CONTENTS

ISSUE 407 (Vol.XXXIV, No.11) ❙ February 2024

18

FEATURES

18 THE SWANSEA CANAL

Navigating the history of an industrial artery We explore the story of the Swansea Canal, from the pioneering feats of engineering when it was a first built at the end of the 18th century, via the vital artery of transport and industry that it became during the 19th century, to today, where it has largely been reclaimed by nature.

28 OXFORD ARCHAEOLOGY

AT 50 Exploring half a century of excavations As one of the UK's oldest commercial units celebrates a major milestone, we trace the history of Oxford Archaeology and some of its key projects, explore how the world of professional archaeology has changed in that time, and consider what the future may hold.

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34 PEOPLE OF RANELAGH

Repopulating a forgotten settlement-cemetery in Co. Roscommon In 2015, archaeological investigations ahead of routine road improvement works on the N61 in Ireland made the surprise discovery of a previously undocumented medieval settlement. Over the course of 1,000 years it had become a prosperous centre of production, accompanied by hundreds of burials in a multigenerational cemetery, before fading into obscurity.

44 IF WALLS COULD TALK

Tracing the lost defences of Beaumaris Recent excavations in Beaumaris, Anglesey, have revealed a section of the town’s medieval defences – long-believed to have been demolished – as well as evidence of the people who lived in their shadow over the centuries.

FEBRUARY 2024