06/05/2026
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Hidden Kingdoms
Wednesday 10th June, 2026, 7pm England time; 3pm Halifax time
We tend to focus on regional archaeology around here, but a lot of exciting work is happening over the horizon, so it's occasionally very worthwhile to look around.
Speaking personally, I've always been fascinated by the Roman period and by Roman Britain in particular. I did my first field school (as a student) on a first-century Roman military site in England and eventually wrote my MA thesis in landscape archaeology on the evolution and collapse of Roman urbanism in Britain.
Some of you may share this interest, but even if not, you may be familiar with the legendary UK-based archaeology program, 'Time Team', and its iconic, sweater-clad leader, Mick Aston.
Mick is sadly no longer with us, but the archaeology community continues to pay tribute to Mick and his work. The good people at Cotswold Archaeology host a Mick Aston Annual Lecture, and this year, the topic is (copying now from their Facebook post):
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𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻?
When Britain ceased to be part of the Roman Empire, South-West Britain followed a different path from the emerging Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of the east.
From Cornwall to south Gloucestershire, these early medieval ‘hidden kingdoms’ have often been overlooked. Now, a major new research project is exploring their landscapes, communities and material culture.
Join Professor Stephen Rippon for this year’s 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗔𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲, sharing the initial results of this fascinating work.
📅 Wednesday 10th June, 7pm
💻 Watch live and free online:
https://tinyurl.com/HiddenKingdomsarchaeology
📍 Or attend in person at the Corinium Museum, Cirencester:
https://tinyurl.com/HiddenKingdomsCoriniumMuseum
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I'm going to try to tune in.
An interesting side-note:
Stephen Rippon wrote a fascinating book on the archaeology and history of dykeland agriculture in northwest Europe. Those interested in this essential feature of the pre-Deportation Acadian agriculture system may find it interesting to look over the horizon at Stephen's book as well. It is called "The Transformation of Coastal Wetlands..." and it was published in 2000 by Oxford University Press.
