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Oct 25

Roman Winchester’s Southern Cemetery

By News, Recent Finds

Today, we’re excited to share a glimpse into Roman Winchester’s southern cemetery, where recent work has revealed an intriguing burial assemblage. The black vessel held a cremation and it was found with two bow brooches and two Samian dishes — one of which served as a protective lid over the cremation. This site has also revealed several inhumations. Though the cemetery along the Roman road is relatively well-known, each find continues to add new insights into burial customs and personal belongings of the time. #FindsFriday

Oct 21

MK Archaeology Day 2024

By News

Join us on Saturday, 2 November 2024, at the Central Library, Milton Keynes, where Mark Hinman and Judy Mlynarska will showcase some of the incredible archaeology uncovered during PCA’s recent excavations in the area.

Their presentation From Roundhouses to Roundabouts: Uncovering an Iron Age and Early Roman settlement at Milton Keynes East will be part of MK Archaeology Day, a free event open to all, with additional activities, displays, and talks throughout the day.

Sep 27

A Rare Discovery

By News, Recent Finds

#FindsFriday This week we have an exciting find – a silver minim of Caratacus, known as a Caratacus Car type, dating c. 40-43. Caratacus was one of the sons of Cunobelin and one of the rulers who fought against the incoming Romans.

Only one example of this coin was previously known, so this is only the second known example! The obverse has the letters CAR while the reverse depicts an eagle with three pellets. This remarkable find comes from an assemblage of Celtic coinage retrieved during recent excavations in Buckinghamshire.

Sep 18

It’s Not Just Pollen: Exploring the Micro-World of Palynomorphs

By News

PCA’s Head of Environment Jane Wheeler will be giving a talk to COLAS on 20 September titled “The secret micro-archaeological world of pollen & other pesky palynomorphs, including recent work in London.”

Palynomorphs, including pollen and spores, are critical for fully understanding past environments. Jane has been using these micro-tools in the post-excavation analysis of recent PCA London sites to reveal ancient landscapes and how people interacted with their environments.

By analyzing microscopic traces in sediment, Jane shows us how palynology helps unlock stories of climate, vegetation, and human activity—stories too small for the naked eye.

You can either attend in person at the church of St Olave, 8 Hart Street, London EC3R 7NB, or online by registering on Eventbrite (click to register).

Sep 06

Roman Southwark Day

By News

Join us at the Southwark Heritage Centre and Walworth Library for the latest insights into the archaeology of Roman Southwark.

When: 21 September, 11am to 3.30pm

Where: Southwark Heritage Centre and Walworth Library, 145 Walworth Road, London SE17 1RW

  • No booking is required for the morning session.
  • For the afternoon talks, spaces are limited, so please book your place here to ensure a spot.

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From 11am to 1pm, drop in to explore Roman artefacts from Southwark’s museum collections. PCA will have a stall alongside other leading archaeology companies. AOC will be showcasing their new In Situ 3D scanning tool, giving you the opportunity to explore Southwark’s oldest ‘mystery’ statue in a whole new way!

In the afternoon, from 1 to 3.30 there will be three talks from PCA, MOLA, and AOC, each focusing on different aspects of Roman Southwark. Ireneo Grosso will discuss PCA’s recent excavations in Southwark with a presentation on the southern cemetery. Additionally, Southwark’s borough archaeologist will provide an exciting update on the latest Roman sites.

This event is free and open to all.

Sep 06

Community Excavation in Winchester

By Central Winchester Regeneration, News

Over the summer, PCA has been working alongside the local community at Friarsgate Park in Winchester, the newly-opened green space next to the bus station. The dig concluded with a successful Family Archaeology Event, where around 100 people joined in the fun.

Attendees, particularly young people, had the opportunity to engage directly with history by discovering, washing, and drawing finds unearthed during the excavation. The event also included creative activities like pottery painting and tile design, inspired by the artefacts found on site. These types of events not only raise awareness about local heritage but also help foster an appreciation for archaeology.

This event marked the culmination of a six-week dig, which saw more than 120 community volunteers help uncover Winchester’s hidden history. Friarsgate Park, now fully developed, offers a welcoming space complete with seating, wildflower landscaping, and improved views of the River Itchen. It forms part of Central Winchester Regeneration, a broader effort to breathe new life into under-utilised areas while longer-term plans for the site are still being developed.

While some had called for a full-scale archaeological excavation akin to the one conducted before the construction of the Brooks Centre in the late 1980s, the city council decided on a more targeted approach. This strategy focused on key areas of interest, including the corner of Friarsgate and the bus station entrance, balancing the need for archaeological investigation with time and cost considerations.

The event was covered by the Hampshire Chronicle (click to read the article)

Sep 04

Everybody Needs Good Neighbours

By News

Mark Hinman will be presenting a talk titled “Everybody Needs Good Neighbours” to the St Neots Local History Society. He will explore the community networks of the Cambridgeshire claylands from 400 BC to AD 600, focusing on PCA’s large-scale excavation ahead of the Monksfield development, where evidence of continuous occupation spanning 700 years was revealed.

Where: Eynesbury C of E Primary School, St Neots, PE19 2TD

When: Friday 4th October 2024 7.30pm

Members- free; £5.00 – to non-members payable at the door

For more information and membership visit the St. Neots Local History Society website

Read more about the site here

Sep 02

New Publication: Bermondsey Square

By News

We’re thrilled to announce the release of our 26th monograph.

Bermondsey Square – Prehistoric and Roman Settlement, Medieval Abbey and Post-Medieval Mansion by Alistair Douglas is available now (click here to purchase)

Pre-Construct Archaeology’s excavations at Bermondsey Square began in 1998, on the scheduled site of the Cluniac Priory and Church of St Saviour. Redevelopment provided an opportunity for archaeological interventions focussed on western elements of the church, priory and abbey. These complement earlier investigations around the eastern parts of the priory. Subsequent excavations undertaken within the vicinity are also incorporated in this publication, while the extensive and rich artefactual, faunal and osteological assemblages recovered form a second volume.

 

Tantalising evidence of sporadic prehistoric occupation of north Southwark was revealed, spanning the neolithic to the later Iron Age. Occupation intensified in the Roman period, with field systems and structures indicative of agricultural activity. By the fourth century, two substantial masonry buildings had been constructed. These were later extensively quarried, plausibly to provide building material to enable the construction of a middle Saxon minster, or later Saxon church, in the location of the later priory.

An early Norman church and associated cloister garth were succeeded by extensive building campaigns which progressively enlarged the complex throughout the medieval period. Following the Dissolution in 1538, a courtyard-style building, Bermondsey House, was built from salvaged materials from the demolished abbey, directly over its foundations. Later, separate ranges were constructed to the east. A decline in fortune in the 18th century led to Bermondsey House being increasingly subdivided into separate households. The construction of Abbey Street in the early decades of the 19th century destroyed much of the church and later buildings but attracted the attention of the antiquarian John Chessel Buckler, whose records and illustrations have helped to inform our understanding of the archaeological remains.


 

 

Aug 23

Find of the Week

By News, Recent Finds

For #FindsFriday we have a stunning piece from the late 19th century—a beautifully moulded and enamelled clay tobacco pipe made by the renowned Paris company, Gambier. It’s a very rare find for London.

This pipe features the “Student” (Etudiant) design shown in their catalogues, a motif that was both fashionable and symbolic of the era’s social trends.

It was recovered during an ongoing excavation in Tower Hamlets. The East End was a melting pot of different cultures, particularly with the influx of immigrants during the 19th century. The nearby Tobacco Dock excavation produced at least one continental porcelain pipe that might have been associated with late 19th-century German refugees who owned shops there.