current archaeology number 91
In this issue.. .
Neolithic houses in the Hebrides, Viking rituals in Yorkshire, a new hill-fort in Cheshire, and tanning in Northampton—such are the highlights of this latest issue of Current Archaeology.
First, in the Diary we look at the Jorvik Viking Centre, Stinking Fiche again, a New TL Dating Service, the New Knight at the BM, and we have an enlarged version of Smalltalk, our Notice board on which you can place your notices—free!
On the beautiful sandy bay at Dalmore, in the Outer Hebrides, fierce storms have revealed a Neolithic settlement. Here local archaeologists Gerald and Margaret Ponting describe their efforts to rescue the site.
In Books we look at Mohammed and Charlemagne, The Identity of Man, European Economic Prehistory, Sheep and Man, The Archaeology of Beekeeping, and The History and Archaeology of Ports.
In Science Diary, John Musty looks at Varves, Viking Muck, Mudlarks and Monkeys, Bloody Residues, the Journal of Archaeological Science, and the first Accelerator Dates.
How was tanning carried out in the Middle Ages? In Northampton, some tanneries have recently been excavated: admittedly, they are probably post-medieval, but they give a fascinating insight into what tanning was like in the pre-industrial era.
A new Iron age hill-fort has been discovered in Cheshire. Beeston Castle is one of the 'showpiece' medieval castles, but when Peter Hough began excavating there to improve access, he soon found he was excavating an underlying hillfort.
How did Anglo-Saxon Churches really work? We report on a recent conference in honour of Harold Taylor at which many of the latest discoveries and theories were discussed.
At Skerne, the remains of a Viking bridge have recently been excavated. A Viking sword, a spoon bit, four knives, and a number of animal bones were discovered around the footings. Were these ritual deposits?
Finally Letters discuss The Contents of CA, Edible Samian, Microfiche, Bedcanford, The Institute of Field Archaeologists, 0 Tempora! 0 Morass? and How to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
Cover Photo. The Medieval castle of Beeston projects proudly out of the Cheshire plain. Excavations have revealed that the outer ward overlies an Iron Age hill-fort.
Photo courtesy of the DoE.
227 Diary 230 Dalmore by Gerald and Margaret Ponting 236 Books 238 Science Diary by John Musty 241 Northampton by Michael Shaw
245 Beeston Castle by Peter Hough
249 The Anglo-Saxon Church
251 Skerne by John Dent
254 Letters
