Michael Nevell
Amberley Publishing, £14.99
ISBN 978-1445694283
Review Amy Brunskill
Manchester is a city with a long, rich history, the extent of which has been brought to light by the many archaeological digs that have taken place since the start of the 20th century, and in particular by the 50-plus excavations carried out over the last two decades.
In this short, well-illustrated volume, Michael Nevell presents the history of the city through some of its most important archaeological discoveries. Each chapter addresses one of the 20 chosen digs, charting the development of archaeological work in the city from Bruton’s 1906-1907 search for Roman Manchester, via the creation of the city’s first professional archaeology unit in 1980, up to the ‘Excavating the Reno’ project in 2017, which involved many of the regulars who had frequented the nightclub in the 1970s and early 1980s (see CA 342).
The discoveries span Manchester’s full history, dating back to its earliest occupants in the early Neolithic period, through to its role as an Elizabethan market town, and its Victorian and 20th-century redevelopments, demonstrating that there is much more to the city than its famous industrial past.
This review appeared in CA 365. To find out more about subscribing to the magazine, click here.
