I was delighted to see an advance copy of the latest issue of CA – are we really up to number 336? — with its marvellous photo of Maiden Castle on the front. It sent me back to memories of my very first dig which took place at the very tail end of Maiden Castle […]

Edited by Astrid Van Oyen and Martin Pitts Oxbow Books, £40.00 ISBN 978-1785706769 Review Edward Biddulph Objects have long been viewed in Roman archaeology as things that represent, being regarded as expressions of status, identity, wealth or Romanisation. While the concept of Romanisation has been subject to much criticism, the idea of representation continues to […]

Archaeologists working in Southwark have uncovered a late Roman sarcophagus, the contents of which are soon to be examined at the Museum of London’s archive.  The excavation was carried out at Harper Road by Pre-Construct Archaeology (working on behalf of the archaeological consultancy CGMS, for Galliard Homes), in an area known as the Southern Cemetery. Lying […]

The largest excavation undertaken in Leicester for over a decade has shed vivid new light on the city’s early Roman history, as well as revealing evidence of luxurious dwellings, including one of the biggest fragments of mosaic floor found in the city in 150 years.

The long-running excavations at Vindolanda, a Roman auxiliary fort just south of Hadrian’s Wall, have uncovered an apparently hastily abandoned cavalry barracks containing a wealth of finds, from weapons to personal items. The Vindolanda Trust-led investigations had opened test-pits beneath the stone foundations of the last stone fortress, revealing anaerobic layers dating from c.AD 120, […]

The first project to excavate at Lufton Roman villa since the 1960s has revealed new details of the Somerset site’s famous octagonal fish mosaic. Surrounding a deep pool that has been variously interpreted as an ostentatious bath, a Christian baptistery, or part of an impressive suite of reception rooms, the elaborate 4th-century floor was first […]

M C Bishop Osprey Publishing, £12.99 ISBN 978-1472815880 Review Kate Gilliver Mike Bishop’s beautifully produced volume on the Roman pilum collects a vast amount of evidence – archaeological, sculptural, and literary. The author does an excellent job covering the development, use, and impact of this iconic javelin, leaving us in no doubt of the seriousness […]

Alan Rushworth and Alexandra Croom Oxbow Books, £55.00 ISBN 978-1785700262 Review Rob Collins The Roman fort of Segedunum is better known by its modern English place-name, Wallsend, which conveniently holds the subtle clue to the fort’s position – at the eastern terminus of Hadrian’s monumental structure. The late Charles Daniels was provided with the opportunity […]

The early medieval cemetery at Sutton Hoo has a long and complex history. Our cover feature explores how a royal burial ground was transformed into a grim place of execution; how interpretations of the site have evolved; and how its wider context traces the Anglo-Saxon story, from pagan immigrants to a Christian kingdom. New arrivals […]

Gladiators return to the site of London’s Roman amphitheatre for a Bank Holiday spectacular.