Antiquity 76 (292)

Discusses various topical issues in contemporary archaeology, including the origins and development of agriculture. Features separately authored reports on:

which discusses biomolecular research in archaeology

which recalls events surrounding the discovery of the Snettisham hoard and considers new laws which have been legislated since 1991, including the Treasure Trove Act (1996) and the UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property

Documents the excavation of two Bronze Age roundhouses at Callestick, near Perranporth and Trevilson near Mitchell, Cornwall. At Trevilson there were signs of deliberate infilling and forty sherds of pottery, while at Callestick there were no occupation deposits indicating that the structure may have fulfilled a ceremonial function.

Responds to Wainwright's article which reviews the changes and developments in professional archaeology in England over the past forty years (see also 2001/46, 2002/17 and 2002/32). Suggests that Wainwright has overlooked a central problem in rural archaeology -- the erosion of the landscape by the modern agricultural system.

Traces various themes and developments in the archaeology of both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. A brief introduction by the editor is followed by separately authored reports on:

Outlines the aims and work of An Chomhairle Oidhreachta, The Irish Heritage Council. Also considers potential future challenges that the organisation may face

which describes developments in Irish dendrochronology since the 1980s, including the surprising absence of preserved oak from between the first century BC and the sixth century AD, and the occurrence of a possible environmental event c. 3200 BC

examines the development of human bone studies in Ireland up until the present day, reviews the various approaches that have been adopted, and takes a look at the formal structure of the discipline within an Irish context

which describes the location, architecture, alignment and potential use of the structure

which documents the scope of the conservation work at the Early Christian monastic settlement on the island of Skellig Michael, County Kerry, and reports on the management plan which aims to preserve the site while allowing access for a reasonable number of visitors

wherein the origins, achievements and recent developments of post-medieval and industrial archaeology in Ireland are discussed, with a consideration of the future of these disciplines