CFA Archaeology Ltd

Here’s something special for – hand-drawn illustrations of some wonderful prehistoric pottery. Recovered during excavations of a site used for domestic activities in North Ayrshire, Scotland, these sherds of Neolithic Impressed Ware and Bronze Age Beakers feature some fantastic decoration which was impressed and incised onto the surface of the wet clay before firing.

Dating from the Middle Neolithic, the middle and bottom vessels are decorated with lines of small impressions. The top vessel dates from the Early Bronze Age and features a crisscrossed lattice decoration.

Which one is your favourite? We just can’t choose!

If you're in Yorkshire this Saturday, come along to Castleford’s Roman Festival for a day of history-fuelled fun! This free, family-friendly festival offers visitors an opportunity to discover the fascinating Roman heritage of Castleford.

's Rosie will be there with the Pontefract Young Archaeologists' Club, hosting an archaeological dig where children can hunt for treasures whilst learning about archaeology and the tools used for it.

To find out more, check out the festival's website: https://experiencewakefield.co.uk/event/castleford-roman-festival/

and page: https://www.facebook.com/events/s/castleford-roman-festival/898767726310096/

Learn about YAC at: www.yac-uk.org

Happy ! This week’s find is a stone block with a rectangular mould carved into one of its faces. Hot liquid metal would have been poured into the mould, forming it into a perfect ingot.

Although moulds like this are most commonly found on Late Saxon or Anglo-Scandinavian sites in Britain, they are also known to have been used in the Roman period. Indeed, an ingot mould of identical dimensions was found at the Roman site at Brough in North Yorkshire which dated to the 4th century.

The CFA Nature and Walking Society has been out for their annual springtime circular walk - this time exploring 9 miles of trails and moorland on the edge of the Dark Peak. They enjoyed commanding views of Yorkshire and the Longendale Valley, including landmarks such as Featherbed Moss, the source of the Little Don River, South Nab Trig Point (the Woodhead Pass summit), and some of the highest points of the TransPennine Trail. Couldn't have asked for a better day for it!

It’s a fiery this week, with this fine fragment of flue tile recovered from a rural Roman site in Northamptonshire.

While the wavy lines across its surface may at first appear to be decoration, they’re actually evidence of key combing. Made using at least three different combs, the lines were etched onto the tile prior to firing in the kiln. They provided a ‘key’, or rough surface, which helped mortar or plaster adhere to the tile.

Flue tiles such as this were often used in Roman hypocaust systems which were, essentially, an early form of underfloor heating. Built beneath the floor, these systems channelled hot air through Roman buildings, keeping them nice and cosy even in the cool British climate!

Last week, two of ’s heritage consultants attended 'The Setting of Heritage Assets' course at Oxford University.

Over two days, Emma and Gina joined fellow heritage professionals to explore how the settings of heritage assets contribute to their significance, and how changes to setting can affect that contribution.

Continuing professional development like this helps CFA’s heritage consultancy team provide informed, up-to-date advice and reporting for our clients, supporting positive change in project design and development.

A huge thank you to the course tutors Dr Stephen Carter, Dr William Filmer-Sankey, Mr Ian Houlston, and Esther Robinson Wild - we really enjoyed it!

Happy ! This week we have a brilliant bead recovered during excavations in East Yorkshire. Our bead is made from a yellowy brown glass and dates from the late Iron Age into the early Roman period, possibly from the 1st to the 2nd centuries.

It was formed by carefully winding molten glass around a mandrel, then reheating it to create a smooth, glossy finish. With a diameter of 16.6mm and a height of 9.4mm, it’s pretty big!
What makes this bead especially interesting is what it reveals about changing tastes. Unlike earlier Iron Age beads, which were decorated with spirals, waves, zig-zags, and more, Roman beads tended to be plain, monochrome (just one colour), and smaller in size.

Beads were a common occurrence in Roman Britain, appearing in towns, villas, and forts and their associated vici, and can be seen as expressions of personality and self. They were worn on necklaces and bracelets, in hair, and could even be sewn onto clothing. Serving as displays of wealth, status, and identity, beads were worn by people from all levels of society.

Overall, a fantastic tiny artefact which gives a big insight into individual expression and the lived experience nearly 2,000 years ago.

That's a wrap for the Conference! CFA Archaeology was proud to have the largest unit presence (eleven strong on Day 2!) and to sponsor bursaries for early career archaeologists, helping make these events more accessible for all.

had a great time attending a multitude of sessions, engaging in lively debate, and catching up with colleagues. We even found time to explore the sights around Edinburgh! A huge thank you to Chartered Institute for Archaeologists for organising such a valuable event. We’re leaving inspired, full of new ideas, and ready to build connections and shape the future of archaeology. See you next year!

kicked off Day 1 of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists conference with discussions on Scotland's Archaeology Strategy, catching up with colleagues, and, of course, soaking up the glorious Edinburgh sunshine! Looking forward to another jam-packed day today!🙌🏺⛏️