Current Archaeology Magazine

15/03/2024

For the past two years, Cotswold Archaeology – led by their Senior Heritage Consultant Clive Meaton – have been working with the Tamara Landscape Partnership to survey a series of mining sites in the Tamar Valley of Cornwall and Devon, and establish a new conservation plan.

For the past two years, Cotswold Archaeology – led by their Senior Heritage Consultant Clive Meaton – have been working with the Tamara Landscape Partnershi ...

13/03/2024

Recently published research by GUARD Archaeology reports on the discovery of a pair of Bronze Age burnt mounds at Hallmeadow in Annan, 24km south-east of Dumfries. Read more:

Recently published research by GUARD Archaeology reports on the discovery of a pair of Bronze Age burnt mounds at Hallmeadow in Annan, 24km south-east of Du ...

12/03/2024

Excavations in central London have revealed the remains of a c.2,000-year-old cemetery, where waterlogged soil conditions have preserved an extraordinary array of wooden finds, including coffins and what may be the first complete funerary bed from Roman Britain. Carly Hilts learned more from Gwilym Williams.

Excavations in central London have revealed the remains of a c.2,000 year-old cemetery, where waterlogged soil conditions have preserved an extraordinary ar ...

11/03/2024

Recent discoveries of exceptionally well-furnished 7th-century female burials – such as those from Trumpington and from Harpole – have drawn increasing attention to a phenomenon associated with the Conversion Period. Read more:

Recent discoveries of exceptionally well-furnished 7th-century female burials – such as those from Trumpington (CA 343) and from Harpole (CA 395) – have dra ...

08/03/2024

A large cemetery dating to the 6th-7th centuries has been discovered on the Fonmon Castle estate – a fortified castle just to the north-west of Cardiff Airport. Read more:

A large cemetery dating to the 6th-7th centuries has been discovered on the Fonmon Castle estate – a fortified castle just to the north-west of Cardiff Airp ...

07/03/2024

In the latest issue of CA, out now:
• Legion: exploring the impact of the Roman army in Britain
• Piety and plague: life and death at Cambridge’s Augustinian friary
• Preserving the past: the Welsh heritage sector’s rich history and uncertain future
• A rare wooden find: uncovering a Roman funerary bed in London
• Family ties: examining ideas of kinship in the Bronze Age
Plus: news, reviews, listings, & more! Subscribe via the link in our bio.

04/03/2024

'Thoroughly researched and well-written, this is simply a very good read, one informed by its author’s long experience of archaeological fieldwork.' Our review of 'Echolands' by Duncan Mackay.

REVIEW BY CHRISTOPHER EVANS Thoroughly researched and well-written, this is simply a very good read, one informed by its author’s long experience of archaeo ...

01/03/2024

A piece of armour that would have been worn by a legionary stationed on Rome’s northern frontier 2,000 years ago has been painstakingly pieced back together. Bethan Bryan, Fraser Hunter, and Richard Abdy share the latest thinking on this rare object.

A piece of armour that would have been worn by a legionary stationed on Rome’s northern frontier almost 2,000 years ago has been painstakingly pieced back t ...

27/02/2024

Another Anglo-Saxon cemetery associated with Bronze Age monuments was recently uncovered by Wessex Archaeology in Lincolnshire. Read more:

Another Anglo-Saxon cemetery associated with Bronze Age monuments was recently uncovered by Wessex Archaeology in Lincolnshire. The discovery was made durin ...

24/02/2024

We are delighted to announce the results of this year’s Current Archaeology Awards, as voted for by the public, and presented by archaeologist and educator Julian Richards.

Archaeologist of the Year 2024 (sponsored by Oxbow Books): Nick Card

Research Project of the Year 2024 (sponsored by Wessex Insurance Brokers Ltd): The Ness of Brodgar: marking 20 years of Neolithic discoveries (Ness of Brodgar Trust)

Rescue Project of the Year 2024 (sponsored by Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge): The Knowe of Swandro: excavating eroding archaeology in Orkney (Swandro-Orkney Coastal Archaeology Trust / University of Bradford)

Book of the Year 2024 (sponsored by Butser Ancient Farm): Doggerland: Lost world under the North Sea (ed. by Luc Amkreutz & Sasja van der Vaart-Verschoof)

Congratulations to this year’s winners, and thank you to everyone who voted, and to the award sponsors!

22/02/2024

When the Salisbury Plain village of Imber was taken over by the War Department in 1943, its inhabitants all departed, never to return. What has recent archaeological work revealed about the life and death of a long-lived Wiltshire community? Richard Osgood reports.

When the Salisbury Plain village of Imber was taken over by the War Department in 1943, its inhabitants all departed, never to return. What has recent archa ...

21/02/2024

A research team from the University of Reading, led by Professor Martin Bell, has been working for the last 33 years to record eroding Mesolithic archaeology from the seabed of the Severn Estuary at Goldcliff, near Newport. One of the most recent developments was the discovery of the remains of a 7,000-year-old fish trap – the first of this period to be discovered in Britain.

A research team from the University of Reading, led by Professor Martin Bell, has been working for the last 33 years to record eroding Mesolithic archaeolog ...

20/02/2024

In the year AD 580, St Aidan crossed the Irish Sea from St Davids in Pembrokeshire to Rosslare in County Wexford. Eighteen years later, he established a new monastery at Ferns, in the same county. This grew to become one of south-east Ireland’s most important settlements, a seat of royal power and the site of an Augustinian abbey. Little was known about the early history, however, until the Irish Archaeology Field School launched a major research project, as Chris Catling reports.

In the year AD 580, St Aidan crossed the Irish Sea from St Davids in Pembrokeshire (where he had been studying as St David’s favourite pupil) to Rosslare in ...

12/02/2024

The Crown Jewels of Scotland recently underwent the most significant conservation in their centuries-long history, helping preserve them for generations to come. Read more:

The Honours of Scotland recently underwent the most significant conservation in their centuries-long history, helping preserve them for generations to come. ...

08/02/2024

A new exhibition exploring Silchester, an important Roman town in Hampshire, and the long-running excavations that have brought its remains to light once more, will open later this month. Michael Fulford previews some of its key themes.

A new exhibition exploring Silchester, an important Roman town in Hampshire, and the long-running excavations that have brought its remains to light once mo ...

07/02/2024

A new long-term project has re-analysed and re-dated the material excavated at Dinas Powys 70 years ago, establishing a new timeline for the site’s development that was recently published in Antiquity. Read more:

The hillfort of Dinas Powys, located about 9km south-west of Cardiff, was first excavated by Leslie Alcock in the 1950s. While the excavation and its subseq ...

06/02/2024

At Offord Cluny in Cambridgeshire, an isolated rural burial tells the story of a child who crossed continental Europe c.1,800 years ago, and of the man that he became. Carly Hilts reports.

Roman histories attest that thousands of Sarmatian warriors – renowned horse-riders from the Caucasus – were resettled in Britain after their defeat by Marc ...

05/02/2024

The latest excavations, carried out in 2022 – led by Alison Cameron of Cameron Archaeology and Alice Jaspars from the University of Southampton, and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund – have provided the clearest evidence yet for the lost monastery’s location.

After almost 15 years of searching, the lost monastery of Deer may have finally been found, only 80m from the ruins of Deer Abbey in Aberdeenshire. The sear ...

31/01/2024

We're hiring! Current Archaeology is looking for a full-time Assistant Editor to join its team for a fixed term from April 2024. This is an excellent opportunity to gain knowledge and experience at the UK’s best-selling archaeology magazine. Apply before Friday, 2 February:

Assistant Editor Current Archaeology magazine Location: London/remote Job Type: Full Time Contract Type: Fixed term maternity cover (from 2 April 2024 - circa March 2025) Salary: £22,000 - £24,000 dependent on experience Closing Date: 2 February 2024 Current Archaeology magazine is looking for a f...

30/01/2024

Excavations in Beaumaris, Anglesey, have uncovered elements of the town’s medieval defences that were thought to have been demolished half a century ago, as well as providing vivid insight into the lives of the people who lived beside them for hundreds of years. Matthew Jones and Catherine Rees report.

Excavations in Beaumaris, Anglesey, have uncovered elements of the town’s medieval defences that were thought to have been demolished half a century ago, as ...

26/01/2024

Two burials were discovered this past December along the coastline in front of the Wemyss Caves in Fife. While investigations are ongoing, it is thought – based on the date of other burials that have previously been found nearby – that they might possibly have been part of an early medieval cemetery.

Two burials were discovered this past December along the coastline in front of the Wemyss Caves in Fife. While investigations are ongoing, it is thought – b ...

25/01/2024

Archaeological investigations ahead of a road improvement scheme near Roscommon town have uncovered traces of more than 1,000 years of medieval life, as well as a major multi-generation cemetery. Carly Hilts spoke to Shane Delaney, Eileen Murphy, and Martin Jones to find out more.

Archaeological investigations ahead of a road improvement scheme near Roscommon town have uncovered traces of more than 1,000 years of medieval life, as wel ...

23/01/2024

The Caithness Broch Project (CBP), a charity aiming to build a replica of an Iron Age broch, has finally found – after an extensive search – the perfect location for their ‘Big Broch Build’ in an area north of Latheron, known as Flygla.

The Caithness Broch Project (CBP), a charity aiming to build a replica of an Iron Age broch, has finally found – after an extensive search – the perfect loc ...

22/01/2024

More than a year after the discovery of one of the most significant early medieval female burials in Britain, conservation work has revealed the artistry of the grave goods that were buried with a young woman at Harpole in the 7th century. Read more:

More than a year after the discovery of one of the most significant early medieval female burials in Britain (see CA 395), expert conservation work has reve ...

20/01/2024

We're hiring! Current Archaeology is looking for a full-time Assistant Editor to join its team for a fixed term from April 2024. This is an excellent opportunity to gain knowledge and experience at the UK’s best-selling archaeology magazine. Details:
https://currentpublishing.com/vacancies.html

19/01/2024

As the British Museum launches its first permanent display dedicated to the cultures of Peru and the Andes, Carly Hilts visited to find out more.

As the British Museum launches its first permanent display dedicated to the cultures of Peru and the Andes, Carly Hilts visited to find out more.

18/01/2024

With one of the UK’s oldest commercial units recently celebrating its 50th birthday, Carly Hilts spoke to its founding director, Tom Hassall, and current CEO, Ken Welsh, about how the archaeological profession has changed over this period – and what the future might hold for the ways in which we engage with the past.

With one of the UK’s oldest commercial units recently celebrating its 50th birthday, Carly Hilts spoke to its founding director, Tom Hassall, and current CE ...

17/01/2024

'Britain’s Landmarks and Legends is a compelling collection of archaeological just-so stories and tales of natural landmarks, enhanced by attractive illustrations by Claire Harrup.' Our review of this new National Trust title by Jo Woolf.

REVIEW BY EDWARD BIDDULPH How did a giant ship create the White Cliffs of Dover? Why can Oxfordshire’s Rollright Stones never be counted? Which ghost said t ...

16/01/2024

A new Roman garden and mosaic has been unveiled at Butser Ancient Farm, an open-air museum in East Hampshire that hosts a number of historical building reconstructions, spanning from prehistory through to the early medieval period.

A new Roman garden and mosaic has been unveiled at Butser Ancient Farm, an open-air museum in East Hampshire that hosts a number of historical building reco ...