David Barrowclough | University of Cambridge (original) (raw)

Books by David Barrowclough

This book tells the history of Cambridge from the earliest Roman and Anglo Saxon inhabitants thro... more This book tells the history of Cambridge from the earliest Roman and Anglo Saxon inhabitants through to the notorious Cambridge Spies, who actively spied for the Soviet Union in the 1950s. Told in an accessible manner, and illustrated throughout, the contents are:
1. Etheldreda: Born a Princess, Died a Saint
2. Vanquished by the Vikings: the sacking of Cambridge
3. Fire, Death and Murder at the Fairs: Stourbridge and Midsummer Fairs
4. Jousting Tournaments: history of jousts at Cambridge
5. The Black Death: death in Cambridge
6. Peasants' Revolt: attacks on Cambridge colleges during the revolt
7. Bloody Mary's Revenge on Cambridge
8. Burnt at the Stake: John Hullier, the Protestant Martyr
9. Bear-Baiting: cruel sport in Cambridge
10. Witches and Witchcraft: women killed for being witches
11. Bull-Baiting: more cruel Cambridge sports
12. The English Civil War: the fortification of Cambridge
13. Oliver Cromwell's Missing Head
14. Pressed for an Answer: Peine Forte et Dure
15. One in the Eye for Sir Isaac Newton
16. Highway Robbery: highway men in Cambridge
17. Branding: punishment for crimes
18. Bloody Burwell Fire: the death of 70 innocent people
19. Dick Turpin: his time hiding in Cambridge
20. Cockfighting: history of cockfighting at Cambridge
21. The Resurrection of Tristram Shandy - death of Laurence Stearne: grave robbers steal his body for dissection in the university
22. Cambridge Gallows: the tragedy of those hung at Cambridge
23. The Tragical Death of the Revd Samuel Reeve
24. The Chimneysweep Burglars: thefts from colleges
25. Elizabeth Woodcock and the Curse of the Three Tuns Inn
26. General Tom Thumb Causes a Riot
27. Sister Act: The Cambridge Arsenic Poisoners
28. The Three Tuns Inn: Den of Thieves
29. Burned Alive
30. Bloody Students: The Battle of Town and Gown
31. Fatal Bumps: death on the river Cam
32. Suffragette's Protest
33. The Great War: the role the university played in WWI
34. The Judases Who Betrayed from Within: the story of the Cambridge spies: Blunt, Burgess, Philby, MacLean, and others
35. The Enigma of the Second World War: the role Cambridge played in cracking the German enigma codes at Bletchley Park

Also attached are reviews of the book in the Cambridge News by Emma Higginbotham and a piece about Oliver Cromwell's Head, taken from the book.

Ely, Cambridgeshire, is known to tourists as an incredible city steeped in myth and legend and do... more Ely, Cambridgeshire, is known to tourists as an incredible city steeped in myth and legend and dominated by the Norman Cathedral, a masterpiece of medieval architecture. There have been many popular books written about the Isle, but in 'Ely: A Hidden History' the approach is to look at the longue duree of life on the isle focusing on continuity and change in cultural practices. The work combines the latest archaeological discoveries to tell the story of the settlement of the Isle from its earliest beginnings through to the seventeenth century. With vivid illustrations, the authors trace the origins of life in Ely, and bring the most recent archaeological excavations alive.

Topics covered include: the geological origins of the Isle of Ely, the first prehistoric settlement, including important archaeological sites at Haddenham, Wilburton and Barway. The foundation of the monastic centre by St Etheldreda, and the archaeological evidence for the Anglo Saxon foundations of the city, together with current thoughts on the site of St Etheldreda's first settlement. The story of Hereward the Wake, and his resistance against the Norman invaders. The Norman foundation of the cathedral and castle.

Key features of the book are discussion and synthesis of the latest research on the nationally important later Bronze Age hoard from Wilburton, and the Iron Age bog body from Soham, which highlight the importance of the Isle of Ely to British archaeology. The findings from Channel 4’s Time Team excavation of the medieval Broad Street are included, with illustrations, as are the stories of Hereward the Wake. Richly illustrated and extensively researched, this is a fascinating look at the early history of an amazing city.

What was life like for the prehistoric inhabitants of Lancashire? This is the first book to look ... more What was life like for the prehistoric inhabitants of Lancashire? This is the first book to look at the longue duree of the history of the county from the Mesolithic to the Iron Age period. What emerges is a picture of a complex society that changed and developed with the introduction of new technologies and influences from overseas. David Barrowclough provides a narrative of how life would have been for the early residents of this county and explains the monuments they left behind them in the landscape.

Out of this study emerges elements of a uniquely Lancastrian prehistoric cultural identity, which at the same time shared some of the core values of the wider British and European prehistoric period. With new data from a number of unpublished sites and exceptional illustrations, this book is of interest to both scholars and the general public.

Gods, deities, symbolism, deposition, cosmology and intentionality are all features of the study ... more Gods, deities, symbolism, deposition, cosmology and intentionality are all features of the study of early ritual and cult. Archaeology has great difficulties in providing satisfactory interpretation or recognition of these elusive but important parts of ancient society, and methodologies are often poorly equipped to explore the evidence. This collection of papers explores a wide range of prehistoric and early historic archaeological contexts from Britain, Europe and beyond, where monuments, architectural structures, megaliths, art, caves, ritual activity and symbolic remains offer exciting glimpses into ancient belief systems and cult behaviour. Different theoretical and practical approaches are demonstrated, offering both new directions and considered conclusions to the many problems of studying the archaeology of cult and ritual. Central to the volume is an exploration of early Malta and its intriguing Temple Culture, set in a broad perspective by the discussion and theoretical approaches presented in different geographical and chronological contexts.

Art and Archaeology: Unmasking Material Culture, volume editor David Barrowclough, General editor... more Art and Archaeology: Unmasking Material Culture, volume editor David Barrowclough, General editors David Barrowclough and Mary Chester-Kadwell.

Papers by:
Colin Renfrew: Foreward
David Barrowclough: Art and Archaeology, Unmasking Material Culture: Introduction
James O Young: Archaeology and Aesthetics
Susanne Kuchler: Art and Mathematics
Marcia Langton and Bruno David: Art as Social Momentum; Coming into Being in Yolnu Art
Martin Henig: Icons and Idols: Meeting Romans Through Their Art
Sam Smiles: Antiquity and Modern Art in Britain c.1930-1950
David Barrowclough: How Little Does it Take to Represent a Face?
Ian Whightman: Walking into Existence: Prehistory and the Sculpture of Richard Long
Christine Finn: Maybe Art or Artefact: Cornelia Parker and the Body Behind the Glass (Tilda Swinton and 'The Maybe')
Robert Williams: Disjecta Cogitata

Papers by David Barrowclough

The exhibition of the Seahenge timber henge circle and interior excarnation platform (Holme I) is... more The exhibition of the Seahenge timber henge circle and interior excarnation platform (Holme I) is reviewed from the point of view of both Early Bronze Age prehistory and Museum Studies. Critical comments are made regarding the display of an internationally significant heritage monument.

Cambridge: Red Dagger Press, Jul 2015

The publication of the sixth volume of the official history of the BBC, Pinkoes and Traitors: The... more The publication of the sixth volume of the official history of the BBC, Pinkoes and Traitors: The BBC
and the nation 1974‐1987 by Jean Seaton is reviewed. The book is found to contain numerous
errors, mis‐statements of facts and significant omissions rendering the book an unreliable source
for those researching either the history of the BBC or the impact of the BBC on Britain’s political
and cultural life. Seaton’s major errors and omissions are catalogued as an aid to future researchers
and alternative, more reliable, secondary sources identified.
KEYWORDS
BBC, HISTORY, BROADCASTING, TELEVISION, RADIO, BBC LOCAL RADIO, BBC NATURAL HISTORY UNIT, BRITISH
HISTORY, ASA BRIGGS, JEAN SEATON, HUW WHELDON, ALASDAIR MILNE, PLAY FOR TODAY, THE HITCHHIKER’S
GUIDE TO THE GALAXY, GARDENER’S QUESTION TIME, THE MOUSETRAP, HOWARDS’ WAY, THE THORN BIRDS,
LIFE ON EARTH, NEWSNIGHT, PANORAMA, I, CLAUDIUS, BOYS FROM THE BLACKSTUFF, EDGE OF DARKNESS, BLUE
PETER, BAGPUSS, THE WOMBLES, NATIONWIDE, GRANDSTAND, POT BLACK, THE GENERATION GAME, MATCH OF
THE DAY, BLACK AND WHITE MINSTREL SHOW, EASTENDERS, STARSKY AND HUTCH, MARK TULLY, GRAHAME C
GREENE, CHRISTOPHER ANDREW, TIMOTHY GARTON ASH, TOM BOWER, PAT LOUGHREY, DAVID MCKITTRICK,
BRYCE MCCRIRICK, KELVIN MACKENZIE, GILES OAKLEY, NAOMI SARGANT, RONNIE STONHAM, DAVID
ATTENBOROUGH, DERYCK COOKE, DERRICK AMOORE, SALLY DOGANIS, TIM EGGAR, AUSTEN KARK, SARA
NATHAN, STEWART PURVIS, STEWART PARKER, PHILLIP WHITEHEAD, TONY SMITH, ALASDAIR MILNE, AUBREY
SINGER, ANNA HOME, HUMPHREY BURTON MARK DAMAZER, FRANCESCA KIRBY‐GREEN, DONALD GRATTAN,
ALAN YENTOB, BROADCASTING STANDARDS COUNCIL

JSA 1.1 (2015) 153-155, 2015

The megaliths of Malta are a remarkable feat of engineering predating their better-known counterp... more The megaliths of Malta are a remarkable feat of engineering predating their better-known counterparts of Stonehenge in the west and the Egyptian pyramids to the east. Although far from ignored they have yet to benefit from the detailed treatment afforded to sites such as those in the Boyne Valley, Ireland; Orkney, Scotland; or of course, Stonehenge. Lomsdalen’s study may be seen as an attempt to address this imbalance by re-aligning studies of Malta’s Neolithic. There have already been detailed surveys of both megalithic monuments, notably by John Evans; and a contextual landscape study by Reuben Grima, who applied contemporary landscape theory and GIS analysis to the monuments’ topography. What Lomsdalen contributes is different, his focus is on a single monument complex, Mnajdra, albeit discussed in the light of what is known about the other ‘temples’. The benefit of this approach is that of depth over breadth. It is only by devoting an entire study to a single monument that space can be devoted to the intricacies of each specific ‘room’ within the structure.

Cambridge: Red Dagger Press, 2014

ABSTRACT An under theorized area of Dark and War Tourism studies concerns the appropriation of... more ABSTRACT

An under theorized area of Dark and War Tourism studies concerns the appropriation of tours for the perpetuation of political propaganda. Taking the case of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that separates North and South Korea this study demonstrates the extent to which heritage tours are used to present the political and military arguments of the South in order to persuade visitors of the justification of their actions in the ongoing conflict between North and South Korea.

KEYWORDS
DARK TOURISM, WAR TOURISM, HERITAGE, POLITICS, SOCIOLOGY, KOREAN WAR, NORTH KOREA, SOUTH KOREA, DMZ, PANMUNJEOM, MILITARY HISTORY, PROPAGANDA, PERSUASION, MANIPULATION, MILITARY HISTORY, CONFLICT STUDIES

Cambridge: Red Dagger Press, 2014

The exhibition of the Anglo-Saxon Staffordshire Hoard at Birmingham Museum and Gallery is reviewe... more The exhibition of the Anglo-Saxon Staffordshire Hoard at Birmingham Museum and Gallery is reviewed along with the accompanying publications ‘The Staffordshire Hoard’ and ‘Beasts, Birds and Gods: Interpreting the Staffordshire Hoard’ and the dedicated Staffordshire Hoard website. The exhibition is praised for its innovative approach in developing flexible displays, which can adapt to the findings of ongoing research, but criticized for the unclear juxtaposition of reconstructed and original artefacts, and cramped space within the ‘Treasury’. The publications are considered excellent, combining beautiful photography with modest cost, whilst the website is a useful additional resource containing a detailed gallery of photographs of use to both the serious scholar and student.

KEYWORDS
ANGLO-SAXON, EARLY MEDIEVAL, STAFFORDSHIRE HOARD, HOARDS, MATERIAL CULTURE, ANGLO-SAXON ICONOGRAPHY, MUSEUM STUDIES

British Numismatic Journal Vol 84, 2014, 2014

The discovery of twelve denarii found individually between 1985 and 1991 at New Fordey Farm, Barw... more The discovery of twelve denarii found individually between 1985 and 1991 at New Fordey Farm, Barway, Soham in Cambridgeshire complements finds of aurei and denarrii at the same location reported in 1958, 1979, 1981 and 1984. The presence of associated pottery sherds, and progressively decreasing wear from oldest to youngest coin, identify this as a disturbed hoard of at least 451 coins (the total found to date) with a closing date of AD 180 in the reign of Commodus (AD 180–92). This paper describes the most recent finds and places them in the context of the earlier reports and what is known of Roman activity in the immediate vicinity, before considering possible reasons for their deposition.

Archaeological Journal 171, 2014, Sep 2014

A rare Chalcolithic rolled-gold bead-like ornament dated to c. 2400–2200 cal. BC was found in ass... more A rare Chalcolithic rolled-gold bead-like ornament dated to c. 2400–2200 cal. BC was found in association with sherds of early Beaker ware in an Early Bronze Age Collared Urn burial dated
to c. 1545–1450 cal. BC. The grave was located at Pendleton, Lancashire. This paper reports on the AMS radiocarbon dates for the burial context along with X-ray composition analysis of the
gold ornament, which shows the object had a high platinum content consistent with alluvial, placer, deposits possibly originating in Brittany, France rather than the British Isles. This
unparalleled rolled-gold ornament is compared to the corpus of British and French rolled-gold ornaments and contemporary goldwork and a provenance, manufacture and biography of the find is explored. Both curation and fragmentation are considered in the context of a dated Beaker ware assemblage from the local domestic site of Lower Brockholes, Preston, as well as existing corpora of Beaker and Collared Urn ware from the region.

Cambridge: Red Dagger Press, 2014

Feasting equipment, copper‐alloy cauldrons and flesh‐hooks, are a distinctive feature of the late... more Feasting equipment, copper‐alloy cauldrons and flesh‐hooks, are a distinctive feature of the later Atlantic Bronze Age suggesting elements of a shared ideology whose ultimate origin may lie in the eastern Mediterranean. The easterly distribution of the earliest British cauldrons previously identified is further confirmed by the recent discovery of a Type Colchester example at Salle, Norfolk, which brings to three the number of cauldrons of this type found in the region. Similarities between them suggest their origin lies in a single workshop, if not individual craftsman. The appearance of the cauldrons found at Feltwell, Norfolk, and Salle is so close as to suggest a new ‘Feltwell’ Variant. Analysis of the contents of the Feltwell cauldron hint at the function of these intriguing objects as high status cooking vessels, most likely reserved for the chiefly class and deployed in the hosting of feasts which, along with flesh‐hooks, served to build and cement political alliances.

KEYWORDS
CAULDRON, FLESH‐HOOK, FEASTING, LATER BRONZE AGE, IDEOLOGY, BRONZE AGE CHRONOLOGY, METAL DETECTING

This study provides the first evidence for the extraction of lead in the later early medieval per... more This study provides the first evidence for the extraction of lead in the later early medieval period in Lancashire, in the North West of England. Archaeological evidence for human activity in the region during the later medieval period is modest, although the material culture that is known supports the historic accounts of settlement by people of Scandinavian origin, which is reinforced by studies of place names and local dialect. Investigation of two upland sites in the western Pennines, on Anglezarke and Rivington moors, indicates that lead was being extracted in the period c.680-1000 cal.AD, most likely from known veins at Lead Mines Clough. The emergence of extractive activity coincides with contact with the Norse who are known from both historic and archaeological evidence to have been present in Lancashire during the later early medieval period.

KEYWORDS
EARLY MEDIEVAL, LEAD, MINING, MINERAL EXTRACTION, MAGNETIC MEASUREMENT, SATURATION ISOTHERMAL REMANENT MAGNETISATION ASSAY, HEAVY METAL (LEAD) ASSAY, METALLURGY, UPLAND, PEAT, LANCASHIRE, ARCHAEOLOGY, ARCHAEOLOGICAL METHOD, NORSE ARCHAEOLOGY

Cambridge: Red Dagger Press, 2014

This study provides the earliest unambiguous evidence for the extraction of lead in Northern Euro... more This study provides the earliest unambiguous evidence for the extraction of lead in Northern Europe. Previous studies of early metal extraction have focused on copper ores in Ireland, with an increasing number of mines identified in western Britain, particularly in mid‐ and north‐Wales, in recent years. The evidence presented here focuses on the extraction of lead in the north‐west of England, extending our understanding of metal extraction beyond copper ores. Radiocarbon dating of sample sites to c.1800 cal.BC places anthropogenic activity in the British Early Bronze Age, challenging assumptions that lead was first utilised in the Middle Bronze Age period in Britain. Excavation of two Early Bronze Age burials, of contemporaneous date, found Collared Urn cremations with associated crystals of galena, placed as apparent grave offerings, inviting the possibility that they are the graves of putative mine workers.
KEYWORDS
EARLY BRONZE AGE, LEAD, MINING, MINERAL EXTRACTION, MAGNETIC MEASUREMENT, SATURATION ISOTHERMAL
REMANENT MAGNETISATION ASSAY, HEAVY METAL (LEAD) ASSAY, PREHISTORIC METALLURGY, COLLARED URN BURIAL,
UPLAND, PEAT, LANCASHIRE, ARCHAEOLOGY, ARCHAEOLOGICAL METHOD, EUROPEAN BRONZE AGE, BRITISH BRONZE AGE

Cambridge: Red Dagger Press, 2014

Consideration is given to how elements of the occult: witchcraft, magic and sorcery may be identi... more Consideration is given to how elements of the occult: witchcraft, magic and sorcery may be identified in the archaeological record. Working definitions of occult terminology are established before proceeding to propose a new approach, which triangulates data from historic and folkloric sources with archaeological evidence, to establish contextual narratives that stand for the past. Excavation of an occult ritual site at Barway, Cambridgeshire is presented to demonstrate how the approach works in practice. Archaeological evidence, combined with local folklore and historic accounts of spells and sorcery, identify the site as the locus of occult activity performed by cunning folk, or ‘white’ witches, during the seventeenth-century.

KEYWORDS
OCCULT, CUNNING FOLK, WITCH, WITCHCRAFT, SPELL, MAGIC, SORCERY, FOLKLORE, EAST ANGLIA, ELY, SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY, GRIMOIRE, PENDLE WITCH TRIAL, MATTHEW HOPKINS, JOHN STEARNE.

Cambridge: Red Dagger Press, 2014

The study shows how communal baking practices were used to establish a sense of community, and to... more The study shows how communal baking practices were used to establish a sense of community, and to establish and maintain feelings of mutual solidarity during the first half of the nineteenth century in the mill towns of northern England, taking the case of the Maudlands in Preston, Lancashire as an example. Two excavations of communal bakehouses set within terraced dwelling houses are presented, believed to be the first reported examples of this form of architecture. Combined with documentary evidence the study shows how food, and in particular baked bread, was deployed to ease the passage from rural to industrial life.
KEYWORDS
INDUSTRIAL ARCHAEOLOGY, FOOD, BREAD, COMMUNITY, IDENTITY, COTTON MILLS, BAKEHOUSE, OVEN, SOCIAL HISTORY

Also attached are reviews of the book in the Cambridge News by Emma Higginbotham and a piece about Oliver Cromwell's Head, taken from the book.

Cambridge: Red Dagger Press, Jul 2015

JSA 1.1 (2015) 153-155, 2015

Cambridge: Red Dagger Press, 2014

ABSTRACT An under theorized area of Dark and War Tourism studies concerns the appropriation of... more ABSTRACT

Cambridge: Red Dagger Press, 2014

KEYWORDS
ANGLO-SAXON, EARLY MEDIEVAL, STAFFORDSHIRE HOARD, HOARDS, MATERIAL CULTURE, ANGLO-SAXON ICONOGRAPHY, MUSEUM STUDIES

British Numismatic Journal Vol 84, 2014, 2014

Archaeological Journal 171, 2014, Sep 2014

Cambridge: Red Dagger Press, 2014

KEYWORDS
CAULDRON, FLESH‐HOOK, FEASTING, LATER BRONZE AGE, IDEOLOGY, BRONZE AGE CHRONOLOGY, METAL DETECTING

Cambridge: Red Dagger Press, 2014

KEYWORDS
OCCULT, CUNNING FOLK, WITCH, WITCHCRAFT, SPELL, MAGIC, SORCERY, FOLKLORE, EAST ANGLIA, ELY, SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY, GRIMOIRE, PENDLE WITCH TRIAL, MATTHEW HOPKINS, JOHN STEARNE.

Cambridge: Red Dagger Press, 2014

Journal of Visual Culture, 2014, 2014

This article explores how we might use artistic representations to protect future generations fro... more This article explores how we might use artistic representations to protect future generations from the dangers inherent in the burial of radioactive waste, taking the work of artists Bryan McGovern Wilson and Robert Williams in Cumbria, north-west England, as a case study. Art has been a means of long-range communication since prehistoric times, and may be deliberately deployed to
communicate with future generations. Contemplation of Wilson and Williams’s practice invites us to consider the longue dure´e of hundreds of thousands of years over which radiocarbon waste produced by nuclear power stations has to be stored safely away from humans. Adapting an Annales historical perspective, Cumbria’s archaeological past is interrogated for evidence of how we might construct monuments that communicate the presence of nuclear waste depositories to future generations. This in turn, and prompted by Wilson’s performance works, invites us to consider whether oral tradition and performance might serve better as a warning to future generations.

Landscape History, 2014, 2014

The Local Historical and Cultural Society 2013 No. 28, 3-40, 2013

In this paper I propose a tripartite model for understanding the organization of local history st... more In this paper I propose a tripartite model for understanding the organization of local history studies in England. The aim is to review the current state of local history studies, using Cambridgeshire as a case study to illustrate local history studies in action. The advantage of the tripartite model is that it enables a more nuanced study of the different elements that constitute local history studies, such as the local archaeology, allowing for study of the interaction between different elements and evaluation of each.

Cumbrian Alchemy 2013, 2013

This article explores how we might use artistic representations to protect future generations fro... more This article explores how we might use artistic representations to protect future generations from the dangers inherent in the burial of radioactive waste, taking the work of artists Bryan McGovern Wilson and Robert Williams in Cumbria, north-west England, as a case study. Art has been a means of long-range communication since prehistoric times, and may be deliberately deployed to communicate with future generations. Contemplation of Wilson and Williams’s practice invites us to consider the longue duree of hundreds of thousands of years over which radiocarbon waste produced by nuclear power stations has to be stored safely away from humans. Adapting an Annales historical perspective, Cumbria’s archaeological past megalithic monuments are interrogated for evidence of how we might construct monuments that communicate the presence of nuclear waste depositories to future generations. This in turn, and prompted by Wilson’s performance works, invites us to consider whether oral tradition and performance might serve better as a warning to future generations.

PAST The Newsletter of the Prehistoric Society, No 75, 6, 2013

Proceedings of the Cambridge Antiquarian Society 2013, 2013

A metalwork hoard dated to the Wilburton phase of the later Bronze Age, found at Barway close to ... more A metalwork hoard dated to the Wilburton phase of the later Bronze Age, found at Barway close to the Isle of Ely in the Cambridgeshire Fens, is reported. Consideration of the hoard, in the context of later prehistoric hoarding in the local landscape, reveals that particular sorts of artefacts were associated with particular places in the landscape. In particular a strong association between later Bronze Age hoards and causeways connecting the Isle of Ely to the outside world is identified, and an interpretation suggested. This study demonstrates the potential of a detailed contextual approach for providing a more nuanced understanding of later Bronze Age metalwork deposition that moves away from a simplistic wet-dry dichotomy.

ABSTRACT The Jacobean era's infamous witchcraft trials are recalled after reservoir repairs clos... more ABSTRACT
The Jacobean era's infamous witchcraft trials are recalled after reservoir repairs close to Pendle Hill reveal a buried cottage with bricked‐up cat. Interpretations of the building as the site of Malkin Tower, recorded in court records as the venue of a witches coven are critically evaluated in the light of archaeological and historical evidence.

KEYWORDS
WITCH, PENDLE WITCH TRIALS, PENDLE HILL, MALKIN TOWER, FOLK BELIEF, MAGIC, LANCASTER ASSIZES, WISE WOMEN, CUNNING FOLK, ARCHAEOLOGY, HISTORY, SEVENTEENTHCENTURY, ALIZON DEVICE, SALEM WITCHES, THOMAS POTTS, LOWER BLACK MOSS, ELIZABETH SOUTHERNS, DEMDIKE, ELIZABETH DEVICE, JAMES DEVICE, ANNE WHITTLE, CHATTOX, ANNE REDFERNE, JANE BULCOCK, JOHN BULCOCK, ALICE NUTTER, KATHERINE HEWITT, ALICE GRAY, JENNET PRESTON, GUNPOWDER PLOT, CAT

Proceedings of the Cambridge Antiquarian Society Vol XCVIX 2010, 2010

In "A ‘Splendid Idiosyncrasy’: Prehistory at Cambridge 1915-50" Pamela Jane Smith charts the deve... more In "A ‘Splendid Idiosyncrasy’: Prehistory at Cambridge 1915-50" Pamela Jane Smith charts the development of prehistoric archaeology from an amateur ‘haphazard’ pastime to a fully ledged academic discipline. Smith argues persuasively that the formalization of prehistory as a university subject emerged
out of the daily round of informal exchanges centred around the tearoom of the Cambridge University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. The convivial atmosphere engendered by the exchange of tea and cakes established a close relationship of trust amongst the participants which necessarily prepared the way for academic exchanges. Reflecting the centrality of food and drink in Smith’s analysis of the birth of prehistory, the Editors broke with the recent tradition of book reviews in these 'Proceedings' to talk to Pamela Jane Smith over a convivial lunch at Wolfson College, Cambridge. What follows is an annotated transcript of our conversation, which critically reviews her recent study.

Cambridge: Red Dagger Press, Feb 2015

The year 2015 marks the passing of the first fifty years of Wolfson College, Cambridge. In celebr... more The year 2015 marks the passing of the first fifty years of Wolfson College, Cambridge. In celebration of this a pictorial history of the College at the turn of the millennium is presented. This history recalls the College from the perspective of the students’, including the sporting activities of both Wolfson College Boat and Cricket Clubs, as well as of the student led AMAL Club, the Annual Summer Garden Party and the various excursions held during the year.

KEYWORDS
WOLFSON COLLEGE CAMBRIDGE, UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE, HISTORY, WOLFSON COLLEGE BOAT CLUB, WOLFSON COLLEGE CRICKET CLUB, WOLFSON COLLEGE AMAL CLUB, FORMAL HALL, WOLFSON COLLEGE ANNUAL SUMMER GARDEN PARTY, PUNTING, AUDLEY END HOUSE, BRANCASTER, NORWICH

Cambridge: Red Dagger Press, Jan 2015

The Archaeology and Anthropology (Arch and Anth) Tripos is a hundred years old in 2015. To mark t... more The Archaeology and Anthropology (Arch and Anth) Tripos is a hundred years old in 2015. To mark the centennial the activities of the Department and Archaeological Field Club (AFC) around the turn of the millennium from 1999 to 2003 are recalled through photographs and the personal memories of the author. As with all history and historiography, this is a fragmentary and partial account of those years, dictated by the activities captured on film and by the memory of the author, nonetheless it provides a resource for those whose research focuses on the historiography of archaeology and academic departments, as well as rekindling memories amongst those who lived through and participated in the events recalled. In particular it proves informative not only on the range of archaeological fieldwork undertaken at Cambridge, but also on the levels of student diversity in the realms of gender, ethnicity, nationality, age, disability and socio-economic family background.

KEYWORDS
ARCHAEOLOGY, BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, CAMBRIDGE, ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELDCLUB (AFC), TROINA, ALS, EVORA, ICKLINGHAM, WESSEX FIELDTRIP, BOYNE VALLEY, KNOWTH, DOWTH, NEWGRANGE, JESUS COLLEGE, WOLFSON COLLEGE, COLIN RENFREW, JANE RENFREW, CHARLES FRENCH, CATHERINE HILLS, MARIE LOUISE STIG SØRENSEN, JD HILL, SAM LUCY, CORNELIUS HOLTORF, ELIZABETH DEMARRAIS, DAVID REDHOUSE, PRESTON MIRACLE, PAUL BAHN, MARTIN JONES, DILIP CHAKRABARTI, CARLOINE MALONE, SIMON STODDART, DAVID BARROWCLOUGH, MARY CHESTER-KADWELL, PIPPA PAYNE, MARY LEIGHTON, EMMA ROUSE, NAJAT EL HAFI, MEGAN GOOCH, KATE ROBERTS, ALICE STEPHENSON, JO WILSON, GRAHAME APPLEBY, LAURA BURNETT, ANDREW SHAPLAND, JANE MATTHEWS, RIK SAYER, NICK GILMOUR, NAOMI FARRINGTON, JUDY STANWELL, FRANCIS MORRIS, JULIE TAYLOR, HELEN FAIRCLOUGH, CATHERINE COOPER, ALEKS PLUSKOWSKI, PIP PATRICK, KIERAN WESTLEY, MATT BRUDENELL, FRASER STURT, ALI DRAPER, KATIE BARNES, ALLEGRA STRATTON, ADAM SCOTT, ANNE CLIFFORD, BRONWEN PRICE, FELICITY MCNAE, TEAGAN SCHWEITZER, V. KYRIAKEDIS, POLLY GROOM, E. LAURIE, HELEN FARR, J. MEADE, C. BOSTON, R. EVANS, NICO TYACK, ALISON LEPPARD, J. MOODY, H. MARSHALL, RUTH EVANS, JO BENDING, JESS TIPPER, SHEILA KOHRING, SARAH PARCAK, LILIANA JANIK, SIMON KANER, LINA TAHAN, GIANA AYALA, NICOLE BOIVIN, LEO WEBLEY, DAVID BERESFORD JONES, MARY-CATE GARDEN, IAIN MORLEY, LAMBROS MALAFOURIS, JESSICA RIPPENGAL.

Cambridge: Red Dagger Press, Oct 19, 2014

The identification of deviant burials as those of ‘vampires’ is a feature of excavated skeletons ... more The identification of deviant burials as those of ‘vampires’ is a feature of excavated skeletons from sites across Eastern, Central and Southern Europe as well as the Balkans. Based on a close reading of historic and folkloric sources researchers have sought to match features of excavated sites with narrative descriptions drawn from vampire legend and myth. This study critically reviews the recent claims based on sites in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Poland and Slovakia. Whilst it is found that there was a widespread belief in vampires across Europe, it is argued that it is difficult to make absolute claims for ‘vampire’ burials on archaeological grounds as in most cases there are alternate and equally compelling interpretations of the data.

KEYWORDS
ARCHAEOLOGY, HISTORY, SIXTEENTH CENTURY, SEVENTEENTH CENTURY, VAMPIRE, DEVIANT BURIAL, PLAGUE, BLACK DEATH, FOLKLORE, PAGAN, BURIAL, WITCH, BALKANS, EASTERN EUROPE, CENTRAL EUROPE, SOUTHERN EUROPE, BULGARIA, CZECH REPUBLIC, POLAND, GREECE, ITALY, SLOVAKIA, LESBOS, VENICE, APOTROPAIC, VAMPIRIDZHIJA, PERPERIKON, SOZOPOL, PROSTEJOV, CELAKOVICE, DRAWSKO, GLIWICI, SOUTHWELL, KILTEASHEEN, LAZZARETTO NUOVO, NACHTZEHRER, KAMIEN POMORSKI

Cambridge: Red Dagger Press, Oct 9, 2014

Data for the dating of the earliest human art from cave sites at Maros in Sulawesi, Indonesia; La... more Data for the dating of the earliest human art from cave sites at Maros in Sulawesi, Indonesia; Lascaux, Pech Merle, and Chauvet in southern France, and Altamira and El Castillo in Spain are reviewed. Arguments that western Europe was the locus for the development of artistic expression are evaluated and challenged in the light of the dates obtained for Maros cave. The weight of evidence now points to the widespread presence of parietal art across the Eurasian continent from c.40,000 BP, the ultimate origin of which may lie in the African continent c.60,000 BP. This contradicts the Eurocentric notion that a creative explosion took place uniquely in western Europe c.40,000, leading to the establishment of human culture. A further consequence of the dating evidence from Maros cave is to undermine the theory that Neanderthals were the creator of the earliest cave art. As the distribution of Neanderthals was limited to Europe they cannot be relied upon to explain paintings in Asia, which either predate or are contemporary with those found in Europe.

KEYWORDS
PLEISTOCENE, UPPER PALAEOLITHIC, ORIGINS OF ART, PARIETAL ART, CAVE ART, MAROS CAVE, LASCAUX CAVE, PECH MERLE CAVE, CHAUVET CAVE, ALTAMIRA CAVE, EL CASTILLO CAVE, NEANDERTHAL, CREATIVE EXPLOSION, COGNITION

Cambridge: Department of Archaeology, 2001

The production of Anglo-Saxon cut halfpennies and farthings has been a hitherto neglected area of... more The production of Anglo-Saxon cut halfpennies and farthings has been a hitherto neglected area of research. Metcalf (1978) proposed that cut fractions were produced in the mints where chisels were used to cut pennies into smaller denominations. The mints were therefore responsible for officially issuing the currency and for controlling its circulation. His theory was upheld with little more than anecdotal evidence. Using a previously unstudied collection of eighty cut fractions Metcalf’s theory was tested for the first time. Having created a reference collection of the characteristics of cuts made by different types of tool each coin was microscopically examined to determine how it had been cut. It was found that Anglo-Saxon cut fractions were manufactured in a systematic manner using a chisel to make the cut. This finding offers the first independent evidence to support Metcalf’s explanation of cut coin production.

Cambridge: Red Dagger Press, 2014

I recently had the opportunity to review Alex Gibson’s thought provoking volume, 'Enclosing the N... more I recently had the opportunity to review Alex Gibson’s thought provoking volume, 'Enclosing the Neolithic: Recent studies in Britain and Europe'. That review, to which the reader is directed for further commentary, identified as a weakness the uneven spread of regional case studies, and in particular the omission of studies from the West Country, Wales and North West England, which are so important in understanding the Irish Sea Zone. The aim of this paper is to address this with regard to the material from the North West of England, and in particular Cumbria. This paper is therefore meant to be read in conjunction with Gibson’s edited volume.

Cambridge: Red Dagger Press, 2014

The relationship between the need to preserve archaeological sites and the needs of mass tourism ... more The relationship between the need to preserve archaeological sites and the needs of mass tourism has often proved problematic, as the various papers in this volume demonstrate. The aim of this chapter is to further refine the problem and to show how an integrated approach, which combines the requirements of both archaeology and the tourist industry, is being implemented in Malta for the purpose of promoting sustainable local development.

Proceedings of the Cambridge Antiquarian Society Vol XCVIII, 2009, 2009

CONTENTS Obit: Mary Desborough Cra’ster, 1928–2008, John Pickles, Peter Gathercole, and Alison T... more CONTENTS
Obit: Mary Desborough Cra’ster, 1928–2008, John Pickles, Peter Gathercole, and Alison Taylor
A Fen Island in the Neolithic and Bronze Age: Excavations at North Fen, Sutton, Cambridgeshire, Leo Webley and Jonathan Hiller
A fen island burial: excavation of an Early Bronze Age round barrow at North Fen, Sutton, Aileen Connor
The Bartlow Hills in context, Hella Eckardt with Amanda Clarke, Sophie Hay, Stephen Macaulay, Pat Ryan, David Thornley and Jane Timby
Senuna, goddess of the river Rhee or Henney, Stephen Yeates
A Reappraisal of the Evidence for the ‘northern arm’ of the Fleam Dyke at Fen Ditton, Scott Kenney
An excavation at Station Quarry, Steeple Morden, Cambridgeshire, Laura Piper and Andrew Norton
Excavations at Scotland Road/Union Lane, Chesterton, Duncan Mackay
A Curious Object from Firs Farm, Caxton, Aileen Connor
A morphological analysis of Ickleton, Cambridgeshire: An admission of defeat, Christopher Taylor
Funerals, the final consumer choice? Ken Sneath
The ‘Age of the Windmill’ in the Haddenham Level, N James
Upware and Bottisham Sluices, K S G Hinde
Changes in the landscape of west Cambridge, Part V: 1945 to 2000, Philomena Guillebaud
The C.A.S. Collection of Cambridgeshire ‘Sketches’ J.D. Pickles
Fieldwork in Cambridgeshire 2007, Elizabeth Shepherd Popescu and Sarah Poppy
Reviews, Tim Malim and Sue Oosthuizen

Archaeological Review from Cambridge, Nov 2005

Issues of Food and Drink: An Interdisciplinary Approach, Volume editor Sarah Ralph, General Edito... more Issues of Food and Drink: An Interdisciplinary Approach, Volume editor Sarah Ralph, General Editors David Barrowclough and Mary Chester-Kadwell.

Papers:
Sarah Ralph: Preface
Michael Dietler: Introduction: Embodied Material Culture
F. Hagen and H. Koefoed: Private Feasts at Deir el-Medina
Sarah Ralph: Eat, Drink and Be Roman?
I. Danaher: Food for Thought
F. Mozota and A. Romero: Food, Drink and 'the Other' in the Celtiberian City-state of Segeda I
R. Clark: Glass Vessels in 'Lundenwic'
P. Patrick: An Arcaheology of Overindulgence
J. Tocancipa-Falla: 'De la nata y el ripio' Drinking Coffee, Changes and Social Notions of Quality in Colombia
P. Brusaferro: Ethical Authenticity, Artefacts and Value Systems
David Barrowclough: Community Spirit: Distilling Scottish Identity, the case of Strathblane

Archaeological Review from Cambridge, Apr 2005

Active Landscapes: Palaeolithic to Present, Volume editor Mary Chester-Kadwell, General editors D... more Active Landscapes: Palaeolithic to Present, Volume editor Mary Chester-Kadwell, General editors David Barrowclough and Mary Chester-Kadwell.

Papers:
Mary Chester-Kadwell: Preface
Graeme Barker: Introduction
B. Croxford: Real and Unreal Landscapes
Felix Reide: 'To Boldly Go Where No (Hu-) Man has Gone before' Some Thoughts on Pioneer Colonisation of Pristine Landscapes
David Barrowclough: Dancing in Time: Activating the Prehistoric Landscape
Sarah Ralph: Constructive Consumption: Feasting in Iron Age Britain and Europe
Mary Chester-Kadwell: Metal-Detector Finds in Context: New Light on 'Dark Age' Cemeteries in the Landscape of Norfolk
Megan Meredith-Lobay: Memory, Landscapes and the Early Historic Monasteries of Scotland
Kevin Lane and Alexander Herrera: Archaeology, Landscapes and Dreams: Science, Sacred Offerings and the Practice of Archaeology

Archaeological Review from Cambridge, Nov 2004

Reconsidering Ethnicity: Material Culture and identity in the Past, Volume editors Susanne Hakenb... more Reconsidering Ethnicity: Material Culture and identity in the Past, Volume editors Susanne Hakenbeck and Steven Matthews, General Editors David Barrowclough and Mary Chester-Kadwell.

Papers:
S. Hakenbeck: Reconsidering Ethnicity
J. Bergstol: Creoles in Iron Age Norway?
J. McCarthy: Extraordinary Uses of Objects
S. Hakenbeck: Ethnic Tensions in Early Medieval Cemeteries in Bavaria
S. Matthews: Gesture, Gender, Ethnicity
R. Benjamin: Building a Black British Identity Through Archaeology
C. Phillips: Ethnicity and Identity
L. Tahan: The Archaeology of Ethnicity in Lebanon
S. Matthews: Conclusion

Archaeological Review from Cambridge, Apr 2004

Archaeological Review from Cambridge, Nov 2003

Contending with Human Bones. Volume editor by Mary Baxter, General editors David Barrowclough and... more Contending with Human Bones. Volume editor by Mary Baxter, General editors David Barrowclough and Susanne Hakenbeck.

Papers by:
M. Baxter: Contending with Human Bones
C. Roberts: Bees in My Bonnet
T. Molleson: The Archaeology of Family Planning and the Role of Infanticide
M. Baxter: Corporeal Realities, or Flesh and Blood as well as Bone
F. Hutton: Skeletons in the Prehistoric Closet
C. Catuna: Exquisite Corpses
D. Gheorghia: Invisible Presences and Clay Ancestors

Archaeological Review from Cambridge, Nov 2003

Contending with Animal Bones, N Milner and D Fuller (Volume eds), D Barrowclough and S Hakenbeck ... more Contending with Animal Bones, N Milner and D Fuller (Volume eds), D Barrowclough and S Hakenbeck (General Eds).
Papers:
J Stewart: Bones as Sedimentary Particles
R. Luff: Ancient Egyptian Bone Preservation
N. Winder: Estimating the Life Expectancy of a Dead Goat
N. Milner: Pitfalls and Problems in Analysing and Interpreting the Seasonality of Faunal Remains
S. Monton: Archaeozoology in Spain
J. Bruck: Different Types of Dog at Roman Godmanchester

BBC Radio, Apr 2015

Interview about my research

Cambridge News, 2015

Interview for the Cambridge News with Emma Higginbotham about Bloody British History: Cambridge. ... more Interview for the Cambridge News with Emma Higginbotham about Bloody British History: Cambridge. Includes discussion of Oliver Cromwell's Head, with photo, and also Bear-Baiting, Body-Snatching and the death of Laurence Sterne, Witchcraft and Dick Turpin's hideout in Cambridge at the Three Tuns Inn.

BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

BBC Radio discussion about my archaeological and historical research and publications.

Ely Standard (Newspaper) interview with my about my research and publications about Ely and its e... more Ely Standard (Newspaper) interview with my about my research and publications about Ely and its environs.

Cambridge News, 2013

Interview with the 'Cambridge News' about my research in and around Ely, Cambridgeshire.

Ely Standard

Interview with the Ely News newspaper about my archaeological and historical research and publica... more Interview with the Ely News newspaper about my archaeological and historical research and publications.

Eastern Daily Press Interview about my research in and around Ely

Ely News (Newspaper)

Newspaper story about Medieval Pottery Project at the Museum in Ely, Cambridgeshire. Discusses re... more Newspaper story about Medieval Pottery Project at the Museum in Ely, Cambridgeshire. Discusses research on medieval pottery production at Ely, including 'Ely Ware', and the new display of the pottery.

The Independent, 2011

Interview with The Independent newspaper about my archaeological and historical research and publ... more Interview with The Independent newspaper about my archaeological and historical research and publications.

Current Archaeology

Article about archaeological project with discussion about the findings. Photograph of myself.

Independent Television News (ITV), Anglia Region

ITV Anglia News discussion about my archaeological and historical research and publications.

Current Archaeology

Book review of 'Prehistoric Cumbria' by David Barrowclough in Current Archaeology magazine.

BBC Radio Cumbria

BBC Radio discussion about my archaeological and historical research and publications.

BBC Radio Lancashire

BBC Radio discussion about my archaeological and historical research and publications.

BBC TV

One image dominates our contemporary world above all others: the human body. How Art Made the Wor... more One image dominates our contemporary world above all others: the human body. How Art Made the World travels from the modern world of advertising to the temples of classical Greece and the tombs of ancient Egypt to solve the mystery of why humans surround themselves with images of the body that are so unrealistic.

The main theme of this episode is how people rarely created images of the body that are realistic. By understanding this we also understand something about our bodies, and human nature in general.

The Venus of Willendorf, in the Natural History Museum in Vienna, is a small Venus figure with exaggerated breasts, hips and sexual organs. These exaggerations are symbolic of fertility, what is significant is that the artist ignored other parts of the body, such as her face and arms. Similar Venus figures with similar exaggerations and omissions have been found all over Europe and Russia. Professor Ramachandran explains why features were exaggerated. By making comparisons to research with Herring Gulls showing how their chicks, which are stimulated by the red stripe on their parents beaks, can be over stimulated by simulating a beak with additional stripes. He suggests that the same neurological process stimulated early man, explaining why they exaggerated these features of fertility over others.

Moving forward several thousand years. The Egyptians, who valued consistency and order in their society, abandoned the exaggerations of their ancestors and chose to use a mathematical approach to creating images of the body. They chose to show each part of the body from it’s clearest angle, developing their recognisable style and then preserving this style for thousands of years. When the Ancient Greek’s culture came into contact with the Egyptians, this ignited an artistic revolution across the Greek city states. The Greek culture wanted a more realistic representation of the figure for their temples, and as with the Kritios Boy, they measured and reproduced the body to exact dimensions in their sculptures. A generation later, however, the Greeks abandoned this ultra realism preferring exaggerated representations of the body based on the aestetic theories created by Polykleitos, such as the Riace Bronzes. Prof Ramachandran explains that art needs this exaggeration to be interesting.

The programme concludes with what we choose to exaggerate, saying this “is where the magic comes in”. The choice of what to exaggerate has changed over the centuries to match changing human values.

BBC TV

The discovery of prehistoric cave paintings in the nineteenth century led to the shocking realisa... more The discovery of prehistoric cave paintings in the nineteenth century led to the shocking realisation that humans have been creating art for over 30,000 years. Episode two reveals how the very first pictures were created, and how images may have triggered the greatest change in human history.

To discover the first two dimensional paintings we need to look at the art created in caves such as Altamira, Chauvet and Lascaux; these were created roughly 35,000 years, the time Archeologists identify with a ‘creative explosion’.

The first of these cave paintings were discovered in Altemira by Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola, and his 8yr old daughter Maria, in 1879. The paintings they discovered on the walls of the caves were of animals such as aurochs, a long extinct relative of the bison. As these matched similar stone-age images he had seen, Sautuola concluded they were prehistoric. When the caves were opened to the public, however, they were considered a hoax, and unfortunately despite trying to clear his name, his discovery was not scientifically accepted until long after his death. Following this the caves of Lascaux and Chauvet came to light, and it is said that when Picasso saw images of the caves he declared “we have learned nothing”.

Today artists create images of every aspect of life, but back then the images were almost exclusively of animals, in particular horses, bison and reindeer. The expert Henri Breuil believed the paintings to be linked to rituals that increased the chances of a successful hunt, however more recent archeology has shown that the animals depicted were not those eaten by the people of the time. In addition some of the paintings were in very hard to reach areas of the caves and featured dots and lines. However, it is easy to take a modern view such as this and miss the point completely, that being how did we learn to project our 3D world into 2D.

There are very similar paintings to be found in the Drakensburg Mountains of South Africa, however unlike their European cousins, these were not produced thousands of years ago, but much more recently. These images were produced by the San “bush men” and although they do not produce paintings like this today, Professor David Lewis Williams discovered papers from the late nineteenth century by a German settler that documented the life and rituals of the San people. It became clear to Williams that their religion was based around traveling in a trance state to a spirit world and that they documented in these pictures their experiences of the trance. Often these transitory states involved animals, and the animals depicted were normally large or powerful, such as the Eland, that were respected by the San people. Williams also noticed another similarity with their European counterparts, that of the dots and lines.

Research into altered states, such as the trances of the San people, show that on entering these states, visual disturbances similar to migraine aura that involved lines and dots occur. Furthermore, these images can also be produced through sensory deprivation, for example from being placed deep in a cave for a long time. Prehistoric people, it appears, had hallucinations , which took the form of things that were close to them, such as the horses, bison and aurochs. These hallucinations were remembered and prehistoric people then recreated them on the walls of their caves.

Returning to the European palaeolithic caves, it seems that 12,000 years ago people stopped painting. We don’t know why, but the discovery of Göbekli Tepe, in Southern Turkey may hold the answer. When excavated the site revealed monolithic pillars built around 12,000 years ago, dated to just the time that the paintings in caves seem to stop. These stone pillars feature carvings of animals such as those in the caves. The effort in creating these stone pillars would have required considerable labour and organisation, the workers for example, all needed feeding. Recent research has shown that modern wheat can be traced to wild wheat that grows within 20 miles of this site, which has lead scholars to speculate that this was the birthplace of agricultural farming and, in turn, complex society,'civilisation', itself.

BBC TV

The visual devices used by Tony Blair and George Bush to get themselves elected and maintain powe... more The visual devices used by Tony Blair and George Bush to get themselves elected and maintain power, come not from modern times, but a world that is thousands of years old. How Art Made the World ventures back to the creation of Stonehenge and the reign of Alexander the Great to reveal how imagery became an indispensable weapon in every leader's political armoury.

This episode explores how art can be used as a persuasion device by those in power and when did we learn to use images, to create a powerful icon or symbol, this way?

The use of art as a tool for those in power, started at different times, in different cultures. Near Stonehenge the grave of the Amesbury Archer was discovered in 2002, the grave was different to those previously found near the site, as this one was not Roman, but much earlier, dating to when the first sarsen stones were erected. What made him interesting were his gold hair tresses, possibly the oldest dated gold objects in Britain, and the fact that he was a foreigner, from the region that is now Germany / Switzerland. The archer had completed an epic journey for the time, and the treasures in his grave show a man of status. Art for personal adornment, like these hair clasps, elevated him above his peers.

As time progressed, art became a political tool, kings competed for more dazzling adornments. As kingdoms got bigger the kings had to overcome communication issues. Darius the Great of Persia, ruled over 20 nations from Persepolis. As very few people could read, Darius had stone reliefs created that combined styles from all over the empire, the carvings showed each nation bring tributes to their king. This showed respect, and the carvings communicated that Darius admired and respected his people. Darius created a symbol for himself, that of the archer, symbolic to Persians of leadership and wisdom, central to the concept of kingship. Darius embossed this symbol on gold coins, which became the currency to trade within the empire.

Darius’ conqueror, Alexander the Great, took this concept further. From an early age, Alexander’s image was being made for him. In his fathers tomb, an Ivory head recognisable as Alexander’s was found, showing that his image had been made for him in advance of him becoming king. In Pompeii, a copy of an original Macedonian painting, shows Alexander the Great, fearless, fixated on his enemy and leading from the front. He is in the midst of battle with king Darius, shown fearful and panicking. Where Darius had used a symbol to communicate his power, Alexander used his face. On defeating the Persians, Alexander melted down all their coins replacing them with coins bearing his head. Tests have shown that people are more influenced by the image of the head and this technique has endured 2500 years and still used today.

This artistic power can be used for sinister purposes, to persuade us to see things a certain way or even deceive us. The earliest known use of this dates back to the Romans. In 40BC Rome was in crisis, the city state was split between royalists and republicans. You could tell people’s political allegiance by how they dressed. Octavian (Augustus) understood the power of art and used it to his advantage. He needed to persuade his opponents ,and used artists to create a less threatening image, one that won over the republicans. Although the image showed him as a powerful general, it didn’t show any military arms, and his gestures were more about humility than power. His armour breast plates show him accepting surrender of the Parthian Empire, with the gods looking on approvingly. The statue offered reassurance, but it was all a lie. While he portrayed himself as a peace maker, he was getting rid of the opposition; while he was preaching humility, he lived like corrupt royalty and while pretending to hand power to the people he reinstated himself as a king.

The leaders of past used paint and marble, today we use digital manipulation. But as humans we still remain vulnerable to the persuasive power of art.

BBC TV

Each year over seven billion people across the world are drawn to see the latest feature films at... more Each year over seven billion people across the world are drawn to see the latest feature films at the cinema. This episode reveals how the most powerful storytelling medium ever created exploits visual techniques invented by artists in the ancient world.

The investigation starts with the oldest recorded story, that of Gilgamesh, king of Uruk. The story tells the tales (and adventures) of Gilgamesh and Enkidu. One scene from the story, in particular, captured the imagination of Bronze Age people, and that was the slaying of a pride of lions. The story inspired the Assyrian King Ashurbanipal, in around 645BC, to cast himself in the leading role of Gilgamesh in a series of carved friezes for his throne room. The success of these lead Ashurbanipal to depict the battle against the Elamites and in particular visualised the prisoners grinding their ancestors bones to make their bread. Although mankind had discovered the power of the protagonist, in particular that of a hero, Ashurbanipal’s stories lacked emotion and so are hard to engage with.

Jumping forward several hundred years to the Ancient Greeks, we find the next missing element crucial to storing telling. In the grotto of the Villa de Tiberius in Spurlonga, Italy, a collection of sculptures were found that depict Odysseus‘s encounter with the cyclops. The statues show Odysseus getting the cyclops drunk and then tricking him, and driving a stake though his eye. By depicting the emotions in the scene we, as the viewer, get a greater connection with the story. If we care about the characters, we care about what happens next.

The Romans refined this process more when Emperor Trajan, celebrated his conquest of the Dacians, and created Trajan’s column in the heart of Rome. The 35m high marble column has the story of the event, spiraling around the column, from the base, right to the very top. Admired by Napoleon and Mussolini, it depicts an Epic with Trajan as the protagonist hero and the Dacian king Decebalus as the antagonist. The sculptors used many visual techniques still used today such as cut scenes, and birds eye and low views to add drama. The whole story can be summarised by looking up the western axis of the column. Although this captivated viewers there was still something missing.

The final piece in the jigsaw can be found in Australia which has some of oldest known painted images, some known to be over 40k years old. The aborigines still draw gods and spirits the same way their early ancestors did, for example images of barramundi fish. This consistency has lead to these images becoming symbols, triggering the viewer to recall well known stories passed down generation to generation. The real magic happened when the Aborigines came together to celebrate these stories, they recounted them adding drum beats, rhythm and chanting. Now two senses were being stimulated, the eyes and the ears.

When the pioneers of the nineteenth century created the first moving images, they were silent, but as soon as cinematographers added sound, cinema as we know it today took off.

BBC TV

Today people see fewer real dead bodies than at any time in history. Yet in the modern world we s... more Today people see fewer real dead bodies than at any time in history. Yet in the modern world we seem almost obsessed with images of death. In an investigation encompassing ancient Jericho, Aztec America, and classical Italy, How Art Made the World discovers what it is that has compelled human beings to surround themselves with images of death for thousands of years.

Death captured the mind of early man, and since then it has driven us to create some of the most powerful images in the world.

The episode starts in Jericho (in the Jordan Valley) where in the 1950 Cecil Western, the British Archeologist, discovered decorated skulls with a reconstructed nose and shells as replacement for eyes. The skulls were found in the walls of homes and it appears they had been placed in specially made alcoves. Since their discovery, other decorated skulls have cropped up all over the Middle East.

All animals have an instinct to avert their own death, it’s a basic survival mechanism. Humans, however, are the only creatures that understand the inevitability of death. Psychologists understand that there is a way to overcome the fear of death, and that is by creating images of our ancestors. Professors Solomon and Greenberg have done experiments with two groups of students. Using subliminal images they persuaded students to thinks of death. They then showed both groups images of dead celebrities. The subjects were given the choice of how long to look at pictures, and those who were made to think about death wanted to look at images for longer ( Solomon and Greenberg explain this is for reassurance ). In Jericho, in the 1st millennia BC, the average life expectancy was 24. The prospect of death would have terrified them and these artistic representations would have allowed them to keep their ancestors alive.

Reassurance, however, is only part of story. Some have used images of death for opposite effect, to exploit our fear of death. The French painter Jacques Louis David used the image of Marat (the leader of the revolution) murdered in bath to gain support for their cause. The SS used images of the skull and cross bones on their uniforms to strike fear in their victims. The Peruvian Moche created the Waca Da Luna temple to honor their human sacrifices. The walls of this temple show horrific images of death, featuring spiders with human faces and fangs, lizards that have been decapitated and the pottery found their shows people having their eyes pecked out by birds. A mass human grave was found nearby and many of the bodies had been both decapitated and dismembered, the bodies were those that had been sacrificed by the Moche. The neighboring Aztecs, however, did human sacrifice on an industrial scale. In one four-day event, over forty-thousand people were sacrificed. Archeologists believe that the mass sacrifices of the Aztecs were to repay the debt of their sun god, who used his own blood to keep the sun alive. If his debt was not repaid with their most highly prized gifts (their lives) then the sun would go out. This is one of histories most successful regimes of terror, that kept a tight grip on their people, thankful to be Aztec rather than the victims of the sacrifices.

Solomon and Greenberg have collected evidence which shows, that by reminding people of their own death, it drives them to support those that share their values and oppose those who don’t. It’s a universal instinct across time. When we think about death we become more invested in our own belief system (Solomon and Geeenburg). This has been used through out history and one that Christians can relate to best is the image of Christ on the cross, or simply the cross. A symbol of a man oozing blood, dying a terrifying death.

The Etruscans are not as well known as the Romans, but they laid the foundations of Rome, most things we remember of the Romans were in fact traditions from the Etruscans. The main archeological record we have are their tombs, and these contain vivid images of the afterlife. The tombs were designed as houses for the dead with carvings of all they would need in the afterlife. Thousands of years after traces of the Etruscan civilisation had vanished overground, their dead cities surfaced. In 1985 a pipeline for Tarquinia was being laid and during the excavation a new tomb was discovered. Archeologists used cameras to look into the tomb and what they first saw was unexpected. At first they saw the reassuring images they expected, but then they turned the cameras around and on opposite wall were disturbing images of blue demons, rotting flesh, snakes, and a winged devil. The tomb dates back to 420BC and these are the oldest surviving image of hell. In the 200 years leading up to this, the Etruscans created images promising a happy afterlife, but threatened by the rise of the Romans, these tombs acted as a call to arms. Damned or saved these reminded them of what awaited, if they failed in defending against Romans. This is the earliest know use of conflicting images being used together: Redemption images.

Later in AD1500, in Orvieto, the Estrucian capital, the Christians built a cathedral, they painted frescoes showing on one wall the damned going to Hell and the opposite wall the saved going to heaven. Uncannily similar images to those of the tomb and the devils are depicted in a green / blue. The Etruscan legacy, that redemption can lead people to look forward to death, rather than fear it.

When we no longer fear the inevitability of death, not only are we prepared to give up life for a greater good, we do so knowing that we are remembered for it, a heroic death.

This teaching aid reviews the major evolutionary landmarks that over the last sixty million years... more This teaching aid reviews the major evolutionary landmarks that over the last sixty million years marked the development of intelligence in Homo sapiens. The discussion begins with social primates and charts the adaptations that ultimately led to the emergence of modern humans including the growth of the brain, increased manual dexterity, and evolution of language. Also considered are adaptations to allow for the digestion of starch, and their impact on early agriculture, the first use of fire and cooking. Discussion includes consideration of the following gene mutations: RNF213 GENE, HAR1 GENE, ARHGAP11B GENE, SLC2A1 GENE, SLC2A4 GENE, HACNS1 GENE, MYH16 GENE, SRGAP2 GENE, FOXP2 GENE, AMY1 GENE

KEYWORDS
ARCHAEOLOGY, BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, HUMAN EVOLUTION, EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY, LANGUAGE, GENETICS, HOMO SAPIEN, HOMO HABILIS, AUSTRALOPITHECINES, PRIMATES, CHIMPANZEE, GORILLA, GELADA, MOYAMOYA DISEASE, CAROTID ARTERY, HOMININ, WONDERWERK CAVE, SOUTH AFRICA, STARCH DIET, MEAT DIET, RNF213 GENE MUTATIONS, HAR1 GENE, ARHGAP11B GENE, SLC2A1 GENE, SLC2A4 GENE, HACNS1 GENE, MYH16 GENE, SRGAP2 GENE, FOXP2 GENE, AMY1 GENE