When the Romans failed to conquer Scotland, they chose what was probably the cheaper option, that of bribing the natives. At Birnie, in northeast Scotland, two hoards of Roman coins have been discovered, buried in a small Iron Age settlement. Were these loot, a result of raids 200 miles to the south? Or were they bribes, money given to the local chieftains, who saved it rather than spent it?
When Eton College constructed a new Rowing Lake, extensive excavations were carried out, revealing the old courses of the RiverThames when it was shallower and much wider. No less than six wooden bridges were discovered, crossing one of the smaller streams to one of the islands in the middle. There were also animal and indeed human bones; is this evidence for human burial and perhaps even cannibalism?
The Great Orme Head, which dominates L1andudno in north Wales, is rich in copper ores and has thus been honey-combed with copper mines through the ages. Some of these can be traced back to the Bronze Age as early as 1500 Be. Since 1985 these have been explored by the Great Orme Mining Co, who have now surveyed over 6 kilometres of tunnels. But how did mining really work in the Bronze Age?
How much of Hampton Court Palace was built by Henry VIII and how much by Cardinal Wolsey? Most of the existing work appears to be that of Henry VIII, but recent investigations have shown that the original plan was that of Cardinal Wolsey. We track some of his ideas to a grand design based on the architectural theorists in Italy.
In addition, the Science Diary comes from Bournemouth, there are Letters and the Diary and also a look at the latest books including a controversial new study of Roman Britain:were the Romans civilised after all?