The Modern Antiquarian. Stone Circles, Ancient Sites, Neolithic Monuments, Ancient Monuments, Prehistoric Sites, Megalithic MysteriesThe Modern Antiquarian

News Items by Rhiannon

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Hill of Allen (Sacred Hill)

Protest group claim Roadstone ignored monuments


This article at the Kildare Nationalist reports on recent claims by the Hill of Allen Action Group. They say that the hill is the site of two National Monuments (a cist and a barrow), which are within the land being quarried by Roadstone. They say that when Roadstone registered the quarry with Kildare County Council in 2006, neither of those sites appeared on their registration papers or maps. The Council in turn made no mention of the monuments. However, it is the landowner's responsibility to be aware of their presence. Damage to a site listed on the Record of Monuments and Places (RMP) is a criminal offence. It seems that the required legal procedures involving planning and environmental impact assessment were not carried out.
http://www.kildare-nationalist.ie/news/story.asp?j=26440&cat=news

Dumfries and Galloway

Dumfries and Galloway's archaeology to go on line


A website is to be developed which will give access to all the lovely archaeological objects in the region's Museum Service's collections.

"The collection is one of the largest in Scotland and described as a "comprehensive collection of Dumfries and Galloway's material culture over an 8,000-year period"."

http://icdumfries.icnetwork.co.uk/gallowaynews/tm_headline=archaeological-website-launch%26method=full%26objectid=19935010%26siteid=77296-name_page.html

North Yorkshire

Carved stone found at Whitby Abbey


Archaeologists have been excavating Whitby headland and found a carved stone. They have found traces of an Iron Age enclosure there, and they're hoping the stone might be prehistoric. I wonder what people here think.

http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/nwh_gfx_en/ART51381.html

Scroll down towards the end to see the stone (past the altogether more impressive Fylingdales stone).

Credenhill Camp (Hillfort)

Excavation results will feature in documentary


Cardiff university and Herefordshire Archaeology have been excavating at Credenhill Park Wood to determine the full extent of its hillfort - which although little known is one of the largest in the country.

Channel 4's 'Time Team' have agreed to survey the site using 'Lidar' to provide extra information.

The Woodland Trust are also improving access to the fort by removing conifer stands and replacing them with deciduous trees and grazing land.

The Time Team programme will be shown next spring.

From an article by Paul Ferguson on today's Hereford Times website
http://www.herefordtimes.com/news/latest/display.var.1745129.0.time_team_joins_the_dig.php

Rotherwas Ribbon

Charges against protesters are dropped


The charge of aggravated trespass against six protesters is being dropped, after the Crown Prosecution Service said there was not enough evidence to secure convictions.

And to think (according to the BBC article) they were just fussing about a 'Bronze Age Footpath'.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hereford/worcs/7029688.stm

Kilmartin Area

'Half Life' events from 4-16th September


http://www.halflife.org.uk/

Thought provoking archaeological artiness at Kilmartin's Neolithic sites, with NVA
http://www.nva.org.uk/
and the National Theatre of Scotland.

Stonehenge and its Environs

Stonehenge Riverside Projects Starts Today


"The Stonehenge Riverside Project, which begins on Sunday, aims to understand the purposes of Stonehenge between 2000 and 3000BC.

The archaeological excavations are pursuing a hypothesis that Neolithic Durrington Walls was the land of the living' and Stonehenge the land of the dead,' linked by a transitional journey along the River Avon.

As part of this exciting project, young people aged 16-25 are being invited to get involved through a youth volunteering project, which develops opportunities in the heritage and conservation sector in the south west".
The excavations take place from August 19 to September 14, 10am to 4pm. Entry is free to the public and guided tours will be available throughout. On the Special Open Days August 25-27 and 8-9 September, there will be demonstrations of prehistoric cookery, archery, flint knapping and pottery by re-enactors.
Anyone interested can contact Hannah Mayell at [email protected] or on 07825034252.

http://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/salisbury/salisburynews/display.var.1623431.0.dig_will_unearth_henges_secrets.php

Cheddar Gorge and Gough's Cave (Cave / Rock Shelter)

More on 'Mammoth' carving


This page at the 24 Hour Museum has a photo and diagram of the newly-found carving.
http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/nwh_gfx_en/ART49804.html

(You can call me a cynic, but when you think "mammoth", what features come to mind? Fur. Tusks. And oh yes, a big long trunk.
Check out the diagram on this page. "The back and head of a mammoth complete with two tusks and an eye." No trunk. Or alternatively, two trunks.
It is exciting stuff but is it reeeaaally a mammoth?)

Suffolk

Today - Prehistoric Timbers from Causeway On Show


"Iron-Age timbers which once formed part of a causeway across marshes in Suffolk are to go on public display for the first time.
Contractors working on the Environment Agency's excavation of a new dyke on Beccles town marshes found timber remains which had been hand-sculpted. The 2,000-year-old pieces of wood, found last year, were perfectly preserved in waterlogged conditions.

They can be seen from 1100 to 1500 BST on Saturday at Beccles Town Marshes. Entrance is free and there will be students and archaeologists on hand to guide people through the site.

Archaeologists said the wooden causeway was used from the Bronze Age in about 1000 BC, through the Iron Age to Roman times and the 4th Century AD. Results suggest the more than 2,624ft (800m) long wooden causeway may have run from dry land on the edge of Beccles, across a swamp to a spot on the River Waveney. The 16ft-wide (5m) causeway would have carried carts and was the Bronze Age equivalent of a motorway. The wet conditions of the site mean that organic material such as wood has been well preserved."

From the BBC website
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/suffolk/6919314.stm

Flag Fen (Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork)

Archaeology festival this weekend


"Flag Fen's Archaeology Festival, part of National Archaeology Week 2007, will be officially opened by Francis Pryor on Sunday (22nd July) at 11.30am. Visitors will be able to try their hand at experimental archaeology, excavate real Roman remains and learn all about crafts like flint knapping, spinning and weaving.

Family tickets cost £16.75, adults £6, children £4.75 and concessions £5.50. Doors open at 10am and activities continue until 4pm."

This page
http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/nwh_gfx_en/ART49286.html
unfortunately also describes the vandalism of moronic riff raff at the site, who smashed windows and gates and drove all over the herb garden - though the actual archaeology didn't catch their attention, fortunately. They're on cctv so may yet get their comeupance.

News

Competition for Young Archaeologists


The Young Archaeologist Club have launched their annual 'Young Archaeologist of the Year' competition - it's open to anyone aged 8-16.

You have to create a trail that lets people know about the history or archaeology of the area where you live. The theme this year is 'Monuments and Memorials' - so where better to do a bit of research than TMA, I ask you.

More information at
http://www.britarch.ac.uk/yac/yac_yaya_comp_2007.pdf

The closing date is 31st August 2007.

Devon

Volunteers wanted for dig in Stokenham


"Keen historians are being invited to help a team of Exeter University archaeologists uncover secrets of an ancient Bronze Age and medieval site.Members of the public are invited to the dig to investigate the remains of a medieval building near an old manor house.

The team have worked at the site, in Stokenham, near Kingsbridge, for two years and they will reopen it again from July 2 to 24. Last year's excavation unearthed a number of finds including the remains of a medieval manor house and Bronze Age pottery.

Project director Penny Cunningham said that anyone who wanted to help would not need any particular skills. "They will be asked to sort or wash finds like pottery and will help analyse them," she said.

"We want to encourage people to think about ownership of the past, especially among people who have been living in the area for a long time."

The team will work from 9am to 5pm every day except Fridays. Anyone who wants to lend should just turn up.

There are open days on the weekends of July 7 and 8, 14 and 15 and 21 and 22.

Children of all ages are welcome to participate in the junior archaeologist workshop days on July 7, 14 and 21 from 10am to 3pm.

The dig is in the field immediately behind Stokenham parish church.

For more information contact Dr Williams, Department of Archaeology, Laver, University of Exeter, EX4 4QE, or [email protected] . uk, or call 01392 262491."

from 'thisisexeter.co.uk' 19th May.

Hill of Tara

Sinn Fein say they would protect Tara


"Sinn Féin said today it would seek to have the controversial section of the M3 motorway diverted away from the Hill of Tara if in government.

Outlining the party's environmental policies, Dublin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh said: "The current Government's track record on protecting Ireland's archaeological and architectural heritage is disgraceful."

Mr Ó Snodaigh said: "Under the so-called Environment Minister Dick Roche, they have pursued a relentless, no-holds barred campaign of destruction, as they seek to plough roads and motorways through historic sites, allow the sale of priceless historic artefacts, which are rightly the property of the Irish nation, and neglect and let fall into ruin key historic buildings which should be promoted as major tourist attractions."

He said that while Sinn Féin fully supports the upgrading of the country's road this does not have to be done at the cost of the wholesale destruction of the environment or precious heritage. "

from http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2007/0519/breaking39.htm

Flag Fen (Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork)

Power Plant Still Requires Government Decision


http://www.peterboroughnow.co.uk/news?articleid=2738561

The plans for the PREL's waste plant were recommended for refusal by Peterborough City Council after widespread opposition. (This included fears that Flag Fen's water levels would be adversely affected).

However, the final decision lies with the Secretary of State for Energy and the Government has already indicated that it wants Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to take 5.7 million tonnes of London's waste by 2021. PREL has claimed it will only take waste from a 35-mile radius, and the plans will go before a public inquiry later this year when Government-appointed planning inspectors will make the final decision.

An archaeological dig is currently being undertaken at the site.

The Long Man of Wilmington (Hill Figure)

Long Man Spruced Up


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/sussex/6591483.stm

The concrete blocks of the Long Man got a fresh coat of whitewash at the weekend - the first time since 1999.

The article credits this mammoth feat to both the Territorial Army and the local morris dancers. I'm assuming these are mutually exclusive groups, but who knows.

Exmoor (Somerset) (Region)

Aerial photographs to be scrutinised


Cain Hegarty and Katherine Toms will be examining more than 15,000 aerial images of Exmoor. Cain suggests the research could double the number of sites currently on the Sites and Monuments Record.

The survey has been set up by English Heritage and will use photographs from local archives and a Cambridge University collection - with some images dating back to the 1940s.

The results "will be showcased at a forum in 2008 and plans for a book are also under discussion".

from The Western Daily Press
http://www.westpress.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=146278&command=displayContent&sourceNode=146274&contentPK=17046115&folderPk=75999&pNodeId=146265

Fife

Carpow Log-boat Exhibition Opens


The Carpow logboat was discovered in the bed of the River Tay in 2001, and recovered last year. It's the second oldest to be found in Scotland, and dates from the late Bronze Age.

The exhibition at the Laing Museum in Newburgh is a display of photographs about its discovery and excavation - the actual boat is still at the National Museum of Scotland undergoing conservation work.

The exhibition also shows other objects found in the Newburgh area including flint arrowheads, stone axeheads, pottery food vessels, and funeral urns.

The exhibition has been put together in conjunction with Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust and runs until September 30, from noon-5 p.m. daily.

Information from the Fife Herald
http://www.fifenow.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=1020&ArticleID=2229646

Laing Museum info:
http://www.fife.gov.uk/atoz/index.cfm?fuseaction=facility.display&FacId=07D6F0EA-CC4B-11D5-909E0008C7844101

Grangebeg (Burial Chamber)

Dolmen bulldozed in Kildare


From the Kildare Nationalist, March 15th:
By: Ashling Mackey
It has been alleged that there were attempts to remove a dolmen at Grangebeg between Monasterevin and Kildare Town recently.

"The dolmen is under severe threat of damage due to building work that is being carried out on the site," said Barry Walsh, secretary of the Monasterevin Historical Society.

Another member of the historical society noticed that some work was being carried out on the site last Saturday week (3 March). He went back to the site on Monday at 7am and noticed that the earthwork surrounding the dolmen had been bulldozed and the stones had been covered by hedges and trees that had been uprooted from another part of the site.

"I believe that hedges and trees had been gathered to be burned and this would have caused serious damage to the stones," he told the Kildare Nationalist.

The concerned historian also alleges that a rath was removed from the site and is worried that another site of archaeological interest close by could also be in danger.

"I contacted the council offices when they opened at 9am and they sent out an enforcement officer from the planning department at 11am," he said.

According to Barry Walsh: "Work stopped immediately on the site and as far as I am aware work is still suspended." On Tuesday, when the men returned to the site, all the shrubbery had been cleared away, but it appeared that there had been some damage done to the stones. Members of the historical society feel that the dolmen should be restored to its original position. "We would also like to see a public access route to it and a protective fence put around it," said Mr Walsh. "It is important to protect it as there aren't many in Kildare and it could be developed as a tourist attractions."
May the fairies get them for their lack of respect.

Perhaps someone knows the grid reference of the stones that this refers to?

Dorset

Iron Age Boat To Be Displayed in Poole


An Iron Age boat found when Poole Harbour was dredged in the 1960s is nearly ready for display after extensive conservation work overseen by York Archaeological Trust. You can visit it when the Poole Museum reopens in June. From the Manchester Evening News website.

Cheshire

Lindow Man to visit Manchester Museum


The Iron Age man (usually found at the British Museum) should be around "between April next year and March 2009 and the museum wants to hear the views of local people on how the remains should be displayed. A museum spokesman said: "We are particularly interested to reflect a range of different points of view in our interpretation of the body, including those of archaeologists, museum curators, and special interest groups as well as members of the public. "We will not be telling one story, but looking at Lindow Man from many different perspectives. We are very interested, for example, in gathering evidence of how Lindow Man is important to the local community."

The spokesman said: "We would be very interested to hear from members of the public who have particular memories about Lindow Man, either because they live near the site where he was found or because they remember coming to see him on display at the Manchester Museum, or for some other reason."

Anyone who wants to share thoughts and memories of Lindow Pete should email the museum at: mailto:[email protected] You should get in touch before February 10. "

From the Manchester Evening News
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/234/234533_lindow_man_comes_home_to_his_roots.html
Previous 20 | Showing 21-40 of 238 news posts. Most recent first | Next 20
This hill, it has a meaning that is very important for me, but it's not rational. It's beautiful, but when you look, there's nothing there. But I'd be a fool if I didn't listen to it.

-- Alan Garner.


...I'd rather be
A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn...

-- William Wordsworth.


Some interesting websites with landscape and fairy folklore:
http://earthworks-m.blogspot.co.uk
http://faeryfolklorist.blogspot.co.uk

My TMA Content: