In: News
Ask the Expert: Iron Age coins in Cambridgeshire
April 17, 2019The study of coins, and currency more generally speaking, is known as numismatics. In archaeology, numismatics can help us to ascertain precise dates and find out who occupied or passed through a particular site. They can also tell us about trade networks, belief systems and leadership. In this blog, find…
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Evidence of cremation in the archaeological record
April 11, 2019In this blog, we look at cremation urns, what they are, and what they mean for archaeologists. Our excavations along the route of the new A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme have led us to uncover fascinating stories about Cambridgeshire’s past populations and the discovery of human remains plays a…
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All Change Please! Exploring Birmingham’s minting history
March 8, 20191797 was the year that the first top hat debuted on top of a haberdasher’s head; the year that poet William Wordsworth was suspected of being a French spy whilst the war with France raged on; the Bank of England issued the first one-pound and two-pound notes, and the year…
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Ask the Expert: Senior Archaeologist
March 6, 2019This week, Emma Jeffery, Senior Archaeologist at MOLA Headland will be talking about the amazing archaeology of the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme at Current Archaeology Live. In this blog, we find out more about her role on the Highways England scheme and what happens next. What has your…
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How are x-rays helping archaeologists identify finds from A14C2H?
February 21, 2019X-rays are a non-destructive way of exploring metal archaeological finds in more detail. They allow our finds specialists to reveal the true form of heavily corroded items and get a glimpse of the very fabric of an object, meaning they can better understand how it was made, its condition and…
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Earliest physical evidence of beer making process in Britain discovered on the A14C2H improvement scheme
January 30, 2019Our archaeobotanist, Lara Gonzalez Carretero, has uncovered what is believed to be the earliest physical evidence for beer-making in the UK, dating back more than 2000 years to the Iron Age, on the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme. Evidence of early Iron Age porridge and bread-making has also been…
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Why do archaeologists get excited by named burials?
January 24, 2019Archaeological excavation at St James’s Piccadilly burial ground in Euston for HS2 is well underway and we are uncovering a large number of burials with surviving name plates. These plates allow us to identify the induvial buried. With over 40,000 burials expected to be excavated and roughly ten percent of…
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Meet the MOLA Headland trainees uncovering new careers in archaeology on HS2
January 17, 2019HS2’s archaeology programme is Europe’s biggest dig and is providing fascinating insights into the everyday lives of the people and communities who made modern Britain. It is also a great opportunity to bring fresh talent into the sector and upskill local people. In Birmingham, we’re working with partners: Laing O’Rourke…
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Local volunteers record gravestones of their 18th and 19th century forebears
December 22, 2018Over the summer an enthusiastic team of volunteers worked alongside our archaeologists to record the inscriptions of over 350 gravestones associated with St James’s burial ground in Euston, London. The gravestones are being studied for the HS2 archaeology programme. In this blog Community Engagement Officer, Paul McGarrity, tells us more….
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