CONTENTS

ISSUE 398

(Vol.XXXIV, No.2) ❙ May 2023

18

FEATURES

18 AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD

Exploring early medieval asceticism on the Skelligs Just off the west coast of Ireland sits an isolated monastery perched precariously on top of a rocky islet. What was early monastic life like on the fringes of the medieval Christian world, and how was this amazing feat of architecture achieved?

28 THE GLOUCESTER

Piecing together the story of a royal wreck Almost 350 years ago, the Gloucester struck a sandbank off the nor th Norfolk coast and sank – almost taking the future King James II and VII with it . Since the wreck was rediscovered in 2007, analysis of recovered ar tefacts has been illuminating the experiences of those on board, as a new exhibition reveals.

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36 STANDING IN THE

PRESENCE OF A SAINT Reconstructing the shrine of Thomas Becket Following on from last month's feature about research focused on the elaborate mosaic that lay in front of the shrine of Thomas Becket, what has the same project revealed about the shrine it self, and Canterbury Cathedral's two chapels associated with the saint?

42 KING’S LYNN UNDER SIEGE

How a small field in North Lynn illuminated Civil War fortress engineering What can recent excavations tell us about how the imposing ear thworks that once defended 17th-centur y King's Lynn were constructed, and the history of the town's earlier fortifications?

48 REIMAGINING THE GOVAN STONES

Placing archaeology at the heart of a Glasgow community Govan Old Parish Church is home to one of the most significant collections of Viking Age car ved stones in Britain. We learn about the latest fieldwork in the churchyard, and an ambitious initiative to transform the building itself into a heritage centre that will engage and invigorate the local community.

MAY 2023