Abstract: With increasing use of destructive analysis in archaeology, a tension has arisen between the need to preserve osteological collections for future generations and to use them now for the public benefit of knowledge generation. Existing guidelines mostly address curatorial issues, or focus on pre-sampling steps, rather than presenting protocols that can assist researchers in being more responsible regarding invasive analysis and the preservation of osteological collections. This article therefore presents guidelines for the recording of archaeological tooth samples prior to destructive analysis in the form of a process diagram accompanied by written instructions. The aim is twofold: to promote good practice in preserving a record of a sample before its destructive analysis, and to provide accessible material that can be used in lectures or training to assist students in visualising common laboratory processes in the field of bioarchaeology, as well as for public outreach and knowledge exchange. The diagram is enriched with laboratory videos for each step, and should help demystify the laboratory process for general audiences.
Abstract: This themed issue presents a state of the field for current successes, opportunities, and remaining challenges in engaging with metal detecting and its outputs — both social and scientific — within the Nordic region and beyond.
Abstract: This publication documents the exciting and complex decision-making processes during the course of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)-funded OTHER EYES project through a text-based interactive game (Twine). We invite you to play the game first or after reading the introduction. Choose your own adventure.
Abstract: The Archaeology Data Service (ADS) is a UK-based, CoreTrustSeal accredited digital repository for archaeological and historic environmental data. The ADS increasingly receives archives that include digital bioarchaeological data (e.g. 3D models of burials). This project explores how ADS users prefer to be presented with this type of data and investigates how these preferences can inform the ADS's protocol for the dissemination of digital bioarchaeological data. A Qualtrics survey was shared online in June/July 2023 (344 participants included). The majority of respondents thought that 1) content advisory should appear before viewing human remains (66.0%), 2) contextual information should accompany 3D models of human remains (94.2%), 3) archive-specific ethics statements should be included (50.9%), and 4) users should be reminded to reuse bioarchaeological data with respect before downloading 3D models (65.1%). The survey results informed the development of a series of suggestions for how the ADS might proceed with regard to providing content advisories, prioritising contextualisation of individuals, addressing ethical considerations specific to an excavation/project, and including a reminder requesting users to consider the human behind the data. Some enhancements were made on an ADS archive to serve as a case study for how the ADS workflow can be potentially modified in the future. This focused on improving contextualisation by linking 3D models with excavation photographs and context sheets and the development of an interactive cemetery map. The complications of implementing this standard of contextualisation are discussed and thoughts on how the ADS, data depositors, and the developers who finance excavations can proceed with regards to the dissemination of digital bioarchaeological are presented.
Abstract: In March 2022, two geoarchaeological boreholes were drilled within the Avon Valley at the site of Jubilee Gardens, Ringwood, Hampshire. The works were commissioned from Connect Archaeology by VolkerFitzpatrick on behalf of their client, National Highways, as part of the A31 road widening and junction improvement works. One sequence was selected for palaeoenvironmental analysis and radiocarbon dating, aiming to provide evidence for landscape development in an area where such records are sparse. The results highlight two temporally removed phases of deposition. The early Neolithic base of the sequence illustrates the presence of alder carr and herbaceous wetland in the lower valley, with the higher land home to open grassland with copses of primarily hazel. Beyond the scheme footprint, Neolithic long barrows and Bronze Age barrow cemeteries were constructed among the higher grasslands, standing as prominent monuments overlooking the floodplain. It is possible that changing climate of the 2.8 ka event, bringing colder and wetter conditions, may have pushed people from the region as the rivers grew more powerful and eroded the ground around them. Such an event may explain the decline in regional human activity during the Iron Age period, as well as an absence of the channel's depositional sequence. By the early medieval period, conditions returned to deposition within the river channel, with herbaceous wetlands spreading through the lower valley, bringing a decline in alder carr, as agricultural field systems became prominent across the upper valley. Evidence for land reclamation and flood alleviation is shown throughout the 20th century as Ringwood grew.
Abstract: Space in cities is under severe pressure, especially now that many cities are putting much more emphasis on urban infill rather than expanding into the surrounding countryside. Preserving archaeological sites in cities is therefore complicated. So is excavating and researching sites. Many remains lie deep underground, and archaeology consists of an accumulation of traces and finds. Excavation is time-consuming and complex, but at the same time it yields information about hundreds of years of habitation and use. The focus of this conference was how archaeology can contribute to urban society, how archaeological heritage management works in cities, and how a rich archaeological heritage can contribute to the cities of the future.
Abstract: The developer-funded (or contracting) sector of the archaeological profession produces the vast majority of datasets from investigations across the UK, and the formally published outputs from these projects are acknowledged as being of an academic standard. In this paper I examine some examples from my own work and assess their recordable research impact. I also look at the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 submissions and note an almost total absence of datasets showing research collaborations with colleagues from within the contracting sector. This leads me to believe there are perhaps few opportunities for this type of collaborative project, and to think that REF submissions by higher education institutions (HEIs) tend to utilise datasets created by the developer-funded sector, rather than embarking on more meaningfully co-created models of research. I conclude therefore that the developer-funded sector should empower itself to lead the sector in designing a new research and impact landscape whereby new paradigms are established that respond to the environments within which our work materialises. (NB This paper is not about grey literature.)
Abstract: New excavations were started in 2022 at Erimi-Pitharka (Cyprus) and continued in 2023 and 2024. We present the preliminary results of the 2024 campaign. The aim of this latest campaign was to further understand the extent and role of the Area I/1A building. To achieve this, work was continued in previous trenches, and four new trenches were opened in extension of the previous ones. These investigations revealed additional rooms, open spaces and industry-related features, including the largest and as yet most formal room with impressive architecture and finds assemblage. The finds, consisting primarily of ceramic sherds and worked stone tools, further support the role of the complex and Erimi-Pitharka as a site of local and regional production and storage.
Abstract: This data paper concerns a dataset of slope classification results for the entire country of Slovenia and data on extensive and intensive survey results at 24 case study sites along with excavated areas at the sites.
Abstract: The WallGIS archive primarily consists of a geodatabase which holds descriptive information, spatial data, and many attribute options capturing the characteristics of Hadrian's Wall and its features. Each individual feature (turret, milecastle, fort, and linear mile of curtain, ditch, and Vallum) that makes up the monumental complex has a record in the WallGIS.
Abstract: This report provides a synthesis of the results for a Palaeolithic watching brief carried out at Borrow Pit TEA28 BP3 (NGR TL 3020 6779) as part of the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon road improvement scheme. A number of Late Pleistocene deposits was identified, recorded and sampled for environmental remains. Samples were also taken for optically stimulated luminescence dating (OSL) and accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon dating (AMS). Vertebrate remains and a very small assemblage of seven lithic artefacts were also collected from some of them.
Abstract: The National Highways A14 Road Improvement Scheme between Cambridge and Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire gave rise to one of the largest commercial archaeological projects ever undertaken in the UK. Excavations over 232ha took place between 2016 and 2022 from the Great Ouse Valley near Huntingdon in the west to the higher clay lands towards Cambridge in the east. They involved a huge collaborative team led by MOLA-Headland Infrastructure and revealed groundbreaking archaeology of all periods, from mammoths to medieval villages. This monograph is intended to act as gateway to the project's findings, synthesizing the results in a series of period-based chapters and linking back to the detailed site and specialist reports and the entire digital archive of the project hosted by the Archaeology Data Service.
Abstract: This short paper draws together and evaluates some of the main methodologies utilized within the different stages of the A14 project and provides some 'lessons learned' that may be useful for future archaeological projects, particularly those associated with large infrastructure. To deliver a more balanced methodological evaluation, perspectives from different project stakeholders are captured here: those of the client (National Highways and A14 IDT), principal archaeological contractor (MHI) and curator (Cambridgeshire Historic Environment Team; CHET).
Abstract: This article provides an overview of the participation of the National Archaeological Institute with Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (NAIM-BAS) as a partner in both the ARIADNE and ARIADNEplus projects and the SEADDA COST Action. The article examines both the workflow and the results obtained when modifying and mapping part of the national site and monuments information system, also known as the 'Archaeological Map of Bulgaria' (AIS AKB). The article's focus is mainly on the technical preparation of data shared through the ARIADNE portal. The main workflow followed throughout the projects included mapping terms to the Getty AAT thesaurus, adding Bulgarian archaeological chronologies to PeriodO, and mapping metadata to the ARIADNE catalogue data model (ACDM) in ARIADNE and to the AO-cat ontology in ARIADNEplus. In 2016, a mapping of AIS AKB to the CIDOC CRM was also undertaken, and the first steps towards creating the geographic information system, 'Archaeological Map of Bulgaria' (GIS AKB), were taken. The experience gathered by the NAIM-BAS team members throughout the whole project was important for moving towards FAIR-ness in Bulgarian archaeology.
Abstract: The UK high-speed railway High Speed Two (HS2) will link London and the Midlands following the route of the 19th-century London and Birmingham Railway. After years of work, including the largest programme of historic environment investigation in the UK across a swathe of the landscape over a number of years, the construction stage is now in progress. The lead document for the delivery of the historic environment works is HS2's generic Written Scheme of Investigation, the Historic Environment Research and Delivery Strategy (HERDS). One of the central principles of HERDS is to derive public benefit from the historic environment works, by meeting community engagement objectives and building a legacy of knowledge and skills. This article was delivered as a paper at the European Association of Archaeologists' (EAA) conference in 2023, themed 'Weaving narratives', in an HS2 session entitled 'Different stories for different people'. It discusses some of the principles of audience and narrative development that can be transferred to other archaeological projects from the discoveries in the Midlands (HS2 Area North). Three steps are highlighted. Firstly, engage with and listen to stakeholders and community representatives early in the project lifespan, using professional expertise. Secondly, assimilate key themes and local issues, create partnerships, and identify heritage champions to support the design of activities. Thirdly, work together to deliver a range of events and activities tailored to a variety of audiences using bespoke platforms and styles. Adopting this approach, and having clearer mechanisms for measuring and evaluating the benefit of the outcomes, demonstrates worth and benefits the sector. For project legacy, the goal is to use the stories to transfer skills, information, good practice and ownership.
Abstract: Sparta stands out as a prominent city-state of ancient Greece, renowned for its significant historical impact. Its legacy is marked not only by its involvement in major historical events but also by the 'peculiarities' attributed to the constitution and societal life of the Classical city. Ancient written sources often portrayed Sparta as a militaristic and patriotic model of severity, discipline and austerity, crafting narratives that emphasised these traits. Over time, these narratives have fascinated various audiences and frequently been used for ideological and political purposes. Locally, these historical narratives have affected aspects of the contemporary Spartan society and the expectations of visitors and scholars. Projects for the enhancement of Spartan archaeological sites were systematically implemented rather late, in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. This article discusses this development and explores the ways in which organised and accessible archaeological sites and their narratives can engage diverse audiences. It also considers how such efforts can challenge and revise established narratives, impacting local identity and regional development.
Abstract: The interpretation of our investigations into the past, which can explore the chronological development of a site, the activities of its inhabitants or the environment in which they lived, culminate in the formation of archaeological narratives. These may take the form of a discussion in an archaeological report, a conference presentation or a story in the media. The narratives we develop as a result of archaeological fieldwork are directly influenced by the methodologies we employ. On a large-scale project such as HS2 Phase One, those methodologies can include a variety of survey and sampling strategies, culminating in the selection of specific locations for further investigation. The methodology and decision-making process has been influenced by the Specific Objectives as set out in the Historic Environment Research and Delivery Strategy (HERDS). The narratives produced will be generated for both academic historic environment audiences and the wider public, including local communities and school children. This paper will examine the types of narratives and stories that are produced for different audiences and consider which themes are chosen and the extent to which those are influenced by the research questions we have set out.
Abstract: Archaeological mitigation undertaken by Headland Archaeology (UK) Ltd at Bicker Fen, Lincolnshire, uncovered the remains of two distinctly different enclosure systems situated on a raised roddon (the dried raised bed of a watercourse). The earliest of these systems was characterised by a series of inter-linked enclosures that formed part of a larger complex farmstead developing around the mid-2nd century AD. The enclosure system subsequently evolved through phases of maintenance and expansion, potentially following changes in agricultural practice or as a result of environmental influences. Features in the northern part of the excavation provide some evidence for industrial activity, including iron smithing and bone working, within the settlement. Zooarchaeological evidence, however, suggests that the main economic focus of this rural community was beef production. It seems that the farmstead remained occupied until at least the 4th century AD, with radiocarbon dates suggesting continued activity of some kind into the 5th century. The Saxon field system was situated to the east of the Roman settlement and is geographically independent. The system is less substantial in nature than the Roman enclosures, characterised by curvilinear boundaries and irregular enclosure sizes. Radiocarbon dating suggests that activity took place between the 6th and 10th centuries AD. During this phase, the focus appears to have been pastoralism. This, together with the transient nature of the system and many maintenance phases, suggests seasonal or otherwise ad hoc land use away from the core of any settlement.
Abstract: The Roman army has long been understood to have been centrally responsible for the spread of Roman religious material culture and practices in Britain, especially in public epigraphic contexts. The epigraphic corpus, especially Roman Inscriptions of Britain (RIB) (Vanderbilt 2022), provides some of the best evidence for understanding what role individual agency played in religious practice, because many of the inscriptions record the occupation, gender, or origins of the dedicator. Despite the fact that public religious epigraphy in Roman Britain is overwhelmingly militarised and masculine, as well as an imported technology of conquest, it still offers a unique opportunity to investigate alternative perspectives. We examine how the worship of native deities survived in public Latin epigraphy, either on their own or in a syncretic context, and how civilians, women, and local Britons participated in this new technology of worship, especially relating to newly imported deities. We track three large categories: inscriptions to deities imported from the Mediterranean with the Roman conquest of Britain; inscriptions to deities whose origin or cult centre likely lies in Britain or the north-west provinces (e.g. Germania, Gallia and Hispania); and inscriptions that invoke deities from both cultural categories, especially through processes of syncretism and cross-cultural exchange. We catalogued, restructured, and interrogated the data from the RIB Online database, examining the geographical context and textual contents of the public religious inscriptions from Volumes I and III. In agreement with previous studies of military religion, we find that civilians and local Britons were not prolific contributors to the public Latin epigraphic tradition and imperial soldiers held primary agency in inscriptions to local deities on the island. This influence is particularly visible in the militarised area around Hadrian's Wall, where Roman soldiers created more religious inscriptions than dedicators from any other occupation - a pattern found throughout the province. The agency of civilians, women, and people from Britain, however, changed according to the cultural affiliation of the deities to whom they dedicated, as well as the location of the inscriptions. People dedicating to deities whose worship was focused in Britain or north-western Europe were less likely to include information about their occupations (especially military connections) than were people dedicating to deities imported from the Roman Mediterranean (including Eastern mystery cults). On inscriptions that involved religious syncretism, civilians (and especially men, who were overwhelmingly responsible for this category) were particular about how this syncretism was executed in the text, always incorporating interpretatio and making no inscriptions that keep the deities' identities separate. Significantly, while Hadrian's Wall seems to have acted as the cradle of religious epigraphy in Roman Britain, civilians (and therefore, women) did not create syncretic epigraphy in this area.
Abstract: Two fragments of a decorated buffer terminal torc were found in 2019 near Pulborough, West Sussex. The simplicity of the design belies the complexity of the construction of this hollow, gold alloy neck-ring. The overall shape is that of 4th to 3rd century BCE buffer terminal torcs found in western Europe, particularly France, Germany and Belgium. The terminal and neck-ring are decorated with filigree made from block-twisted wire soldered to the surface of the sheet metal parts. Filigree ornament is unusual in this shape of torc but is known from other varieties of torc and contemporary gold objects found in Continental Europe. The location of this find, towards the south coast of England along ancient routes of Atlantic and cross-channel contact and trade, is intriguing given the disparate influences seen in the design. This is not the first buffer terminal torc discovered in England; its discovery is preceded by both gold and copper-alloy versions, but it stands out for its individual style and decorative effect. After its discovery and reporting to the Portable Antiquities Scheme, the torc was subject to analysis and examination, confirming it qualified as Treasure under the stipulations of the Treasure Act 1996. The Sussex Archaeological Society acquired the torc in 2023 for the Barbican House Museum, Lewes, Sussex. Further detailed technical examination of the torc was carried out on their behalf at the British Museum and is described here.
Abstract: This article presents some preliminary findings on the transformation and abandonment of domestic sites in and around Rome from the 1st to 7th centuries Common Era (CE). I utilize an innovative interactive map developed in Unity to showcase 46 sites in the study area, devising a methodology that draws upon the stratigraphic record of human activities in charting the trajectory of ancient houses over time. This contrasts with the standard approaches used over the last few decades, which have focused almost entirely on key moments of architectural and decorative remodelling, underemphasizing the constant and diachronic nature of change in domestic environments. My findings highlight the need to reassess conventional narratives surrounding the "end of the Roman house". Based on the data in this study, the Roman house emerges as more variable and less programmatic than often acknowledged, including in periods predating Late Antiquity. Future work is planned for presenting the full results of the research introduced in this paper, including those related to the application of game engines for mapping archaeological data from household excavations.
Abstract: Using a close-reading approach on the text of posts and threaded conversations, and associated visual similarity analysis of the accompanying photographs, we observe, among other things, a strikingly 'more professional' approach, shibboleths and patterns of behaviour that serve to create group identities. We analyse posts made over a seven-week period across the selected private groups in the run-up to the 2023 holiday season. Given the issues of privacy raised by studying private groups, we also experiment with a locally hosted large language model to see if it could classify discourses meaningfully without the intervention of a researcher having to read the original posts.
Abstract: In this article, we investigate modes of collaboration in this emerging community of practice using 'open-archaeo ', a curated list of archaeological software, and data on the activity of associated GitHub repositories and users. We conduct an exploratory quantitative analysis to characterise the nature and intensity of these collaborations and map the collaborative networks that emerge from them. We document uneven adoption of open source collaborative practices beyond the basic use of git as a version control system and GitHub to host source code.
Abstract: This paper highlights the opportunities and valuable lessons learned regarding digital engagement in communities arising from the Ashwell project. It considers strategies to promote the adoption of participatory GIS and crowdsourcing datasets, as well as how users' own devices can be utilised to increase engagement with tangible and intangible heritage. I argue that such approaches merit broader consideration, encouraging communities to actively engage with such platforms.
Abstract: Our major project explores the discourses that surround the buying and selling of human remains over social media. We discuss the research ethics framework established in Canada by the 'Tri-Council' research agencies as it pertains to studying social media in general. Issues of privacy and consent are paramount. Human remains trading happens in both public and private social media. We detail the process we went through, and the protocol that we evolved as a result, for studying private social media posts in closed Facebook groups. This process, protocol, and rationale may be useful for other researchers studying how archaeology and cultural heritage are framed or discussed in these venues. What people say in public is not what might be said in private, and researchers need ethical approaches to study such discourses.
Abstract: The Gatehouse Project at Pontefract Castle took place between September 2019 and August 2020. This data paper describes the project data from the community focused archaeological investigation undertaken by DigVentures.
Abstract: DigVentures was commissioned by Wakefield Metropolitan District Council (WMDC) to undertake a programme of archaeological investigations as part of the Gatehouse Project, a community-focused archaeological research project based at Pontefract Castle, West Yorkshire. The social impact of the archaeological investigations, including project outcomes for heritage, for people and for the community, have been analysed and published in an earlier article. This article focuses on the archaeological evidence recovered during the excavations, and the conclusions drawn about the construction and chronology of the gatehouse at this part of the site.
Abstract: This article evaluates how nationalist narratives affect the display of Roman artefacts in national museums. The unique nature of national museums as 'cultural constitutions' and arbiters of the 'Authorised Heritage Discourse' is discussed. This article builds upon previous work by demonstrating how nationalist influence affects the display of Roman artefacts, specifically through the use of two case studies: the British Museum in London and the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. Museum displays are assessed for indications of nationalist influence through consideration of the use of space and collection composition as well as textual analysis of gallery signage and artefact descriptions. The two museums' divergent approaches to national narrative are then compared.
Abstract: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not a recent development. However, with increasing computational capabilities, AI has developed into Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning, technologies particularly good at detecting correlations and patterns, and categorising, predicting, or extracting information. Within archaeology, AI can process big data accumulated over decades of research and deposited in archives. By combining these capabilities, AI offers new insights and exciting opportunities to create knowledge from archaeological archives for contemporary and future research. However, the ethical implications and human costs are not yet fully understood. Therefore, we question whether AI in archaeology is a blessing or a curse.
Abstract: In a 2019 Internet Archaeology article, Elizabeth Pearson posed the question 'are we back in the Dark Ages''. This question was made in reference to a developer-funded archaeology sector that was generating vast quantities of evidence and, particularly, in recent years, specialist environmental data, but was failing to mobilise this in a theoretical framework that generated meaningful advancement in terms of research. The introduction to the 2021 Internet Archaeology special issue on Digital Archiving in Archaeology went on to address 'a digital resource that is now in jeopardy' – not only because of the risk of technical obsolescence, but also because of crucial limitations to its interoperability and discoverability. This article builds on these arguments and complements vital work underway on high-level, internationally focused data infrastructure initiatives. We emphasise here the importance of parallel discussions at a community level, particularly with the people who routinely produce archaeological data, as key to enhancing data synthesis and research potential. Specifically, we report on two surveys conducted by the 'Rewilding' Later Prehistory project at Oxford Archaeology, in collaboration with Historic England and Bournemouth University, which originated in the 'Rewilding' project's concern with improving access to palaeoenvironmental data produced within Britain. Substantial amounts of zooarchaeological and archaeobotanical data remain buried in grey literature, limited-access publications and archive reports (not to mention floppy disks, CDs and microfiche), with no integrative means of searching for particular periods or categories of evidence. This lack of accessibility inhibits specialists from contextualising their findings, and was exemplified recently by the Archaeology on Furlough project tripling the known number of aurochs finds in Britain by trawling online records, journals and museum records. The results of the surveys presented here, which targeted both environmental archaeologists specifically and the wider sector, demonstrate a significant appetite amongst archaeologists to improve data networks and for their work to contribute meaningfully to research agendas. Contextualised within a disciplinary landscape that is increasingly dynamic in its approach to tackling the openness and connectivity of 'big data', we argue that better data synthesis in environmental archaeology, and the developer-funded sector more broadly, can be more than just a mirage on the horizon, particularly once the people who produce the data are given an active voice in the matter.
Abstract: The rural site of Erimi-Pitharka is located in the archaeologically rich Kouris Valley of south-central Cyprus. Previous rescue excavations by the Department of Antiquities, Cyprus, have revealed a subterranean complex, industrial areas, and a building complex at the highest topographical point of the site. New excavations by an international team began in 2022 and continued in 2023. We here report on the findings from these first two seasons, which have focused on the large building complex in Area I/1A. Dated to Late Cypriot (LC) IIC-IIIA (c. 1300-1150 BCE), this part of the site is characterised by an emphasis on agricultural production and storage. The inhabitants took advantage of the soft limestone-rich bedrock to create subterranean and semi-subterranean installations, rooms and storage spaces, and pithoi were similarly used for storage and industrial activities. Pitharka was peacefully abandoned, and much of the material culture was removed in the process.
Abstract: Based on contributions from the 2023 EAC symposium on Archaeological Heritage Management and the Archaeology of the 18th to 20th centuries, this issue explores the practice, theory and challenges of archaeological heritage management of the last three centuries. This period witnesses industrial and urban development as well as conflict archaeology and heritage arising from war and terror and features contributions from heritage managers right across Europe. The challenges such sites and remains pose to heritage managers is significant, but also allows us to engage with the archaeology at a range of scales from individuals to the industrialisation of mass-terror.
Abstract: Large-scale projects, such as infrastructure or long-term research, generate some of the largest data sets which form the core of their legacy for research and future projects e.g. HS2. Due to the scale of the data being generated and managed, this issue looks at projects can develop innovative approaches to transform data into meaningful information and ensure integration of data into the project lifecycle.
Abstract: This article presents a case study in maximising the potential of publicly collected archaeological finds, through collaboration between finder, recorder, curating institution and the research community. It focuses on an object reported to the Portable Antiquities Scheme, of a type not usually well represented among metal-detected finds: an early-medieval antler hair comb. Typological and biomolecular analysis of the comb - found on the shores of the river Orwell, Suffolk - shows that it was manufactured in Scandinavia in the mid-10th century, before being brought to south-east England. This is the first comb found in England to be identified as Scandinavian via biomolecular means, and represents an important, scientifically-verified demonstration of contact between the regions in the period following initial settlement.
Abstract: A programme of archaeological trial trenching and excavation was undertaken by CFA Archaeology Ltd between Maryport (Alavna) Roman Fort and Netherhall Road on the north-eastern outskirts of Maryport from 2010 to 2016. The work confirmed the presence of a large sub-square ditched enclosure with two phases of construction, which is interpreted as a Romano-British rural farm site. It contained a variety of pottery deposited in its ditches, dating from the 1st to the 4th century CE. A linear feature, thought to be the line of a Roman road, did not produce definitive evidence of being a Roman road, but a Roman-period cremation cemetery was uncovered adjacent to it. One of the burials excavated held two pottery vessels of mid-3rd-century CE or slightly later date, one of which contained the cremated remains of an adult female along with other finds, while a second burial contained the cremated remains of a young child within a decorated Rhenish beaker.
Abstract: This special issue of Internet Archaeology presents some of the achievements of the European infrastructure projects, ARIADNEplus (2019-22) and the preceding ARIADNE initiative (2013-17), with additional contributions from members of the COST Action SEADDA (2019-23). The volume originates from a conference session co-organised by Edeltraud Aspöck, Guntram Geser and Julian Richards, at the international conference ‘Cultural Heritage and New Technologies’ (CHNT) held in Vienna in November 2022. The papers presented there have been extensively revised, and some additional ones have been commissioned. They represent a wide range of activities, and illustrate some of the impacts of ARIADNE across heritage management and research.
Abstract: Although silver coins have been investigated through the lens of geological provenance to locate argentiferous ore deposits exploited in their production, we consider that this avenue of research may be a cul-de-sac, especially for studies that rely heavily on deciphering lead and silver isotope signatures that may have been altered by the addition of lead and copper (and their associated impurities) during silver refining and debasement, and by ancient recycling of coinage. Instead, we focus our attention on mints, by analysing the compositions of over 1000 silver coins from the early 1st century BC to AD 100. We propose that lead from the west Mediterranean was used exclusively to refine silver at mints in the West, and that an unknown lead supply (possibly from Macedonia), used in the East by the Late Seleucid ruler Philip I Philadelphus and later Mark Antony, was mixed with western lead. Extensive mixing of lead and/or silver coins is particularly evident under Nero and Vespasian, aligning with historically attested periods of recycling following currency reform. We further propose that coins minted in the kingdom of Mauretania used different lead and silver sources from the majority of coins minted in the western Mediterranean, and that silver coins minted at Tyre are derived from silver refined in the west Mediterranean. Coinage minted at Alexandria is consistent with debasement of recycled Roman denarii, thereby suggesting that denarii were deliberately removed from circulation to mint tetradrachms during the early Imperial Roman period.
Abstract: Human activities affect the natural environment. Rarely, however, do archaeologists and heritage managers take a step further and observe their sites and monuments from the point of view of nature conservation, and to some extent, consider their findings isolated from the natural environment. The perception of the 'naturalness' of a place or landscape varies widely, and there are stark differences in opinion over what might be a supposedly pristine natural environment and a cultivated landscape.
Abstract: The southern North Sea preserves an internationally significant early Middle Palaeolithic finds assemblage that was discovered through aggregate dredging in marine aggregate Licence Area 240 off the coast of Norfolk. Area 240 is part of a regional block of licence areas that have been worked since the 1970s. Significant discoveries from the assemblage in 2007/2008 sparked further investigations. Through geophysical and geoarchaeological assessment the cultural material was found to be associated with a floodplain deposit of the now submerged Palaeo-Yare river system. The Palaeo-Yare catchment extended beyond Area 240 and was present in adjacent aggregate areas, which led to the development of a regional monitoring programme at aggregate wharves to manage and assimilate all new archaeological data. This was supported by a geological review of any new marine geophysical or geotechnical surveys to test hypotheses about context. This process has been ongoing for almost 20 years and here we present a review of all development-led (grey literature) works. The stratigraphic, chronological and landscape context of the important Palaeolithic finds from aggregate licence areas in the southern North Sea are considered in relation to taphonomy and patterns of inhabitation.
Abstract: This article presents initial results from excavations at Maritime Academy, Frindsbury, which produced several handaxes, two of which can be classed as 'giant handaxes'. Artefacts were recovered from fluvial deposits in the Medway Valley and are thought to date from the Marine Isotope Stage 9 interglacial. This article focuses on the largest of these handaxes and presents metrical data for the artefact and initial comparison with similar artefacts from the British Palaeolithic.
Abstract: The FeedSax project combined bioarchaeological data with evidence from settlement archaeology to investigate how, when and why the expansion of arable farming occurred between the 8th-13th centuries in England. It has generated and released a vast, multi-faceted archaeological dataset both to underpin its own published findings and to support further research.
Abstract: Blackmiddens Farm distillery, also known as Buck distillery, has recently been the focus of historical research and excavation. At the time of the first season of fieldwork Blackmiddens/Buck was the only farm distillery to have been excavated in the Highlands and Islands. The site represents a short-lived period of distilling in the Scottish Highlands in which whisky-making operated in a legitimate commercial capacity but as a complement to a larger agricultural unit. The excavation of Blackmiddens and historical research into it and the distilleries in the surrounding area have given us an insight into this short but vital transitional phase in the history of whisky-making in the region.
Abstract: Stratigraphic data and relationships form the backbone of all the related archaeological records from each excavated site and, along with the phasing and interpretive information derived through stratigraphic analysis, are essential for chronological modelling, broader synthesis of inter-site phases and periods and, we argue in this paper and elsewhere, stratigraphic data should be a required component in digital archives of the growing body of archaeological information and reports generated through the commercial archaeological sector in the UK and internationally. Not every site has complex stratigraphy, but understanding the nature of the stratigraphy, be that deep or shallow, complex or otherwise, enables researchers to piece together the underlying details of how the excavator(s) arrived at the interpretations they have made about the site. The stratigraphic record, including associated relationships and data, which in the case of complex stratigraphy are usually visualized in the form of a stratigraphic matrix diagram, acts as a primary, if not the primary evidence for how, and in what order, the site was excavated. As such the stratigraphic data can be the key mechanism that enables anyone less familiar with the site, to re-visit and re-use the excavation records; understand what data is most relevant for addressing certain research questions; or grasp the nature of the chronological sequence encountered; and piece together the underlying details of how the excavator(s) arrived at their interpretations. However such records are often only held on paper or as scanned image copies (as PDFs) of matrix diagrams that cannot easily be re-used with all the associated data. This article presents outcomes from The Matrix project (AHRC AH/T002093/1) that address the current problems caused by the lack of standardized approaches to digital archiving of archaeological data using the case study of stratigraphic and phasing data.
Abstract: Pin Hole Cave is located within the Creswell Crags limestone gorge in the East Midlands of the United Kingdom. The locality became well known when Quaternary fossil and archaeological remains were discovered within the interior during the 1870s. The cave under went a small excavation in 1875 and then a much larger exploration from 1924 onwards. Despite many publications dealing with the Creswell Caves, Pin Hole Cave has not previously been comprehensively published. This comprehensive publication includes individual descriptions and associated records for over 70,000 finds from the site, reported in the related digital archive, and the cave geomorphic aspects and the details of its excavation and the associated records are described in an attempt to clarify and remove confusion. Access to both sets of data allow a realistic attempt to consider the integrity of the evidence based upon the specific finds and stratigraphic associations. The publication also describes the archaeological and palaeontological finds in their known stratigraphic context. This is used as the basis to consider this unusual and very diverse evidence within a local, regional and European context. The evidence is assessed within the framework of known concepts of modern ecological behaviour to provide a context that might explain such intense activity within this particular Quaternary ecotone.
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