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The article presents several conference papers presented at the 50th Local History Conference in London, England by London and Middlesex Archaeological Society including "Made in London: A Review of Ceramic Manufacture in Middlesex From the Middle Ages to the 19th Century", "Profligate in Principle as in Practice? John Wilkes and Elections in Middlesex 1768-90", and "A Cinderella Service- Middlesex County Council 1889-1965".

Graduate employment statistics are receiving considerable attention in UK universities. This paper looks at how a wide range of employability attributes can be developed with students, through the innovative use of the Project Based Learning (PjBL) approach. The case study discussed here involves a group of archaeology students from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) and their task of reconstructing and firing a small, early medieval clamp kiln. The employability skills and attributes are discussed, with reference to Yorke's Understanding, Skills, Efficacy and Metacognition (USEM) model of employability. Thanks are due to Get Your Wellies Outdoor Learning Centre, Preston, Lancashire for the use of their site, and to five students James Claydon, Brian Joynes, Josh Pugh, Dan Scully, Mike Woods, and two community volunteers, Bernard and Pat Fleming, for their involvement in the experiment.

This paper explores tool-using activities undertaken in and around the earliest known evidence of post-built structures in Britain. Microwear results associated with at least three structures identified at the Early Mesolithic site of Star Carr, North Yorkshire, are examined as a means of identifying activity zones associated with the diverse stone tools used to process a variety of materials (e.g. wood, bone, antler, plant, hide, meat, fish). With 341 lithic artefacts analysed, this research represents the first microwear study focused on the post-built structures at Star Carr. A combination of spatial and microwear data has provided different scales of interpretation: from individual tool use to patterns of activity across the three structures. Different types of tool use observed have aided interpretations of possible activity areas where objects were produced and materials were processed. Zones of activity within one of the structures suggest that the working of some materials was more spatially restricted than others; even where there are high densities of flint deposition, spatial patterns in tool-using activity were observed. From this, it is interpreted that social norms and behaviours influenced the spatial organisation of different spaces. Our results demonstrate the importance of combining microwear analysis with GIS to explore function and variability in the use of Mesolithic structures-providing new insights into their role as social spaces., Competing Interests: NO authors have competing interests, (Copyright: © 2024 Bates et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

This paper reports findings of a pilot study that examined the pedagogical potential of "Second Life" (SL), a popular three-dimensional multi-user virtual environment (3-D MUVE) developed by the Linden Lab. The study is part of a 1-year research and development project titled "Modelling of Secondlife Environments" (http://www.le.ac.uk/moose) funded by the UK Joint Information Systems Committee. The research question addressed in this paper is: how can learning activities that facilitate social presence and foster socialisation among distance learners for collaborative learning be developed in SL, a 3-D MUVE? The study was carried out at the University of Leicester (UoL) within an undergraduate module on Archaeological Theory, where two tutors and four students took part in four learning activities designed to take place in SL within the UoL Media Zoo island. The learning activities and training in SL were based on Salmon's five-stage model of online learning. Students' engagement in SL was studied through interviews, observations and records of chat logs. The data analysis offers four key findings in relation to the nature and pattern of in-world "socialisation" and its impact on real-world network building; the pattern of in-world "socialisation" stage in Salmon's 5-stage model; perspectives on students' progress in-world through the first stage of the model--"access and motivation"--and perspectives on their entry into, and progress through, the second stage of the model--"socialisation"--and the role of identity presented through avatars in the process of socialisation. The paper offers implications for research and practice in the light of these findings.

This paper explores the potential of Semantic Web technologies to support teaching and learning in a variety of higher education settings in which some form of case-based learning is the pedagogy of choice. It draws on the empirical work of a major three year research and development project in the United Kingdom: "Ensemble: Semantic Technologies for the Enhancement of Case-Based Learning" which has been oriented toward developing a better understanding of the nature of case-based learning in different settings, but also exploring the potential for Semantic Web technologies to support, enhance, and transform existing practice. The experience of working in diverse educational settings has highlighted Semantic Web technologies that may be particularly valuable, as well as some of the enablers and barriers to wider adoption, and areas for further research and development. (Contains 5 figures, 2 tables, and 10 footnotes.)

Background: In the 1990s, Salmon developed a five-stage model for enabling and scaffolding remote groups to work and learn together using asynchronous bulletin boards. The model has informed online learning and development practice across different levels and education for online and blended learning. Purpose: This paper reports our testing of the usefulness and relevance of the model for "Second Life" ("SL"). Programme description and sample: Our case studies included students and tutors from three different disciplines: Archaeology, Digital Photography and Media and Communications. For the first case study, we collaborated with a postgraduate distance learning course in Archaeology at the University of Leicester. The second case study involved a campus-based undergraduate course in Digital Photography at the London South Bank University. The third case study was of a postgraduate campus-based course in Media and Communications. Design and methods: In each study, we developed artefacts and activities ("SL"-tivities) for students and tutors, to enable them to interact in groups. The "SL"-tivities were designed based on the five-stage model to provide scaffolding of learning in a group. Using qualitative methods, we studied students' and tutors' engagement with "SL"-tivities and their learning experiences at each stage of the model. We captured data through semi-structured interviews and from chat logs in "SL", and mapped student dialogue against each stage of the model. We analysed the data using cognitive mapping, created causal understanding of the individuals and the groups and their changing views, feelings and experiences. Results and conclusions: The case studies gave us examples of learning opportunities in "SL" at each stage of the model. Our initial study showed that using a structured model for scaffolding learning in groups has value in a 3D multi-user virtual environment such as "SL", as well as in text-based asynchronous environments. The model helps to inform design and delivery so that learners' and teachers' confidence in each other and in the environment builds up and that they work productively with each other. We continue to build further research using "SL"-tivities and the five-stage model to explore and develop further understanding of its applicability. (Contains 2 figures and 1 note.)

The Indian Treasure Trove Act of 1878 is understood as a landmark legislative victory in the preservation of South Asian material pasts. This paper presents a detailed archival history recounting how archaeologists themselves were crucial to the promulgation of the Act and the authors of its specific provisions. It demonstrates how arguments for the reform of royal prerogative into an instrument for the discipline were born in mid-nineteenth-century British debates, where archaeologists' attempts for a similar statutory change in property laws had been frustrated. Centuries-long tensions in common law definitions and their governance of treasure are demonstrated to be crucial to how we may better understand the new 'policy' of the colonial law and its operation. To do so, the paper reviews select cases and presents an evaluation of the archaeological justice of the rule of this law. It asks why our critical historiography has remained insensible to the victims of this law — archaeology's counter-publics — who have been routinely incarcerated and punished in the name of the greater archaeological common good. Through these examinations, the paper reflects upon the enduring sensibilities and commitments that are involved in continuing to take treasures from others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The eolith debate mirrors the development and demise of evolutionist anthropology in Britain between 1880 and 1940. This paper traces the connections between some of the key protagonists in the controversy, especially those associated with the Pitt-Rivers Museum at Oxford. The evolutionist pre-occupation of early Oxford anthropology with the continuity between archaeology and ethnology is shown to be linked to an interest in the Eolithic controversy, and these concerns persisted into a second generation as evolutionism was marginalized and prehistoric archaeology matured. Although the eolith debate finally floundered in the debris of the “epistemic rupture” between the world of Victorian evolutionism and late twentieth-century anthropology, some of its technical pre-occupations—particularly in relation to what we would now call ethnographic analogies and in terms of the techniques for distinguishing artefacts from geofacts—persist and are very much current issues. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of Estonian Journal of Archaeology is the property of Teaduste Akadeemia Kirjastus and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper responds to a resurgence of interest in constructing long-term time proxies of human activity, especially but not limited to models of population change over the Pleistocene and/or Holocene. While very much agreeing with the need for this increased attention, we emphasize three important issues that can all be thought of as modifiable reporting unit problems: the impact of (i) archaeological periodization, (ii) uneven event durations and (iii) geographical nucleation-dispersal phenomena. Drawing inspiration from real-world examples from prehistoric Britain, Greece and Japan, we explore their consequences and possible mitigation via a reproducible set of tactical simulations. This article is part of the theme issue 'Cross-disciplinary approaches to prehistoric demography'.

The Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre Commemorations team (JCCC), part of the British Ministry of Defence, is responsible for managing the identification of human remains from British casualties who fell during WWI and WWII primarily. With this task in mind, the work to identify and rebury the historic battle casualties is at the heart of this team's work. In addition, the team also considers new evidence regarding possible identification of an individual buried as "unknown" and they administer the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986. This paper provides an insight into the work undertaken by this Team, identifying and commemorating the remains of WWI and WWII British casualties. The paper also includes several case studies., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Crown Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The deterioration and loss of our historic environment due to natural erosive processes, exacerbated by climate change, already outpaces available resources for preservation and will accelerate over the coming century. While this process is divisive and destructive, it is also bringing together international collaborators who are developing more holistic approaches to addressing heritage at risk. In 2018, an intensive fieldtrip and series of workshops as part of the Learning from Loss project brought researchers and practitioners from both sides of the Atlantic together with community stakeholders. Over twelve days, the delegates considered alternative futures for heritage at risk, exploring diverse perspectives and observing action previously taken at threatened sites by both heritage professionals and local communities, often working in collaboration. Recognising that not everything can be saved, the structured discussions and site visits revealed a number of insights into ways that action could be planned in the future. The suggestions also highlighted differences in the way that heritage is managed in the UK and the US. This paper summarises the findings of the field trip and discusses how there may need to be a sea-change in thinking in the United Sates in order to prepare for the growing disaster facing an increasing number of archaeological monuments [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new framework for calculating vulnerability indices within archaeological resource management on a landscape-scale. Current approaches consider archaeological sites in isolation from their context within the historic landscape. The new framework advocated in this article assesses the vulnerability of landscape character areas, as defined through historic landscape characterization. This framework uses a two-step vulnerability index: the first assesses the vulnerability of archaeological sites and landscape features; the second uses the results of the first vulnerability index, as well as spatial data on the landscape character areas and the threat in question to calculate the vulnerability of each landscape character area. The framework is applied to a brief case study in coastal North Wales, UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society is the property of Cambridge University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper reports on a pilot study evaluating the impact of a series of interactive and educational maritime archaeological sessions for people with dementia. A typical archaeological approach was adopted including excavations, recovery and reconstruction of artefacts. Findings from this study demonstrate the importance of providing information, delivering alternative activities, enabling educational opportunities and offering support to and for people living with dementia. Our findings further illustrate that people with dementia can be included in maritime archaeology and that including people with dementia in heritage-based initiatives is possible.

This paper presents research completed as part of an interdisciplinary project entitled 'Tales of the Frontier'; both between the disciplines of geography and archaeology; and on the landscape narratives of Hadrian's Wall. In particular, the paper unravels the currency of race-geographies present in the collaboration, material interpretation and dissemination processes which included the curating of a public exhibition 'An Archaeology of 'Race''. In public museums and popular narratives of Roman Britain, black and African residents and cultures on the frontier are seemingly discordant with narratives of Hadrian and Roman Britain. In the paper, using critical antiquarian and classicist accounts, Roman history and culture as practised in Britain's northern landscape is interrogated and as a result emerges as multicultural, particularly through the re-narration of the Roman heritage of the Wall centred on Emperor Septimius Severus, the African Emperor. This recovered set of narratives sits as counter to narratives along heritage sites at the Wall and perceptions in the public sphere as well as enabling the critique of narratives of archaeology employed in justifications of political ambition, rule and governance of the British Empire, in the 19th century. The postcolonial orientation taken in this paper therefore contributes, first, to an evaluation of narrative as a postcolonial politics of praxis; and second, to a means of critiquing popular accounts of this landscape's history. Here, the postcolonial narrative mode also provides a framework for producing the exhibition and a teaching pack to represent Roman British cultures of citizenship in this landscape. Overall, narrative operates as an important political tool of doing postcolonial history and heritage that is inclusive and that can be used to engage in public geographies, both materially and intellectually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a research paper which demonstrates to construction professionals the archaeological building analysis' client benefits in Great Britain. The paper summarises the principles of the analysis and presents case studies. It says that the principles established could be used for all forms of refurbishment projects and historic buildings.

Archaeology in the 21st century faces outward more than inward, with many archaeologists working on projects that actively involve young people, descendant communities, diverse colleagues and clients, and the general public. The ways and means of learning and teaching about the past, as outlined in the curricula of primary, secondary, and post-secondary schools, always reflect the prevalent pedagogies of the age. Our paper comments upon two different ways of learning about archaeology. First, it presents an online university graduate program in Canada for post-Baccalaureate Cultural Resource Management (CRM) practitioners and a module on archaeology and education, which may form part of a variety of Master's degrees in the UK. Second, it examines the ways in which archaeology has been introduced into a range of subjects in the National Curricula of the UK. Our goal is to inspire critical reflection upon the connections between the social milieu in which we teach and learn and the scope and focus of curricula and pedagogy in archaeology. We conclude with comments on current dynamics and desired futures at the fascinating interface of archaeology and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Virtual Archaeology Review is the property of Virtual Archaeology Review and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper examines the containment and covering of people and objects in burials throughout later prehistory in Britain. Recent analyses of grave assemblages with exceptionally well-preserved organic remains have revealed some of the particular roles played by covers in funerary contexts. Beyond these spectacular examples, however, the objects involved in covering and containing have largely been overlooked. Many of the 'motley crew' of pots and stones used to wrap, cover, and contain bodies (and objects) were discarded or destroyed by antiquarian investigators in their quest for more immediately dazzling items. Organic containers and covers – bags, coffins, shrouds, blankets – are rarely preserved. Our study brings together the diverse and often elusive objects that played a part in covering and containing prehistoric burials, including items that directly enclosed bodies and objects, and those that potentially pinned together (now mostly absent) organic wraps. Overall, we contend, wrapping, covering, and containing were significantly more prevalent in prehistoric funerary practices than has previously been recognised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how three central figures in the field of British prehistory – Sir Arthur Keith, Sir Grafton Elliot Smith and Louis Leakey – deployed different disciplinary practices and narrative devices in the popular accounts of human bio-cultural evolution that they produced during the early decades of the twentieth century. It shows how they used a variety of strategies, ranging from virtual witness through personal testimony to tactile demonstration, to ground their authority to interpret the increasingly wide range of fossil material available and to answer the bewildering variety of questions that could be asked about them. It investigates the way in which they positioned their own professional expertise in relation to fossil interpretation, particularly with regard to the – sometimes controversial – use they made of concepts, evidence and practices drawn from other disciplines. In doing so, they made claims that went beyond their original disciplinary boundaries. The paper argues that while none of these writers were able, ultimately, to support the wider claims they made regarding human prehistory, the nature of these claims deserves much closer attention, particularly with respect to the public role that historians of science can and should play in relation to present-day calls for greater interdisciplinarity. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In England, since the publication of the 2012 National Planning Policy Framework, viability has taken an elevated role in the planning process with economic viability becoming an important consideration in the determination of a planning application. In this paper, the author introduces viability as a relatively new formal assessment brought into the UK planning system and explores ways in which it may impact existing provisions in place to protect the historic environment. The article highlights the complexities of adopting the Viability Assessment model and provides cases in which these assessments have been used to mitigate planning obligations in place to conserve and enhance the historic environment. In light of the current application of viability models during the planning process by developers, the author calls on the need for more research in this area as well as the need for further awareness of its use by those working to conserve and enhance the historic environment. Ultimately, the article aims to set Viability Assessment against the broader principles of sustainable development and recommends perusing the concept of a Cultural Capital Valuation for UK heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The brown bear Ursus arctos was Holocene Britain's largest carnivoran and has appeared in recent rewilding discussions. Despite widespread interest, we know very little about the species in Holocene Britain, as few studies have been undertaken. This paper draws together information on the brown bear to examine its presence and extinction through evaluation of the archaeological and palaeontological evidence. Data were collected from published literature and museum catalogues. Information on the chronological date of archaeological sites, the number of bear specimens, and the body parts present were particularly sought. A total of 85 sites were identified, 57 are well‐dated, 25 are of uncertain date but are likely to be Holocene, and three have uncertain species identifications. Very few specimens from non‐anthropogenic sites (e.g. fens and caves) are well‐dated, skewing the data towards anthropogenic sites such as settlements and graves. Analysis of body part representation shows that the bear bones found in the Bronze Age, Iron Age, and most of the early medieval period are largely phalanges or metapodials, which are likely to be derived from skins. Other body parts are present during the Romano‐British, medieval, and post‐medieval period, indicating that live bears were present and were probably imported for entertainment. It seems that the brown bear was rare in Britain throughout the Holocene, and, based on current evidence, two extinction scenarios can be put forward: extinction in the late Neolithic/early Bronze Age, or extinction in the early medieval period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper initially explores the impact of the military on the development of British archaeology generally. It then focuses on the career of General Pitt Rivers, whose army background - especially his work in ordnance and when serving as legal prosecutor - fundamentally informed his archaeology, providing the basis for his concept of proof and the adjudication of evidence. Pitt Rivers was an active member of, and contributed to, the collections of the 'lost' museum of the Royal United Services Institute. His particular interest was in the study of Primitive Warfare, and he demonstrated its evolution through his 'typological' collections of weapons. Finally, given the breadth of military experience and the diverse participation of its members within the discipline, critique is made of Wheeler's singular formulation of an 'army-influenced archaeology'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the history of the digital age of communications that began with the invention of the stored program computer in 1948 and is today realised by the World Wide Web, super fast broadband and the smart phone. Taking a predominantly UK focus, the paper examines the key technological advances that were made, where they occurred and what archaeological evidence remains of their existence. The paper begins by examining how digital technology was applied to the telephone network, how that network then provided the means by which early computers could be connected together, and from there to subsequently offer access to information services. Packet switching, the home computer, modems, optical fibre and the Internet are reviewed in terms of their importance in the creation of and growth in the World Wide Web. Finally, the application of digital technology to the mobile phone is discussed in terms of the development of mobile networks and the evolution of the handset into today's smart phones. The paper concludes by recognising that much of the archaeological evidence of communication's digital age has already been lost and that urgent action is needed to put in place appropriate preservation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to examine the role of the built environment as a tool of nineteenth-century British colonial expression within the Red Sea island town of Suakin, Sudan. Within Suakin and its environs, four major European focal points were examined through the use of archaeological survey and excavation. These were; (1) waterfront development (2) centers of colonial management, (3) terrestrial and maritime communication and (4) defense. The central argument of the paper is that economic and social control was maintained through the creation of new urban morphologies and European domination of existing urban space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper outlines the problems of teaching landscape archaeology to Master's Degree students in Britain. The M.A. in Landscape Archaeology trains postgraduate students to a high professional level primarily for fieldwork in the profession, but it is firmly embedded within an academic base. There is much in the literature of how we perceive, understand and interpret landscapes both from a philosophical and theoretical viewpoint, but these theories have to be balanced with the essential practical elements of fieldwork. This paper will explore the balance that needs to be reached between teaching the theoretical aspects of landscapes with the practical problems that professional archaeologists will encounter in their working lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Archaeological Archives Forum (AAF) is a representative body, established in 2002, which aims to link together all the major parties in the United Kingdom with an interest in archaeological archives so that common policies and practice can be developed and applied. Another goal is to identify the courses of action necessary to further best practice in the field of archaeological archives and to affect the means to achieve this action. To date, the AAF has produced a number of guides to best practice for archaeological archives. One of the key bodies represented on that forum is the Institute for Archaeologists (IfA - formerly the Institute of Field Archaeologists), the professional association for archaeologists in the United Kingdom. With over 2,600 members this standards setting body is in a position which allows it to guide and regulate the requirements for the creation, curation, and use of archaeological archives. This paper will review the achievements and effectiveness of the AAF and IfA's activities and will discuss whether this presents models that can be used internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visits to archaeological sites, within school, a history or archaeology club, or a family group, are the main means for young people to engage with the archaeological historic environment. The majority of archaeological sites easily accessible for such groups are those that have been 'sanitized' for public consumption. These are often devoid of explanation of the archaeological process which made them accessible. This paper looks at the contribution that working archaeological sites can make to young people's understanding of archaeology, with particular reference to visits made by branches of the Young Archaeologists' Club, based in the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper outlines in brief the development of Industrial Archaeology in Britain as a mainstream branch of archaeology over the last 50 years, before then reviewing some of the recent methodological developments in IA. The author argues that whilst Industrial Archaeology embraces both the archaeology of technology and the archaeology of industrialisation, it is the latter strand that is the defining feature of much modern IA work. A wide range of techniques emphasising both landscape and social change, linked to technological development, have been developed by those studying the phenomenon of British industrialisation since 1991. It is argued that the radical changes to the production, consumption, and urban nature of this newly industrialised society is best studied archaeologically through the medium of this new Industrial Archaeology. Furthermore, this social and landscape approach, coupled with the study of technological change, could be used to compare the different rates and geographical location of industrialisation around the globe from a distinctive archaeological perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the discrepancy between the acknowledged historical importance of post-medieval rural society and the limited archaeological investigation and research on this theme. It considers developments in national research agendas in this field and the influences which have shaped them. There is a need to employ a more critical and analytical approach to landscape studies, giving consideration to the effects of perception, custom and attitude. Among the themes explored are the need for more interdisciplinary studies; for wider application of palaeoenvironmental and ecological analyses; and for a fuller understanding of regional differences. Throughout, the unique value of a specifically archaeological voice is emphasized. The paper is based on a contribution to a seminar on research agendas for post-medieval archaeology in Britain, held by SPMA and hosted by the Society of Antiquaries of London in September 2002. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract As institutions established to administer the penal exile of British imperial subjects, the historic gaols of Australia and Ireland are linked by a painful legacy of involuntary transportation. Today, outstanding examples of these prisons are conserved and publicly presented as monuments of national significance. This paper considers material meanings associated with these unusual heritage places. Given their explicit historic association with British imperial power, what role do heritage prisons play in the formation of a postcolonial affiliation or consciousness? This paper will consider how heritage prisons have come to embody the emotive links of longing and belonging forged between the modern nations of Ireland and Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the archaeological evidence for the practice of facial and corporeal dyeing, painting and tattooing in the later Iron Age and early Roman period. The aim is to construct a hypothesis which explains how, why, when and by whom such pigments were worn. Although this hypothesis discusses woad-derived indigo, this is used mainly, although not exclusively, as an experimental tool, as no conclusive archaeological evidence exists which reveals the identity of the ‘real’ pigment(s). Woad has also long held a place in the popular imagination as the source of the dye which the ancient Britons used to paint themselves. This paper explores the possibility that the cosmetic grinder was the focal artefact used in body painting or tattooing, and was used for grinding and mixing body and face paint. It is suggested that, rather than being a ‘Roman’-style tool for cosmetic application from the start, it may have begun life as an artefact first used by the later Iron Age Britons for body painting and expressing indigenous identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the role of pottery in the Late Iron Age to Roman transition in south-east Britain. Traditional concern with the significance of Continental imports is rejected in favour of a more holistic and bottom-up approach giving equal emphasis to locally made forms and imports in complete assemblages. Several stages of inter-site correspondence analysis are conducted on a range of sites and assemblages in the region. Patterning pertaining to the use and deposition of both imported and local pottery vessels can be seen to contradict simplistic models for‘Romanization before conquest’. The main conclusions include evidence for the selective disposal of drinking vessels and table wares in pits, the likely widespread consumption of beer as opposed to wine, and the implied importance of indigenous social practices such as feasting and communal drinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary. British historical archaeology has seen new theoretical engagement in recent years. A diverse and distinctive body of theory has developed in this increasingly vibrant and international area of study, testing disciplinary boundaries, especially with history, social anthropology and material culture studies. This paper takes stock of three distinct processes within the new historical archaeology: the birth of material history, the loss of antiquity, and the loss of isolation. The implications of these processes for the wider discipline are explored with reference to landscape archaeology, using the example of the Ironbridge Gorge, Shropshire. In a consideration of future directions, it is argued that historical archaeology provides particular insights to the need across the discipline for archaeology to respond with self-confidence to complexity by drawing out and celebrating diversity in theory and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of the Institute of Conservation is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Current government agendas for investigating the “Gross National Happiness” have spurred private and commercial organizations to consider whether their work has the potential to influence peoples' happiness and sense of well-being. The role of archaeological projects has yet to be considered, despite the body of research pertaining to their wider social values.Methods:By combining quantitative methodological well-being measures offered by positive and negative affect schedule and modified visual analogue scale (MVAS), this research evaluates if it is possible to identify the role archaeological projects play in enhancing well-being.Results:The analysis of the quantitative data is used to assess whether it is possible to quantitatively identify and link changes in cultural values to involvements in heritage projects.Conclusions:This paper sets out a methodological framework for analysing heritage well-being, providing guidelines for future evaluations of the cultural value of heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concerns with screening embodiment have focused on the way in which cinema invites the spectator to consider a lived sense of the human body as a material subject that feels its own subjectivity. In this paper, I suspend the return of gesture to the transcendental human body. Gesture practises and produces complex and diverse bodies, bodies that do not precede their intra-actions but emerge through them. Drawing on the work of Karen Barad, I consider gesture in television that concerns archaeological practices in order to ask how gesture operates in this televisual subgenre to invite new ways of thinking about the human and other-than-human. Focusing on archaeology on television, I consider entangled gestures as intra-acting, material-discursive boundary-making practices that congeal and fix what we come to know as discrete, bounded bodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital Public Archaeology is a very new label for a contemporary practice, and as such has been subject to a limited amount of theoretical scrutiny. The rapid pace of change within Internet technologies has significantly expanded potential for this 'digital' form of Public Archaeology practice. Internet technologies can be used to gather contributions of 'crowd-sourced' archaeological content; to share and discuss archaeological news and discoveries; foster online community identity, situated around the topic of archaeology and wider heritage issues, or to elicit financial support. Expectations of and opportunities for social, collaborative and individual participation and interaction with cultural heritage have grown accordingly. Professional archaeological organisations are increasingly encouraged, if not required, to disseminate their grey literature reports, publications, educational resources, data-sets, images and other archaeological informatics through digital means, frequently as mandatory outputs for impact assessment and public accountability. Real-time sharing, comment and feedback of archaeological information online and via mobile technologies stand in contrast to lengthy waits for publication and wider dissemination. This paper will explore the literature on the practice of Public Archaeology in the UK, and issues associated with the development of digital public engagement in the heritage sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By unblocking knowledge bottle-necks and enhancing collaborative and creative input ‘open’ approaches have the potential to revolutionize science, humanities and arts. ‘Open’ has captured the Zeitgeist, but what is it all about? Is it about providing clear and transparent access to knowledge objects: data, theories and knowledge (open access, open data, open methods, open knowledge)? Is it about providing similar access to knowledge acquisition processes (open science)? Obviously it is; however, this is not the whole story. Open approaches require active engagement. This is not just engagement from the ‘usual suspects’ but engagement from a broader societal base. For example, primary data creators need the appropriate incentives to provide access to Open Data – these incentives will vary between different groups: contract archaeologists, curatorial archaeologists and research archaeologists all have different drivers. Equally important is that open approaches raise a number of issues about data access and downstream data reuse. This paper will discuss these issues in relation to the current situation in the UK and in the context of the DART project: an Open Science research project. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

There is a substantial literature on the use of oral history in archaeology, but there has been little consideration of the kinds of oral history and memory produced by the practice of archaeology. Through the personal narratives of a range of people involved in excavation during the 1960s in Britain, this paper explores understandings of what has been described as an archaeological 'sub-culture'. It examines the ideas and interests that motivated peoples' engagement in the 'digging circuit' at this time, and looks at how these were implicated in the archaeology that was produced. We argue that such accounts do not simply expose the 'subjective' context in which archaeological knowledge of these sites emerged but constitute an explicit and vital challenge to established accounts of archaeology in Britain at this time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The Neolithic flint mines of Britain have been identified as sites of intense flint extraction. They occur chronologically in two phases: the earlier Neolithic examples in Sussex and Wessex (including the sites of Cissbury, Harrow Hill, Blackpatch, Church Hill, Easton Down, Martin's Clump, Long Down and Stoke Down) and the later Neolithic flint mine at Grimes Graves in Norfolk (Barber et al. 1999). Interpretations of prehistoric flint mines have commonly focused on the functional aspects of flint extraction: the method of extraction and quantity of flint that resulted (e.g. Mercer 1981a, 1981b; Sieveking 1979; Sieveking et al. 1973). Only recently has it been argued that prehistoric flint mines were monumental spaces and hence should be considered as monuments in their own right (Russell 2000, 2001). This paper further challenges the functional interpretation of flint mines as simple abstraction sites by discussing hidden in situ chalk art found within them. This art has wider parallels in markings discovered at other Neolithic sites and the examination of these mine and non-mine chalk examples suggests that collectively they indicate an early Neolithic art tradition that has hitherto been ignored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For over a century scholars have been wrestling with early Welsh poetry and associated texts in an attempt to shed light on the activities of North British kings resisting the expansion of the kingdoms of Bernicia and Northumbria. This paper first of all questions some of the historical reasoning about the kingdom of Rheged, especially its location and extent. Secondly, looking at the period from an archaeological perspective, it identifies potential heartlands on either side of the Solway. Although the location of Rheged cannot, and probably never will, be settled, it is suggested that it is unlikely to have straddled both sides of the Solway. Whichever heartland scholars may prefer, the natural advantages of the areas highlighted including the landscape, the resource potential and communications, would have provided a powerful incentive for the Northumbrians intent on expanding westwards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Anglican clergymen in England contributed significantly to the development of archaeology and local history as, first, subjects for polite study, but secondly as academic disciplines at the heart of the university extension and extra-mural movements. Initially working as lone antiquarian scholars, clergymen formed networks amongst themselves and the gentry, dominated the emerging national and county societies, and moved into university work in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries with the establishment of formal courses for adults. With their broad Oxbridge education and ready-made audiences, clergymen disseminated 'safe' secular knowledge via the tutorial class. But this contribution had diminished by the mid-twentieth century, by which time the education of the clergy had become more narrowly focused upon vocation, and as new academic posts facilitated the establishment of mainstream university Departments of Archaeology and Local History. This paper explores the contribution of the Anglican clergy to the education of adults in the period c.1750-1960 and suggests reasons for its initial strength and eventual decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents new chronological data applied to the problem of providing a date for the construction of a prehistoric building, with a case study from the Old Scatness Broch, Shetland. The innovative methodology employed utilises the combination of radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dates with the archaeological information, which includes the stratigraphic relationships of sampled deposits, context information, and evidence relating to the formation of the deposit. This paper discusses the scientific validity of the dates produced, and the advantages that the methodology employed at this site offers for archaeological interpretation. The combined dating evidence suggests that the broch at Old Scatness is earlier than the conventionally accepted dates for broch construction. More broadly it shows the value of integration of the specialists at the planning stages of the excavation. The application of a Bayesian statistical model to the sequences of dates allowed investigation of the robustness of the dates within the stratigraphic sequences, as well as increasing the resolution of the resulting chronology. In addition, the value of utilising multiple dating techniques on the same deposit was demonstrated, as this allowed different dated events to be directly compared as well as issues relating to the formation of the sampled deposit. This in turn impacted on the chronological significance of the resulting dating evidence, and therefore the confidence that could be placed in the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Journal of Archaeological Science first appeared in 1974 as an explicitly interdisciplinary medium, linking archaeology with the natural sciences, and one that emphasizes methodological innovation. This editorial analysis examines the steady growth of the journal from 400 to 3200 print pages per annum, and from a small to a large, double-column format. The impact factor increased until it became the leading archaeological journal overall. Tracking the published papers according to national origin, manuscripts from the USA began to outpace those from the UK in 1990, and Australia, South Africa and Canada are well represented. After 2000 the influx of papers from non-Anglophone countries also increased rapidly until by 2008 they exceeded those from the UK or USA. A growing interest for archaeological science is suggested in Mediterranean countries such as France, Israel, Spain and Italy. Thematic trends are more difficult to track due to the growing structural complexity of many papers. That said, there is no striking thematic shift, confirming the viability of the inclusive philosophy and diversity of the journal, and its balance between problems and analytical innovation, as applied to significant archaeological issues. Possible editorial responses to changing directions in archaeology are discussed. For all scientific periodicals, the efficacy of the peer-review system today is challenged by the increasing numbers of journals and manuscripts, together with the greater specialization of high-tech methods. This demands greater professional responsibility as well as new solutions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Assessment has been identified as a core theme in higher education in British Universities. For students studying archaeology at both undergraduate and post-graduate levels, it is essential to gain experience in a wide range of practice-based Units, such as field survey, excavation, geophysical survey, artefact handing and air photographic interpretation. For post-graduate students who are pursuing a career in archaeology, it is even more important that they elevate these skills to a professional standard. Our students come from a wide range of academic abilities and backgrounds on both fulltime and part-time programmes. Learning and teaching in the field is an essential element of our teaching programmes, but the design and assessment of these practice-based Units brings specific problems: students need unambiguous information in order to carry out specific fieldwork tasks; there must be clear dissemination of the necessary methodologies that will enhance the student learning experience in the field and both peer and tutor assessment must be seen to be equitable to all parties. Assessing any practical element in the field can be criticised for its subjectivity, but a standardised methodology is far from satisfactory. This paper will explore the problems that tutors face both in designing and delivering practice-based Units; how they can clearly explain their methodologies and put in place a fair assessment which not only gives the necessary feedback, but from which students can learn and improve their practical skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper illustrates the potential impact of future climate change on the archaeological resource of river catchments, specifically in Britain, but with reference to other examples across the globe, when considering issues of generic applicability. It highlights an area of the environmental record often neglected by policy makers and environmental planners when considering the impact of climate change; where cultural heritage has been considered in the past, an emphasis has been placed on the historic built environment and major monuments. Through studying the recent past, particularly the last 1,000 years, geomorphologists and geoarchaeologists can add much empirical data to these debates concerning system response. In addition to the impact of the changing intensity and pattern of natural geomorphic processes, human response to climate change ranging from new farming practices through to the implementation of mitigation strategies to minimise the effects of increased flood frequency and magnitude could be equally as damaging to the archaeological record if not managed through informed decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]