Archaeology in Europe

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• Gloucestershire's oldest coin discovered in field
• Mildenhall: Historic silver Mildenhall Treasure to return to Suffolk
• Dinghies to cover Vikings' route from Wick to Arctic
• Possible holy well discovered in Cwmbran woods
• 1,400-year-old St Paul fresco discovered in ancient Roman catacomb

Gloucestershire's oldest coin discovered in field Posted: 29 Jun 2011 06:05 AM PDT A Roman coin more than 2,000 years old has been discovered near Huntley, and a dog walker has been puzzled by finds of iron ore in the same village. David Hutton, from Taynton, discovered the Roman coin earlier this month and has since had it confirmed that the coin is the oldest in the county. "It's dated 147BC but the Romans didn't invade Britain until 43AD," said David, 58, who has been scouring the area with farmer Don Sherratt since they found a Roman hoard of coins in 1996. "It's sparked a bit of a debate. It could mean the Romans were trading with a local Iron Age tribe, or it could just be that it was an old coin that came over when they invaded." Read the rest of this article...

Mildenhall: Historic silver Mildenhall Treasure to return to Suffolk Posted: 29 Jun 2011 06:04 AM PDT The Great Dish is the most famous object from the Mildenhall treasure which was discovered near the town in 1942. Because of its international importance, the collection of late-Roman silver tableware has been housed at the British Museum in London. However, the museum is now planning to return the fourth century dish to Suffolk as part of its Spotlights Tour. Read the rest of this article...

Dinghies to cover Vikings' route from Wick to Arctic Posted: 29 Jun 2011 06:01 AM PDT An adventurer is leading a group of seven on a quest to follow the Vikings' route by sea from Scotland to the Arctic Circle - in inflatable boats. Pete Goss, from Cornwall, will set off later from Wick, northern Scotland, heading off to the rocky coasts of Norway and then the Arctic. He said he hoped to complete the route, in his 20ft dinghy, in six days. It is believed to be the first time the route has been battled in such a small inflatable boat. Read the rest of this article...

Possible holy well discovered in Cwmbran woods Posted: 29 Jun 2011 06:00 AM PDT Amateur archaeologists have uncovered what they say may be a holy well in woodland in Cwmbran, Torfaen. They were working on a dig to discover more about a settlement that dates back to the 16th Century that they already knew about. But they came across the well at Green Meadow Woods and believe it is much older. Read the rest of this article...

1,400-year-old St Paul fresco discovered in ancient Roman catacomb Posted: 29 Jun 2011 05:59 AM PDT The fresco was found during restoration work at the Catacombs of San Gennaro (Saint Januarius) in the southern port city of Naples by experts from the Pontifical Commission of Sacred Art. The announcement was made on the feast day of St Peter and Paul which is traditionally a bank holiday in Rome and details of the discovery were disclosed in the Vatican's official newspaper L'Osservatore Romano. A photograph released by the Vatican shows the apostle, famous for his conversion to Christianity from Judaism, with a long neck, a slightly pink complexion, thinning hair, a beard and big eyes that give his face a "spiritual air." Read the rest of this article...

Archaeology in Europe

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“Bunny-huggers” Fight Back: CBA Director in Radio 4 debate Posted: 28 Jun 2011 11:22 AM PDT CBA Director Mike Heyworth last night countered Fenland Council Leader Alan Melton's controversial arguments against planning provisions for archaeological investigation. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's PM programme with Eddie Mair, Mike Heyworth stated that the councillor's proposals were in fact illegal and that what Councillor Melton was proposing would in fact be 'damaging to rate payers and developers.' The 'cost and implication of a lot of the work that's being carried out on some sites' and the 'serious implications for the sub-strata and the building methodology which follows' were amongst the reasons Councillor Melton cited as to why he feels that planning regulations need to change. He argued that there is 'a better way of doing it' and suggested that 'sites can be inspected when the footings are being dug out.' Read the rest of this article...

Plans revealed for £11 million Roman centre in west Cumbria Posted: 28 Jun 2011 11:21 AM PDT Hadrian's Wall Heritage Ltd has submitted an application to build the world-class tourist attraction at Maryport to Allerdale Council. It aims to build on the area's strong Roman heritage and recent archeological finds across the local area. Artists' impressions have now been unveiled for the development at Camp Farm – a Victorian model farm including a Roman fort and civilian settlement – where many discoveries have been made. The plans are now available to view online and Michael Baker, director of sustainable development for Hadrian's Wall Heritage, is urging local people to give their views. Read the rest of this article...

Archaeology in Europe

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• Archaeologists unearth chapel secrets
• Butser Ancient Farm revamp is off to a flying start
• Archaeologists follow the evolution of a French town
• Teams search for Bredwardine Medieval village
• Archaeologists furious over councillor's 'bunny huggers' jibe
• Experts ask to exhume Shakespeare
• The Beer Archaeologist
• Workers find ancient burial ground
• Prehistoric BBQ Leftovers Found

Archaeologists unearth chapel secrets Posted: 27 Jun 2011 10:48 AM PDT ARCHAEOLOGISTS from the Channel 4 show Time Team were back on the north Northumberland coast for a dig on an at-risk monument. St Ebba's chapel is a 13th century site situated on a rocky promontory at Beadnell. The chapel itself was excavated in the mid-19th century, but remains enigmatic. It is surrounded by a series of mysterious earthworks that could be the remains of an unknown early Christian settlement. In 1994, work was conducted at the site to investigate a strange feature that appears to have been used as a lime kiln. Read the rest of this article...

Butser Ancient Farm revamp is off to a flying start Posted: 27 Jun 2011 10:47 AM PDT AN OUTDOOR museum and archaeology centre has won £30,000 towards refurbishments. The South Downs National Park Authority awarded the grant to Butser Ancient Farm, near Chalton. The farm, which features a reconstructed Roman villa and Iron Age roundhouses, is an archaeological research site and now a well-established rural education centre, attracting 15,000 schoolchildren and 10,000 members of the public each year. The grant will go towards a £200,000 revamp which will see a new entrance building. Read the rest of this article...

Archaeologists follow the evolution of a French town Posted: 27 Jun 2011 10:46 AM PDT For over six years French archaeologists have carried out excavations in the town of Bondy – situated close to the capital, Paris – discovering occupational evidence spanning 800 years (3-11 centuries AD). Successive funerary spaces Between the 3rd and the 5th centuries AD, a vast necropolis was established on the site. With more than 400 graves, it has now been partially excavated. The deceased were placed in coffins of which archaeologists have occasionally found traces of wood and nails. Brought to light in 2007, seven stone sarcophagi, aligned on a north-south axis, marked the limit of the necropolis. An eighth sarcophagus is at present being excavated. Read the rest of this article...

Teams search for Bredwardine Medieval village Posted: 27 Jun 2011 10:44 AM PDT Archaeologists are due to start a three-week dig in Herefordshire in search of a buried Medieval village. Herefordshire Archaeology, the county's archaeological service, and The University of Manchester, will excavate trenches in The Knapp, in Bredwardine. Previous digs at the farm have unearthed prehistoric flint tools. The dig lasts from Monday until 17 July. Read the rest of this article...

Archaeologists furious over councillor's 'bunny huggers' jibe Posted: 27 Jun 2011 10:43 AM PDT Tory council leader threatened to overturn principle that developers must pay for archaeological excavation Archaeologists have condemned a Tory council leader's threat to dismantle all archaeological controls on development, saying that the regulations are necessary to protect the UK's unique national heritage. Alan Melton, leader of Fenland District Council, dismissed opponents of development as "bunny huggers" in a speech last week. Archaeologists fear his views reflect a national threat to all heritage protection as a result of the government's determination to simplify the planning process to encourage development. Read the rest of this article...

Experts ask to exhume Shakespeare Posted: 27 Jun 2011 10:41 AM PDT A team of British paleontologists have made a formal application to the Church of England to exhume the body of playwright William Shakespeare. Experts plan to use state-of-the-art computer equipment and create a three dimensional reconstruction of the writer, Daily Mail reported. Paleontologist Francis Thackeray says excavating the playwright's tomb, which lies inside his local parish church in Stratford-upon-Avon, can reveal the reason behind Shakespeare's death almost four centuries ago in 1616. Read the rest of this article...

The Beer Archaeologist Posted: 27 Jun 2011 10:39 AM PDT It's just after dawn at the Dogfish Head brewpub in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, where the ambition for the morning is to resurrect an Egyptian ale whose recipe dates back several hundred centuries. But will the za'atar—a potent Middle Eastern spice mixture redolent of oregano—clobber the soft, floral flavor of the chamomile? And what about the dried doum-palm fruit, which has been giving off a worrisome fungusy scent ever since it was dropped in a brandy snifter of hot water and sampled as a tea? "I want Dr. Pat to try this," says Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head's founder, frowning into his glass. Read the rest of this article...

Workers find ancient burial ground Posted: 27 Jun 2011 10:37 AM PDT Ancient skeletal remains have been uncovered by contractors working on the largest energy project in the country. The unrecorded burial ground was discovered on farmland in Rush, north Dublin, as EirGrid laid piping for a high voltage direct current (HVDC) underground power line. Several skulls and bones were recovered on the strip of land near Rogerstown estuary, which locals historians believe could date back to the Vikings in the 9th century. Read the rest of this article...

Prehistoric BBQ Leftovers Found Posted: 27 Jun 2011 10:35 AM PDT Stone Age barbecue consumers first went for the bone marrow and then for the ribs, suggest the leftovers of an outdoor 7,700-year-old meaty feast described in the July issue of the Journal of Archaeological Science. The remains, found in the valley of the River Tjonger, Netherlands, provide direct evidence for a prehistoric hunting, butchering, cooking and feasting event. The meal occurred more than 1,000 years before the first farmers with domestic cattle arrived in the region. Although basic BBQ technology hasn't changed much over the millennia, this prehistoric meal centered around the flesh of an aurochs, a wild Eurasian ox that was larger than today's cows. It sported distinctive curved horns. Read the rest of this article...