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Hopefully I’m in the right Irish county for this crannog........

THE RECENT prolonged dry weather spell which put pressure on water supplies in the west has proven to be good news for archaeologists.

The low water table on the western lakes and rivers has yielded a number of significant finds in Connemara, according to archaeologist Michael Gibbons.

Among them has been a new crannóg site which is part of a complex in the south Connemara area. It was located by Co Galway silversmith and archaeological student Ruairí O’Neill and a friend, John Foley, while exploring Lough Dhúleitir, north of Carna. Mr Gibbons, who lectures on Mr O’Neill’s course, said that it was a “fine example” of a small crannóg. The lake is overlooked by an abandoned 19th-century settlement.

“This is one of a wonderful group of six sites between Carna and Cill Chiaráin,” Mr Gibbons said. The distribution extends from Doon Loughan to Lough na Tulaí near Indreabhán in south Connemara. Crannógs, derived from “crann”, the Irish word for tree, were artificial islands built as dwellings in prehistoric and medieval times on lakes and in estuaries.

“Similar groups of stone crannógs are found in parts of Mayo, west Donegal and throughout the outer Hebrides in western Scotland and they range in date from the neolithic down to the 17th century, with the O’Flaherty’s castle built on top of one such lake dwelling,” Mr Gibbons said.

“They are part of the hidden heritage of the glacially scoured granite lands of south and west Connemara,” he added.

irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0629/1224273556107.html

STATEMENT – THE FUTURE OF THE STONEHENGE ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
At their meeting on 29th and 30th June, English Heritage Commissioners discussed the future
of the Stonehenge Environmental Improvement Project following the Government’s decision
on 17 June to withdraw Government funding
Commissioners decided that over the Summer/Autumn, English Heritage should continue to
explore alternative funding from non-Government sources. In the meantime, as the planning
process is so nearly completed, the organisation will use money raised from private sources
to complete the final few planning stages, without making irreversible financial commitment
to the scheme’s future.
Completing the planning stages ensures a tidy and cost-efficient break-point between
preparation and implementation of the scheme. It also allows more time to explore
alternative funding. Having worked for so many years to achieve the desperately needed
transformation of Stonehenge, Commissioners are very anxious that every possible avenue is
pursued.........

https://www.stonehengevisitorce[...]ioners-decision-final-june.pdf

From The Star (South Yorkshire):

“PREHISTORIC art 3,000 years old was discovered by chance in woodland by a council worker while carrying out routine maintenance work.
John Gilpin, a woodlands officer in the Parks and Countryside department, stumbled upon the find in Ecclesall Woods.

He discovered a boulder with a series of markings, lines and cuts – which, after being examined by experts, has been declared a significant archaeological find.

Jim McNeil, of South Yorkshire Archaeological Service, said: “I was called in and recorded the discovery, taking photographs.

“I have taken advice from a specialist who considers this to be an important piece of prehistoric rock art. This is the second example of such rock art from Ecclesall Woods, although other examples are known from the Peak District and further north in the Pennines.”

Read more

“HISTORIANS are probing links between an ancient dugout canoe discovered on the banks of the Boyne and the landmark Newgrange site.

“The canoe, which has an unusual design and is believed to be unique in Ireland, was yesterday removed from the river by experts from the National Museum.”

More here – independent.ie/national-news/anglers-catch-ancient-canoe-in-the-boyne-2234534.html

And here – heritageaction.wordpress.com/2010/06/30/dugout-canoe-found-on-the-river-boyne/

This little known hillfort to the north of Swindon is something of an enigma, it is on private land though apparently frequented by local dog walkers. Although privately owned it is under the jurisdiction of English Heritage.

It came to my attention last week as the farm owners want to change the current footpath route and put a fence across the hillfort to protect their pedigree cattle. The footpaths officer from the local Ramblers group has visited and talked to the owners though the outcome is still uncertain. I will try to walk up there myself soon to get a better idea of the visual impact this would have.

Leading historian gives support to Pictish relics centre at Rosemarkie.

Published 25/06/2010.

More info :

pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1799373

The Wiltshire Heritage Museum is conducting a survey for a pilot, “...community bus service that will link Stonehenge, Devizes and Avebury.” Results from the survey will help them plan the service.

More here – wiltshireheritage.org.uk/news/?Action=8&id=105&home=1

Ulster Museum came a close second (I’d have been happy to see it win). Even happier that the count has now been checked and verified and the wonderful Ashmolean has actually won.

artfundprize.org.uk/2010/vote/poll-results-final.php

Many thanks to anyone who voted via the News section on TMA.

EDIT: Tuesday 20th July
Visited the Ashmolean today and was told that although they won the popular vote the prize was actually awarded by the judges to Ulster. No one seemed to mind as the consensus was that the Ulster Museum is brilliant and deserved to win.

Old news really ... but I seemed to have missed it.
bbc.co.uk/news/10464899

guardian.co.uk/science/2010/jun/20/ice-age-cannibals-britain-earliest-settlers

A new carbon dating technique (’ultra filtration’) has suggested that the cave was colonised very quickly from further south in Europe after the retreat of the glaciers. It was inhabited for a few hundred years c. 14,700 years ago (a shorter time than previously thought), and it was probably only a intermittent retreat, not a permanent home. Human bones from the cave show traces of being butchered just like animal bones, to remove the flesh and marrow (and the brain, tongue and eyes, for those wanting more gruesome detail) – but still, it’s not possible to say whether this was due to hunger or cultural practice. After this period the ice returned and Britain was completely depopulated again. Chilly.

A site at Marden, near Devizes, rivalled Stonehenge and Avebury in its day, says English Heritage.

The group is about to undertake a six-week dig at the site close to the village, starting on June 28.

Unlike Stonehenge and Avebury, Marden Henge no longer has any surviving standing stones, but its sheer size is astounding.

Comprising a substantial and well-preserved bank with an internal ditch enclosing an area of some 10.5 hectares – equivalent to ten football pitches – it is one of the largest Neolithic henges in Britain.

Archaeologists are particularly intrigued by evidence of a huge mound at the centre of the henge similar to a smaller version of Silbury Hill.

The mound collapsed in 1806 and was levelled by 1817. English Heritage hopes to find out more about this feature by obtaining dating material from any surviving features within its centre.

Jim Leary, the English Heritage archaeologist who was involved in the recent restoration of Silbury Hill, said: “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.

“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 Henge is on the road out of the village towards Beechingstoke, at Hatfield Farm, and is a popular picnic area.

Parish council chairman Peter Bell was pleased with the news. He said: “I hadn’t heard English Heritage were planning this, but I am delighted. It is an important local archaeological site and we don’t know nearly enough about it.”

The Henge is on the road out of the village towards Beechingstoke, at Hatfield Farm, and is on private land.

Sue Shepherd-Cross, who lives at Hatfield Farm, was delighted at the news. She said: “It is a remarkable place and it would be fascinating to find out more about it.”

The website Megalithic.co.uk describes Marden Henge, or Hatfield Earthworks, as the largest henge in Britain. It adds: “There is not much to see but bank and ditch. Plenty of atmosphere, though.”

* A midsummer’s eve picnic party is taking place at Marden Henge on Saturday June 26 at 8.15pm in aid of the Fairyland Trust which is a children’s conservation society

thisiswiltshire.co.uk/news/headlines/8225512.Mystery_near_Marden_of_henge/?ref=rss

Proposals for a new £25m visitor centre at Stonehenge have been axed as part of cost-saving measures by the government.

English Heritage said it was “extremely disappointed” that £10m promised would not be forthcoming – but said it did not mean it was the end of the project.

It had wanted to move the visitor centre 1.5m (2.4km) away from the stones and to divert the nearby A344.

The remaining £15m was due to come from English Heritage, the Heritage Lottery Fund and other private sources.

‘Global significance‘

An English Heritage spokesman said “Stonehenge is a project of global significance.

“It’s Britain’s premier World Heritage Site. It was a key feature in Britain’s bid for the London Olympics.

“Transforming the monument’s setting and the visitor experience is vital to Britain’s reputation, and to our tourism industry, especially in 2012 but also thereafter.”

The cuts are part of £2bn of savings made by the coalition government.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander told MPs the cuts were necessary to tackle the budget deficit and would be done in a “fair” way.

He said the previous government had gone on a “pre-election spending spree in the full knowledge that the government had long since run out of money”.

‘Hugely disappointed‘

“As a result of the poor decisions made by the previous government, I have taken the decision to cancel certain projects that do not represent good value for money, and suspend others pending full consideration in the spending review,” he added.

Wiltshire Council said it was “hugely disappointed” that the funding had been withdrawn.

“It is difficult to see the logic, given the government’s emphasis on maximising the benefits from the 2012 Olympics.

“Stonehenge is an important generator of funding for the government through its agency, English Heritage.

“The improved facilities would have dramatically raised the standard of welcome and facilities for visitors, increased the length of stay within Wiltshire and increased visitor spend,” he added.

English Heritage Commission is expected to make a statement about the future of the project on 30 June.

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wiltshire/10343945.stm

The new Stonehenge Visitors’ Center is one of the first projects to fall victim of Government’s cutbacks.

More here – heritageaction.wordpress.com/2010/06/17/stonehenge-visitors-centre-axed/

Woodland Trust is ‘delighted’ by decision to throw out application for resort.

by Lucinda Cameron.

published 17/06/2010.

Conservationists were celebrating yesterday after planning permission for a luxury golf course and hotel in ancient Scottish woodland was rejected.

More info at -

pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1786969

I know some of these guys so well done to them :-)

Moving Stone through the Ages: Carl Wark Hillfort and the Burbage Quarries.

“A walk taking in quarries, iron smelting a prehistoric cainfield and the enigmatic Carl Wark Hillfort.”

Wednesday, 21 July. 10:30-16:00. Meet at the pay and display car park, west of Upper Burbage Ridge. Up-to-date information on 01626 816200.

The Orkney Venus has been named in a shortlist of three for the Best Archaeological Discovery category in the 2010 biannual British Archaeological Awards.

The winner will be announced at an awards ceremony at the British Museum on 19 July.

The 5,000-year-old Orkney Venus attracted worldwide interest when it was discovered last summer by archaeologists working on the Historic Scotland excavation at the Links of Noltland, on Westray. The 4cm figure in sandstone is the only known Neolithic carving of a human form to have been found in Scotland.

The enigmatic figure – known locally as the Westray Wife – had lain undisturbed in the earth until the archaeologists carefully brushed away the mud to reveal the human face with heavy brows, two dots for eyes and an oblong for a nose, staring back at them.

A pair of circles on the chest have been interpreted as representing breasts, and arms have been etched at either side. A pattern of crosses suggests the fabric of clothing.

Its name comes from its resemblance to similar figurines classed as Venuses from elsewhere in Europe and beyond.

The figure is currently on public display for the first time on the island where it was found, at the Westray Heritage Centre.

It has already been viewed by more than 100,000 people as part of a special Historic Scotland touring exhibition taking in venues including Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle, Kilmartin House in Argyll and Urquhart Castle on the banks of Loch Ness.

It will finish in October at the Orkney Museum in Kirkwall.

Peter Yeoman, Historic Scotland’s head of cultural resources, said: “The Orkney Venus is the first replica of the human form to be found in Scotland and is possibly the best and earliest to be found in the UK.

“Her discovery confirms the importance of the Links of Noltland as one of the most fascinating prehistoric sites in Scotland. It is an incredibly rich settlement site which is advancing our understanding of our Neolithic to the Bronze Age ancestors.

“The site is in our care, but is severely threatened by wind erosion, which has removed the sand that protected the well-preserved houses, middens and fields for 4,000 years.

“Historic Scotland is now leading a race against the wind with further excavations being carried out for us this summer.”

Historic Scotland senior archaeologist Richard Strachan said:

“None of the archaeology team have seen anything like it before. It’s incredibly exciting. There is a strong possibility that it has been a votive offering to mark the abandonment of the site.”

news.scotsman.com/news/Orkney-Venus--closes-in.6364105.jp

Tests carried out on a skeleton discovered at an archaeological dig in Derbyshire have found it was that of a pregnant woman.

Experts said they were surprised by the female find because the site, near Monsal Dale in the Peak District, had been believed to be a military scene.

Now, extra lottery funding means there can be a second dig at the Fin Cop hill fort site to find out more.

Archaeologists unearthed the Iron Age skeleton last August.

During the excavation, the woman was uncovered among the jumbled stone of a collapsed rampart.
More here news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/derbyshire/8691348.stm

An introduction to the three monuments of Men-an-Tol, Men Scryfa, and the Nine Maidens by guide Adrian Rodda on Thursday, 22 July.
Meet at the car park at 11:00 and follow the signs to the monuments.

Organised by the Cornwall Archaeological Society. Up-to-date information on 01872 572725.

“If one finds something once, it’s accidental. If it is found twice, it’s puzzling. If found thrice, there is a pattern,” the archaeologists Olle Hemdorff and Eva Thäte say.

In 2005 the archaeologists investigated a grave at Avaldsnes in Karmøy in southwestern Norway, supposed to be from the late Iron Age, i.e. from 600 to 1000 AD. Avaldsnes is rich in archeological finds. They dot an area that has been a seat of power all the way back to around 300. Archaeologist Olle Hemdorff at the University of Stavanger’s Museum of Archaeology was responsible for a series of excavations at Avaldsnes in 1993-94 and 2005-06.

More – sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100614101724.htm

Neolithic age men fought over women too, according to a study that provides the most ancient evidence of the lengths men will go to in the hunt for partners.

Many archaeologists have argued that women have long motivated cycles of violence and blood feuds throughout history but there has really been no solid archaeological evidence to support this view.

Now a relatively new method has been used to work out the origins of the victims tossed into a mass grave of skeletons, and so distinguish one tribe from another, revealing that neighbouring tribes were prepared to kill their male rivals to secure their women some 7000 years ago.

More – telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2066554/Neolithic-men-were-prepared-to-fight-for-their-women.html

Romanian experts have discovered the most ancient cave paintings found to date in Central Europe, aged up to 35,000 years old, Romanian and French scientists said Sunday.

physorg.com/news195668903.html

unearthed, a major new exhibition which brings together prehistoric ceramic figurines from the Balkans and Japan for the first time, opens at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, University of East Anglia, Norwich, on Tuesday 22 June and runs until Sunday 29 August. Over 100 ancient figurines from Albania, Macedonia, Japan, Romania and the UK will be on display together with contemporary artworks.

Amongst the works on display will be the controversial Grimes Graves Goddess which is back in Norfolk for the first time since its discovery in the 1930s.

The Grimes Graves Goddess, on loan from the British Museum, is on public display for the first time in over 50 years. It was unearthed by A L Armstrong in Norfolk in 1939 and until the late 20th century was believed to have been 1 of only 3 human shaped objects dated to Neolithic Britain.

In 1991 an investigation into the object was carried out by Gillian Varndell from the British Museum as part of a general reappraisal of the Grimes Graves material. Her findings suggest that the authenticity of the figurine is doubtful for a number of reasons: the excavation was never published; Armstrong’s site notebook stopped abruptly on the day of the vital discovery and it was not recorded properly; most unusually, on the day of the find he had directed all other experienced excavators to leave the site; the figurine looked suspiciously freshly-carved, and Armstrong’s team included an expert carver (similar objects made from the same chalk rock, such as an Egyptian sphinx, were among his possessions from the dig). Given that there is no known process to date chalk, it may never be conclusively proven. Gillian Varndell is an authority on the Grimes Graves excavations and will be speaking at the unearthed Study Day on 19 June.

For more information visit www.scva.ac.uk

“A guided tour around Barbury Castle and along the Ridgeway to Hackpen Hill White Horse to discover some of the archaeology of the Marlborough Downs.”

Meet at Barbury Castle on Saturday, 31 July at 14:00 (walk lasts until approx. 17:00). Up-to-date info from Wiltshire Council on 01249 705504.

National Trust experts will, “…lead you on a half-day journey of discovery through this very special landscape.”

Meet outside the Barn Gallery on Tuesday, 20 July and Thursday, 22 July 2010 at 10:00.

The Alderley Edge Landscape Project has:

“tentatively confirmed the place of Alderley Edge at the dawn of metal working. The members of the project team believe that metal prospectors came to Alderley Edge at the beginning of the Bronze Age.”

See:

alderleyedge.com/images/current-archaeology.pdf

There are some very interesting connectione being made between this and the legend of the sleeping armoured knights and their treasure

National Trust Press Release

Issued 8 June 2010

Avebury Summer Solstice

Campers planning to visit Avebury for the summer solstice are being warned that there will be less space for tents than last year, following the loss of a field for camping.

The National Trust has arranged for a field which can accommodate a little under 100 tents. Last year they had negotiated permission to use a field of twice the size, but its use this year was withdrawn and the Trust has been working with village residents and Pagan groups to find a solution, but no additional land could be found

Hilary Makins, the National Trust Avebury Head Warden, said the solstice celebration was expected to be busy.

“We have looked at many options for camping during the solstice but since Avebury is a World Heritage Site land options are very limited. We want people to come and enjoy a peaceful solstice but also to consider using some of the other official campsites nearby, or perhaps just making a short trip for the main celebrations to save having to camp overnight.”

The campsite, at the far end of the main public car park in Avebury, will open at 9am on Saturday 19th June. Celebrations will take place in the Avebury Henge over the weekend, culminating with the sunrise on Monday 21st. The campsite closes and must be cleared by 2pm on Monday.

The National Trust is part of the Avebury Solstice Planning Group which has, over many years, developed a plan to ensure the solstice at Avebury is a peaceful celebration.

“We work closely with police, the local councils, residents, the fire brigade and other safety groups to ensure that this is a pleasant event for those who wish to celebrate the solstice here,” added Hilary.

“With this year’s event on the weekend, we know it will be busy but we hope people will be aware of the restrictions on camping and make arrangements either to use official campsites nearby or to book other local accommodation.”

Ends

For further press information contact:
Allan King, 01985 843592 or 07771 837988, [email protected]