This issue is bookended by the archaeology of Kent. Our cover feature showcases Dover Castle, whose 12th-century Great Tower is banded with gleaming limestone imported from Normandy to make its fortifications an even more visible landmark guarding the entrance to Henry II\u2019s English kingdom. Meanwhile, this month\u2019s \u2018In Focus\u2019 highlights more ephemeral historic remains \u2013 hosts of buried features that were threatened with destruction during development, but have been painstakingly recorded by the Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit for over half a century.<\/p>\n
Staying in the 12th century, Northampton was another of England\u2019s most important towns during this period (and also home to an impressive castle, sadly no longer standing). Excavation in the town centre has revealed what is thought to be the first medieval workshop making chess pieces yet found in Britain \u2013 as we learn in our next feature.<\/p>\n
Our two following articles take experimental archaeology as their theme. The first goes behind the scenes of Butser Ancient Farm in Hampshire, illuminating the archaeological research and imagination that went into their latest reconstructed building, a Neolithic house. We then take a trip to Woodbridge, Suffolk, for an update from the Sutton Hoo Ship\u2019s Company, who are working to build a full-sized, seaworthy reconstruction of the Anglo-Saxon vessel famously excavated at Sutton Hoo in 1939.<\/p>\n
Finally, I hope you are keeping well and managing to explore some local \u2013 or not-so-local! \u2013 heritage sites as restrictions ease. Having moved to West Sussex a year ago, I have loved recent visits to hillforts and the castle remains at Bramber and Edburton Hill. I hope your archaeological adventures are just as enjoyable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In this issue:<\/strong><\/p>\n – Dover Castle: Angevin innovation or Henry II\u2019s white elephant?
\n– Uncovering Britain\u2019s first medieval chess workshop
\n– Sailing ahead: reconstructing the Sutton Hoo ship
\n– Reimagining the past: experiments in construction at Butser Ancient Farm
\n– Marking 50 years of the Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit
\nPlus: News, Reviews, Science Notes, Heritage from Home, Sherds, and more!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":3031,"template":"","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"","site-sidebar-style":"","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[465],"product_tag":[20],"class_list":{"0":"post-2353","1":"product","2":"type-product","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"product_cat-back-issue-current-archaeology","7":"product_tag-current-archaeology","8":"product_shipping_class-back-issue","9":"desktop-align-center","10":"tablet-align-center","11":"mobile-align-center","12":"ast-product-gallery-layout-first-image-large","13":"ast-product-gallery-with-no-image","14":"ast-magnify-disabled","15":"ast-product-tabs-layout-distributed","17":"first","18":"instock","19":"taxable","20":"shipping-taxable","21":"purchasable","22":"product-type-simple"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-content\/uploads\/CA377_cover_1000.jpg",762,1024,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-content\/uploads\/CA377_cover_1000-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-content\/uploads\/CA377_cover_1000-223x300.jpg",223,300,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-content\/uploads\/CA377_cover_1000.jpg",762,1024,false],"large":["https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-content\/uploads\/CA377_cover_1000.jpg",762,1024,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-content\/uploads\/CA377_cover_1000.jpg",762,1024,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-content\/uploads\/CA377_cover_1000.jpg",762,1024,false],"woocommerce_thumbnail":["https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-content\/uploads\/CA377_cover_1000-300x400.jpg",300,400,true],"woocommerce_single":["https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-content\/uploads\/CA377_cover_1000-600x806.jpg",600,806,true],"woocommerce_gallery_thumbnail":["https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-content\/uploads\/CA377_cover_1000-100x100.jpg",100,100,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/author\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"In this issue: - Dover Castle: Angevin innovation or Henry II\u2019s white elephant? - Uncovering Britain\u2019s first medieval chess workshop - Sailing ahead: reconstructing the Sutton Hoo ship - Reimagining the past: experiments in construction at Butser Ancient Farm - Marking 50 years of the Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit Plus: News, Reviews, Science Notes, Heritage…","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product\/2353","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\/3031"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2353"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"product_brand","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_brand?post=2353"},{"taxonomy":"product_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_cat?post=2353"},{"taxonomy":"product_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_tag?post=2353"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}