Antiquity 62

A practical classifier looks at the 'typological debate' (with special reference to the American scene) and identifies some deficiencies in the theoretical work on classification. Computer classification tends to produce meaningless categories divorced from the purposes of the objects being studied. The field archaeologist may have very large amounts of material which must be sortable by simple and rapid procedures.

Video recording gives a high-quality colour image, allowing features to be recorded in context and reconsidered during and after excavation, but has the disadvantages of high cost and possibly limited lifespan. F B

Argues that the British Museum's recent reconstruction (see 88/1597) is probably invalid and anyway mistaken. The irreversible re-forming and polishing will have removed evidence which cannot now be recovered. The conservation guidelines of UKIC are appended to illustrate ethical practice. (See also 88/1206.)

An interrupted ditch enclosure, c 100m diameter, contained a concentric ring ditch of a barrow with a crouched adult inhumation in the central pit. Four infant burials were in the outer ditch; a penannular ditch contained three cremation pits. This component site of the Alington ridge complex dates to late Neo/EBA. Four pictograms engraved on the chalk walls of the outer enclosure have megalithic and ceramic parallels. FB

The National Monuments (Amendment) Act, 1987, makes provision for areas not previously adequately covered: historic wrecks, inland waterways, metal detecting, and the concept of an archaeological area. F B

Describes the use of a priority scoring system for a report on the archaeological implications of the proposed Salisbury by-pass, in view of the introduction of the method into the HBMC's new Monuments Protection Programme. F B

The introduction (305-10) summarizes the three categories of work of the Fenland Project: survey, environmental studies, and excavations. David Hall in 'Survey results in the Cambridgeshire Fenland' (pp 311-14) covers prehistoric occupation, buried barrow-fields, IA occupation of Fen islands, RB salterns, and early medieval reclamation. IA settlement on marine silts is described by T Lane in 'Pre-Roman origins for settlement on the Fens of south Lincolnshire' (314-21); P P Hayes covers 'Roman to Saxon in the south Lincolnshire Fens' (321-6) and Bob Silvester the RB and Early and Middle Saxon settlement on marine silts in 'The Norfolk Fens' (326-30). Rog Palmer discusses 'Applications of air photo-archaeology to field-survey results from Thorney, Cambridgeshire' (331-5). Environmental studies are represented by M Waller, 'The Fenland project's environmental programme' (336-43), reporting on litho- and bio-stratigraphical studies and 14C dating, and by C A I French on 'The southwest Fen dyke survey project' (343-8). The five excavation reports are: Ian Hodder & Paul Shand, 'The Haddenham long barrow: an interim statement' (349-53), with several phases of construction of a wooden mortuary chamber (Foulmire Fen); Edward Martin & Peter Murphy, 'West Row Fen, Suffolk: a Bronze Age fen-edge settlement site' (353-8); Edward Martin, 'Swales Fen, Suffolk: a Bronze Age cooking pit' (358-9); Christopher Evans & Dale Serjeantson, 'The backwater economy of a fen-edge community in the Iron Age: the Upper Delphs, Haddenham' (360-70); and R D Carr, A Tester, & P Murphy, 'The Middle Saxon settlement at Staunch Meadow, Brandon' (371-7) summarizing eight seasons' work on a high-status site with a strong ?monastic element. L P Kooijmans concludes with 'A view of the Fens from the Low Countries' (377-80), a review of David Hall's Fenland landscapes and settlement between Peterborough and March (1987). F B

Chemical analysis shows two distinct types of early glass: low magnesium high potassium (LMHK) and high magnesium (HMG). All but one of the known English and Scottish BA beads are HMG, but LMHK occurs in some concentration in Ireland. The analysis indicates an independent European tradition of glass-making. F B/Ed

Detailed review-article on two books by M Shanks & C Tilley: Reconstructing archaeology: theory and practice (1987) and Social theory and archaeology (1987). The first explores in a courageous way the limits of archaeological thinking and practice and is an important work; the second is 'an advanced textbook for archaeologists wishing to be challenged and have their horizons expanded'.

Of the numerous skulls recorded from the Thames, mainly during the 19th century, 299 have been located in museum collections. Radiocarbon dating and metrical analysis support their attribution to the two main phases, BA and Iron Age, of metalwork deposition in the river. F B

A clean-up campaign by some who found the figure too explicit was dismissed by the archaeological establishment. F B

Three papers were prompted by C Renfrew's Archaeology and language (1987). Christopher Ehret (563-74) writes 'on the general issues in relating material culture, language, and ethnicity, and the means by which speeds of language-change can be estimated'. Marek & Kamil V Zvelebil (574-83) admit the 'courageous originality' of Renfrew's thesis, but suggest some modifications to it; and Andrew & Susan Sherratt (584-95) attempt 'to define possible phases in the evolution of Indo-European, and to suggest models appropriate to the different stages of this process'. In the same issue Jim Mallory reviews Renfrew's book (607-9); another review is in Amer Anthropol, 90(4), 1988. See also 89/221.

Irish excavations (Fahee South, Co Clare; Drombeg, Co Cork) and experimental research indicate (contra Barfield & Hodder) that cooking was the primary function of burnt mounds. F B

Allowance must be made for the collapse of bodies and graves after burial, before dramatic interpretations of unusual skeletal postures are made, for example the two female burials from Worthy Park (Hants) described by Hawkes and Wells (abstract 75/3366) F B