There have been a number of archaeology stories in the news recently, and I thought it might be good to pull them together in one post for those of you thinking of an archaeology degree. I have said before that archaeology is one of the most dynamic forms of history in that ideas here change much faster than the main stream subject.
I think that it is noteworthy here that all three pieces of research use different technology and scientific methods. I have used the BBC links here, but you might like to consider other news reports to contrast how the matters are reported.
Here aerial archaeologist Toby Drive explains how the recent drought has helped him to discover a rare Roman fort and marching camp in Wales.
Here geophysical techniques have helped archaeologists find a medieval manor house in a Leicestershire village, which “disappeared” three centuries ago. The house, in Croxton Kerrial, near the Lincolnshire border, was last recorded in the 16th Century and had disappeared from maps by the 1790s.
Here the apparent remains of King Alfred in Winchester will be tested for validity. Invasive samples will be taken for carbon dating as well as isotope and oxygen analysis to show where the person in the coffin was born, brought up and even what they ate.
Mr Kydd.
