British Archaeology (138)

Seahenge is a prehistoric timber circle that was controversially excavated by archaeologists from a north Norfolk beach in 1999. A second oak ring found close by at the same time was left to erode, although the site has been monitored and features recorded as they appeared. Both monuments have now been dated by dendrochronology to 2049 BC, indicating that their construction was directly linked. Possible interpretation of the monuments as funerary sites is discussed, and other Bronze Age wooden remains discovered at the beach are outlined; unusually, these included coppice stools. LD

Outlines the occurrence and contexts of white quartz beach pebbles decorated with dark spots and wiggles, of which 55 have to date been recorded around the Scottish Highlands and Islands. These enigmatic artefacts date from between about 300 BC and AD 800. A new report describes experiments undertaken by stonemason Robbie Arthur, who aimed to demonstrate how decoration of the pebbles could have been achieved. LD

Prize-winning author Cyprian Broodbank has been teaching Mediterranean archaeology at University College London since 1993; in October 2014 he is to move to Cambridge as the new Disney professor of archaeology. In this interview he mentions some of his early influences and outlines his career, touching on topics such as archaeological thinking in Cambridge in the 1980s, writing books for mixed audiences, and the wider value of studying archaeology as more than just a vocational subject. LD

Orkney is renowned for its beautiful artefacts and architecture of the Neolithic period, but until recently very little has been known about internal decoration and artwork of this time. Over the last few years, however, excavations at the Ness of Brodgar by the Orkney Research Centre for Archaeology have revealed a spectacular complex of buildings on a site which also contains one of Britain's largest assemblages of dressed and decorated Neolithic stonework. To date, around six hundred examples of incised, pecked, cup-marked and pick-dressed stones have been recovered from the site, many found in situ within the buildings. This article outlines how the site was discovered before describing and discussing the artwork and the ways in which decorated stones were incorporated into the structures. LD

Since 2000, C&N Hollinrake Ltd have been carrying out archaeological investigations in advance of cell construction at the Walpole Landfill site, located between Bridgwater and Highbridge at Pawlett Level within the Somerset Levels. Each landfill cell is 600m long, 30m wide and 5m deep, allowing an unparalleled opportunity to look at the deep sequence of clays and peats laid down by the estuary over the last eight millennia, and the archaeological remains they preserve. This article sets the early environmental context before describing a series of excavated wooden Neolithic structures representing trackways and fords. Activity had later become focused on an area of dry land to the east, where open-area excavation recovered Bronze Age and Iron Age pottery and features. The latter included a network of ditches dug across the site in the Iron Age which had been recut and maintained into the Romano-British period. The excavations have produced a vast number of finds and sediment samples for environmental analysis. It is hoped that these will answer questions about the use and date of some of the more mysterious features, as well as how sea level and the local climate have changed through prehistory and into the historic period. LD

The Co production of alternative views of the lost heritage of Gwyneth project ('Heritage Together'), funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council and awarded to Bangor, Manchester Metropolitan and Aberystwyth universities, with Gwynedd Archaeological Trust, is creating a digital photographic record of prehistoric monuments in Gwynedd and Anglesey to make a series of 3D site models. 'Citizen scientists' take photographs using a simple set of instructions, and upload them to the project website. The project team then process the photographs and produce 3D models online. The idea behind the project is that almost anyone can contribute, with a low-cost and quick approach. The techniques used, the interest of the area's prehistoric monuments, and the striking quality of the images generated are discussed in this article. LD

The bluestones at Stonehenge were brought to the site from Wales, but exactly where in Wales remains one of the key issues about the monument that is not yet fully resolved. This article outlines the history of research into the origins of the bluestones, including the authors' own work from the 1980s onwards. Recently the authors have embarked on the first systematic petrographical re-investigation of the Stonehenge bluestones in eighty years, setting out to determine the number, type and relative abundance of the bluestone debitage. The work is continuing, but has already produced some unexpected results. The different stone types that have now been identified are described here, and some of the key findings of the work to date are discussed. LD

Presents a current example from the Council for British Archaeology's (CBA's) listed buildings casework: the Lumsdale Valley, near Matlock in Derbyshire. The valley features the remains of ruined structures relating to a number of different water-powered industries of the 17th to early 20th centuries. Purchased privately in 1939, the land was passed on to the Arkwright Society in 1976 with the guiding principle that the disused mills would be 'restored but frozen in their picturesque decay', and the valley was designated as a Conservation Area in 1980. Recently, the character of the site was threatened by proposals for development right up to its borders. However, strong opposition from local residents and the CBA led to the withdrawal of the proposals, and the site has now been designated as a Scheduled Monument. LD