News

PCA has made a remarkable discovery at Monksfields in Cambridgeshire – a Middle Neolithic cremation burial, the first ever recorded on the western Cambridgeshire claylands and only the second known in the county. Such burials remain a rare and poorly recognised phenomenon in the UK.

The cremated remains of two people, an adolescent or adult and a child, were found in a small pit without an urn, grave goods, or visible monument. Radiocarbon dating places the burial between 3364 and 3102 cal. BC (SUERC-130643 (GU69945)), offering a rare insight into life (and death) over 5,000 years ago.

The burial, just below a ridgeline with views over the Fox Brook (a tributary of the River Great Ouse), adds a crucial piece to the puzzle of Neolithic Cambridgeshire. Although it may not look spectacular, it represents a significant shift in our understanding of Neolithic traditions. Increasingly, non-monumental deposits of human remains are recognised as a significant yet underrepresented aspect of Neolithic funerary practices in Britain. A recent study documented just 46 such features across all of mainland Britain, highlighting how rare these discoveries are (Rowland & Thompson 2024).

The LAMAS (London and Middlesex Archaeology Society) annual conference will be a hybrid event again this year – in person at the Museum of London Docklands, with an option watch the lectures online. It takes place on Saturday 15th March, and tickets are now available here.

Harry Platts will be presenting the results of PCA excavations in Stratford. His talk A Late-Medieval Tannery at Stratford will explore evidence of leather production, from horncores to oak bark, parasite eggs to tanning pits. Harry will outline the development of the tannery, its connection to Stratford’s shifting economy and its ultimate decline in the 16th century. PCA will have a stall at the event if you want to pick up any of our current publications.

In the meantime, you can explore more about the site through these interpretation panels:

PCA Warwick have just started work on a site on the outskirts of a popular tourist town in the Cotswolds, and it’s already looking promising! The team are currently getting a handle on which of the features are real and which not but already they have uncovered worked bone pins, a glass bead and Romano-British pottery.

Previous work in the wider landscape suggests that this site sits on the fringes of a settlement occupied from at least the Bronze Age through to the Anglo-Saxon periods and could be the origins of the current town.

Its early days yet, but we’re looking forward to contributing to our understanding of the evolution of this popular destination.

It’s World Book Day!

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Our monograph series offers in-depth accounts of major excavations, while our Occasional Papers explore smaller projects and thematic connections across sites. Looking for something more accessible? Our fully illustrated booklets bring discoveries to life in a visually engaging way.

Shop here: https://www.pre-construct.com/publications/

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Our team had the privilege of visiting the Byward Tower to admire these fabulous medieval wall paintings. On the right, Archangel St Michael holds scales tipped by mischievous little demons, while Mary and John the Baptist stand to the left of what was once a dramatic Crucifixion scene. Centuries later, a Tudor fireplace – complete with a decorative rose – was added, reshaping this historic space. Thanks to HRP and Alf Hawkins for making this unforgettable visit possible!

This Chinese fire-breathing lion from Bermondsey Square is a very rare find! 

Dating to the 18th-century, the stoneware figurine’s design includes a spiral-patterned mane, green and honey-yellow glazes, and a hollow body, thought to hold incense. When lit, smoke emerges from its mouth to transform it into a fire-breathing lion. Possibly made in Fujian or Guangdong, it reflects the British fascination with Chinese imports during the 18th century, when objects like this became very fashionable.

Happy Chinese New Year!