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Living History Events in the UK – 2010
Posted in archaeology, british history, England facts, History, sightseeing tours, UK Tourism updates, wessex, Wiltshire on August 16, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Home Sweet Stone-age Home: Britain’s first house at 10,500 years old is uncovered by archaeologists
Posted in archaeology, british history, England facts, History, sightseeing tours, Stonehenge on August 12, 2010| Leave a Comment »
It is cramped, draughty and unlikely to win any design awards. But, according to archaeologists, this wooden hut is one of the most important buildings ever created in Britain.
The newly discovered circular structure – as shown in our artist’s impression – is the country’s oldest known home.
Built more than 6,000 years before Stonehenge, it provided shelter from the icy winds and storms that battered the nomadic hunters roaming Britain at the end of the last ice age.
Ancient find: Manchester University student Ruth Whyte on the archaelogical dig in Flixton near Scarborough which has unearthed an 11,000 year old tree and remains
Pictures from the dig where archaeologists believe that one of the first houses in Britain may have been buried
The remains of the 11ft-wide building, discovered near Scarborough, North Yorkshire, have been dated to at least 8,500BC. It stood next to an ancient lake and close to the remains of a wooden quayside.
Dr Chantal Conneller, from the University of Manchester, said it was between 500 and 1,000 years older than the previous record holder, a building found at Howick, Northumberland.
‘This changes our ideas of the lives of the first settlers to move back into Britain after the end of the last ice age,’ she said. ‘We used to think they moved around a lot and left little evidence.
‘Now we know they built large structures and were very attached to particular places in the landscape.’
None of the wood used to make the building has survived. Instead, archaeologists found the tell-tale signs of 18 timber posts, arranged in a circle. The centre of the structure had been hollowed out and filled with organic material.
STONEAGE HOUSE
The researchers believe the floor was once carpeted with a layer of reeds, moss or grasses and that there may have been a fireplace.
Dr Conneller said the hut was used for at least 200 to 500 years – and may have been abandoned for long stretches.
‘We don’t know much about it and we don’t know what it was used for,’ she said. ‘It might have been a domestic structure, although you could only fit three or four people in it. It could have been a form of ritual structure because there is evidence of ritual activity on the site.’
Previous archaeological digs have unearthed head-dresses made from deer skulls close to the hut, along with remains of flints, the paddle of a boat, antler tools, fish hooks and beads.
Archaeologists have been excavating at the Mesolithic site Star Carr since 2003
The researchers also found a large wooden platform alongside the ancient – and long vanished – lake at Star Carr. It was made from timbers which were split and hewn.
The platform, which may have been a quay, is the earliest evidence of carpentry in Europe. At the time, Britain was connected to the rest of Europe. The occupiers of the hut were nomads who migrated from an area now under the North Sea to hunt deer, wild boar, elk and wild cattle.
Dr Nicky Milner, from the University of York, said: ‘This is a sensational discovery and tells us so much about the people who lived at this time.
‘From this excavation, we gain a vivid picture of how these people lived. For example, it looks like the house may have been rebuilt at various stages.
The ancient Star Carr site is located not far from the Yorkshire town of Scarborough
‘It is also likely there was more than one house and lots of people lived here. And the artefacts of antler, particularly the antler headdresses, are intriguing, as they suggest ritual activities.’
Although Britain had been visited by hunter-gatherers for hundreds of thousands of years, it was only at the end of the last ice age, when the glaciers finally retreated from Scotland, that the country became permanently occupied.
Thousands of miles away, in the ‘Fertile Crescent’ of Mesopotamia, the earliest farmers were learning how to sow seeds and domesticate animals in a discovery that would transform the world – and herald the age of villages, writing and civilisation.
But in northern Europe, the hunter-gatherer way of life that had served prehistoric man for millennia remained unchallenged.
A depiction of a stone-age house in Ireland. The original building at Star Carr would have looked very similar to this, with thatched roof and circular shape
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What have the Romans ever done for us ?
Posted in british history, England facts, Funny, History, UK Tourism updates, Wiltshire on July 27, 2010| Leave a Comment »
For the ‘Monty Python’ fans……………………
This scene still bring tears to my eyes.
Life of Brian (1979) (aka Monty Python’s Life of Brian) is a satirical film by the Monty Python comedy troupe about a man who is born at the same time as (and next door to) Jesus, and whose life parallels his.
Reg: What Jesus blatantly fails to appreciate is that it’s the meek who are the problem.
Hope you enjoyed as much as I did.
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Salisbury and Wiltshire Museum
Posted in archaeology, british history, History, Salisbury Cathedral, sightseeing tours, Stonehenge, UK Tourism updates, wessex, Wiltshire on July 27, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Salisbury Museum is based in the King’s House, a grade I listed building located opposite Salisbury Cathedral. We have a small but friendly staff, supported by over 100 volunteers. We offer a variety of services, including the opportunity to hire this unique location for corporate events and activities.
About the Museum
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The Museum is located in the King’s House, situated in the glorious setting of the Cathedral Close. The King’s House is a Grade I listed building, the history of which stretches back to the 13th Century. It formerly housed a teacher training college and was the inspiration for an episode in Thomas Hardy’s novel Jude the Obscure.
Coroner decides Somerset Roman coin hoard is treasure
Posted in archaeology, british history, History, sightseeing tours, wessex on July 26, 2010| Leave a Comment »
About 53,000 coins were found buried in a field in Somerset
A hoard of more than 52,500 Roman coins discovered in a Somerset field has been declared treasure.
Dave Crisp, from Wiltshire, found the coins – dating from the 3rd Century AD – in April buried near Frome.
“I’ve been metal detecting since 1988 and it’s the most exciting and important find I’ve made,” he said.
A British Museum spokesman said the 160kg find was the largest single coin haul found in one pot and was probably intended as a religious offering.
Most of the coins, which are made from debased silver or bronze, are currently at the British Museum in London and includes examples from AD286 to 293 during the reign of Carausius who was the first Roman emperor to strike coins in Britain.
A small selection has gone on display at Frome Library.
Mr Crisp had earlier found a hoard of 60 silver coins in the same field before he discovered the larger pot of coins.
The coins date from the 3rd Century AD
That find was also declared treasure earlier.
Somerset County Council Heritage Service can buy the treasure for the Museum of Somerset, which is due to reopen in 2011, under the Treasure Act.
Following the ruling by East Somerset coroner Tony Williams, Mr Crisp, who works as a chef in the NHS, said: “It was a foregone conclusion that treasure would be declared today.”
He said he did not know what reward he was going to get, but would split whatever he did get equally with the farmer who owned the land according to their agreement and the law.
It has been suggested the reward could be up to £1m.
When asked how a share of the money would change his life, Mr Crisp said he did not know but added: “I’m coming up for retirement… I’ll work until I’m 65 then I’ll see.”
He added it was not the money that mattered.
“This is what matters, I’m the finder of the largest single hoard of Roman coins ever.
“I’ll always be the finder, unless someone beats me of course. There are a lot more pots out there.”
The landowner, whose surname is not being released to deter further treasure hunters, said: “I have always loved history but I never expected anything as important, exciting or old as this to be found on my land.”
WHAT IS TREASURE TROVE?
- Where the owner of a find cannot be traced, it normally belongs to the landowner but anything declared “treasure” belongs to the Crown
- Anyone making find that could be treasure must report it to a coroner
- An inquest will then determine its status
- Treasure must be at least 300 years old
- Once something is declared treasure, the finder may be able to keep it, or an institution, such as the British Museum, may buy it
- Objects are not treasure if their owners can be traced or if they are found on the shore but do not come from a shipwreck
A British Museum spokesman said the Treasure Valuation Committee would recommend a value for the hoard in October, which would be paid out when the finder, landowner and museum agreed with the valuation.
Anna Booth, from the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS), said of the reward: “It will be fairly substantial but how substantial, we don’t know.
“If they find lots of rare coins, the price could go up. It won’t be millions, but beyond that it is hard to speculate.
“Once it has been evaluated, the British Museum will be given a chance to acquire it. If not, the local museum will have it.
“The British Museum has already said it hopes the find will be acquired by the Museum of Somerset.
“We are now going to be on a fundraising drive to get the money.”
- The story of the excavation will be told in a new BBC Two archaeology series, Digging for Britain, presented by Dr Alice Roberts and made by 360production, to be broadcast in August.
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Archaeologists unearth Neolithic henge at Stonehenge
Posted in archaeology, british history, England facts, stone circle, Stonehenge, Stonehenge Visitor Centre on July 22, 2010| 1 Comment »
Archaeologists say the find is “exceptional”
Archaeologists have discovered a second henge at Stonehenge, described as the most exciting find there in 50 years.
The circular ditch surrounding a smaller circle of deep pits about a metre (3ft) wide has been unearthed at the world-famous site in Wiltshire.
Archaeologists conducting a multi-million pound study believe timber posts were in the pits.
Project leader Professor Vince Gaffney, from the University of Birmingham, said the discovery was “exceptional”.
The new “henge” – which means a circular monument dating to Neolithic and Bronze Ages – is situated about 900m (2,950ft) from the giant stones on Salisbury Plain.
It’s a timber equivalent to Stonehenge”
End Quote Professor Vince Gaffney University of Birmingham
Images show it has two entrances on the north-east and south-west sides and inside the circle is a burial mound on top which appeared much later, Professor Gaffney said.
“You seem to have a large-ditched feature, but it seems to be made of individual scoops rather than just a straight trench,” he said.
“When we looked a bit more closely, we then realised there was a ring of pits about a metre wide going all the way around the edge.
“When you see that as an archaeologist, you just looked at it and thought, ‘that’s a henge monument’ – it’s a timber equivalent to Stonehenge.
“From the general shape, we would guess it dates backs to about the time when Stonehenge was emerging at its most complex.
“This is probably the first major ceremonial monument that has been found in the past 50 years or so.
‘Terra incognita’
“This is really quite interesting and exceptional, it starts to give us a different perspective of the landscape.”
Data from the site is being collected as part of a virtual excavation to see what the area looked like when Stonehenge was built.
Speculation as to why the 4,500-year-old landmark was built will continue for years to come, but various experts believe it was a cemetery for 500 years, from the point of its inception.
In 2008, the first excavation in nearly half a century was carried out at the iconic site on Salisbury Plain.
This latest project is being funded by the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Archaeological Prospection and Virtual Archaeology, in Vienna, and the University of Birmingham, and is assisted by the National Trust and English Heritage.
Professor Gaffney said he was “certain” they would make further discoveries as 90% of the landscape around the giant stones was “terra incognita” – an unexplored region.
“The presumption was this was just an empty field – now you’ve got a major ceremonial monument looking at Stonehenge,” he said.
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Marden Henge dig uncovers 4,500-year-old dwelling
Posted in archaeology, british history, History, stone circle, Stonehenge, Stonehenge Visitor Centre, wessex, Wiltshire on July 21, 2010| Leave a Comment »
A dwelling, thought to be 4,500 years old, has been discovered by archaeologists in Wiltshire.
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“It looks as if we have a Neolithic building. We’re talking about four and a half thousand years old – so about 2400 or 2500BC.
Excavation work at the prehistoric site of Marden Henge, near Devizes, started three weeks ago and experts say the find has “exceeded expectations”.
Marden Henge no longer has any standing stones and is said to be one of Britain’s least understood ancient sites.
The work is scheduled to last for three more weeks.
Archaeologist Jim Leary, from English Heritage, said: “It’s absolutely fabulous. It’s exceeded all of our expectations.
I don’t think we’re looking at a normal house. I think we’re looking at something equivalent to a priest’s quarters.””We have some wonderful finds coming up and some very fresh looking flint flakes and some pieces of pottery, but far and away the most exciting find so far is over in trench C. – English Heritage
“Up until a few years ago it would have been unique but a couple of years ago archaeologists were digging at Durrington Walls and they found a number of these buildings.
“I don’t think we’re looking at a normal house. I think we’re looking at something equivalent to a priest’s quarters.
“We do seem to have a hearth and it seems that whoever lived there was a very clean person and regularly cleaned out the hearth.
“Just outside the front door we can see this long spread of charcoal and general rubbish material.
“It contains really good fresh flint flakes, pottery, bone pins – things that don’t normally survive on archaeological sites. We’re getting a really good insight into life in that building.”
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Archaeologists virtually excavate Stonehenge
Posted in british history, History, Stonehenge, Wiltshire on July 20, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Archaeologists virtually excavate Stonehenge Archaeologists will map 
an area of 14km around Stonehenge Archaeologists are carrying out a virtual excavation of Stonehenge to discover what the area looked like when the monument was built. The multi-million pound Euro study will map the terrain and its buried archaeological remains with pinpoint accuracy, organisers claim. The millions of measurements will then be analysed and incorporated into gaming technology to produce 2D and 3D images. The research will take three years. Equipment will be spread over an area spanning 4km this year and a total of 14km over the next three years. Project leader Professor Vince Gaffney, from the University on Birmingham, said: “We aim to unlock the mysteries of Stonehenge and show people exactly what the local area looked like during the time the monument was created. “The results of this work will be a digital chart of the ‘invisible’ Stonehenge landscape, a seamless map linking one of the world’s most famous monuments with the buried archaeology that surrounds it.” Dr Christopher Gaffney, from the University of Bradford, said: “Rather than looking at typically small discrete areas we intend to cover the whole of the World Heritage Site. “We will do this using emerging technology that allows us to pull large banks of sensors behind a quad bike and using real time GPS to locate the measurements.” The study is funded by the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Archaeological Prospection and Virtual Archaeology, in Vienna, and the University of Birmingham, and is assisted by the National Trust and English Heritage.
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ARCHAEOLOGY WEEKEND – OLD SARUM CASTLE – Sat 24 & Sun 25 Jul 2010
Posted in british history, History, Salisbury Cathedral, sightseeing tours, UK Tourism updates, Wiltshire on July 9, 2010| Leave a Comment »
It’s the Festival of British Archaeology – this is your chance to meet a 
real archaeologist and to uncover artefacts from Old Sarum’s history. Kids will love getting involved with archaeological activities, including: a sand-pit excavation, to learn how archaeologists uncover, recover and record evidence, and a finds washing, to learn how archaeologists process the evidence! Plus, there are lots of fun and games to take part in like our Beat the Archaeologist Challenge or Guess the Mystery Object from Old Sarum’s past.
Old Sarum Hillfort
Discover the story of the original Salisbury and take the family for a day out to Old Sarum, 2 miles north of where the city stands now. The mighty Iron Age hill fort was where the first cathedral once stood and the Romans, Normans and Saxons have all left their mark.
Today, 5,000 years of history are told through graphic interpretation panels on site. Families, heritage lovers and walkers can enjoy a great value day out at Old Sarum- you could even bring a picnic and enjoy the fantastic views across the Wiltshire countryside. The gift shop has a delicious range of ice-creams and exclusive English Heritage gifts and produce. Wooden bows and arrows are also on sale to help the kids imagine what life was like all those years ago!
Don’t Miss…
- The spectacular view from the ramparts at Old Sarum to the ‘new’ cathedral in the centre of Salisbury
- Our interesting interpretation panels bringing 5,000 years of history to life
- Old Sarum’s literary connections- you can buy some of the famous books written about the site in our shop
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Archaeologists begin dig on buried stone circle TEN times bigger than Stonehenge
Posted in british history, History, Stonehenge, Stonehenge private tours, Wiltshire on July 9, 2010| 2 Comments »
Archaeologists have begun a major dig to unearth the hidden mysteries of a buried ancient stone circle site that is ten times bigger than Stonehenge.
The enormous 4,000 year old Marden Henge, in Wiltshire, is Britain’s largest prehistoric structure stretching for 10.5 hectares, the equivalent of 10 football pitches.
English Heritage is carrying out a six-week dig hoping to reveal the secrets behind the giant henge which has baffled historians for centuries.
Most of the Neolithic henge has been destroyed over the years due to farming and erosion but minor excavations in 41 years ago estimate the site to between 2,000 and 2,400BC.
Archaeologists are due to begin digging at the 4,000 year old Marden Henge, in Wiltshire
Marden Henge was once a 45ft high mound surrounded by a water filled ditch which was used for sacrificial offerings.
Although the henge no longer has its vast stone circle it has a large puzzling sunken circular feature which is almost unheard of at Neolithic sites.
A team of 15 archaeologists and historians believe the dig could show the ancient site is even more significant than both Stonehenge and Avebury stone circles.
Archaeologist Jim Leary, 34, said: ‘Virtually nothing is known about this vast circle. We are starting from point zero.
‘Marden Henge deserves to be understood more partly because of its size, but also due to its proximity to the more famous stone circles at Avebury and Stonehenge.
‘The relationship between the latter two sites – chronology of their construction, whether it is built by the same people, how they were used, is of immense interest.
‘How Marden relates to them is another layer of interest which we want to study.
‘We are potentially looking at a much more intricate system of Neolithic ritual sites in this part of the world than we previously thought.
‘The study of Prehistory is entering a very exciting phase with lots of fascinating research and dating techniques emerging.
‘The stunning discovery of Neolithic houses at Durrington Walls near Stonehenge a few years’ ago, for example, has really turned things on its head.
‘We certainly hope that this excavation will bring more pieces of the puzzle to light.’
Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire. Marden Henge has lost its stone circle but scientists are confident they will find some remnant of the ancient circle beneath the surface
The dig is the culmination of a two year English Heritage project including aerial, topographic and geophysical surveys.
It has not been touched since an investigation in 1969 by Professor Geoffrey Wainwright which dated the henge from fragments of deer antler found in the area.
Marden Henge is situated near to the source of the River Avon, in Marden, north of Devizes, between Avebury and Stonehenge and close to ancient Silbury Hill.
The henge comprises a well-preserved bank covering 10.5 hectares and an internal ditch.
Unlike Stonehenge and Avebury or Castlerigg, in Cumbria, Marden Henge no longer has any surviving stone monuments.
All that has remained is the evidence of a huge mound similar to a smaller at the centre of the henge, which collapsed in 1806 and was completely levelled by 1817.
Most experts now believe that significant ceremonial or ritual activity occurred within the ditches.
Archaeologists aim to find remnants of the Neolithic age within the remains of the mound.
The entire site is around 15 hectares and set within surrounding fields covering 40 hectares.
The dig began on Monday this week and will continue until August.
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