British Archaeology (126)

Reports on the circumstances surrounding the archaeological assessment and investigation of a 9th century crannog site near Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, which lay in the path of a new road. The site was initially to be preserved in situ, but works for an alternative road solution caused unexpected lowering of the surrounding bog, and the viability of its preservation has now been called into question. The background to the case is summarised, although the precise turn of events remains unclear. LD

Royal Army Medical Corps Sergeant Diarmaid Walshe describes himself as both a soldier and an archaeologist. In this interview he describes his background and how he came to instigate 'Operation Nightingale', which helps rehabilitate injured soldiers through engagement with archaeology. At present, an important early Saxon cemetery is being excavated. Sergeant Walshe also discusses his motivation for joining the army, and how archaeology has affected his own personal development. LD

Describes the findings of a project which investigated prehistoric rock art sites in the Kilmartin region of Argyll, Scotland, which has the densest concentration of such sites known in the UK. The work focused on ascertaining the age of the rock art and the kinds of activities associated with it. Excavations recovered a great many lithic artefacts, including significant numbers of deliberately used or struck quartz pieces. Subsequent experiment showed that both the shattered quartz and the hand-sized pebbles represented the residue from rock art making. Radiocarbon dates obtained from excavated material at Tiger Rock suggested a later Neolithic date for the rock art, whilst dates from Lion Rock indicated that art production also occurred in the late Bronze Age. A date of around the fifth to seventh centuries AD was also obtained from Tiger Rock. Environmental research conducted at Stirling University demonstrated that the prehistoric rock art was made in active regions of cultivation and was thus part of an animate landscape rather than being static and mysterious. LD

The Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire contains widespread remains of post-medieval industries, but trees have obscured evidence for earlier activity. Gloucestershire County Council Archaeology Service had been investigating the hidden archaeology in the woods for a number of years, with limited success for remains other than post-medieval industrial sites. Since 2006 the team have been using the results of a lidar survey commissioned in partnership with the Forestry Commission and funded by English Heritage, and have been now able to study more than 1500 previously unrecorded sites in the area. Some of these sites can be confidently interpreted without further fieldwork, but a selection of others are being explored in greater detail. This article describes the findings at the site of a small stone circle, thought to represent a Bronze Age ring cairn or embanked stone circle; a potential small Roman fortlet; and two boundary systems, one of which appeared to have been laid out in the mid-first millennium BC whilst the second could have been slightly later, falling out of use in the Roman period. LD

A Bronze Age boat was found and excavated during the construction of a road through Dover in 1992, and a half-scale reconstruction of the vessel was built in 2012. This article describes the background to the project, including the archaeological questions that it hoped to resolve, the spirit of European collaboration, and the problems of securing funding. The replica was displayed in Boulogne-sur-Mer in France in 2012, and was due to be exhibited in Belgium before returning to Dover Museum in 2013. LD

Discusses a recently published report looking at the ethnic diversity of people who work in organisations concerned with the historic environment. Such people tend to be less ethnically diverse than other groups, whether voluntary or professional. Some of the barriers to involvement are outlined, and ways of increasing diversity and attracting new audiences are discussed, beginning with recognition that perceptions of what constitutes 'heritage' can be very different for different ethnic groups in the UK. LD

Describes an inflatable full-scale replica of Stonehenge, named 'Sacrilege', which is currently touring England and will also be displayed in Belfast. Other large Stonehenge replicas are mentioned, but 'Sacrilege' is considered different from all of these. The purposes of the display, which is considered to have both a humorous and an educational side, are discussed. LD