Some of the oldest words in English have been identified, scientists say.
Reading University researchers claim "I", "we", "two" and "three" are among the most ancient, dating back tens of thousands of years.
Their computer model analyses the rate of change of words in English and the languages that share a common heritage.
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Friday, 27 February 2009
Tuesday, 17 February 2009
Heritage at Risk from Nighthawking
New Survey Reveals Low Levels of Prosecution and Crime Reporting
A national survey commissioned by English Heritage and supported by its counterparts across the UK and Crown Dependencies has revealed that the threat to heritage posed by illegal metal detecting, or nighthawking, is high but arrest or prosecution remains at an all time low and penalties are woefully insufficient.
The Nighthawking Survey, published today (16th February 2009), found out that over a third of sites attacked by illegal metal detectorists between 1995 and 2008 are Scheduled Monuments and another 152 undesignated sites are also known to have been raided, but secrecy surrounding the crime means that it is significantly under-reported. Only 26 cases have resulted in formal legal action, with the punishment usually being a small fine from as little as £38. (Illegally parking a car carries a £120 fine.)
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A national survey commissioned by English Heritage and supported by its counterparts across the UK and Crown Dependencies has revealed that the threat to heritage posed by illegal metal detecting, or nighthawking, is high but arrest or prosecution remains at an all time low and penalties are woefully insufficient.
The Nighthawking Survey, published today (16th February 2009), found out that over a third of sites attacked by illegal metal detectorists between 1995 and 2008 are Scheduled Monuments and another 152 undesignated sites are also known to have been raided, but secrecy surrounding the crime means that it is significantly under-reported. Only 26 cases have resulted in formal legal action, with the punishment usually being a small fine from as little as £38. (Illegally parking a car carries a £120 fine.)
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Tuesday, 10 February 2009
University's medical hi-tech technology used on rare artefact
A HI-TECH medical imaging technique is being used to help unlock the secrets of a priceless 1,000 year old artefact.
The Fadden More Psalter – an eighth century book of Psalms – is the latest archaeological find to be examined by scientists from Nottingham Trent University using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) which was originally developed as for medical imaging.
The technology has been put to work by the university team to develop a new field of imaging for art conservation and archaeology.
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The Fadden More Psalter – an eighth century book of Psalms – is the latest archaeological find to be examined by scientists from Nottingham Trent University using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) which was originally developed as for medical imaging.
The technology has been put to work by the university team to develop a new field of imaging for art conservation and archaeology.
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Sunday, 8 February 2009
Saxon Cemetary discovered near Lewes
Two men have spoken of "the find of a lifetime" when they uncovered a Saxon cemetery while metal detecting near Lewes.
Bob White and Cliff Smith, members of the Eastbourne District Metal Detecting Club, made the find on farmland outside the town last October and it is believed the remains laid undiscovered for up to 1,500 years.
As soon as they realised the importance of the site they sought advice from the police and local archaeologists who decided to excavate the graves immediately after seeking permission from the landowner.
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Bob White and Cliff Smith, members of the Eastbourne District Metal Detecting Club, made the find on farmland outside the town last October and it is believed the remains laid undiscovered for up to 1,500 years.
As soon as they realised the importance of the site they sought advice from the police and local archaeologists who decided to excavate the graves immediately after seeking permission from the landowner.
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Wednesday, 4 February 2009
Pair unearth Saxon burial remains
The remains of a 1,500-year-old Saxon burial ground have been uncovered by two Sussex metal detector enthusiasts.
Bob White and Cliff Smith unearthed brooches, a bronze bowl, a spear and a shield from the graves of a man and two women on farmland near Lewes.
Mr Smith, of Eastbourne District Metal Detecting Club, said he knew he had found something special when he noticed part of a bowl and a piece of skull.
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Bob White and Cliff Smith unearthed brooches, a bronze bowl, a spear and a shield from the graves of a man and two women on farmland near Lewes.
Mr Smith, of Eastbourne District Metal Detecting Club, said he knew he had found something special when he noticed part of a bowl and a piece of skull.
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Saturday, 31 January 2009
Oxford study aims to trace Cornish roots
A study which could prove that people in Cornwall and Devon can trace their roots to the Ancient Britons is being carried out in the two counties in February by Oxford University's genetic research team. This national genetics study 'People of the British Isles' aims to collect a total of 3,500 blood samples from people whose parents and grandparents were born in the same rural locality.
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Read the rest of this article...
Thursday, 22 January 2009
Record archaelogical finds in Norfolk
Record amounts of archaeological finds are being uncovered in Norfolk - at a greater rate than anywhere else in the whole of Great Britain - because so many people with metal detectors are sweeping the county for signs of the past.
A record 110 treasure cases were seen and assessed by Norwich Castle last year and museum chiefs face a challenge to decide which objects they can afford to keep.
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A record 110 treasure cases were seen and assessed by Norwich Castle last year and museum chiefs face a challenge to decide which objects they can afford to keep.
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Thursday, 8 January 2009
Wearmouth Jarrow - Anglo-Saxon monastery
BUSINESS people and celebrities will be joining forces with church leaders this year in a final push to have a NorthEast monastery declared a World Heritage Site. The twin Anglo-Saxon monastery of Wearmouth Jarrow will be nominated by the Government for World Heritage Status next year. If successful, it will join Durham Cathedral and Hadrian's Wall in carrying the coveted title.
The Wearmouth-Jarrow ambassadors include influential people from the NorthEast such as Kate Adie and Steve Cram. They follow in the footsteps of Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the Duke of Gloucester and South Shields MP David Milliband.
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The Wearmouth-Jarrow ambassadors include influential people from the NorthEast such as Kate Adie and Steve Cram. They follow in the footsteps of Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the Duke of Gloucester and South Shields MP David Milliband.
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Friday, 12 December 2008
Fifth Century settlement located
A Fifth Century Germanic settlement has been discovered on land set out for regeneration in Kent.
A team of 30 archaeologists has been studying debris at the site in Rushenden, on the Isle of Sheppey, to learn how the original settlers lived.
The remains of a large boat-shaped hall have been found as well as evidence of boat-building activity.
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A team of 30 archaeologists has been studying debris at the site in Rushenden, on the Isle of Sheppey, to learn how the original settlers lived.
The remains of a large boat-shaped hall have been found as well as evidence of boat-building activity.
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Monday, 24 November 2008
MUSEUMS, METAL DETECTORISTS AND BRITAIN'S RICH ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE
A stunning golden torc dating from the Iron Age, a hoard of over 3,600 Roman coins and a tiny Anglo Saxon roundel depicting the Hand of God were just some of the items on show at the British Museum last week for the launch of the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) Treasure Annual Report.
The report lists thousands of archaeological finds made and reported by members of the public and includes all of the discoveries that passed through the Treasure Process in 2005 and 2006 from an impressive 1,257 finds in total – each of them contributing to our understanding of the past.
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The report lists thousands of archaeological finds made and reported by members of the public and includes all of the discoveries that passed through the Treasure Process in 2005 and 2006 from an impressive 1,257 finds in total – each of them contributing to our understanding of the past.
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Monday, 17 November 2008
Roman settlement unearthed near Penrith
A Roman settlement has been unearthed near Penrith by workman preparing the ground for a sewage pipe.
The civilian vicus, which is thought to date back to the first century AD, was discovered on agricultural land in Brougham close to the A66.
Experts have declared the site is of national significance.
Archeologists uncovered the remains of two timber buildings, cobbled lanes, three stone buildings and a rare Grubenhauser – a sunken feature building from the early medieval period.
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The civilian vicus, which is thought to date back to the first century AD, was discovered on agricultural land in Brougham close to the A66.
Experts have declared the site is of national significance.
Archeologists uncovered the remains of two timber buildings, cobbled lanes, three stone buildings and a rare Grubenhauser – a sunken feature building from the early medieval period.
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Tuesday, 11 November 2008
Anglo-Saxon Kent Electronic Database (ASKED)
ASKED, the Anglo-Saxon Kent Electronic Database was built collaboratively by Stuart Brookes and Sue Harrington to facilitate our respective PhD researches at UCL Institute of Archaeology, from 1998-2000. A pared down version of its content is presented here, in order for it to act as the pilot database for a much larger corpus of material currently being gathered under the aegis of the 'Beyond the Tribal Hidage Project' - a Leverhulme funded research project undertaken at UCL Institute of Archaeology by director Martin Welch and research assistant Sue Harrington. It is intended that this new dataset will be deposited with the Archaeology Data Service in late 2009, retaining the same format as this version of ASKED.
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Read the rest of this article...
Thursday, 2 October 2008
Ninth century tag discovered
A SILVER Saxon clothes fastener found by a metal detector enthusiast near Dorchester has been declared as treasure.
The hooked tag dating back to the ninth century and weighing only 4.81g was described by senior archaeologist Claire Pinder as very uncommon.' The treasure was discovered by Martin Savage, of The Rise, Stratton, on a farm in Charminster last October when he was searching with his metal detector.
He said: "Initially I didn't realise what it was so I put it in my pouch and carried on metal detecting. It wasn't until afterwards that I scanned it and sent it to an expert that I found out it was Anglo Saxon."
Read the rest of this article...
The hooked tag dating back to the ninth century and weighing only 4.81g was described by senior archaeologist Claire Pinder as very uncommon.' The treasure was discovered by Martin Savage, of The Rise, Stratton, on a farm in Charminster last October when he was searching with his metal detector.
He said: "Initially I didn't realise what it was so I put it in my pouch and carried on metal detecting. It wasn't until afterwards that I scanned it and sent it to an expert that I found out it was Anglo Saxon."
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Tuesday, 30 September 2008
Ancient Saxons could hold up supermarket
REMAINS of a Saxon settlement could hold up the construction of a budget supermarket on land at Kingsteignton.
German supermarket chain Lidl, submitted pans to Teignbridge Council to build a 1,000 square metre supermarket on the old Wilcocks agricultural site at Newton Road.
Officers have recommended outline planning permission for the store, which could provide up to 30 jobs, be turned down.
Planners say the store would have a 'detrimental impact on the street scene' and to number 2 St Michael's Road, which Lidl owns and plans to sell on completion of the development.
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German supermarket chain Lidl, submitted pans to Teignbridge Council to build a 1,000 square metre supermarket on the old Wilcocks agricultural site at Newton Road.
Officers have recommended outline planning permission for the store, which could provide up to 30 jobs, be turned down.
Planners say the store would have a 'detrimental impact on the street scene' and to number 2 St Michael's Road, which Lidl owns and plans to sell on completion of the development.
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Saturday, 20 September 2008
Off-road biking for ancient site
A former landfill site which is also an Ancient Scheduled Monument could be turned into an off-road biking area.
The site in Dane Valley Road, Broadstairs, Kent, is currently used illegally for off-road biking and fly-tipping, Thanet District Council said.
The authority has received requests for it to be turned into an official motor biking area, Councillor Jo Gideon said.
But she said Anglo-Saxon remains were found there in the 1970s and some "may still be present".
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The site in Dane Valley Road, Broadstairs, Kent, is currently used illegally for off-road biking and fly-tipping, Thanet District Council said.
The authority has received requests for it to be turned into an official motor biking area, Councillor Jo Gideon said.
But she said Anglo-Saxon remains were found there in the 1970s and some "may still be present".
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Animated Bayeux Tapestry
This is a clever and amusing animation of the second part of the Bayeux Tapestry (from Harold’s coronation to his death in battle).
The animation was prepared by David Newton, a freelance graphic designer.
Watch the video...
The animation was prepared by David Newton, a freelance graphic designer.
Watch the video...
Sunday, 14 September 2008
Saxon graves found in Lakenheath
Some 450 graves have been found in Lakenheath after a discovery during recent roadworks.
The find of three Saxon graves has helped to define the size of one of the largest burial grounds in Suffolk, which has been part of a 10-year study by the archaeological services at Suffolk County Council.
During the last six to nine months, Jo Caruth, senior project officer for Archaeological Services, said the team have been monitoring roadworks taking place in RAF Lakenheath as the area was known for its ancient discoveries.
Read the rest of this article...
The find of three Saxon graves has helped to define the size of one of the largest burial grounds in Suffolk, which has been part of a 10-year study by the archaeological services at Suffolk County Council.
During the last six to nine months, Jo Caruth, senior project officer for Archaeological Services, said the team have been monitoring roadworks taking place in RAF Lakenheath as the area was known for its ancient discoveries.
Read the rest of this article...
Monday, 8 September 2008
Saxon grave 'couple' may have been two men
Archaeologists have unearthed the mysterious remains of what first appears to be a couple buried together arm in arm more than 1,000 years ago.
The amazing discovery shows the "couple" laying side by side in the grave with one's arm across the other.
But the discovery has left experts with a 1,000-year-old mystery.
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The amazing discovery shows the "couple" laying side by side in the grave with one's arm across the other.
But the discovery has left experts with a 1,000-year-old mystery.
Read the rest of this article...
Wednesday, 3 September 2008
The Viking and Anglo-Saxon Landscape and Economy (VASLE) Project
In the last fifteen years the role of metal-detected objects in the study of Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Scandinavian England has greatly increased through reporting to the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) and the Early Medieval Corpus (EMC). There are now thousands more artefacts and coins known than a decade ago which, in conjunction with fieldwork, have the potential to revolutionise our understanding of the early medieval period.
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Read the rest of this article...
Thursday, 19 June 2008
Saxon bowl on show
AN exciting archaeological find has been donated to Andover Museum.
The bronze, Saxon hanging bowl was discovered near Kimpton by local metal detectorist Michael Robbins.
He took it to the Hampshire finds liaison officer, Rob Webley, in Winchester.
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Mr Webley, whose post is part of the national portable antiquities scheme, said: "It was covered in mud and a far cry from its current appearance."
The bowl dates to between 600 and 700AD. Such bowls appear to accompany what archaeologists call sentinel burials of men on the edge of a tribal boundary. Intere-stingly the bowl was found near to a Bronze Age barrow cemetery, which was investigated by the Andover Archaeological Society in the 1970s. It's not unusual to find Saxon burials near to those of earlier periods.
Read the rest of this article...
The bronze, Saxon hanging bowl was discovered near Kimpton by local metal detectorist Michael Robbins.
He took it to the Hampshire finds liaison officer, Rob Webley, in Winchester.
advertisement
Mr Webley, whose post is part of the national portable antiquities scheme, said: "It was covered in mud and a far cry from its current appearance."
The bowl dates to between 600 and 700AD. Such bowls appear to accompany what archaeologists call sentinel burials of men on the edge of a tribal boundary. Intere-stingly the bowl was found near to a Bronze Age barrow cemetery, which was investigated by the Andover Archaeological Society in the 1970s. It's not unusual to find Saxon burials near to those of earlier periods.
Read the rest of this article...
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