New and Forthcoming Books

Historic Whithorn

Archaeology and Development

RD Oram, PF Martin, CA McKean, T Neighbour

This survey gives an accessible and broad-ranging synthesis of the history and archaeology of Whithorn and the nearby Isle of Whithorn, and aims to inform conservation guidance for future development.

Historic Whithorn cover Situated at a southern tip of Galloway, in the old county of Wigtownshire, the historic burgh of Whithorn is one of the oldest Christian sites in the UK. The origins of the settlement date back to the mid-fifth century AD and the first monastery may have been founded in the sixth century. Traditionally the monastery is the burial place of St Ninian. By the tenth or eleventh century a town-like settlement had developed around the monastic site and in 1312–15 this was relocated to the line of what is now George Street. At around the same time the community was created a burgh of barony for the prior of Whithorn. Pilgrimage was a very profitable activity for the town and the nearby settlement of Isle of Whithorn, a port for pilgrims and goods.

The later Anglo-Saxon settlement at Bishopstone

A downland manor in the making

by Gabor Thomas

Sundial Well known for the Early Anglo-Saxon settlement previously excavated on Rookery Hill and its fine pre-Conquest parish church, Bishopstone has entered archaeological orthodoxy as a classic example of a ‘Middle Saxon Shift’.

Finds From the Frontier

Material culture in the 4th–5th centuries

edited by Rob Collins and Lindsay Allason-Jones

Finds front cover Finds from the Frontier brings together papers given at a conference held at Newcastle upon Tyne in 2008. Its aim is to elucidate the life of the 4th-century limitanei of Britain through their material culture. The papers consider whether the excavated artefacts justify the traditional implication that the period is one of declining standards and largely come to the conclusion that, on the contrary, the period was rich in artefacts that have much to tell us about the late frontier.

St Mary’s Abbey and The King’s Manor, York

The Pictorial Evidence

Barbara Wilson and Frances Mee

St Mary’s was the foremost Benedictine Abbey in the North of England.

St Mary's coverAfter the dissolution of the monasteries the Abbot’s Lodging, now known as the King’s Manor, became headquarters of the King’s Council in the North; it is now part of the University of York.

Historic Govan

Archaeology and Development

by Chris Dalglish and Stephen T Driscoll

With contributions by Irene Maver, Norman F Shead and Ingrid Shearer

This survey gives an accessible and broad-ranging synthesis of the history and archaeology of Govan, and aims to inform conservation guidance for future development.

Govan Cover Situated on the south bank of the river Clyde, just to the west of Glasgow, Govan to most people is synonymous with shipbuilding and social deprivation. Govan is, however, a remarkable place, with a history stretching back to the fifth or sixth century AD when it was a seat of royal and religious power. The church of Govan Old stands upon one of the oldest Christian sites in western Scotland. A key factor in its history has been its location at a major river crossing, where the Kelvin joins the Clyde, and the book also considers the role of Partick on the opposite bank in the medieval period.

Where Rivers Meet

The archaeology of Catholme and the Trent-Tame confluence

Simon Buteux and Henry Chapman

Where Rivers Meet This book is the story of an area of landscape in the English Midlands from earliest prehistory to around AD 900. Although it looks like a typical rural landscape, archaeological research, much of it in advance of quarrying, has revealed that this area has a long and remarkable history of occupation stretching back to the Ice Age.

Europe’s Lost World

The rediscovery of Doggerland

by Vincent Gaffney, Simon Fitch & David Smith

RR160: Doggerland

Winner of the 2010 Best Archaeological Book award

This book, which examines climate change in the past, will appeal to anyone with an interest in the history of the North Sea Basin, from archaeologists, geomorphologists and climatologists, to the interested public.

Human Remains in Archaeology

A Handbook

by Charlotte A Roberts

Human Remains cover This book, no 19 in the CBA Practical Handbook series, provides the very latest guidance on all aspects of the recovery, handling and study of human remains. It beings by asking why we should study human remains, and the ethical issues surrounding their recovery, analysis and curation, along with consideration of the current legal requirements associated with the excavation of human remains in Britain.

Historic Kirkintilloch

Archaeology and Development

by M Rorke, EP Dennison, Simon Stronach, and Russel Coleman

Historic Kirkintilloch This survey offers an accessible and broad-ranging synthesis of the history and archaeology of Kirkintilloch, Dunbartonshire, and aims to inform conservation guidance for future development.

Kirkintilloch lies at a key point in Scotland’s central belt. Here, by accident of geography, the Antonine Wall, ancient and modern route ways and the Forth and Clyde Canal pass within yards of each other. Here also, iron founding was added to the linen and cotton weaving industry giving Kirkintilloch an important role in Scotland’s nineteenth-century economic development.

Historic Tain

Archaeology and Development

by RD Oram, PF Martin, CA McKean, T Neighbour and A Cathcart

Historic Taincover Situated in Easter Ross and overlooking the Dornoch Firth, the historic burgh of Tain developed as a pilgrimage destination in the fourteenth century. Tain lay at the centre of an ‘Immunity’ around the shrine of St Duthac, where sanctuary could be sought. Both King James II and James III made pilgrimages to the shrine, and in 1588 its status as a royal burgh was confirmed.

Laying the Foundations

A history and archaeology of the Trent Valley sand and gravel industry

by Tim Cooper

Trent Valley cover The aggregates industry is perhaps the quintessential industry of the 20th century, quite literally shaping our world, but its history and archaeology have arguably been neglected. In this ground-breaking new book, the author Tim Cooper attempts to redress the balance with an in-depth but accessible study of the sand and gravel industry of the Trent Valley in the English Midlands.

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