Rock Art Pilot Project Main Report

A report on the results of a pilot project to investigate the current state of research, conservation, management and presentation of prehistoric rock art in England commissioned by English Heritage from Archaeology Group, School of Conservation Sciences, Bournemouth Unviersity and the Institute of Archaeology, University College Londo

An Introduction to the Study of Henges: Time for a Change?

This paper summarises 80 years of 'henge' studies. It considers the range of monuments originally considered henges and how more diverse sites became added to the original list. It examines the diversity of monuments considered to be henges, their origins, their associated monument types and their dates. Since the introduction of the term, archaeologists have often been uncomfortable with it. It was introduced in inverted commas and those commas continued to be used for over 30 years. With the introduction of the term 'hengiform' the strictures of definition that characterised the monument class collapsed and an increased variety of circular and oval monuments were included under the henge aegis. It is suggested here that the term 'henge' has outlived its usefulness as we no longer know what we mean by it. Instead we should adopt an objective viewpoint and recognise these earth circles as just one manifestation of the tradition of circularity that pervades the third and second millennia BC

Trends of oral cavity, oropharyngeal and laryngeal cancer incidence in Scotland (1975 - 2012) - a socioeconomic perspective

Aim: To examine current incidence trends (1975–2012) of oral cavity (OCC), oropharyngeal (OPC) and laryngeal cancer in Scotland by socioeconomic status (SES). Methods: We included all diagnosed cases of OCC (C00.3-C00.9, C02-C06 excluding C2.4), OPC (C01, C2.4, C09-C10, C14) and laryngeal cancer (C32) on the Scottish Cancer Registry (1975–2012) and annual midterm population estimates by age, sex, geographic region and SES indices (Carstairs 1991 and Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2009). Age-standardized incidence rates were computed and adjusted Poisson regression rate-ratios (RR) compared subsites by age, sex, region, SES and year of diagnosis. Results: We found 28,217 individuals (19,755 males and 8462 females) diagnosed with head and neck cancer (HNC) over the study period. Between 1975 and 2012, relative to the least deprived areas, those living in the most deprived areas exhibited the highest RR (>double) of OCC, OPC and laryngeal cancer, and an almost dose-like response was observed between SES and HNC incidence. Between 2001 and 2012, this socioeconomic inequality tended to increase over time for OPC and laryngeal cancer but remained relatively unchanged for OCC. Incidence rates increased markedly for OPC, decreased for laryngeal cancer and remained stable for OCC, particularly in the last decade. Males exhibited significantly higher RRs compared to females, and the peak age of incidence of OPC was slightly lower than the other subsites. Conclusion: Contrary to reports that OPC exhibits an inverse socioeconomic profile, Scotland country-level data show that those from the most deprived areas consistently have the highest rates of head and neck cancers

Ending the Era of Tax Havens: Why the UK Government Must Lead the Way

The gap between the rich and the rest is growing. Tax havens are at the heart of the inequality crisis, enabling corporations and wealthy individuals to dodge paying their fair share of tax. This prevents states from funding vital public services and combating poverty and inequality, with especially damaging effects for developing countries. The UK heads the world's biggest financial secrecy network, spanning its Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories and centred on the City of London - but this in fact provides an unparalleled opportunity to help end the era of tax havens. As the UK Prime Minister prepares to host the anti-corruption summit in May, this briefing paper outlines how tax havens fuel the inequality crisis which leaves poor countries without the funds they need, the UK's role in the global tax haven system, and what the government can do about it

Beakers in Britain. The Beaker package reviewed

From round-headed warrior invaders to introducers of a cult package, accounts of the appearance of Beakers in Britain have varied considerably. The basis of Burgess & Shennan’s ‘Beaker Package Hypothesis’ was that, other than the distinctive burial and associated artefacts, Beaker users had little impact on the other aspects of the contemporary archaeological record. But is this the case? With an improved radiocarbon-based chronology, new excavations and discoveries since 1976, and the reinterpretation of older data that these discoveries allow, we can instead see some fundamental changes coinciding with the arrival of Beakers. This is particularly the case in the domestic sphere, but other changes in ritual monument and artefacts can also be identified. In addition, we can document the demise of Later Neolithic Grooved Ware-using societies and the emergence of a new Early Bronze Age but with its roots very firmly in the Middle, not Late, Neolithic.Les récits relatifs à l’arrivée des communautés à Campaniforme en Grande Bretagne varient considérablement, allant des guerriers envahisseurs brachycéphales aux initiateurs d’un culte. Le point de départ de « l’hypothèse sur l’ensemble Campaniforme » de Burgess et Shennan était que, à l’exception des sépultures caractéristiques et des objets associés, les communautés à Campaniforme ont eu peu d’impact sur les autres aspects du registre archéologique qui leur est contemporain. Mais est-ce bien le cas ? Grâce, d’une part, à une chronologie améliorée basée sur des datations au radiocarbone, de nouvelles opérations archéologiques et de nouvelles découvertes depuis 1976, et d’autre part, à la réinterprétation d’anciennes données que ces nouvelles découvertes facilitent, nous pouvons, au contraire voir des changements fondamentaux qui coïncident avec l’arrivée des communautés à Campaniforme. C’est particulièrement le cas dans la sphère domestique, mais nous pouvons également déceler d’autres changements dans les monuments et objets rituels. De plus, nous pouvons suivre la disparition de communautés à Grooved Ware du Néolithique récent et l’émergence d’un nouvel âge du Bronze ancien mais fermement ancré dans le Néolithique moyen et non dans le Néolithique final

Des gobelets en Grande Bretagne. Le « set » Campaniforme reconsidéré

Les récits relatifs à l’arrivée des communautés à Campaniforme en Grande Bretagne varient considérablement, allant des guerriers envahisseurs brachycéphales aux initiateurs d’un culte. Le point de départ de « l’hypothèse sur l’ensemble Campaniforme » de Burgess et Shennan était que, à l’exception des sépultures caractéristiques et des objets associés, les communautés à Campaniforme ont eu peu d’impact sur les autres aspects du registre archéologique qui leur est contemporain. Mais est-ce bien le cas ? Grâce, d’une part, à une chronologie améliorée basée sur des datations au radiocarbone, de nouvelles opérations archéologiques et de nouvelles découvertes depuis 1976, et d’autre part, à la réinterprétation d’anciennes données que ces nouvelles découvertes facilitent, nous pouvons, au contraire voir des changements fondamentaux qui coïncident avec l’arrivée des communautés à Campaniforme. C’est particulièrement le cas dans la sphère domestique, mais nous pouvons également déceler d’autres changements dans les monuments et objets rituels. De plus, nous pouvons suivre la disparition de communautés à Grooved Ware du Néolithique récent et l’émergence d’un nouvel âge du Bronze ancien mais fermement ancré dans le Néolithique moyen et non dans le Néolithique final.From round-headed warrior invaders to introducers of a cult package, accounts of the appearance of Beakers in Britain have varied considerably. The basis of Burgess & Shennan’s ‘Beaker Package Hypothesis’ was that, other than the distinctive burial and associated artefacts, Beaker users had little impact on the other aspects of the contemporary archaeological record. But is this the case? With an improved radiocarbon-based chronology, new excavations and discoveries since 1976, and the reinterpretation of older data that these discoveries allow, we can instead see some fundamental changes coinciding with the arrival of Beakers. This is particularly the case in the domestic sphere, but other changes in ritual monument and artefacts can also be identified. In addition, we can document the demise of Later Neolithic Grooved Ware-using societies and the emergence of a new Early Bronze Age but with its roots very firmly in the Middle, not Late, Neolithic

Space and Episodic Ritual at the monumental Neolithic round mound of Duggleby Howe, North Yorkshire, England

YesUses new C14 chronology to chart the burial sequence within and the development of the iconic round barrow

Who were these people? A sideways view and a non-answer of political proportions

YesThis chapter looks at the variability of burial practices inthe Neolithic and Bronze Age and questions accepted orthodoxies.This extract is taken from the author's original manuscript and has not been edited. The definitive, published, version of record is available here: https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-the-neolithic-of-mainland-scotland.htm