Meadowsweeet to the grave

Now for something more positive about British archaeology (and British Archaeology). This morning Huw Williams, of BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland, reported the discovery of flower heads in a bronze age grave excavated at Forteviot, south of Perth, lying close to a bag and a small knife-dagger. The discovery came as work continues on the contents of the exceptional cist grave, whose large capstone was lifted in August to wide media attention. You can read the original story in the new British Archaeology.

The find settles years of controversy

There comes a time when you can’t resist it

Aubrey Hole 7 in 2008, as featured in Current Archaeology

I edit British Archaeology, undoubtedly the best such magazine Britain has ever seen. But there is another UK archaeology magazine, called Current Archaeology. Naturally we are often chasing the same discoveries and excavations, but I have always resisted referring to CA in BA (or here), tempting though it can be to point out CA’s errors, bloopers and the months (sometimes years) before it gets around to mangling a story first told in British Archaeology. That would just be rude.

Then along came their December issue, with

Remembering Timothy Bateson

Timothy Bateson (right) on Windmill Hill, with June Barrie and Martin Friend seated

One of the first things I did after leaving the Alexander Keiller Museum in 1984 was to write an Avebury guidebook. I hoped Shire might publish it, but John Rotheroe thought the market too small (though later he commissioned a guide from another author), so I decided to publish it myself – the start of what became Digging Deeper.

I had to get advance orders before the bank