Current Archaeology 216

Leading with a profile of Sir Neil Cossons and his work, we celebrate 50 years of industrial archaeology with a look at the newly reopened St Pancreas Station. We look at the hit film Beowulf – and with so much archaeology in the media, surely it is time to ask the question: is it just sexy or is the science being served as well? A look at Bronze Age barrows in Cossington challenges previous notions of what barrows may have meant to the living, as well as the dead. We examine the giant pipeline project in Wales. The ‘big dig’ has already turned up an astonishing amount of sites, and is set to continue. Finally, we discuss the pioneering women in the Society of Antiquaries London and look at how female membership changed that august body, as well as the discipline of archaeology./n INDUSTRIAL ARCHAEOLOGY CELEBRATES 50 YEARS: Chris Catling profiles Sir Neil Cossons, retired Chairman of English Heritage./n /nBEOWULF: Neil Faulkner reviews this film based on Anglo-Saxon literature./nMONUMENTS, MEMORIES AND MYTHS: COSSINGTON QUARRY : three Bronze Age barrows at Cossington Quarry./nTHE BIGGEST DIG IN WELSH HISTORY : investigating archaeological sites along the route of Britain’s National Gas Transmission System./nJOINING THE LADIES: WOMEN IN THE SOCIETY OF THE ANTIQUARIES : a look at the first women to join the ranks of the Society of the Antiquaries./n /nOPNION/nCommunity archaeology: from the grassroots./n /nODD SOCS/nThe Almshouse Association