Description
ON THE COVER
Time up
Mick Aston is leaving Time Team. He announces his “reluctant” decision in a letter to this magazine, and explains in more detail in an exclusive interview. What lies behind this development? How will it affect the future of one of the country’s longest running television documentary series?
AMONG OTHER STORIES
LONDON AD43–2012:
AT THE THREE TUNS HOLBORN VIADUCT
In the last issue we began a series about archaeology in London, with a feature that proposed the city was founded in AD43, the year of the Roman invasion. Between then and now, the history, culture and politics of London and the nation – even the world – have been reflected in the lives of the people who lived and worked there, and the places they knew. Here David Saxby describes how new excavation has thrown light into one small corner, before and after the Great Fire of 1666
STONE ROW FOUND AS WINDFARM GETS UNDER WAY
Objectors to a windfarm in south Wales believe they have identified a prehistoric monument that could stop construction. Archaeologist Sandy Gerrard says a line of small stones found after development of the Mynydd y Betws Windfarm began is comparable to ancient rows on Dartmoor. This would be a significant discovery in Wales, where such rows are relatively rare. Other archaeologists caution that the feature is undated. Excavation of the part at risk was taking place as we went to press
MUST FARM AND BRADLEY FEN
If someone wished to champion development against archaeology, as councillor Alan Melton did last year in Cambridgeshire, he might have chosen a region without Fenland’s astonishingly rich heritage. Large scale archaeological excavation has been taking place at the Hanson brick pits near Peterborough for two decades. The breath-taking preservation is one reason why this is one of the great sites of prehistoric Britain. There are other reasons, too, as Mark Knight and Kerry Murrell explain
HAM HILL
The prehistoric hillfort on Ham Hill, Somerset is the largest in Britain. A new quarry will open soon, bringing the opportunity for major excavation which began last year. The team behind it report on a project to waken the sleeping giant
STONEHENGE: NEW VISIONS
Artist Peter Dunn has been depicting the ancient Stonehenge landscape, or imagined parts of it, for much of his career. Working with archaeologists on illustrating the latest version of the monument’s history, he came up with his own ideas
A VALLEY OF DRY BONES
The British abolished the slave trade in 1807, yet in 1840 found it necessary to open a court on St Helena to try slavers. Andrew Pearson, who co-directed an excavation there, describes the moving record of some of those who never left this remote Atlantic island
REGULARS INCLUDE
* Mick’s travels
Mick Aston visits the site of a major medieval town lost to the sea in Suffolk
* Spoilheap
What did Christopher Hitchens say about the Parthenon?
* Greg Bailey on TV
Climbing Great Buildings scaled new heights
* Letters
Television is good for archaeology
* My archaeology
English Heritage chief executive Simon Thurley remembers his youth
* Science
The trowel from outer space
* Books
The Archaeology textbook, education and St Peter’s church
* Briefing
The UK’s only archaeological events listing, with exhibition reviews
* CBA Correspondent
Gill Chitty considers the new Localism Act
* Requiem
In tribute to their contributions to the story of our origins and history, we bring together the names of some of the archaeologists and lovers of antiquity who died in the past year