Children often leave only faint traces in the archaeological record, so it is always exciting to be able to piece together their experiences in the past. Our cover feature visits Sutton House in Hackney, once a 17th-century girls’ school, where delicate scraps of paper have offered unique insights into the imaginations of one group of young women.
Turning from educational ephemera to the complexities of prehistoric funerary practices, we next travel to Bodicote in Oxfordshire, home to an Iron Age farmstead, including ten pit burials with unexpected attributes.
From treatment of the dead to the ‘water of life’, we then turn the spotlight on Speyside, one of five recognised whisky-producing regions in Scotland, where archaeologists have been uncovering one of the area’s earliest legal distilleries.
The buildings in our next feature have a rather more sacred flavour: Norfolk’s almost 650 surviving medieval churches, which often incorporate Roman remains into their masonry. What can be learned about their development?
Much smaller constructions come next: a trio of Bronze Age-style log-boats built during an experimental archaeology project at Stanwick Lakes in Northamptonshire. CA went to watch the craft take to the water for the first time, and to learn about the country park’s archaeological legacy and ongoing heritage programme.
Speaking of experimental archaeology, you might call Edmund Artis an early pioneer, as he built a replica Roman kiln to test his theories in the 19th century. Our final feature recounts his eventful life and lasting influence – and, given CA’s enthusiasm for ‘edible archaeology’, I am delighted that it all began with a cake shaped like a castle.
In This Issue:
FEATURES
BURIED AT BODICOTE
Investigating unusual inhumations at an Iron Age farmstead in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds
Archaeological work ahead of a new housing development near Banbury has uncovered the remains of an Iron Age farmstead, including ten pit burials with unexpected characteristics.
PIONEERING SPIRIT
Exploring the archaeology and history of The Glenlivet whisky
Excavations in the Scottish Highlands have revealed the story of the industrialisation of whisky production during the 19th century.
NORFOLK’S EARLIEST STONE CHURCHES
Constructing a timeline of ancient religious buildings
A new book visits almost 650 medieval churches in Norfolk in an in-depth study of their building materials, many of which were reused from Roman ruins.
MAKING A SPLASH
The Big Bronze Age Boat Build at Stanwick Lakes
Three Bronze Age-style log-boats were recently constructed and launched as part of an experimental archaeology project in Northamptonshire.
SCRAPS OF MEMORY
Illuminating the imaginative worlds of Sutton House’s 17th-century schoolgirls
A handful of tiny paper finds, discovered at Sutton House in Hackney over 30 years ago but only recently identified, offer a unique opportunity to explore the artistic interests of the young girls who were educated there in the 17th century.
IN FOCUS: ANTIQUARIAN OR ARCHAEOLOGIST?
Illustrating the influence of Edmund Tyrrell Artis
We explore the life and legacy of the 19th-century polymath Edmund Tyrrell Artis, and his contribution to pioneering a more analytical approach to archaeological investigation.
NEWS
‘Lost’ Parliamentarian house uncovered at Auckland Castle; Rare Pictish ring found at Burghead fort; Second World War finds unearthed in Lincolnshire; Possible stone circle discovered at Arthur’s Stone; Caring for the sick at Cookham monastery; Science Notes; Roman road uncovered in Oxfordshire school field; Finds Tray
COMMENT
Joe Flatman excavates the CA archive
CONTEXT
A marine mosaic: Wroxeter Roman City
REVIEWS
Early Roman waterfront development: excavations at Regis House, City of London, 1994-6; Northwold Manor Reborn: architecture, archaeology and restoration of a derelict Norfolk house; Becoming Roman in North East Lincolshire; Knowth; Forgotten Vikings; Edinburgh: a new history
EXHIBITION
Knaresborough Heritage Centre
MUSEUM NEWS
The latest on acquisitions, exhibitions, and key decisions
CALENDAR
Our selection of exhibitions and events, as well as historical, archaeological, and cultural resources from around the world that are available online
SHERDS
Chris Catling’s irreverent take on heritage issues
ODD SOCS
Tewkesbury Battlefield Society
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