The island of Rousay is only around four miles long, but it boasts such an extraordinary richness of archaeological remains \u2013 with sites almost outnumbering people \u2013 that it has earned the nickname \u2018the Egypt of the North\u2019. Our cover story this month represents the concluding part of the Orkney trilogy that we have been running, drawing on my visit to the archipelago last summer. During this trip, I went to see the excavation at the Knowe of Swandro, an impressively long-lived site, but one whose stonework is being rapidly eroded by the sea.<\/p>\n
A relatively more recent feat of masonry is the focus of our next feature: St Bartholomew the Great in Smithfield, today hailed as London\u2019s oldest surviving parish church. As this ecclesiastical edifice marks its 900th birthday, we trace its history back to its earliest origins as the brainchild of an ailing ex-jester. We then explore Arminghall Henge in Norfolk, home to a mighty timber monument that was described as a \u2018second Woodhenge\u2019 when it was discovered in 1929. The site was first excavated in 1935, and last year archaeologists reopened this original trench, revealing glimpses of the timbers\u2019 fiery end.<\/p>\n
Finally, our regular contributor Joe Flatman guides us through the myriad roles fulfilled by archaeologists within the National Trust, and updates us on recent research concerning some of its sites.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In this issue:<\/strong><\/p>\n – The Knowe of Swandro: racing against time and tide in Orkney Plus: News, Reviews, Science Notes, Museum News, Conference, Sherds, Odd Socs, and more!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":5376,"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-5375","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\/Cover-1000px-5.jpg",1000,1345,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cover-1000px-5-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cover-1000px-5-223x300.jpg",223,300,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cover-1000px-5-768x1033.jpg",768,1033,true],"large":["https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cover-1000px-5-761x1024.jpg",761,1024,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cover-1000px-5.jpg",1000,1345,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cover-1000px-5.jpg",1000,1345,false],"woocommerce_thumbnail":["https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cover-1000px-5-300x400.jpg",300,400,true],"woocommerce_single":["https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cover-1000px-5-600x807.jpg",600,807,true],"woocommerce_gallery_thumbnail":["https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cover-1000px-5-100x100.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: - The Knowe of Swandro: racing against time and tide in Orkney - Archaeology and the National Trust - St Bartholomew the Great: London\u2019s oldest surviving parish church - Arminghall Henge: a burnt timber circle from prehistoric Norfolk - Excavating a Bronze Age barrow and a Roman \u2018shrine\u2019 in Overstone Plus: News,…","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product\/5375","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\/5376"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5375"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"product_brand","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_brand?post=5375"},{"taxonomy":"product_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_cat?post=5375"},{"taxonomy":"product_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_tag?post=5375"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n– Archaeology and the National Trust
\n– St Bartholomew the Great: London\u2019s oldest surviving parish church
\n– Arminghall Henge: a burnt timber circle from prehistoric Norfolk
\n– Excavating a Bronze Age barrow and a Roman \u2018shrine\u2019 in Overstone<\/p>\n