This month’s cover showcases the latest addition to a small group of metal ‘cups’ or ‘pans’ that are associated with Hadrian’s Wall but have been found scattered across the Roman Empire. Most depict a stylised image of the Wall, and some bear the names of forts along its line. What can the Berlanga Cup, recently discovered in Spain, add to our understanding of these artefacts, and of Roman perceptions of the northern frontier?
Remaining in the Roman period, we next examine an enigmatic, elite burial practice that appears to have been particularly associated with York and its surroundings: pouring liquid gypsum over a cloth-wrapped body within a coffin, which set to form a hard, white covering. These coatings preserve rare evidence of funerary textiles and resins, as well as details of the deceased. We share some of the latest findings from ongoing research into these rites.
Our third article highlights another illuminating artefact: a wax seal impression of the 11th-century king Edward the Confessor, which has been rediscovered more than 40 years after being declared lost.
From such close detail, we then zoom out to take a much wider view, exploring the almost 250-year history of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, highlighting past and present projects, as well as ambitious plans for the future.
Next, we visit a Neolithic crannog in Loch Bhorgastail on the Isle of Lewis, discussing how ongoing fieldwork including innovative photogrammetry techniques has revealed fascinating details of its construction.
We end with a report on recent evaluations of previously excavated artefacts and recent surface finds from RAF East Fortune, near Edinburgh. What has been learned about the personnel stationed there during the Second World War?
In this issue:
FEATURES
SEEING THE DEAD
Encountering individuals through Roman gypsum burials
Why were dozens of people from Roman York coated with liquid gypsum as part of their funerary rites? An ongoing interdisciplinary project at the University of York has set out to learn more.
THE BERLANGA CUP
Examining a new addition to the Hadrian’s Wall ‘souvenir’ vessels
A handful of enigmatic cups found across Britain, France, and Spain appear to relate to Hadrian’s Wall and, in some cases, provide Roman names for its forts. With a new discovery bringing their number to six, what can they tell us about the northern frontier?
LOST SEAL OF EDWARD THE CONFESSOR REDISCOVERED
Interpreting 11th-century imperial imagery
Lost for over 40 years, a seal of Edward the Confessor has been rediscovered in Paris. What can its imagery tell us about the aspirations of 11th-century Anglo-Saxon kings?
FORGING SCOTLAND’S STORY
Why a 245-year-old society is racing against time to raise £1.5 million
We look at some of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland’s key projects, past and present, and explore ambitious plans for its future.
NEW PERSPECTIVES ON A NEOLITHIC CRANNOG
Documenting a 5,000-year-old construction on the Isle of Lewis
Recent research on a crannog in Loch Bhorgastail has shed new light on how this human-made island was created, using an innovative new approach to document its remains, both above- and underwater.
Exploring wartime archaeology at RAF East Fortune
Located just east of Edinburgh, RAF East Fortune is one of the UK’s best-preserved Secord World War airfields. Recent re-examinations of previously excavated artefacts and fresh surface finds from the site have revealed new insights into its long military history.
LETTERS
Your comments, complaints, and compliments
NEWS
Unexpected prehistoric discoveries at Crookston Castle; Ancestry and architecture in Neolithic Scotland; Ninth-century coin hoard found in Worcestershire; Norman church foundations revealed in Darlington; Classis Britannica clues at Bodiam Castle; Science Notes; Explosive discovery at Culloden Battlefield; Finds Tray
COMMENT
Joe Flatman excavates the CA archive, exploring three key sites of British Christianity
CONTEXT
A strapping find: Halesworth, Suffolk
REVIEWS
The Archaeology of Britain: an introduction from earliest times to the twenty-first century; The Bamburgh Bowl Hole Anglian-period Cemetery: a bioarchaeological study of a Northumbrian royal site; Relativism and the Frontiers of Empire: critical perspectives on Roman soldiers, communities, and military landscapes; Understanding Scottish Graveyards; Pioneers, Settlers, Villagers, and Warriors: excavations at Ronaldsway Airport, Isle of Man; Things We Found in the Ground
MUSEUM
Worthing Museum, West Sussex
EXHIBITION
Chariots, Treasure and Power: Secrets of the Melsonby Hoard at the Yorkshire Museum, York
MUSEUM NEWS
The latest on acquisitions, exhibitions, and key decisions
GO DIGGING!
We continue our series of excavation opportunities – get in touch to feature your project next
LISTINGS
Our selection of exhibitions and events, as well as historical, archaeological, and cultural resources online
SHERDS
Chris Catling discusses red paint, trig points, and much-missed colleagues
ODD SOCS
Ancient Tree Forum
