Xi'an museum of the Neolithic to reopen
The museum of the Banpo Ruins, the largest and best-preserved prehistoric settlement ever discovered in China, will reopen on April 1 after renovations, the curator has said. The protection hall...

Axe head excites experts
Amateur archaeologists in Angus (Scotland) have stumbled across what is thought to be a burial ground dating back thousands of years. What they first believed to be a long-gone settlement,...

Bronze Age mourners used flowers
The practice of placing floral tributes on graves may date back 4,000 years, research in west Wales suggests. Archaeologists have been examining a Bronze Age burial mound on the Black...

Stonehenge road debate prompts fresh bust-up
Controversial improvements for the A303 past Stonehenge have already cost British taxpayers a cool £14.1m even though not so much as an inch of new road has been built. The...

Irish Bronze Age settlement will not halt road
An ancient Bronze-Age settlement believed to be 4,000 years old has been uncovered in the direct path of the Carlow bypass (Ireland). The discovery was unearthed on a farm this...

Early chiefdoms offer clues to modern wealth, study says
When human ancestors gave up a nomadic way of life to farm the land, they gathered in small communities where they could share some of their skills. These early societies,...

Thronborough henges saga is approaching its final chapter
The application to increase quarrying operations near the Thornborough Henges Neolithic site in North Yorkshire (England) will be determined at a planning meeting of North Yorkshire County Council on February...

3000-year-old prayer house discovered in Iran
Discovery of a fire temple and prayer house with an urban architectural plan belonging to the Iron Age for the first time n Qoli-Darvish historical site near Qom as well...

High Court decision day in M3-Tara case is 1st March
Mr Justice Thomas Smyth of the Irish High Court will give his decision on the M3 motorway case on 1st March next, following a seven-day hearing. Campaigner Vincent Salafia is...

Archaeology lectures at Sligo Institute
A series of public archaeology lectures will be held at Institute of Technology Sligo (co. Sligo, Ireland), some of which are organised by the Sligo Field Club. Two of the...

Alpine ice man may have been sterile
Oetzi, the prehistoric man frozen in a glacier for 5,300 years, could have been infertile, a new study suggests. Genetic research, published in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology, also...

Henges conservation plan comes under fire
Groups campaigning to stop quarrying around Thornborough Henges (North Yorkshire, England) have slammed a recently published conservation plan. TimeWatch is disappointed with the proposed Thornborough Henges Conservation Plan announced last...

Grant to share Lake District's archaeological wonders
One of North England's richest archaeology areas – boasting over 6,500 sites – is being thrown open for widespread exploration, thanks to a £171,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund....

Bronze Age burial site unearthed on Rathlin Island
Human remains dating back almost 4,000 years have been uncovered on Rathlin Island off the County Antrim (Northern Ireland) coast. Senior archaeologists are investigating the remains of a man who...

Ancient stone houses uncovered by a bushfire in Australia
A bushfire at Tyrendarra (Victoria, Australia) last month has unearthed some of the biggest Aboriginal stone houses ever seen in Gunditjmara land. Undocumented sites  have been uncovered including a village...

Irish Times: Ruling due in March on M3 case (News by otuathail3)
Ruling due in March on M3 case

Mary Carolan



Irish Times

Wed, Jan 25, 06





The High Court will give its decision on March 1st on the challenge by

an environmentalist to the proposed route of the M3 motorway near the Hill of Tara.



After Mr Justice Thomas Smyth yesterday ruled that he did not require to hear oral evidence by archaeologists and other experts in order to determine legal issues in the case, the seven-day hearing concluded.



Counsel for Vincent Salafia had earlier argued that there were factual ...

Telegraph - Seat of Celtic kings is threatened by motorway (News by otuathail3)
Seat of Celtic kings is threatened by motorway

By Tom Peterkin, Ireland Correspondent

(Filed: 13/01/2006)



A plan to build a motorway beside the hill where ancient Celtic kings were crowned has been challenged in court as campaigners fight to save a monument described by W B Yeats as the "most consecrated spot in Ireland".



The Irish government's proposal to build a new commuter route for Dublin through the valley containing the Hill of Tara has infuriated archaeologists, historians and ...

Ancient Site Looks Safe From Quarry Diggers (News by BrigantesNation)
From an article by Brian Dooks, published on 15th February 2006 in the Yorkshire Post:<blockquote>English Heritage wants 'Stonehenge of the North' preserved after claiming it is of archaeological importance.



Controversial plans for sand and gravel quarrying near Thornborough Henges in North Yorkshire look set to founder as new research offers further evidence the ancient monument was aligned with the stars.



Councillors have been urged to turn down an application to quarry 112 acres of land on a ...

Henges aligned to the constellation Orion claim (News by baza)
"Researchers at Newcastle University have found the Thornborough Henges are one of the earliest major monuments aligned to the constellation Orion.



The 5,500-year-old earthworks, north of Ripon, and the Egyptian pyramids are thought to have been built to mirror Orion's belt for its religious focus.



The research will be published in 2007 in a new report on the henges complex.



Senior lecturer at the university Dr Jan Harding said they used a three dimensional model to confirm the stellar ...

University of Bristol: Rock Art Weekend 6th & 7th May 2006 (News by BigSweetie)
From BRITARCH today:



The University of Bristol's Department of Archaeology & Anthropology is

delighted to announce that it will be hosting an entire weekend of rock art

symposia this coming May.



- Saturday May 6: 3rd Bi-Annual Rock Art Symposium at the University of

Bristol



- Sunday May 7: British Rock Art Group Symposium



More details about both symposia, including how to enrol, can be found by

clicking on this weblink: https://www.bris.ac.uk/archanth/continuing/conf

Polished axehead found at site near Forfar (News by Rhiannon)
See a picture of the beautiful stripey (part-of-an) axehead at The Courier:

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2006/02/12/newsstory8018512t0.asp



There are contact details if you want to go on the next visit to the find site with the Kinnettles and District Heritage Group, on the 19th Feb.

Oldest European cave paintings found (News by Rhiannon)
From the TimesOnline article at

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,61-2037531,00.html



At the Fumane cave on the southern edge of the Alps, an occupation with tools of Aurignacian type has been radiocarbon dated to between 34,000 and 32,000 years ago. In the Aurignacian deposits painted rock fragments were found which had spalled off the walls of the cave because of the freezing of water in cracks: erosion of the paint showed that the art, in red and yellow ochre lines, had been on the walls for some ...

Traces of flowers from Bronze Age cairn (News by Rhiannon)
Archaeologists examining a Bronze Age burial mound on the Black Mountain in Carmarthenshire found meadowsweet pollen grains.

"Adam Gwilt, curator of the Bronze and Iron Age Collection at the National Museum of Wales, said the discovery shed new light on ancient burials. He said: "It gives tenderness to otherwise remote and impersonal burial rites". Mr Gwilt said the same burial ritual had been found as far away as the Orkney Islands in Scotland. "(does this mean using meadowsweet ...

The historic environment of the Yorkshire Dales (News by fitzcoraldo)
22.4.06

A day school organised by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority in association with the Yorkshire Archaeological Society, 10am–4:30pm at Grassington Town Hall, Grassington. The Yorkshire Dales have some of the best preserved and extensive historic landscapes in the country. Speakers at this day school will discuss some of the results of recent archaeological and historical survey and research. Also host to poster displays and book stalls. The fee includes refreshments but not lunch. For ...

Bronze Age man's burial site unearthed (News by Hob)
Human remains dating back almost 4,000 years have been uncovered on Rathlin Island off the County Antrim coast



More details from the BBC here.

Timewatch expresses dismay at latest plan (News by Rhiannon)
Groups campaigning to stop quarrying around Thornborough Henges have slammed a recently published conservation plan. TimeWatch is disappointed with the proposed Thornborough Henges Conservation Plan announced last week, saying it neither includes the entire Thornborough complex nor addresses all the important issues.



"The consultation group and the proposed conservation plan are a response to a number of concerns raised by many people regarding the preservation and appearance of the Thornborough ...

Concern as new flats could close in on standing stone (News by Martin)
From the Peeblesshire News, Jan 20th 2006;



Concern as new flats could close in on standing stone



An ancient standing stone may be set to share its field with thousands of building blocks. Developers plan to build 21 new flats near the site of the rural relic at Cardrona. But local historical and environmental organisations have raised concern about the proposal. A representative from Historic Scotland, Lesley Brown, told the Peeblesshire News: "We have already written a letter to the council's planning ...

Good and Bad news from the Lake District (News by fitzcoraldo)
1m to be cut from Lakes' budget



Almost 1m is to be slashed from the budget of the organisation responsible for the Lake District National Park.

read more here

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cumbria/4521944.stm



On the Brighter side



Lottery cash opens up Lakes' past

A treasure trove of information about the Lake District's archaeology is being opened up to the public thanks to a 171,000 grant.

read more ...

The curse of Stonehenge will remain until it is handed back to the druids (News by stubob)
Simon Jenkins

Friday January 27, 2006

The Guardian



This world heritage site is a national disgrace. Consultants have made millions but achieved nothing in 20 years.



West of Amesbury on the A303, the road dips and rises towards a meadow in the distance. In the meadow stands a clump of grey stones, looking like dominoes rearranged by a shell from the neighbouring artillery range. The clump is Britain's greatest stone-age monument.

Nobody can touch it. Stonehenge is cursed. I have bet every chairman of ...

Blaze destroys stone circle's hut (News by Jane)
The visitor hut at a prehistoric stone circle has been burnt to the ground in what police say was an arson attack.

The hut, at the Rollright Stones on the border of Oxfordshire and Warwickshire, was completely destroyed in the blaze on Sunday.



It had been used to store visitor guides and merchandise.



Police said the fire was unrelated to an incident in March 2004 when 70 of the Neolithic stones were splashed with yellow paint.



Flames were spotted by a passing motorist in the early hours.



PC Tony ...

A Lovely Little Book (News by follow that cow)
Recently published is a lovely little travel book called Findings, written by the poet Kathleen Jamie based on some eclectic travels around Scotland.



The first chapter, Darkness and Light, is about her visit to Maeshowe for the winter solstice. For anyone who has been, or is intending to go, its an evocative and stimulating read.

New Plans for Stonehenge Bypass (News by The Eternal)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wiltshire/4639116.stm



New plans for Stonehenge bypass

A government transport minister has been outlining possible options for the A303 road around historic Stonehenge.

It follows a decision in July 2005 to review plans - now estimated to cost 510m - to bore a tunnel at the site.

Stephen Ladyman said in addition to the tunnel, the viability of a bypass to the north or south or a 'cut and cover' tunnel would be examined.

He said: "The Government is committed to ...

RSPB warn against tunnel alternatives (News by Rhiannon)
http://www.rspb.org.uk/action/stonehenge.asp



The RSPB says that the two proposed overground routes would destroy nesting and roosting sites of the stone curlew, which only has two UK strongholds.



"The southern route would destroy two-thirds of the RSPB's Normanton Down Reserve and split the remainder, reducing its value to wildlife. The reserve is part of the Stonehenge World Heritage Site and boasts Britain's most important Bronze Age barrow cemetery. The site is also an invaluable feeding ground ...

Timewatch calls for international support (News by Rhiannon)
TimeWatch has called for international support in the battle to save the Thornborough Henges from the threat of quarrying nearby.



Quarry company Tarmac Northern Ltd was granted a delay to the planning process while it carried out further archaeological investigations at its proposed quarry site at Ladybridge Farm, half a mile from the triple henge complex. These have now been completed and there is a new consultation process ahead of the the North Yorkshire County Council planning meeting on February 21 ...

Lecture on new discoveries about early Chippenham (News by Rhiannon)
An illustrated lecture is to be given by Mike Stone, curator of Chippenham Museum and Heritage Centre, next month. "Chippenham's Beginnings: Recent Archaeological Work" will explain details of some of the recent excavation work in the town, including evidence of Neolithic farmers, Roman settlements and Viking invaders.



It starts at 2.30pm on Saturday, February 18, and is being held at Wiltshire Heritage Museum, Devizes.



Early booking is advised, and the museum can be contacted on 01380 ...

Puy de Pauliac dolmen
This little dolmen is found in a sort of parkland high up on the slopes of Puy de Pauliac, above the historical village of Aubazines in Corrèze. It is signposted from the road.

Achievable Stonehenge
Following a Public Inquiry in 2004 into proposals for improving the A303 past Stonehenge, it was recommended that a 2.1 km long bored tunnel should be built to remove the effects of the road and traffic from Britain’s most famous prehistoric location which is now a World Heritage Site. However, the costs for this project have risen significantly and Government Ministers are calling for an alternative lower cost scheme. A public consultation exercise has been launched in order to identify an acceptable lower cost scheme. Many of us feel that any delays in improving access to Stonehenge, its landscape and environment should not be delayed by Government indecision and perceived prohibitive costs of a tunnel for the A303. In January, the Department of Transport launched a Public Consultation to review the scheme and replies are required before the 24th April 2006. As a response, we believe that the following proposal has merit. We publish it here for your information and comment.

Axe head excites experts
Amateur archaeologists in Angus have stumbled across what is thought to be a burial ground dating back thousands of years. What they first believed to be a long-gone settlement, covered up over time, could prove to be ancient graves after the discovery of a rare artefact.

Introducing the March/April issue of British Archaeology
* British prehistory is wrong
In a landmark address to a packed gathering of senior archaeologists, Richard Bradley claimed that a deep divide between archaeologists in the field and at universities meant that university teaching about prehistoric Britain is seriously out of date, while fieldwork seemed to be driven by business and management talk. Bradley studied archived excavation reports across the UK and Ireland. He found that 20 years of commercial fieldwork had resulted in so many significant new discoveries, that the story of ancient Britain has to be completely rewritten

Neolithic Europeans Made Cheese and Yogurt
Dirty cooking pots dating to nearly 8,000 years ago reveal that some of Europe's earliest farming communities produced dairy products, such as cheese and yogurt.
Two separate studies indicate that Neolithic dairying took place in what are now Romania, Hungary and Switzerland.

Hopes of Revival for Cinderbury Iron Age Attraction
The Cinderbury dream could rise from the ashes thanks to a new business proposal to run the Iron Age Centre.
A new bidder has come forward to reopen the village, near Clearwell, as a tourist attraction, but to learn from the mistakes made last year. The village, which gave visitors a chance to get away from it all, throw away modern trappings and live off the land for a holiday or educational visit, shut down last month because there was no money left.

Calhau-de-Teberno
This nice dolmen can be found in a little landscaped bit of parkland, sandwiched between the D.920 road and the railway line at the outskirts of the village of Buzy a couple of kilometres to the north of Arudy in Pyrénées-Atlantiques.

Armenteule menhir
Deep in the Louron valley, on the western side of the Col de Peyresourde in the high Pyrenees, is the tiny village of Armenteule. In this sleepy little Pyrenean village there is an old church. Inside the churchyard, just beside the back of the church, is a standing stone. Whether the church was built beside the menhir, or the stone was brought here later I do not know.

Stonehenge road plans
On Monday, 23 January 2006, the Highways Agency announced the start of a public consultation on the options for road improvements at Stonehenge.
They stated that: ‘Following a Public Inquiry in 2004 into our proposals for improving the A303 past Stonehenge, the Inspector recommended a new dual carriageway should be built, along with a 2.1km long bored tunnel to remove the effects of the road and traffic from Britain's most famous prehistoric site. However, the cost of the new road has risen significantly since then and so Government Ministers have asked us to undertake a review and identify lower cost options.

Badbury Rings
Hillfort in Dorset. Three well-worn chalk banks and ditches surround 7 hectares of trees inside. This Iron Age hillfort has never been excavated, so details are sketchy at best, although it lies at the junction of two Roman roads.

National Buried Treasures Revealed

More than 67,000 archaeological items and 427 pieces of treasure have been discovered by members of the public over the past year. The details of the finds are revealed today in two new reports launched by the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

CBA Day School
The CBA in the West Midlands is organising a Day School in honour of Mike Stokes.

No more digging around to find historical teaching resources!
Thursday 6th October, saw the launch of the Scheme's child friendly website - Past explorers with the attendance of the Minister for Culture David Lammy.

Exhibition opens at Marlipins Museum, Shoreham
A Private View of the touring exhibition on the Portable Antiquities Scheme in Sussex was held on Thursday 18th August, at Marlipins Museum, Shoreham (West Sussex).

Rare Roman souvenir is acquired in unique agreement by three British museums.

The Staffordshire Moorlands Pan has been acquired in a unique tripartite arrangement between the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery (Stoke-on-Trent), the Tullie House Museum and Gallery (Carlisle), and the British Museum (London). This important and exciting find will be joint-owned and displayed equally between the three partners. The pan has been acquired with the substantial and generous support of a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant of £112,200.

Artefacts stolen in Museum raid - Northampton
On Sunday night Abington Park Museum in Northampton was broken into, one of their cabinets smashed and a number of Egyptian artefacts stolen.

Serving Archaeology:Current Approaches to Sharing Archaeological Information Online
The Institute of Archaeology, University College London, is hosting a one day conference in its Gordon Square building for the discussion of heritage on the web. Funding for the conference has been generously provided by the Packard Humanities Institute, through Fasti Online (www.fastionline.org)

New Minister for Arts, Heritage, Museums and Galleries, Libraries and the GAC
David Lammy, Member of Parliament for Tottenham, is the new Minister for Arts, Heritage, Museums and Galleries, Libraries and the GAC.

The search is on for the Roman centre of Wetherby
The search for the Roman centre of Wetherby will be the quest for schoolchildren taking part in Leeds Metropolitan University’s archaeology project, running from Monday 25 April until Thursday 28 April at Deighton Gates Primary School in Wetherby.

Discover objects of desire at Museums and Galleries across the UK
Museums and Galleries Month 2005 runs from 1 - 31 May. During May, museums and galleries throughout the UK will put the focus on their objects, with special events and activities to encourage the public to explore collections and treasures in a new light.

Innova Park, Enfield

The present industrial and urban character of the lower Lea Valley marks only the latest stage in a constantly changing landscape. Since the end of the last Ice Age people have taken advantage of its abundant natural resources in a variety of ways. Find out more about this ...

New vacancies at Wessex Archaeology
POST-EXCAVATION MANAGER
Candidates will demonstrate substantial relevant experience in post-excavation analysis to publication level and have a track record in the management of the post-excavation process to successful completion. Excellent communication and people management skills, ability to work to tight deadlines and a wide archaeological experience (in fieldwork and post-excavation) are ...

Wessex Archaeology on BBC Radio 3
Wessex Archaeology will be featured on BBC Radio 3’s “Sunday Feature” on Sunday 5th February at 9.30pm.
In one of the most famous last lines of modern poetry, Seamus Heaney resolves to use his pen as a spade and excavate. Like many poets, Heaney is drawn to archaeology. Christine Finn, ...

Fulston Manor - Latest discoveries

Recent excavations at Fulston Manor in Kent, in advance of a new road, have revealed yet more about this fascinating area. Previous excavations by Wessex Archaeology led to the discovery of a medieval bakery. Now the history of the site has been traced back even further. The ...

Kingsmead Quarry
Visit the website to find out more about prehistoric Berkshire, from flint to flood gates!

Marvellous Margate
Discoveries ranged from hoards of metalwork, to cemeteries and bakeries. Find out more about the Margate pipeline.

Archaeocast 4: Ancient Technology with Phil Harding
The latest edition of Archaeocast is available for download over at the Wessex Archaeology Events Blog. Phil Harding explains about stone tool technology, and how the past wasn’t the primitive place we are often led to believe.
If you would like to subscribe to Archaeocast, our RSS feed is http://feeds.feedburner.com/Archaeocast - ...

New volume in the Mary Rose series is out now!
The Mary Rose sank outside Portsmouth on 19th July 1545, as she sailed out of Portsmouth harbour to meet the French fleet. Trapped by netting, or below deck, the crew stood little chance, and their bodies and belongings went to the bottom of the Solent. Excavation of the ...

New pages on the Wessex Archaeology website
Earlier this month, the nineteenth century timber granary at Vale Farm, Sutton Waldron was successfully lifted and moved. You can find out more about the background to the project on our new web pages .

WA Coastal & Marine staff on TV
Wessex Archaeology staff feature in the two part series on ‘Heritage’ which will be broadcast on ITV Meridian on Sunday 13th and 20th November at 17:45.
The series covers the work of English Heritage and our involvement is through The Protection of Wrecks Acts project. The wreck is of the Holland ...