Saturday, January 08, 2005
Unearthing 2,000 years of Wolds history
A hoard of ancient objects discovered in the Yorkshire Wolds has been sold to a Hull museum for £9,500. Alexandra Wood reports.
IT started in 1977 when he picked up a bullet cartridge on Beverley Westwood and grew to form a collection so big he has never actually counted all the objects.
Ranging in age from Celtic finds from 50BC, to the Second World War cartridge, the result of Steve Foster's passion for metal detecting is a fascinating mixture of thousands of objects representing some 2,000 years of history.
Individually there are few items collectors would covet, but together they represent an intimate snapshot of the bleak corners of the Yorkshire Wolds he has scoured for 28 years.
Yorkshire Today
Scottish siblings find a Bronze Age flint arrowhead
When schoolchildren Robert and Kirsty Simon chanced upon an oddly shaped piece of stone by a path, they did not realise they had found an important piece of Scotland's "ancient historical jigsaw". The brother and sister are being praised for handing in what turned out to be an early Bronze Age flint arrowhead to the National Museums of Scotland. The find will be placed in The Museum of Edinburgh on the Royal Mile.
The story of their unusual find comes on the day the Scottish Executive publishes its final response to the Normand Report review of treasure trove arrangements for Scotland. The preserving of historical artifacts often damaged by construction work or climatic changes has been given fresh impetus after other Bronze Age items were recently spotted being offered on the eBay internet site for as little as £16.
Stone Pages
Barrow Hill Game Project Announced
Shadow Tor Studios from Cornwall today announced production on Barrow Hill, a chilling new adventure game. The news supposedly follows an invitation by Conrad Morse, of Middlestone University, for the media production company to help survey the ancient stone circle known as "Barrow Hill".
Hidden inside the aging forest of the barrow (ancient burial mound), the stone circle has stood since 2500bc. Amazingly, this monumental site has yet to be surveyed, while Stonehenge has become almost vain through overindulgence.
Megalithic Portal
Friday, January 07, 2005
'High status' Viking site found
Archaeologists in Cumbria say they have discovered what could be the country's most important Viking burial site.
Experts are so excited about the find and its wealth of treasures, they are keeping its location a secret so they can work undisturbed.
All that has been revealed is that it is near Barrow and contains artefacts dating back to the 10th Century.
Another burial site has been uncovered in Cumbria, close to Cumwhitton village, near Carlisle.
Both sites were found by metal detector enthusiasts.
BBC News
Demons warded off historic Abbey
ITS demise was started by Henry VIII and, since then, the romantic ruins of Netley Abbey have suffered at the hands of a succession of vandals.
At one stage the Cistercian Abbey - which the first monks entered in 1239 - was used as a quarry site for Netley Castle and other local buildings.
More recently, rowdy youths and vandals have lit bonfires inside, used it as a drinking den, scrawled graffiti on the ancient walls and also walked on them.
But, now, English Heritage has joined forces with Hampshire police to give the ancient monument a new line of defence.
A 1.8m fence has been put up to replace the previous wooden barrier that did little to protect the site.
The project has cost about £20,000 and English Heritage was given £1,000 towards the bill by Hampshire Constabulary's police community fund after they became aware of the abbey's plight.
This is Southampton
THORNBOROUGH Henges campaigners have clashed again with quarry firm, Tarmac
This time it is over a British Museum exhibition of archaeological treasures that is being sponsored by Tarmac, prompting accusations of "breathtaking hypocrisy" from Heritage Action campaigners.
The group has been at the forefront of opposition to plans by the quarry firm to extend its sand and gravel operations at Nosterfield Quarry, close to the prehistoric henges north of Ripon.
Members of Heritage Action are staging what they describe as a "low key and respectful protest" outside the Hidden Treasures exhibition at Manchester Museum today and tomorrow.
The group is aiming to give out specially created 'Heritage Sweets' to people visiting the exhibition.
Spokesman George Chaplin said: "This is a marvellous exhibition and we hope as many people as possible will see it, but we want them to also reflect on who is sponsoring it and why. Tarmac Northern are applying to quarry the surroundings of Thornborough Henges and the buried archaeology there is treasure as well."
Mr Chaplin added: "We find Tarmac's behaviour breathtakingly hypocritical. People ought to be aware that Tarmac is seeking credit for helping to exhibit treasure in Manchester while trying to destroy it forever in Yorkshire. We'd be delighted if people pause to talk to us before they go in, we hope that giving out our special sweets will serve as a welcome ice breaker."
Knaresborough Today
Support the Friends of Thornborough
Furness home to Viking burial site?
FURNESS archaeologists believe a metal detector enthusiast might have stumbled on an important Viking burial site after unearthing an ornate merchant's weight.
The man was pottering around Low Furness farmland before Christmas when his detector's bleeping led him to a piece of lead 20cm beneath the soil, reports Jennie Dennett.
When it was unearthed, a 70g weight, 42mm long piece inlaid with an ornate bronze and enamel design depicting what look like entwined mythic beasts and two men with crossed swords emerged. The pattern indicates that it dates back to between AD 1030 and AD 1130.
It has already been described by The British Museum as a "remarkable" find and is setting Viking historians abuzz since it could challenge the textbook theories on the kind of Scandinavian raiders who put down their roots in Cumbria.
This is the Lake District
viking find rewrites history of furness
A VALUABLE Viking artifact unearthed between Barrow and Dalton could force a rethink on the history of South Cumbria.
The unique merchant’s weight was found with a metal detector and is being studied by experts at the British Museum, who have already declared it exceptional.
Ulverston archaeologist Steve Dickinson said: “It is of such high quality it must have been owned by a very high status person, but at the moment we can’t put a price on it.
“As far as we aware nothing like this has been found before and to a Viking it would be as valuable, for example, as a genuine Rolex Oyster watch is today. It just wouldn’t get lost. I didn’t think I would ever see anything like this."
North West Evening Mail
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Builders find chariot race track
The remains of the only known Roman chariot racing track in Britain have been found under an army barracks being redeveloped in Colchester.
New homes are going up on a 209-acre site where builders preparing the groundworks excavated what they believe is a race track nearly 2,000 years old.
Developers Taylor Woodrow said they are delighted at the find and will include it as a feature in their development.
Archaeologists say it was built around the 2nd century.
BBC News
ROMAN CHARIOT-RACING ARENA IS FIRST TO BE UNEARTHED IN BRITAIN
Archaeologists working on a housing development in Essex have unearthed what they believe to be the first Roman chariot-racing arena to be found in Britain.
The discovery was made at a site in Colchester and has hit the headlines across the country with local and national press lauding it as one of the most exciting Roman finds in decades.
Experts are thrilled at the possibility that this could be the first evidence of a chariot-racing circus in this country, but have refuted claims that it was the largest to be built outside Italy.
Speaking to the 24 Hour Museum, archaeologist and excavation project manager, Rob Masefield, outlined exactly what it is they’ve found: "Basically," he said, "we are 99% sure it’s a circus in Colchester."
24 Hour Museum News
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Gold coins hoard for museum
An Iron Age hoard of gold coins found on a West Norfolk archaeological site is set to be housed in Lynn.
The coins, which were found in a mud-filled end of a cow's leg bone containing 20 Gallo-Belgic E coins or Staters dating back to 60-50 BC, were unearthed at the Sedgeford Historical and Archaeological Project (Sharp) in August last year.
Nineteen other coins had already been found during the annual excavations at the site, including 11 in 2003 and eight in previous years.
Kings Lynn Today
Theory: Oetzi Murdered in Power Play
Ötzi the Iceman, the world's oldest and best-preserved mummy, might have been murdered in a struggle for power, according to a new theory that identifies the 5,300-year-old mummy as the powerful leader of a Neolithic community.
Discovered in 1991 in a melting glacier in the Ötztal Alps — hence the name — by the German hiker Helmut Simon, Ötzi is thought to have died at about 45.
Discovery Channel
Mystery of ancient broch unlocked after 2000 years
A TEAM of archaeologists has helped unlock 2000-year-old secrets of an ancient tower described as one of the wonders of European archaeology.
Mousa Broch, located on the island of Mousa in Shetland, is one of the finest examples of an Iron Age tower or broch.
The impressive structure was used as a fortification when the islands were racked by warfare but was also mentioned in the sagas as an eloping lovers' hideout.
Ther Herald
New henge discovered
New henge discovered
Well, not exactly new. . .
WILTSHIRE may have Stonehenge but now Cheshire has a wooden henge after archaeologists made the discovery near Chester.
Researchers working at Poulton, on the Duke of Westminster's land, were amazed to find the Bronze Age burials they had been investigating were preceded by a much earlier 'ritual' presence.
A circle of holes indicated the existence of the wooden henge together with a large hole in the centre which was potentially a form of 'totem pole'.
Cronaca
Ancient henge [timber circle] discovered near city
Wiltshire may have Stonehenge but now Cheshire has a wooden henge after archaeologists made the discovery near Chester. Researchers working at Poulton, on the Duke of Westminster's land, were amazed to find the Bronze Age burials they had been investigating were preceded by a much earlier 'ritual' presence.
A circle of holes indicated the existence of the wooden henge together with a large hole in the centre which was potentially a form of 'totem pole'.
Now Durham University is to undertake both soil analysis and the dating of wood fragments.
Megalithic Portal
Roman chariot race track found
ARCHAEOLOGISTS are awaiting confirmation they have unearthed what has been hailed as a “major” discovery - the first Roman chariot-racing track in Britain.
Experts have unearthed in Colchester what they believe to be the remains of the world's biggest Roman chariot-racing track outside Italy and the first one to be found in Britain.
Stone fragments from what could have been a stadium similar in look and size to Rome's famous Ben Hur amphitheatre have been discovered during a dig at Colchester Garrison.
EADT
Rome's boy racers took chariots to Colchester
ARCHAEOLOGISTS believe that they may have unearthed the world’s biggest Roman chariot-racing track outside Italy.
Excavations of part of the garrison in Colchester, Essex, Britain’s oldest recorded town, have revealed traces of a track that are being examined by English Heritage. The garrison is the home of the 16 Air Assault Brigade and is the longest-established garrison in the country.
Times
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
THORSAGER ROUND CHURCH
The Danish Television each year transmits the Christmas service from a church some where in Denmark.
In 2004 it is from Thorsager Rundkirke (round church) a church from the 1200 which is the only of it's kind in Jutland.
Thorsager Round Church is one of the 7 medieval Round Churches in Denmark
It belongs to a group of 3 churches called Absalon Round Churches, built by Bishop Absalon and his family. It is built around 4 pillars while the 4 round churches on the island Bornholm only have 1 central pillar.
This site has an excellent Panorama of the church
World Wide Panorama
Monday, January 03, 2005
Roman burials revealed in new study
ROMAN burials, Anglo-Saxon defences and medieval artefacts are part of the Faithful City's rich archaeological history published in a new report.
The Council of British Archaeology has published its findings of excavations carried out where the CrownGate shopping centre on Deansway was later built.
This is Worcester
Out-of-town shopping malls 'were pioneered by rich Romans'
The luxury housing estate and out-of-town shopping centre may need to be added to the long list of what the Romans did for Britain.
Work in Bath suggests that rich Romans were so keen to live close to city centre attractions that they abandoned the empire's traditional habit of building lavish villas in the countryside, well away from the neighbours and commerce within the city walls.
Excavations in Bath reveal that at least half a dozen elegant homes existed near each other and within easy reach of leisure areas. One villa was found while sprinkler pipes were being laid across a golf course. A second villa with mosaic floors was found a few hundred feet away.
Telegraph
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