Archaeology is alive with uncertainties. Time and again new sites or technologies upend longstanding theories. All this month’s featured sites show the sometimes fractious relationship between fresh research and what we think we know.<\/p>\n
Early digging at a newly discovered Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Great Ryburgh unearthed a rare coffin created from a hollowed-out tree. The team wondered whether it held a local dignitary, but then another such coffin emerged, and another. Eventually it turned out that most of the investigated graves contained these caskets. Is this a local tradition, or a glimpse of what has been lost at other sites?<\/p>\n
A recent report on the Roman archaeology at Mucking has embraced the unknowns. In the past, attempts to impose order on the archaeology involved viewing the site as a villa estate – with the villa itself proving frustratingly elusive. Focusing instead on what was found highlights an intriguing industrial complex that sent products the length of the province.<\/p>\n
Working from what was known was a less complex business in the case of the Dartmoor cist burials. In the 19th-century heyday of antiquarian investigation scores of cists were opened to reveal that little or, more often, nothing lay within. Excavations in 2011 produced a major shock when they revealed the intact contents of an Early Bronze Age burial.<\/p>\n
Survey of the 17th-century battlefield at Killiecrankie, in Perth and Kinross, is helping to piece together how the fighting unfolded. On this occasion, though, archaeology is vindicating an eye-witness account of the conflict.<\/p>\n
Finally, this issue unveils the nominees for the 2017 CA awards. Good luck to them all – do vote for your favourites!<\/p>\n
Matt Symonds
\nIN THIS ISSUE:\/n
\nFEATURES\/n
\nGREAT RYBURGH\/n
\nA remarkable Anglo-Saxoncemetery revealed
\nAnglo-Saxon timber coffins are rare, but archaeologistsworking in Norfolk have recently uncovered over 80log coffins and plank-lined graves beside the RiverWensum. What can the burials tell us about this early Christian community?<\/p>\n
ROMAN MUCKING\/n
\nComing to terms with messy reality
\nWith evidence of large-scale pottery production and grainprocessing, five cemeteries, and two areas of cremationburial, Roman Mucking is far from simple. We examinehow the settlement was redeveloped over the centuries, and how the complex site has been reinterpreted.<\/p>\n
THE CIST ON WHITEHORSE HILL\/n
\nInside an Early Bronze Age burial
\nMany of Dartmoor’s prehistoric cists excavated inthe 19th century were found to be empty, so whenarchaeologists investigated the Whitehorse Hill cistin 2011, its contents were a great surprise. Whatdoes this exceptional burial and its grave goodsreveal about life in Early Bronze Age Dartmoor?<\/p>\n
THE ‘BLUIDY’ BATTLEOF KILLIECRANKIE\/n
\nExcavating the opening engagementof the first Jacobite Rising
\nHow does a commanding officer’s account of theBattle of Killiecrankie stand up against finds fromrecent archaeological fieldwork at one of Scotland’sbest-preserved battlefields?<\/p>\n
MOUSETRAP\/n
\nThe archaeology of ancient mice
\nHow did ancient attitudes towards mice vary?Were the rodents seen as hungry pests, heroicwarriors, or comic critters?<\/p>\n
NEWS\/n
\nLittle Carlton’s inhabitants revealed; Lincolnshire’sdiverse Anglo-Saxon burial rites identified; Settingthe scene at Shakespeare’s Curtain Theatre; Safeguarding Star Carr; Great Fire manuscript ondisplay; Irish adze illuminates Mesolithic burial rites; Neolithic Orcadians ate voles; Finds tray<\/p>\n
REGULARS\/n
\nComment
\nJoe Flatman excavates the CA archive<\/p>\n
Context
\nRestoring Sir John Soane’s Museum<\/p>\n
Reviews
\nSt Paul’s Cathedral; Small Finds and Ancient SocialPractices in the Northwest Provinces of the RomanEmpire; Hadrian’s Wall; Warriors, Warlords, andSaints; Castle Builders; The Archaeology of Darkness;Exploring Avebury; Decoding Neolithic Atlantic and
\nMediterranean Island Ritual<\/p>\n
Exhibition
\nSouth Africa: the art of a nation at the British Museum<\/p>\n
Conference
\nThe latest details about Current Archaeology Live!2017, including the nominees for our awards<\/p>\n
Sherds
\nChris Catling’s irreverent take onheritage issues<\/p>\n
Odd Socs
\nTheCaithness Broch Project<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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Great Ryburgh\u2019s log coffins: an Anglo-Saxon cemetery revealed - Roman Mucking: coming to terms with messy reality - The cist on Whitehorse Hill: inside an Early Bronze Age burial - Killiecrankie: excavating the opening battle of the first Jacobite Rising - Mousetrap: the archaeology of ancient mice - CA Live! 2017:…","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product\/2298","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/product"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/894"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2298"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"product_brand","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_brand?post=2298"},{"taxonomy":"product_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_cat?post=2298"},{"taxonomy":"product_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_tag?post=2298"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n– Great Ryburgh\u2019s log coffins: an Anglo-Saxon cemetery revealed
\n– Roman Mucking: coming to terms with messy reality
\n– The cist on Whitehorse Hill: inside an Early Bronze Age burial
\n– Killiecrankie: excavating the opening battle of the first Jacobite Rising
\n– Mousetrap: the archaeology of ancient mice
\n– CA Live! 2017: conference details, and award nominees<\/p>\n