers and CA

Odd Socs
The Académie Internationale de la Pipe (AIP)

1 Comment

  1. I am trying to organise as a present for a friend who will be 70 in December a dig or day out with lecture on history etc can anyone advise where I can find something suitable please?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.