Southern England

Iron Age hillfort found in Chiltern Hills with help of 'citizen scientists' An Iron Age hillfort hidden under trees and foliage has been discovered with the help of "citizen scientists". Members of the Beacons of the Past group identified the site, in the Chiltern Hills, from digital survey images last year and the hillfort was verified on 6 August. It is thought the circular site dates from the early Iron Age in England, between 800BC and 500BC. Work will take place to preserve the site. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-53741441 Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by moss 13th August 2020ce

Scottish Borders

Detectorist 'shaking with happiness' after Bronze Age find A metal detectorist was left "shaking with happiness" after discovering a hoard of Bronze Age artefacts in the Scottish Borders. More info : https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-53714864 Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by drewbhoy 10th August 2020ce

Stonehenge (Circle henge)

Source of sarsen stones pinpointed David Nash and his team of researchers believe the sarsens come from West Woods, south west of Marlborough, and 25km from the circle. They've geochemically matched the site using a chip from Stonehenge that was taken during a restoration project in the 1950s. Two of the fifty remaining stones at Stonehenge don't match the West Woods site though... Article on today's Guardian website. The research paper can be read here in Science Advances. Comments (1)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by Rhiannon 29th July 2020ce

Northern Ireland

Sligo’s Neolithic tombs are being vandalised ‘on scale never seen before’ Five-thousand-year-old Neolithic tombs in Co Sligo are suffering damage and vandalism “on a scale never seen before” and will not survive unless action is taken immediately, archaeological experts have warned. There are 75 passage tombs in Co Sligo, almost one-third of the estimated 240 in the State, according to the Sligo Neolithic Landscapes Group, which is pressing for the county’s Neolithic heritage to be deemed a World Heritage Site by Unesco. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/sligo-s-neolithic-tombs-are-being-vandalised-on-scale-never-seen-before-1.4310914 Comments (2)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by moss 23rd July 2020ce

Emain Macha (Henge)

Navan Fort: Researchers believe 'huge' religious structures found Research teams believe they have found evidence of "absolutely huge" religious structures at Navan Fort outside Armagh city. More info : https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-53415251?fbclid=IwAR25N9DBo-NSZDXIQwc2v8IafokWGTSqAN5LSb5OfmV1401Uz11dspG6omg Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by drewbhoy 16th July 2020ce

Cerne Abbas Giant (Hill Figure)

Cerne Abbas Giant: Snails show chalk hill figure 'not prehistoric' Snails have shown an ancient naked figure sculpted into a chalk hillside is unlikely to be prehistoric as hoped, archaeologists have said. Tests of soil samples extracted from Dorset's Cerne Abbas Giant to determine its exact age have been delayed by the coronavirus epidemic. They are not due until later in the year. However, land snail shells found in the samples suggest it may date to medieval times, separate tests have found. More: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-dorset-53313064 Comments (1)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by ryaner 8th July 2020ce

Bryn Celli Ddu (Chambered Cairn)

Minecraft: Lockdown lesson recreates ancient island tomb Take an archaeologist, a bored schoolgirl living through coronavirus lockdown, and a shared interest in exploring ancient tombs. More info : https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-53239650 Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by drewbhoy 5th July 2020ce

Lewis and Harris

Diver finds 5,500 year old cup in Loch. https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-herald-1130/20200622/281762746514403 Also here. https://www.northern-times.co.uk/news/former-dornoch-man-discovers-5500-year-old-cup-in-loch-203536/ And here. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/06/21/ancient-cup-cup-discovered-hebrides-loch-former-royal-navy-diver/ Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by Howburn Digger 24th June 2020ce

Stonehenge and its Environs

Stonehenge: Neolithic monument found near sacred site Archaeologists have discovered a ring of prehistoric shafts, dug thousands of years ago near Stonehenge. Fieldwork has revealed evidence of a 1.2 mile (2km) wide circle of large shafts measuring more than 10m in diameter and 5m in depth. They surround the ancient settlement of Durrington Walls, two miles (3km) from Stonehenge. Tests suggest the ground works are Neolithic and were excavated more than 4,500 years ago. Experts believe the 20 or more shafts may have served as a boundary to a sacred area connected to the henge. A team of academics from the universities of St Andrews, Birmingham, Warwick, Glasgow and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David worked on the project https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-53132567 https://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue55/4/index.html Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by moss 22nd June 2020ce

Newgrange (Passage Grave)

Genetics study shines light on early periods of Ireland's human history A survey of ancient Irish genomes has found evidence that the parents of an adult male buried in the heart of the Newgrange passage tomb were first-degree relatives. The research of the male's genome suggests that he was among a ruling social elite which is similar to the inbred Inca god-kings and Egyptian pharaohs. The study, which was led by archaeologists and geneticists from Trinity College Dublin, focused on the earliest periods of Ireland’s human history. The team conducted a painstaking genetic analysis of the ancient bones of 44 individuals recovered from all the major Irish burial traditions court tombs, portal tombs, passage tombs and other natural sites. Famous for the annual winter solstice, little is known about who was buried in the heart of the Newgrange passage tomb which was built over 5,000 years ago. More: https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/0617/1148049-genomes-study/ Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by ryaner 17th June 2020ce