The fenland around Peterborough is a liminal place, a world of still, deep water, rustling reeds, flat land and a big sky. A place full old legends of the Lantern Man and the Toad Man and the spectral dogs known as Black Shuck. A place full of memories, of hidden secrets… In 1999, a major… Continue reading THE SECRETS OF BRITAIN’S ‘POMPEII’
Tag: Bronze Age
Why did the builders of Stonehenge, West Kennett Long Barrow and Silbury Hill disappear….?
I have just been watching an episode of Blowing up History, in which the prehistoric stone monuments at Stonehenge, West Kennett and Silbury Hill were investigated. The discovery of a large upturned bell-shaped pottery jar at West Kennett led to the revelation that it was the work of the so-called Beaker People of Europe,… Continue reading Why did the builders of Stonehenge, West Kennett Long Barrow and Silbury Hill disappear….?
A 13-year-old detectorist discovers the crock of goodies at the end of the Bronze Age rainbow….
I begin to think the only area in this country devoid of meaningful buried treasure is my back garden! The latest amazing discovery on a Bronze Age axe hoard by a detectorist is not only astonishing for itself, but made even more so because she’s only thirteen and this was only her third dig!… Continue reading A 13-year-old detectorist discovers the crock of goodies at the end of the Bronze Age rainbow….
Detectorist finds Bronze Age treasure in Scotland….
And still these detectorists keep coming up with the goods. Now it’s a Bronze Age wonder. “….on June 21, 2020, an amateur metal detectorist uncovered an exceptionally rare Bronze Age treasure hoard in a field near the village of Peebles, about 22 miles (36 kilometers) south of Edinburgh. The prize of this Bronze Age treasure cache… Continue reading Detectorist finds Bronze Age treasure in Scotland….
Bone Detectives start with Thanet’s Bronze Age secrets….
I have just watched the first episode of Bone Detectives: Britain’s Buried Secrets, featuring Dr Tori Herridge and the delightful Raksha Dave, whom I remember from Time Team, but who is now much in TV evidence. In this new series we’re promised episodes from different periods and different places all over Britain, but this first… Continue reading Bone Detectives start with Thanet’s Bronze Age secrets….
Richard and Greyfriars both lost in Leicester—and found again….!
Here are Historic England’s ten top archaeological discoveries of the decade. Needless to say, the discovery of Richard III’s remains figures high on the list. He’d been thought to have been buried in Leicester Greyfriars…or maybe thrown into the River Soar! But no, Greyfriars was the place. However, what I didn’t know was that Greyfriars… Continue reading Richard and Greyfriars both lost in Leicester—and found again….!
NEW BONES FROM THE TOWER–HOW LONG BEFORE THEY BLAME RICHARD FOR THESE TOO?
Recently, archaeologists working at the Tower of London discovered the remains of two people, an adult woman age 35-45 and a child of about seven. Proper modern carbon dating has taken place and it is determined that the pair are from between 1450-1550. Osteological examination shows no signs of trauma on the bones, although the… Continue reading NEW BONES FROM THE TOWER–HOW LONG BEFORE THEY BLAME RICHARD FOR THESE TOO?
Britain’s top burial sites?
This Sun article, which originally confused Richard’s Leicester with Henry I’s Reading, lists what they consider to be Britain’s top burial sites, although there is no detail on the supposed “Princes” in that urn, especially now that there is evidence to test the remains. Are there any others you might have included?
Richard III’s Prehistoric Foremother?
Recently I came across this fascinating blogpost by an archaeologist called Katharina, who was working on a Bronze Age burial site in Austria. The skeletons her team excavated have recently been DNA tested–and one of them carried the maternal haplogroup J1c2, which is part of the group to which Richard belonged. Richard’s Bronze Age foremother?… Continue reading Richard III’s Prehistoric Foremother?
Another Car Park, Another Find
What is it about carparks? They seem to hide a wealth of archaeology. My own local one may not have held a king, but it certainly contained burials–a handful of Bronze Age people who had been cremated and buried in long-vanished barrows strung out along what once was a prominent ridge. Several thousand years… Continue reading Another Car Park, Another Find
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