Celtic Antiquities and Coins

Apologies for my absence

2010-11-11T15:33:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to apologize for my absence from the Celtic Antiquities and Coins blog in the last few months. As some of you know, I underwent major surgery this year, but unfortunately this has led to some significant complications, and may take some time to resolve (including at least one other surgery). I hope that I will be able to return to work soon and I thank you once again for your patience. With very best wishes.

Time out for surgery

2010-07-19T11:51:00.000-07:00

Just a note to let you know that I will be taking some time out to recover from surgery, but I will endeavor to add new blog posts when I can. Thank you for your patience.
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Butser Experimental Ancient Farm, southern England

2010-07-06T14:58:00.000-07:00

Although the real past will always elude us and we will never know EXACTLY what it was like to live in the Late Iron Age and early Roman periods of Britain, for almost 40 years Butser Ancient farm has been effective in offering a fascinating insight into ancient times. Recently, I wrote a blog post about the educational hands-on activities that are offered at Butser and further details may be found here.

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A 2,000-YEAR-OLD human skeleton has been unearthed alongside Iron Age artefacts near Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire

2010-07-06T14:42:00.000-07:00

From: This is Gloucestershire

Discovery: Experts believe the skeleton could be of national significance

A 2,000-YEAR-OLD human skeleton has been unearthed alongside Iron Age artefacts near Tewkesbury.

Metal detector hunts in recent years had led historians to suspect an ancient community might be found there.

That was confirmed when contractors who were laying a new water pipeline began digging.

Senior project manager Stuart Foreman is leading a team of archaeologists on a six-week excavation at the site.

Get the rest of this article here

Moray building site yields Iron Age finds

2010-06-19T10:48:00.000-07:00

From Archaeology Daily News:

ARCHAEOLOGICAL finds at a Moray building site have been described as exciting by experts.

Burial memorials are among the evidence of an Iron Age settlement uncovered on the latest Springfield Properties housing development on Grantown Road, near Forres.

Archaeologists said some finds could hold key evidence for research into the neolithic period, sometimes referred to as the New Stone Age. They include pottery, metal and ironwork which show people occupied the area before it became an Iron Age farm.

Construction work is on hold until Edinburgh-based AOC Archaeology completes its examination of the Knockomie Meadows site.

The finds suggest a late Iron Age occupation from around 600AD, with evidence of a food storage pit, round houses and fencing for animals.

The site is thought to have been occupied during neolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman times. Previous digs in a field next to the current site in 2007 and 2008 indicated people lived in the area more than 2,000 years ago.

Get the rest of this article here.

Derbyshire Iron Age bones were of pregnant woman

2010-05-19T19:33:00.000-07:00

From the BBC:

Tests carried out on a skeleton discovered at an archaeological dig in Derbyshire have found it was that of a pregnant woman.

Experts said they were surprised by the female find because the site, near Monsal Dale in the Peak District, had been believed to be a military scene.

Now, extra lottery funding means there can be a second dig at the Fin Cop hill fort site to find out more.

Archaeologists unearthed the Iron Age skeleton last August.

Get the rest of this article here

Rabbits Threatening Iron Age Mound on Small Hebridean Island

2010-04-27T09:46:00.000-07:00

From The Telegraph:

A Hebridean Island which spent £600,000 getting rid of rats has now become over-run with rabbits

"We don't want the rats back - but the rabbits have become a major problem. They are threatening our archaeology which goes back 8000 years here. An Iron Age mound is a particularly target for them. It is a scheduled monument but it is being burrowed into by the rabbits and being eroded.

"Stone Age huts and dykes from the Clearances are having their foundations destroyed. They are in people's gardens - and being so far away from the mainland we rely a lot on growing our own vegetables.

"The only thing that are happy are the sea eagles. They have been having a real feast but obviously nowhere near keeping up with the rabbit population."

Get the whole of this article here.

Bob Geldof's Land Being Surveyed for Iron Age Remains

2010-04-27T09:03:00.000-07:00

The former pop star and anti-poverty campaigner, Sir Bob Geldof, has allowed local Kent archaeologists to survey his land for Iron Age and Medieval remains.

Lynette Eyb (Heritage-Key.com) has written a post about the project, which can be found here.

There is also an article by Kent News here.

Chariot find is a victory for Scots

2010-04-06T14:42:00.000-07:00

From the Guardian:

The centuries-long tussle for prestige between England and Scotland may be about to end in victory for the clans, with new archaeological evidence suggesting that the first national leader of the British Isles was a Scot.

The remains of a mysterious figure found in an Iron Age chariot burial under the A1M motorway was of "exceptional significance" according to academics, who have also unearthed the leftovers of one of Britain's biggest feasts at his funeral site in Yorkshire.

Decorated with jewellery and finely wrought harness and chariot gear, the 2,400-year-old grave is thought to have been a rallying-point for Britain's tribes 500 years later when the Romans moved north. Some 300 young cattle from all over the country were brought to Ferrybridge to feed an assembly running into thousands not far from where a Little Chef now stands.

Get the rest of this article here

Iron Age Skeletons and Viking bones go on display in Weymouth (with Video)

2010-03-23T14:28:00.000-07:00

From the BBC News:

An exhibition of Iron Age skeletons and Viking bones found in excavations ahead of the Weymouth Relief Road has attracted 3,000 visitors.

The free event at Weymouth Pavilion Ocean Room includes ancient bones, Iron Age pottery and shale jewellery.

Archaeologists from Dorset County Council and specialists from Oxford Archaeology will be on hand to discuss the finds and answer questions.

Get the rest of this article here

New center for replica Iron Age attraction

2010-03-12T14:55:00.000-08:00

From The News Portsmouth:

A new eco-friendly visitors centre is set to be built at a replica Iron Age farm.

Butser Ancient Farm, in Chalton Lane, Chalton, has seen its visitors soar by 10,000 to 20,000 over the last 10 years.

A bid had now been launched to build a £150,000 visitors centre at the site, which was founded in 1972 as an archaeological research site.

Reconstructed roundhouses and a villa at the farm give an insight into the life of Romans and Celts in ancient Britain.

Get the rest of this article here

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Iron Age hopes for Moray field

2010-03-07T10:34:00.000-08:00

From The Press and Journal:

EXPERTS SAY SURVEY OF SITE AT BURGHEAD HAS PROVED ‘VERY PROMISING’

Experts believe they have discovered another Iron Age power centre in Moray.

Yesterday National Museums of Scotland curator Dr Fraser Hunter said investigations at a field at Burghead have possibly revealed “a high-status site”.

The archaeologist said the remains of four Iron Age roundhouses could lie buried beneath the soil.

He said: “In combination with the finds that have been discovered at the site, it suggests that this is one of the more important areas, one of the power centres of the Burghead area.”

The exact location of the site at Burghead is being kept secret while further investigations are carried out.

Get the rest of this article here

Weymouth Relief Road artefacts to go on show

2010-03-07T10:24:00.000-08:00

From the BBC News:

A number of artefacts discovered during work on an £87m road development in Dorset are to go on display.

The Weymouth Relief Road is being built to ease traffic between Dorchester and Weymouth and Portland, where Olympic sailing events will be held in 2012.

The site attracted much interest when archaeologists found an ancient burial pit on Ridgeway Hill last year.

Items including ancient bones, Iron Age pottery and shale jewellery will go on display at Weymouth Pavilion.

Get the rest of this article here

Bracelet found in Vale of Glamorgan is treasure trove

2010-02-10T18:57:00.000-08:00

From the BBC:

An Iron Age fragment found in a south Wales village last year is the missing half of a bracelet first discovered in 2005, say archaeologists.

Experts from National Museum Wales believe the two bracelets parts, unearthed at Boverton, Vale of Glamorgan, were buried together.

A matching join was found and the decoration, a repeating triangle and a line of dots, proved continuous.

The item was one of four found in the county declared treasure by a coroner.

Get the rest of this article here

Archaeologists unearth Iron Age settlement in Kent

2010-02-01T13:35:00.000-08:00

From the BBC:

The remains of an Iron Age settlement have been unearthed by archaeologists working along the route of a new £1.3m water pipeline in Kent.

Evidence of a dwelling, postholes, pits, ancient hearths and pieces of pottery were found on land in Pembury.

South East Water plans to lay a 4.6km (2.9 mile) pipe between Kipping's Cross Service Reservoir and Pembury.

The archaeologists, who were employed by the firm to survey the route, will now record and preserve the finds.

The period known as the Iron Age took place in Britain between about 750BC and about AD40.

Get the rest of this article here

'Oldest in Britain' Hallaton Roman coin may be evidence of early trade links with Corieltavi tribe

2010-01-29T10:08:00.000-08:00

From the BBC:

A silver coin dug up as part of a hoard is the oldest piece of Roman money found in Britain, experts believe. The coin which has been dated to 221BC was found near the Leicestershire village of Hallaton with 5,000 other coins, a helmet and decorated bowl.

David Sprason, county council cabinet member for communities and wellbeing, said: "Leicestershire boasts the largest number of Iron Age coins ever professionally excavated in Britain in the Hallaton Treasure. To also have the oldest Roman coin ever found is something very special."

The Hallaton coin is on display at the Harborough Museum, Market Harborough, alongside other coins that were excavated at a late Iron Age shrine of the Corieltavi tribe dating to the first century AD.

[Full article]

Archaeological dig uncovers the past in Llay

2010-01-24T13:58:00.000-08:00

From the BBC:

Since 2002, archaeologists and local enthusiasts have been digging at the site of an Iron Age hillfort in Llay, Wrexham

Take a walk on the banks of the River Alyn from Bradley to Llay, what we call today the Caer Alyn project area, and you will see few glimpses of its former glory.

Gone are the Iron Age people who built the Caer Alyn hillfort and Watts Dyke, and gone are the wheels that drove Medieval mill machines. Today, we're using the landscape to tell the story of the past.

The Caer Alyn project started with just one test pit as part of the Channel 4 TV programme, Time Team's Big Dig in 2002. Since then the Caer Alyn community archaeological heritage project has gone from strength to strength.

Get the rest of this article here

Bodies in the Bog and the Archaeological Imagination by Karin Sanders: review

2010-01-24T13:33:00.000-08:00

From the Telegraph:

Bodies in the Bog and the Archaeological Imagination

By Karin Sanders

CHICAGO UP, £26, 317pp

In 1969, PV Glob, a distinguished professor of archeology in Denmark, published a remarkable book. The Bog People was written in response to a request from a group of schoolgirls at an English convent. These young ladies had become excited about photographs of the mysterious discovery, in a Danish bog, of a almost perfectly preserved body dating back to the Iron Age and known as the Tollund Man, from the area in which he was found.

He lay in the ancient peat, entirely naked except for a thin leather cap and a lanyard around his neck. As Glob described in his charming, plainly written book, Tollund Man joined Grauballe Man and Windeby Girl (who turned out to be Windeby Boy), disinterred from the Jutland fens; a mute, macabre gathering looking like crumpled, leathery marionettes.

Get the rest of this article here

Iron age gold jewellery goes on display in Edinburgh

2010-01-20T14:41:00.000-08:00

From the BBC:

A hoard of Iron Age jewellery found by a treasure hunter in Stirlingshire has gone on display in Edinburgh.

The four solid gold neck ornaments, or torcs, could be more than 2,000 years old.

They were found in a field by safari park manager David Booth, who was using a metal detector for the first time.

They are now owned by the Crown and have been placed on public view at the National Museum of Scotland for the next three weeks.

Fraser Hunter, the museum's curator, said "These four gold torcs are very beautiful, very displayable objects.

"They have many stories to tell."

Get the rest of this article with Podcast here.

eBook: An Iron Age Settlement outside Battlesbury Hillfort, Warminster and Sites along the Southern Range Road

2010-01-12T10:36:00.001-08:00

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A recent eBook from Wessex Archaeology is now available to download for free. “An Iron Age Settlement outside Battlesbury Hillfort, Warminster and Sites along the Southern Range Road” can be read online via the Scribd iPaper viewer or downloaded as a PDF file. The book is written by Chris Ellis and Andrew B. Powell. A few hard copies may also available for purchase (ISBN: 978-1-874350-47-7).

For further information and download instructions, please visit the Wessex Archaeology website at: http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/projects/wiltshire/battlesbury/iron-age-settlement-ebook
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Beccles dig unearths ancient secrets

2010-01-12T09:41:00.000-08:00

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From The Advertiser24:

Archaeologists attempting to piece together the history of an Iron Age site on Beccles marshes believe they are moving a step closer to drawing conclusions.

A team of students from University of Birmingham descended on the marshes for three weeks in the summer to try to unravel the mystery surrounding the site.

In 2006, three rows of wooden posts inserted into the ground were unearthed while flood defence work was being carried out.

The posts have been traced for about 500m from the contemporary dryland edge just outside Beccles, north to the edge of the River Waveney.

The digs have confirmed that the three parallel rows of large oak posts have been dated using tree rings to 75BC, which is the late Iron Age. It was initially believed that the posts could mark out a causeway that provided a main route into Beccles, although further interpretation of the site is currently under way.

Get the rest of this article here:
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Rare sheep die in animal attack

2010-01-06T13:25:00.000-08:00

From the BBC News:

Five breed rare sheep have been killed in two separate attacks at a Cambridgeshire education centre.

The Celtic (Soay) sheep were in a herd of 10 at Flag Fen Bronze Age Centre, an archaeology site in Peterborough. There are few of the species left in England.

Get the rest of this article here

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Power work in Dales turns up Iron Age site

2009-12-17T13:28:00.000-08:00

From The Yorkshire Post:

ENGINEERS burying power lines in the Yorkshire Dales have unearthed a piece of ancient history, which has baffled experts.

A long-buried strip of ash and burnt material was discovered in Kingsdale, near Ingleton, by an archaeologist working for United Utilities and Electricity North West.

Get the rest of is article here

Tide turns on Iron Age midden treasure trove

2009-12-10T17:01:00.000-08:00

From News Scotsman:

AN ANCIENT rubbish tip – inhabited nearly 2,000 years ago – is disappearing into the sea, archeologists have warned.

The Iron Age midden on Skye's west coast has so far yielded bone fragments, stone tools, a button manufactured from horn and the top of a human skull.

But experts are battling the elements in a race to save the 1,900-year-old treasure trove from the elements.

The manmade tools and fragments are already under attack from lashing waves and strong winds, with significant amounts of material already lost to the sea. A report published by Highland Council's Historic Environment Record said that at the current rate of erosion, the site will not last beyond 2010.

Get the rest of this article here

Ancient midden ‘unlikely to survive beyond 2010’

2009-12-10T16:42:00.000-08:00

From the BBC News:

An ancient midden, or rubbish dump, thought to have historical importance is under serious threat from erosion, according to archaeologists.

They said it was doubtful if artefacts at Uamh an Eich Bhric on Skye's west coast would survive beyond 2010. Excavations at the site during 2008 and earlier this year were seen as the "only chance" to investigate it. A report published online by Highland Council's Historic Environment Record said it was key Iron Age site.

Get the rest of this article here

Iron-age dig hitch for planned 1,200 homes in Scarborough

2009-11-24T12:57:00.000-08:00

From the Scarborough Evening News:

The discovery of a possible Iron Age or Roman settlement could scupper plans on land earmarked for a massive housing estate.

A 13.5-acre section of land owned by Scarborough Council – part of the planned 1,200-home scheme at Middle Deepdale – may cover the remains of an early Iron Age or early-Romano British ladder village.

Get the rest of this article here

Heather and Hillforts new chairman

2009-11-19T11:35:00.000-08:00

From News Wales:

Rod Williams, a hillfort and smallholding owner from Denbighshire has been named as the new Chairman of the Heather and Hillforts Landscape Partnership Scheme.

As the owner of Penycloddiau hillfort and a 40 acre smallholding on the edge of the Clwydian Range, Rod Williams has a deep rooted connection to the outstanding heritage of the Clwydian Range and Llantysilio Mountain.

He is currently a Council Member with the Countryside Council for Wales, governor at Llysfasi College, was awarded a fellowship of the Royal Agriculture Society for Services to Agri Business in Wales and is treasurer of Tŷ Croeso Ysbyty Glan Clwyd and the Royal Agri Benevolent Institution (Clwyd). He is also a frequent broadcaster on agricultural issues, especially on S4C and Radio Cymru.

The sudden death of the Project Chairman, Michael Griffith, earlier this year left a great void. Rod Williams shares Michael Griffith’s passion for the landscape and heritage and his belief that heritage conservation can go hand in hand with environmentally friendly farming.

Get the rest of this article here

Protest over hill fort land sale

2009-11-15T09:52:00.000-08:00

From the BBC:

Hundreds of people have staged a protest on land near an Iron Age hill fort in a bid to stop it being sold and keep it in public ownership.

Worthing Council has already said it has suspended the sale and will also review the decision to sell farmland near Cissbury Ring, in West Sussex.

The council said the review was because of public concern about the site.

The South Downs Society said it was a famous archaeological site that needed to remain in public ownership.

The group, Stop the Cissbury Sell-Off (SCSO), said about 400 people gathered for the rally and walked across the land in question, letting off flares.

SCSO spokesman Trevor Hodgson said there was strong feeling and a "massive turnout" by people who had vowed to fight on until the land was fully protected for generations to come.

Get the rest of this article here

North Wales Iron Age fort given preservation facelift

2009-11-09T14:00:00.000-08:00

From the Leader:

WORK to preserve an ancient relic in one of North Wales' most beautiful rural areas is expected to end this year.

Teams of country skills experts have been working on improving access to Moel Fenlli, an Iron Age hillfort, in Moel Famau country park, as well as trying to protect it from erosion.

The work has been carried out as part of Denbighshire Council’s Heather and Hillforts project, which centres around the Clwydian Range.

Samantha Williams, hillfort conservation officer, said: “The site is a scheduled ancient monument and a new innovative solution has been developed which means that nothing is put into the ground that could damage the archaeology.

Get the rest of this article here

Time out for surgery

2009-11-04T11:08:00.000-08:00

Just to let you know that there may not be any posts for a couple of weeks, as I need to take some time out for surgery. Posts will resume again as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience.

Man finds treasure estimated to be worth of £1 million

2009-11-03T09:48:00.000-08:00

From News.Scotsman.com:

A metal-detecting enthusiast has unearthed a 2,000-year-old treasure hoard worth an estimated £1 million, it was revealed today.

Four gold neckbands dating to the Iron Age were discovered in a field near Stirling by the amateur hunter.

The man, who has not been identified, informed Scotland's Treasure Trove Unit which sent a team to excavate the site, the Daily Record newspaper reported.

The bands, or "torcs", made from twisted gold, are thought to date from the 1st and 3rd century BC.

Get the rest of this article here.

Iron Age treasure goes on show

2009-10-22T13:25:00.000-07:00

From localhistoryonline:

You can now visit Harborough Museum in Leicestershire and see the Hallaton Treasure, described by a spokesman for the British Museum as a find ‘of national importance’.

This is the first time the Treasure has been publicly displayed. In 2000 metal detectorist Ken Wallace, and other volunteers from the Hallaton Fieldwork Group, came across some Roman pottery in a field outside their village. They were joined by the University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS), which then found what turned out to be one of the most important Iron Age sites in Britain.

There is a suggestion that it may have been the location of a shrine. They discovered over five thousand silver and gold coins, the remains of an ornately decorated Roman parade helmet and some mysterious silver finds.

Get the rest of this article here

EXCLUSIVE - Ancient Anglo Saxon and Iron Age artefacts and human remains found between Rudston and Boynton East Yorkshire

2009-10-22T13:10:00.000-07:00

From Beverley Guardian:

ANCIENT human remains have been unearthed during an archaeological dig at the Caythorpe Gas Storage site between Rudston and Boynton.

Five human burials have been recovered by experts.

One set of remains dates to the late Iron Age and had been buried with a simple iron brooch.

Another dates back probably to the Anglo-Saxon period and had been buried with an iron knife.

Archaeologists have also found evidence of a settlement at the site, including an Iron Age round house and at least one Anglo-Saxon building.

Other finds recovered include a Roman brooch, an Anglo-Saxon coin, large fragments of a millstone and numerous fragments of pottery and animal bones.

Gas supply company Centrica believed during the early planning stages for its development that it would come across certain archaeological finds as part of the project.

Get the rest of this article here

“A New Approach to Early Celtic Art” – Journal Article

2009-10-09T16:54:00.000-07:00

Archaeologists date artifacts via both scientific carbon dating methods and sometimes using typology (relative chronological sequence – to match an artifact already documented within a well-established typological scheme) in order to determine its specific period. The most useful is of course radiocarbon (C14), although it does have its limitations, especially with regard to accuracy (due to poor sampling measures and thus contamination, as well as careless interpretation). On the whole, however, it does offer a broad pattern with similar types of finds being found relative to particular time periods. With regard to studies of Iron Age Celtic art, a great emphasis is still put onto the work of Paul Jacobsthal, which was carried out more than six decades ago. Four main styles were identified in his classic Early Celtic Art (1944) that are now generally accepted for the La Tène period: the Early Style, the Waldalgesheim Style, the Plastic Style, and the Sword Style. However, since that study, there have been numerous new and unusual finds and it is important to discuss further the implications of such unearthings. There is an interesting paper (published in 2004) that discusses this issue, although you will have to register to gain access to the full journal article. It is, however, possible to view the abstract without any prior registration and I have also pasted relevant information below for ease of access:

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“A New Approach to Early Celtic Art” from the Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy – Volume 104, 2004, Pages 107-129: http://bit.ly/UMr6F

Publisher The Royal Irish Academy
ISSN 0035-8991 (Print) 2009-0048 (Online)
Issue Volume 104, Volume 104 / 2004
DOI 10.3318/PRIC.2004.104.1.107
Pages 107-129
Online Date Friday, August 24, 2007

PDF (1.1 MB) Authors Otto–Herman Frey Abstract All modern studies of early Celtic art begin with the work of Paul Jacobsthal. In the sixty years since his magisterial study, however, there have been many new discoveries and there has been much discussion concerning the deeper meaning of Celtic art. Particularly significant in this regard are the two recently discovered Early La Tène burial mounds on the Glauberg in Hesse in Germany. Not only did these burials yield bronzes of major significance, but a unique, almost life-sized human carving displaying weapons and personal ornaments was also found. The finds from the Glauberg shed much new light on the nature of early Celtic art. The influence of the Estrucans of north Italy is especially evident.

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Paul Jacobsthal’s work, “Early Celtic Art”, may be obtained by following this link: http://bit.ly/1NxOk9, although I must inform you that it is a little on the expensive side now that it has become a collector’s item.

UK mammals have 'Celtic fringe'

2009-09-30T12:26:00.000-07:00

From the BBC News:

DNA tests on British populations of small mammals show a genetically distinct "Celtic Fringe", say scientists at The University of York.

Voles, shrews, mice and stoats in northern and western areas have different DNA from their counterparts in other parts of the British Isles.

The paper, in Proceedings B journal, says the different populations arrived at the end of the last ice age.

The authors say the work sheds light on the origins of the Celtic people.

The traditional view is that the ancestors of British Celts spread from central Europe during the Iron Age and were later displaced by the arrival of the Anglo Saxons.

However, recent genetic studies have challenged this theory, suggesting a much earlier origin, dating back to the end of the last ice age, 19,000 years ago.

This paper suggests that the study of small mammal populations could help resolve the controversy.

Get the rest of this article here

Contentious M3 is 90% complete, says NRA

2009-09-21T13:53:00.000-07:00

From IrishTimes.com:

THE CONTROVERSIAL M3 motorway in Co Meath, which has been the subject of several years of protests, is now almost 90 per cent complete, the National Roads Authority (NRA) has said.

At almost 60km of main motorway and a further 40km of link roads and interchanges, the it is one of the longest motorways under construction in Europe.

The M3 is not scheduled to open until July 2010. Work could still finish ahead of this scheduled date, but not before mid-spring next year, the NRA said.

Beginning at Clonee, north of the Dublin-Meath border, it runs to Kells where it switches to a motorway-grade dual carriageway for the last 10km to the Cavan border. It will have two toll booths, charging €1.40 for cars. Dunshaughlin, Navan and Kells are bypassed along the route.

Controversially, the route runs just over 2km from the Hill of Tara, and adjacent to the Lismullin national monument and the hill fort of Rath Lugh.

Protesters have occupied these latter two sites, blocking the road’s construction at various times in recent years, most memorably in March last year when conservationist Lisa Feeney, known as “Squeak” shut herself inside a chamber at the bottom of a 33-foot tunnel at Rath Lugh for 60 hours.

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Silchester dig hints at a larger Iron Age town

2009-09-14T16:21:00.000-07:00

From the Times Online:

Renewed excavations at the Roman city of Silchester, near Basingstoke, have shown that the grid-planned Iron Age town discovered last year was much larger than initially thought.

Silchester, known as Calleva Atrebatum in Roman times, seems to have been at its largest and most densely populated before its destruction by fire in the later 1st century AD, possibly in the rebellion of Boadicea.

“Not only is there evidence of closely packed timber buildings . . . within our excavation trench, but there is also a great number of wells, greater than in any subsequent period,” said Professor Michael Fulford, of the University of Reading. “Indeed the total number of wells which predate the destruction is greater than the total number thereafter for the rest of the life of the town within our excavation trench.

Get the rest of this article here

How did 2,000-year-old feet find their way to a Dublin attic?

2009-09-14T15:56:00.000-07:00

From the Irish Times:

EXPERTS FROM the National Museum are still trying to explain how two human feet dating from 2,000 years ago were found in an attic in a house in the Terenure area of Dublin last December.

The human remains, a foot from a young child and the foot of an adult male with part of the lower leg attached, turned up during renovation work on the house in south Dublin.

The builders informed the gardaí who in turn called in the Dublin City Coroner Dr Brian Farrell, who ordered the remains be sent to Dublin City Mortuary for postmortem examination.

According to a report in the autumn edition of Archaeology Ireland to be published this week under the heading “Not One Foot in The Grave but two Feet in the Attic”, the mystery is unresolved.

During his examination, Dr Farrell and other scientists concluded the two mummified right feet had come from an adult and from a child. There were no signs of antemortem injuries or cut marks.

The foot of the male adult had part of the lower leg attached although the stretching and tearing of the muscle fibres suggest it had been pulled off a body, said the report.

“It closely resembled a bog body in appearance, as it had the dark brown, almost black colour seen in recent bog bodies such as Oldcroghan Man and Cloneycavan Man,” the report continued.

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Historic Scotland leads rare tour of Angus hill forts

2009-09-14T15:23:00.000-07:00

From the Press and Journal:

VISITORS to two Iron Age monuments in Angus at the weekend had the rare opportunity of taking a guided walk of the sites.

The tour of the Brown and White Caterthuns, about four miles north-east of Brechin, was organised by Historic Scotland as part of Archaeology Month, which runs throughout September. The hill forts perch on top of two prominent hills between Brechin and Edzell and are protected by systems of earthworks and ditches.

Until recently they had been considered as two separate sites but a report, commissioned by Historic Scotland and published last year, revealed there are more similarities between them than was thought. Archaeologists uncovered evidence suggesting that they are part of a single unit.

Get the rest of this article here

‘Rare and Significant’ find declared as treasure

2009-09-11T15:44:00.000-07:00

Today, “TheComet” news for North Herts reported of a collection of Bronze, Iron Age and Roman artefacts that are considered both ‘rare’ and ‘significant’. Items dating back to the Iron Age include pieces of armour, but there are also a variety of other finds such as numerous coins, pottery and animal bone fragments.

You can read the article here

Archaeologists find remains of 2,000-year-old roundhouse

2009-09-11T13:09:00.000-07:00

From The Press and journal:

ARCHAEOLOGISTS have uncovered the floor and timber beams of a 2,000-year-old roundhouse in the heart of a Moray farm, it emerged yesterday.

Experts believe the structure unearthed at Dykeside Farm, Birnie, was once the multistorey-power centre of an Iron Age settlement.

Last night, the archaeologist leading the excavation said it was the best-preserved roundhouse discovered on the site.

National Museums of Scotland curator Fraser Hunter said the “huge, impressive building” had a diameter of 50ft and had stood nearly 30ft high and showed how sophisticated the Iron Age settlers really were. He added: “People tend to think they were scratching around living difficult existences and staying in huts, but this is no hut. This was a huge and impressive building.”

The archaeologist said he believed there had been lots of smaller structures around the roundhouse but this had been the major power centre. “It’s absolutely remarkable,” he said. “Each time we come here it throws up surprises. It just shows what an important place this was 2,000 years ago. It’s giving us completely new insights into the Iron Age.”

Get the rest of this article here

Norfolk Boudicca site ‘of national importance’

2009-09-11T12:32:00.000-07:00

From EDP 24:

The Boudicca temple

One of the county's most important Iron Age and early Roman sites has been recognised as being of national importance.

The Boudicca Temple site in Fison Way on the outskirts of Thetford has been designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument by the Department for Culture Media and Sport, recognising it as a site of national importance and protecting it from the threat of future development.

Artefacts from the Iron and Roman age were first discovered at the site in 1973 when an aerial photograph recorded the cropmarks of an enclosure, just beside the A11 Thetford Bypass.

Six years later a hoard of gold jewellery and silver spoons dating back to the 4th century AD, was found during the construction of the Travenol Factory on Wyatt Way.

It is thought the treasure may have been associated with a late Roman temple and the god Faunus, a woodland deity.

Norfolk County councillor and cabinet member for culture, Derrick Murphy, said: “Recognition that this site is of national importance is long overdue, and it is really good news for Norfolk and Thetford that after a long and concerted campaign it will now be protected from future development or damage.”

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Hill fort dates back 3,000 years

2009-09-01T09:32:00.000-07:00

From the BBC News:

Archaeologists have discovered that a hill fort in Denbighshire may be almost 3,000 years old.

Experts excavated Moel y Gaer in the Clwydian Range after tests suggested the Iron Age settlement (700 BC to 34 AD) might be older than first thought.

Samples of metal slag and dry stone facing taken from an entrance suggest parts may date back to the Bronze Age (2,300 BC to 700 BC).

It is hoped carbon dating will identify the exact age of the samples.

Get the rest of this article here

Archaeological dig finds Iron Age and Roman artefacts in Norton

2009-08-27T12:16:00.000-07:00

From The Comet:

THE summer archaeological dig at Norton ends this weekend with more progress made on the site.

Carried out under the direction of the Norton Community Archaeological Group the dig has been supervised by Keith Fitzpatrick-Matthews, the archaeological officer at North Herts District Council.

Tonight (Thursday) members of the public interested in the dig should attend a special event at the site in Churchwick Field, Norton, at 7pm when the discoveries will be revealed.

The field is the site of a partially abandoned medieval village. During the current dig new road systems have been uncovered, Iron Age and Roman artefacts found and the group says it is close so finding the medieval house that was on the site.

Get the rest of this article here

Getting the early wheel turning on Irish bogs

2009-08-26T11:09:00.000-07:00

From the Irish Times:

NEXT TIME a set of gleaming alloys or slick Pirelli tyres catches your eye, spare a thought for our ancestors. To get themselves rolling, they had to get creative with a tree and an axe, writes CLAIRE O’CONNELL

We don’t know much about prehistoric vehicles here, but archaeological digs for new road developments have been rolling back the years, offering clues about how people travelled from A to B in the old days.

One excavation in particular – carried out in 2006 ahead of building the Dromod-Roosky bypass on the N4 – revealed a network of wooden trackways and platforms criss-crossing through an area of bog.

The trackways date from around 3,600BC up to 800AD, explains consultant archaeologist Caitríona Moore, a director on the dig that summer at Edercloon, Co Longford, for the Cultural Resource Development Services. “It was in a little area of reclaimed raised bog along the side of the former N4,” she recalls. “Just underneath the grass was intact bog, which has high water-levels and low oxygen, so the trackways were very well preserved.”

The wooden structures, which were built through the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages and into to the early Christian period, would have allowed pedestrian access into the bog, possibly to find food and plants, explains Moore.

Get the rest of this article here

Sign the "Save the NOF-Digi COntent!" petition to protect UK culture!

2009-08-25T11:59:00.000-07:00

The NOF Digitisation Programme began several years ago as an effort to document tens of thousands of digital images and other materials relating to the UK’s Cultural Heritage. However, in recent years the project has been neglected and desperately requires revamping in order to make such content accessible to the public.

Please click here for further information and to sign the petition in order to save this wonderful resource.

Digging up the past at Maiden Castle

2009-08-24T12:59:00.000-07:00

From the Dorset Echo:

FAMILIES and history lovers will be blazing a trail to Dorchester for a Bronze Age festival at Maiden Castle.

They will be digging up the past at the ancient monument just outside the county town on the weekend of September 19 and 20.

The free weekend will include living history, arts, crafts and workshops South Dorset Ridgeway Heritage Project officer Sarah Harbige said: “Experimental archaeologists and living history experts will demonstrate aspects of Bronze Age life including metal work, house building, textiles and food.

“Members of the Ancient Wessex Network and guests from further afield will also be on hand to show how the past and landscape continues to inspire artists today.

“There’s even a chance to make your own Bronze Age pottery beaker with Bill Crumbleholme, the Beaker Folk Potter.”

Visitors will also have the chance to meet archaeologists and try their hand at excavating some artefacts on a dig at the site.

On the Sunday, visitors can bring along interesting items and artefacts from home for an expert to identify.

The Portable Antiquities Scheme finds liaison officer will be on the site from 11am to 3.30pm.

Storyteller Graham Rogers will be on hand all weekend with tales of life in ancient times.

Maiden Castle is best known as one of the biggest Iron Age hill forts in Europe.

The Iron Age dates to 2,000 to 3,000 years ago, but Maiden Castle is surrounded by much older sites dating to Bronze Age and Neolithic times.

Get the rest of this article here

3,000-year-old butter found in Kildare bog

2009-08-20T20:16:00.000-07:00

From Leinster Leader:

AN OAK barrel, full of butter, estimated to be roughly 3,000 years old has been found in Gilltown bog, between Timahoe and Staplestown.

The amazing discovery of the barrel, which is being described by archaeology experts in the National Museum as a "really fine example" was found by two Bord na Mona workers.

The pair, John Fitzharris and Martin Lane, were harrowing the bog one day in late May when they noticed a distinctive white streak in the peat.

Get the rest of this article here

Iron Age Fort wins third Sandford Award for education

2009-08-13T12:49:00.000-07:00

From Tivyside Advertiser:

A unique visitor attraction in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park has won a prestigious award for education for the third time.

Castell Henllys Iron Age Fort, which is owned and managed by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, has scooped a Sandford Award for Heritage Education. The award is given to heritage sites which offer a high standard of educational services, ranging from Key Stage 1 to university level.

Castell Henllys also won the award in 1999 and 2004. After the initial award is won, sites can reapply every five years. Judges look for progression and development within the educational services offered in the interim years.

Get the rest of this article here

Archaeologists find prehistoric skeleton in the Dales

2009-08-12T08:22:00.000-07:00

From Bakewll Today:

A human body, thought to date from the Iron Age, has been unearthed by archaeologists during a dig at a Peak District beauty spot.

The prehistoric skeleton emerged as volunteers, who were taking part in a lottery-funded dig, excavated the site of an ancient hillfort near Monsal Head.

Ann Hall, Longstone Local History Group project manager, said: "We quickly stopped everything, then archaeologists spent a very careful afternoon excavating the body."

Get the rest of this article here

Excavation uncovers evidence of Iron Age fort

2009-08-11T21:55:00.000-07:00

From the Wiltshire Times & Chippenham News:

An excavation to uncover evidence of the Iron Age in Bradford on Avon has been hailed a success after the edge of a hill fort was found along with medieval pottery.

The three-week dig got underway on July 20 in the garden of Peter and Jane Mann, of Budbury Place, who live in a house thought to be the former Budbury Manor, dating back to the 16th century.

Led by former Wiltshire archaeologist Roy Canham, 66, and coinciding with an Iron Age exhibition at the town’s museum, the dig has uncovered more evidence of the fort in the Budbury area, which first came to light in the 1960s.

Mr Canham and his team had to dig through a stone floor, which the Manns first discovered buried in their garden in the spring, while planting trees.

Get the rest of this article here

Discovery of Iron Age log boat shows how sea levels rose in past

2009-08-11T11:09:00.000-07:00

From the Yorkshire Post:

THE DISCOVERY of a prehistoric boat which had been buried for more than 2,000 years beneath a farm field has already provided historians with an insight into Iron Age life in Yorkshire.

But now academics say the vessel which dates back to 300BC is also helping to show how the face of the region would change in future if the sea levels continue to rise.

As a debate rages over plans to allow land around the River Hull to revert to a swamp in an attempt to protect urban areas from a repeat of the 2007 floods, a group of scientists can provide a unique insight into what wide-spread flooding of the East Yorkshire countryside would look like.

Get the rest of this article here

Museum artefacts to go on public display for first time

2009-08-04T11:58:00.000-07:00

From Northampton Chronicle & Echo:

New items including 3,000-year-old bronze axe heads have gone on display to the public at Daventry Town Council Museum.

The museum is showing the items among many from the Moot Hall Museum Store, taken over recently by the town council.

The store houses most of the items previously owned by Daventry District Council's Moot Hall Museum, however, many of the artefacts have not been on display before. Pieces on display this weekend include artwork completed for the 1991 Daventry Arts Festival, Celtic bronze axe heads dating from 1,000BC found on Borough Hill and mosaic pieces discovered in the town.

Get the rest of this article here

Historic find in Gloucestershire field

2009-08-04T11:23:00.000-07:00

From This is Gloucestershire.co.uk:

A Cotswolds history buff has unearthed a piece of weaponry believed to be among the rarest ever discovered in Gloucestershire.

Steve Taylor, from Hatherley, stumbled across the treasure, part of an ancient sword handle, while metal detecting on a farm near Cirencester.

The bronze head, which would have been fitted to the end of a Celtic sword to keep the blade in place, is worth about £5,000.

Get the rest of this article here

Caithness Broch Centre to open

2009-08-03T11:58:00.000-07:00

From Leisure Opportunities.com:

The Caithness Broch visitor centre in the Highlands, Scotland has reopened to the public.

Formerly known as the Northlands Viking Centre, the updated facility will showcase the prehistory of the north coast of Caithness, focusing on the construction of brochs - defensive round towers built in the Iron Age.

An exhibit displaying 150 items, including gaming pieces, painted pebbles, spindle whorls and stone balls, donated by National Museums Scotland will tell visitors the story of the community from the establishment of the brochs 2,000 years ago to the present day.

Get the rest of this article here

Celts and Romans exhibition opens in Kirkintilloch

2009-08-02T11:30:00.000-07:00

From Kirkintilloch-herald.co.uk:

A NEW exhibition has opened at Kirkintilloch's Auld Kirk Museum.

'On the Frontier' puts the spotlight on the clash bewteen the Celts and the Romans and aims to challenge people's perceptions of East Dunbartonshire's heritage.

Sculptor Tom Allan aims to explore the conflict and interaction between the Celts and Roman forces along the Antonine Wall.

The museum is actually sited on the line of the wall, which was built by the Romans in the second century AD and was recently recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Get the rest of this article here

Town hillfort site comes to life

2009-07-30T12:13:00.000-07:00

From Denbighshire Free Press:

Since the beginning of the year, Caer Drewyn pupils from years five and six have been hard at work with Patricia of Classical Mosaic and the Heather and Hillforts Project to create a large mosaic, which will be displayed outside Corwen Leisure Centre.

“The aim was to incorporate imagery of the hillfort and its historical Celtic associations, as well as flora and fauna of the area and references to distinctive buildings from the town of Corwen,” said Patricia.

Get the rest of this article here

Iron age town found at Roman site

2009-07-18T09:45:00.000-07:00

From the BBC News:

Archaeologists from Berkshire say they have discovered evidence of an Iron Age town underneath the remains of a Roman settlement in north Hampshire.

The University of Reading's Archaeology Department has been excavating at the Silchester Roman site, Calleva Atrebatum, since 1997.

Now the team believe they have found evidence of one of Britain's earliest Iron Age towns with a planned layout.

A street-grid was found to have been in place before the Romans came in AD 43.

Archaeologists have also discovered evidence of widespread burning at the site.

Get the rest of this article here

Kids experience life in the Iron Age at town museum

2009-07-14T17:11:00.000-07:00

From the Wiltshire Times:

An Iron Age expert thrilled children who visited Bradford on Avon Museum on Saturday after bringing along an array of animal skins and weapons, including shields, swords and daggers.

Matt Russell, from Portsmouth, helped the museum launch its Iron Age exhibition, which is due to run until August 2, with an interactive open day attended by about 170 people.

Get the rest of this article here

Students uncover hundreds of Iron Age remains

2009-07-09T09:55:00.000-07:00

From The Copenhagan Post Online:

There was a sensational find when Århus archaeology students uncovered the bones of around 200 bodies dating from the Iron Age

What was supposed to be a simple three week long research exercise for archaeology students at the University of Aarhus developed into a unique excavation project.

Remains of more than 200 bodies have been found at the dig site near Skanderborg in Jutland dating from around 2,000 years ago.

The Illerup River Valley was a deep lake measuring about 10 hectares during the Iron Age and archaeology digs have established that it was used as a major sacrificial site during that period.

The area, which is a popular location for archaeologists, is now a mixture of bog and meadow, much of which is subject to conservation laws.

The student dig began on 20 June and almost immediately began turning up human remains.

‘This was a defeated army that was sacrificed to the lake at the time. The majority of remains are large arm and leg bones, skulls, shoulder blades and pelvises,’ said Ejvind Hertz, curator from Skanderborg Museum and excavation leader.

According to Hertz, the 200 victims found so far are just a small fragment of what lies in the area, which has only been partially excavated, and estimates suggest that the figure could run to well over one thousand.

Get the rest of this article here

Secrets of 'unlucky' Bradford hill fort under the microscope

2009-07-08T10:36:00.000-07:00

From the Wiltshire Times:

Described by one archaeologist as the unluckiest hill fort in Wiltshire, the Iron Age past of Budbury in Bradford on Avon remains to this day shrouded in mystery.

Local historians have been trying to unlock Budbury’s secrets ever since eminent archaeologist GJ Wainwright uncovered evidence of a substantial hill fort in the area, which is now developed into housing, dating back to as early as 600BC.

Wainwright believed he was on the verge of uncovering a burial mound, so the discovery of the hill fort, thought to cover up to six acres of land, came as a complete surprise.

From Monday, Bradford on Avon Museum will host a three-week long exhibition charting the history of Budbury, which will include 16,000 pieces of Iron Age pottery, as well as needles made out of bone and bronze fingerings, discovered during Wainwright’s excavation on loan from the Wiltshire Heritage Museum in Devizes.

Get the rest of this article here

Go back to the Iron Age at museum

2009-07-08T10:06:00.000-07:00

From This is bath.co.uk:

An Iron Age expert will be bringing history to life with a day of activities in Bradford on Avon this weekend.

Historian Matt Russell will be offering people the chance to have their own Iron Age tattoo as well as building shields, spear tips and pouches.

Iron Age weapons, metal and clothing will also be on display at the free event, which runs from 10am to 4pm on Saturday. It is the first in a month of activities and exhibitions at the Bradford on Avon Museum.

Ancient artefacts including 16,000 pieces of Iron Age pottery discovered during an excavation of Budbury, near Bradford, in 1969 will be available to view in the museum's library meeting room from Monday, July 13 to Sunday, August 2.

Get the rest of this article here

Iron Age coins declared treasure

2009-07-03T10:49:00.000-07:00

From the BBC News:

It was the biggest collection of Iron-age coins found in Britain in 160 years

One of the UK's largest hauls of Iron Age gold coins has been declared treasure at an inquest in Suffolk.

The 840 handmade coins, called staters, were unearthed in a field near Wickham Market, Suffolk, in March last year.

After Michael Dark made the discovery with his metal detector, archaeologists found more coins, which are now at the British Museum in London.

Experts believe they were produced by predecessors of the Iceni queen Boudicca and date from 40BC to AD15.

It is the largest haul of coins to be discovered in 150 years and could be worth up to £500,000.

Get the rest of article here

Artefacts found at nature reserve

2009-06-19T12:23:00.000-07:00

From the BBC News:

Human remains and Roman artefacts have been unearthed in an Iron Age ditch at a new nature reserve in Cambridgeshire.

Archaeologists made the discoveries at a former quarry at Cherry Hinton, near Cambridge, which is to open

to visitors for the first time in 100 years.

East Pit has been transformed by the Cambridgeshire Wildlife Trust into a haven for wild flowers and birds.

English Heritage said it was "very significant" as the site of one of the few Iron Age ditches in the region.

Over the past few months, archaeologists from Oxford Archaeology East have been excavating the ditch.

They have found 300 fragments of Iron Age pottery that are being used to accurately date the monument.

Get the rest of article here

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The Celt's Last Stand - Dozens of decapitated bodies found in Roman war grave unearthed on Olympics site

2009-06-12T11:02:00.000-07:00

From the Mail Online By Daily Mail Reporter:

A 2,000-year-old war grave crammed with up to 50 headless bodies has been uncovered by workers digging a new road for the Olympics.

The Iron Age victims found in the ancient burial site are thought to have been slaughtered by the invading Romans in about AD43.

All of them had been decapitated and some had their limbs hacked off. It has been discovered in the heart of Thomas Hardy country, on Ridgeway Hill near Weymouth, Dorset.

The site is being dug up to make way for a so-called Olympic Highway, an £87million relief road in time for the 2012 games.

Get the rest of this article here

Olympic Builders Unearth Iron Age War Grave

2009-06-11T12:43:00.000-07:00

From Sky News:

The Iron Age victims are thought to have been slaughtered by the invading Romans in about 43AD.

The ancient burial pit was discovered on Ridgeway Hill near Weymouth, Dorset, close to Maiden Castle, Europe's largest Iron Age hill fort.

The site is being dug to make way for the so-called Olympic Highway, an £87m relief road for the 2012 Olympics.

Dave Score, project manager for Oxford Archaeology, which is managing the dig, said it was a "remarkable and exciting" discovery.

Get the rest of this article click here

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Festival of British Archaeology 2009

2009-06-09T09:21:00.000-07:00

News from Wessex Archaeology:

The Festival of British Archaeology (formerly National Archaeology Week) is your unique chance to discover and explore the archaeological heritage of the United Kingdom. During this two-week archaeological extravaganza, which will run from Saturday 18th July to Sunday 2nd August, you can take part in excavation open days, hands-on activities, family fun days, guided tours, exhibitions, lectures, ancient art and craft workshops and much, much more.

Get the rest of this article here

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Iron Age mystery may be solved

2009-06-04T10:17:00.000-07:00

From EDP 24. VICTORIA NICHOLLS. Date: 04/06/2009:

Archaeologists will return to a 2,000-year-old site on Beccles marshes this summer in a bid to finally unravel the mystery behind it.

A team of students from Birmingham University will spend three weeks excavating on the iron-age site just outside the town.

Three long rows of wooden posts inserted into the ground were unearthed while flood defence work was being carried out on the marshes in 2006.

The purpose of the timber posts, which have been preserved in excellent condition in peat and run parallel to the river at one point but veer off towards the town across the marshes, has left archaeologists scratching their heads.

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Day School: Hillforts: What are they and how are they conserved?

2009-05-27T13:57:00.000-07:00

Date: 6.6.09

Held 9.30am (registration, talks begin at 10am) to 4.30pm at The Drill Hall, Lower Church Street , Chepstow , NP16 5HJ by Chepstow Museum .

Six distinguished speakers: Professor John Collis, Niall Sharples, Dr Ray Howell, Dr Neil Rimmington, Jon Hoyle and Samantha Williams

Cheques payable to Monmouthshire County Council, pre-booking required. Cost £7 / 2.50 conc.

Contact: Chepstow Museum, Gwy House, Bridge Street , Chepstow, Monmouthshire NP16 5EZ, tel 01291 625981 e-mail: chepstowmuseum@monmouthshire.gov.uk

For a PDF document relating to this event please click here

Dig's treasure trove on show

2009-05-22T12:18:00.000-07:00

From the Harborough Mail:

Published Date: 21 May 2009

THE story behind one of the most significant Iron Age and Roman finds in Europe is being told at Hallaton Museum.

The Rituals, Hoards and Helmets exhibition tells the exciting tale of The Hallaton Treasure being discovered by a group of walkers in a field near the village eight years ago.

It opens at the museum, in Hog Lane, on Sunday from 2.30pm to 5pm. There will be opportunities for children to try on a replica Roman helmet and cloak and have their photograph taken, as well as piece back together a broken pot and sort through shards of pottery.

Get the rest of this article...

Potentially New Dating Method for Ancient Pottery

2009-05-20T15:24:00.000-07:00

From the BBC News Channel:

Ancient clay has internal clock

A new way of dating archaeological objects has been found, using water to unlock their "internal clocks".

Fired clay ceramics start to react chemically with atmospheric moisture as soon as it is removed from the kiln.

Researchers believe they can pinpoint the precise age of materials like brick, tile and pottery by calculating how much its weight has changed.

The team from Edinburgh and Manchester universities hope the method will prove as significant as radiocarbon dating.

Edinburgh University's Christopher Hall explained: "Almost every archaeological site has old bits of old pot but there's no good method to date it."

Radiocarbon dating, used for bone or wood, cannot be used for ceramic material because it does not contain carbon.

Their new rehydroxylation dating method, reported in Proceedings of the Royal Society A, measures the amount of water the material has "recombined with".

Professor Hall, who described the advance as "very exciting", said it would plug a "yawning gap in the dating methods for ceramics".

He and his team, from the universities of Edinburgh and Manchester and the Museum of London, were able to date brick samples from Roman, medieval and modern periods with remarkable accuracy.

They have established that their technique can be used to determine the age of objects up to 2,000 years old but believe it has the potential to be used to date samples around 10,000 years old.

Researchers are now planning to look at whether the new dating technique can be applied to earthenware, bone china and porcelain.

"The recombination goes on for several thousands of years," said Professor Hall.

"And what's strange about it is that it abides by a precise physical law.

"If we can work out how much moisture has been taken up, we can estimate the age of the sample."

Get the rest of this article...

Lindow Man to be star attraction at Great North Museum

2009-05-16T08:02:00.000-07:00

Published in The Journal, May 15th 2009 by Tony Henderson:

ONE of the most fascinating figures from distant history will be the star of the Great North Museum’s first major exhibition.

The £26m venture, based on the Hancock Museum in Newcastle, opens on May 23.

And its summer exhibition, running from August 1 to November 27, will feature Iron Age Lindow Man, whose remarkably preserved body was found in a peat bog in Cheshire.

Lindow Man, who lived in the First Century AD was discovered in August 1984 when workmen were cutting peat at Lindow Moss bog.

Nicknamed Pete Marsh, he will come to Newcastle on loan from the British Museum.

Research by British Museum scientists has provided more information on Lindow Man – his health, appearance and how he might have died – than on any other prehistoric person who lived in Britain.

The conditions in the peat bog meant that the man’s skin, hair and many of his internal organs are well preserved. Radiocarbon dating shows that he died between AD 20 and 90.

He was about 25 years of age, around 168cm tall and weighed 60-65 kg. He had probably done very little hard, manual work, because his finger nails were well manicured.

His beard and moustache had been cut by a pair of shears. There is no evidence that he was unwell when he died, but he was suffering from parasitic worms. His last meal probably included unleavened bread made from wheat and barley, cooked over a fire on which heather had been burnt.

Get the rest of this article here...

Conference about Iron Age Leicestershire and the Hallaton Treasure

2009-05-15T19:28:00.000-07:00

As a former student of ULAS (University of Leicester Archaeological Services), I am always thrilled to hear about projects associated with them, particularly when they pertain to the Iron Age period of Britain.

Ongoing archaeological excavations undertaken by both ULAS and local community archaeologists have resulted in the unearthing of a large number of Iron Age and Roman artifacts from an internationally significant ritual site in Southeast Leicestershire. The finds generally date from the time immediately prior to the Roman invasion of Britain to the 1^st century AD. Declared as treasure under the Treasure Act of 1996, objects include an exceptional gilt Roman helmet (as pictured), jewellery, pottery and a considerable quantity of silver and gold coins. It is believed that the local Corieltavi tribe had deliberately buried the Treasure, although many questions remain about the nature of contact between Britain and Rome during that time.

The Southeast Leicestershire Treasure (SELT) Project was launched in order to make the objects accessible to the general public, as well as to preserve, understand and promote the Southeast Leicestershire Treasure. Exhibits will be made available at both the Hallaton Museum and the Harborough Museum, which are due to reopen on 24^th May 2009 and 19^th September 2009, respectively.

Please click here for the Leicestershire Treasure Project Newsletter, the “Harborough Helm” for further information relating to this remarkable discovery.

The Conference

A conference is being held next month to foster discussion about the implication of the Hallaton Treasure in the context of the area’s Iron Age period. Details are as follows:

27.6.09
Held 10am to 4pm at Rattray Theatre, University of Leicester. The event will be chaired by Prof. Haselgrove and speakers include Pete Liddle, Ian leins, Dr Jeremy Taylor, Vicki Score, John Thomas and Lynden Cooper.

In the first public conference of the Hallaton Treasure, the speakers will be re-evaluating the importance and development of the East Midlands in the decades preceding the Roman invasion in light of the incredible finds from the Hallaton site. The Hallaton Treasure is the collection of over 5000 silver and gold Iron Age coins, a silver-gilt Roman parade helmet and some mysterious silver finds excavated from a unique shrine site in southeast Leicestershire.

Fee includes refreshments and buffet lunch. Cost £10.

For more information and for a booking form please contact Frank Hargrave, Project Officer, Harborough Museum, Council Offices, Adam and Eve Street, Market Harborough LE16 7AG, tel 01858 821085/7, email fhargrave@leics.gov.uk, web www.leics.gov.uk/index/community/museums/harboroughmuseum.htm

For additional facts about the Iron Age period please visit the related web links provided on this blog site.

An Article from "Antiquity": Social Frameworks in the Iron Age Cemetery of "La Cerrada de los Santos" (Spain)

2009-05-12T15:37:00.000-07:00

This article was written in 2003 by J. A. Arenas-Esteban (Antiquity Vol 77 No 295 March 2003). It compares two phases of cremation at the Iron Age cemetery of "La Cerrada de los Santos". The finds discovered within each phase show marked contrast, with the earlier phase producing abundant grave goods (e.g., iron and bronze ornaments and weapons). Conversely, the later phase reveals few grave goods, but does provide evidence of liquid consumption such as a large number of intentionally smashed ceramic drinking vessels. The paper goes on to explain the plausible reasons for such a major difference in burial rite.

To read this article...
http://www.antiquity.ac.uk/ProjGall/Arenas/Arenas.html

New Study: Late Iron Age (“Celtic”) coinages in the Lower Rhine area

2009-05-06T18:20:00.000-07:00

This is a new study from sci.tech-archive.net “Coin use in a dynamic frontier region: Late Iron Age coinages in the Lower Rhine area” by Nico Roymans and Joris Aarts. It can be located through the Journal of Archaeology in the Low Countries - JALC 1(1)5-26 (May 2009) - and downloaded as a PDF document.

Abstract
"The introduction of money in the form of standardized objects of value made of metal and bearing images marked a new phenomenon in the pre-Roman societies of Western and Central Europe. In the Late Iron Age, the Lower Rhine region formed part of the northern peripheral zone of the La Tène culture, whose influence in this region has emerged as stronger than was previously thought. This is reflected among other things in the large numbers of ‘Celtic’ coins from this region.(1)

Although very little was known about these coins until about 1980, the number of coins in the archaeological record, as well as what we know about them, has increased dramatically in recent decades.

This study seeks to survey these earliest coinages in the Lower Rhine region. We start with a few introductory remarks about the development of Celtic numismatics, and follow with a discussion of the research potential of coins from the Lower Rhine region.

We then survey the evolution of coinage and coin production in this area from the 2nd century BC. The most important coin groups are discussed, with an emphasis on their distribution, dating and possible attribution to a particular tribe. Finally, we address the implications of these coinages for some broader socio-cultural issues.

Our aim is to provide answers to the following questions: Why and by whom were Celtic coins produced and in what types of context were they used? To what extent can we link patterns in the numismatic material to the historically documented formation of a series of new tribes in the decades immediately after Caesar’s conquest of Gaul? What factors attributed to the relatively slow, late start of coin use among Lower Rhine groups, and why did the use of coins stop at the Dutch/Belgian coastal plains and the area north of the Rhine delta?

We shall argue that the study of coinage from the Lower Rhine region can make a significant and original contribution to our understanding of both Late Iron Age societies in the broader sense, and of their increasing integration into the Roman Empire.

(1). The term ‘Celtic’ is not used here in a strictly
ethnic sense. It has emerged that in the Lower Rhine
region Celtic coins were struck by tribes whom the
Greco-Roman written sources describe as ‘Germanic’."

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