All that glitters is not gold? According to the latest research on the Staffordshire Hoard, it certainly seems so. Ongoing investigations are revealing that sophisticated Saxon goldsmiths had developed a technique to make their gold appear to be rather more golden than it really was. But how did they do it? Carly Hilts spoke with the team to discover more.
This issue then gets stranger than fiction as we go in search of Alice in Wonderland’s ‘Treacle Well’. Yes, it exists, and Martin Henig has been on a mission to disentangle its curious history. We then visit the Museum of London’s latest blockbuster exhibition, The Man Who Never Lived and Will Never Die, on London’s favourite fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes. The exhibition inspired us to ask: which real-life London archaeological mysteries are worthy of Sherlock? Five of the Museum’s curators take their pick.
We then return to Piddington, the long-running independent excavation led by the Friendship-Taylors. The dig has now extended beyond the Roman villa, but what have they found? Andrew Selkirk enlightens us. Thereafter, we go behind the scenes at the exquisite country mansion of Knole, where we discover something of its rather dirty, devilish history.
Finally, we salute Beatrice de Cardi, the indefatigable world archaeologist, and former Secretary of the Council of British Archaeology, who celebrated her 100th birthday earlier this year.
Good reading!
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IN THIS ISSUE:/n
FEATURES/n
SECRETS OF THE STAFFORDSHIRE HOARD/n
Skills of the Saxon smiths revealed
A pioneering new research project has revealed that Early Medieval goldsmiths were far more sophisticated than previously imagined.
SAINTS AND MIRACLES/n
The holy well at Binsey
Untangling history from legend: we explore Binsey’s healing waters and the ‘Treacle Well’ featured in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
PIDDINGTON UNCOVERED/n
Beyond the Roman villa
We catch up on the latest news from Piddington, where excavations have been running for the past 35 years – and counting.
KNOLE UNLOCKED/n
The hidden history of a country mansion
A major restoration project has revealed a wealth of new information on one of England’s finest stately homes.
SHERLOCK’S CITY UNLOCKED/n
London’s best archaeological mysteries
Sleuthing for clues to some of the great outstanding questions about the capital’s past.
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NEWS/n
A potted history of Viking Scotland; Fitting finds at Burrough Hill; Hallaton’s pilgrim chapel uncovered; New mosaic found at Chedworth Roman Villa; First dates for prehistoric Skomer; Facing the past in the Roman North; PAS records its millionth find.
REGULARS/n
Reviews
Sapiens; Dirty Old London; Home
Profile
CA meets the inspirational Beatrice de Cardi, who this year celebrated her 100th birthday
Sherds
Chris Catling’s irreverent take on heritage issues
Odd Socs
British Association for Modern Mosaic