Antiquity 75 (287)

A iron-bladed secutor clasp-knife with copper alloy handle in the form of a gladiator, unearthed in October 2000 (coincidentally around the launch-time of the `Gladiators and Caesars: the Power of Spectacle in Ancient Rome' exhibition at the British Museum and exhibited therein after conservation).

A new analysis employing principal components addresses the recurrent issues of comparing tool assemblages from different sites whilst retaining support from the work of F. Bordes.

An article emphasising that in situ preservation is a complex and dynamic process requiring an understanding of the nature and scale of the material to be preserved, and understanding of the context of the site in terms of managerial needs and a programme of scientific monitoring of changes within the burial environment. The example of a rural archaeological landscape (North Yorkshire, multi-period occupation with a focus in the IA) which is undergoing a programme of hydrological management is considered.

Recent work on fish-bone ratios and stable carbon isotopes suggest that the Vikings increased the fish contribution to the diet of Orkney and Shetland by a greater investment in deep-sea fishing.