This month’s cover story takes us 32m below the waves off the Sussex coast. There, a previously enigmatic wreck has been named as the Klein Hollandia, a Dutch warship that sank in 1672 following an attack that helped to spark the Third Anglo-Dutch War. We piece together the archaeological detective-work that helped to pin down the sunken vessel’s identity, and share what has been learned of its past – as well as how its remains are being protected for the future.
Our next feature explores the aftermath of an earlier conflict, tracing the evolution of Venta Icenorum, a Roman town and regional capital near modern Norwich that developed soon after the Boudican uprising.
Leaping from the onset of imperial influence to what happened when official occupation ended, we then travel to early medieval Wales to explore what changed when Roman administration withdrew, and how Christianity played a key role in what came next.
Our last feature this month takes us to the Dickensian world of the 19th-century workhouse. What can recent excavations in London add to our understanding of such institutions? Finally, we bring you the latest news on our upcoming annual conference, which will be held in partnership with the UCL Institute of Archaeology on 24 February 2024. See www.archaeology.co.uk/live for details of the timetable, and the people, projects, and publications that have been nominated for the annual CA Awards. Voting is now open!
P.S. Details of all the content of the magazine are available on our new site, The Past. Here you will be able to read each article in full as well as the content of our other magazines, Current World Archaeology, Minerva, and Military History Matters. Subscribers should see the advert inside the magazine for a very special offer!
In This Issue:
FEATURES
Discovering a 17th-century Dutch warship off Eastbourne
When a previously unknown shipwreck was discovered off the Sussex coast, it sparked a wide-ranging project to piece together the clues to its identity, as well an innovative initiative to protect the historic remains.
Illuminating Icenian interactions with Rome at Caistor St Edmund
Ongoing excavations around Venta Icenorum, a Roman regional capital near modern Norwich, are shedding new light on how the Empire impacted on local Iron Age communities.
Exploring life in early medieval Wales
We explore two lasting legacies of Roman rule in Wales – Christianity and Latin literacy – and the effect that both had on the development of early medieval communities.
Investigating the archaeology of a 19th-century workhouse
Recent excavations near St Pancras Station in London have revealed the remains of a Victorian workhouse, providing new evidence of the experiences of those who lived and worked within its walls.
NEWS
Neolithic cairn excavated in Orkney; New finds at Navan Fort; Roman plantation unearthed in Leicestershire; Rediscovering the tartan mills of Bannockburn; Searching for the Knights Hospitaller at St John’s Jerusalem; Science Notes; Community dig uncovers prehistoric site at Glendaruel; Finds Tray
NEWS FOCUS
Monastic memories: continuing the hunt for Hyde Abbey
REGULARS
COMMENT
Joe Flatman excavates the CA archive
CONTEXT
Conserving a snapshot of the past: Sutton Hoo, Suffolk
REVIEWS
The Hillforts of Iron Age Wales; Moygara Castle, County Sligo, and the O’Garas of Coolavin; Enchanted Wales: myth and magic in Welsh storytelling; Castles of Kent through Time; Yorkshire’s Prehistoric Monuments; Dogs, Past and Present: an interdisciplinary perspective
MUSEUM NEWS
The latest on acquisitions, exhibitions, and key decisions
ATTRACTION
Horizon of Khufu at Westfield Stratford City, London
LISTINGS
Our selection of exhibitions and events, as well as historical, archaeological, and cultural resources from around the world that are still available online.
CONFERENCE
The latest details of Current Archaeology Live! 2024, including the nominees for our annual awards
SHERDS
Chris Catling’s irreverent take on heritage issues
ODD SOCS
Welwyn Archaeological Society
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