Editor’s letter This month’s cover story takes us to Drumelzier in the Scottish Borders, and more specifically to a site with a wonderfully romantic name: Merlin’s Grave. A community project has been exploring the origins of this legendary link – uncovering illuminating evidence of the area’s early medieval and Iron Age past along the way. We remain in Scotland for a special ‘News Focus’ about Stonehenge. Yes, you read that right – recently published scientific research suggests that the Altar Stone was originally quarried in the Orcadian Basin, over 450 miles from Salisbury Plain. What does this mean for our understanding of social organisation in Neolithic Britain, and of Stonehenge itself? From long journeys to long spans of time, we then travel to New Ross in Ireland, where a major bypass project has uncovered archaeological evidence reflecting 9,000 years of human history, including the first early Neolithic house to be found in Co. Wexford. A rather more recent house forms the focus of our next article, which describes the trials and triumphs of restoration work at Northwold Manor in Norfolk. From restoration to reconstruction, we then travel to Harborough Museum in Leicestershire, where an innovative project centred on the Hallaton Helmet has created contrasting reconstructions of this ornate Roman artefact, using traditional and cutting-edge techniques. Finally, we visit another experimental reconstruction, albeit on a rather larger scale, in York’s Museum Gardens, where archaeologists have rebuilt ‘Britain’s oldest house’ based on Mesolithic evidence from Star Carr. Contributors Nine millennia of life on the ‘Goodly Barow’ James Eogan James is a Senior Archaeologist with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, overseeing archaeological services on road and greenway projects. His key research interests are the Irish Bronze and Iron Ages, and funerary practices. How to restore a manor Chris Catling Chris is Secretary of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW) and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. He has contributed to CA as a columnist and feature writer for almost 20 years. Roman replicas Helen Sharp Helen is Curator of Archaeology at Leicestershire County Council Museums. After graduating from the University of Nottingham, she worked at various museums before joining LCC Museums in 2008. Unearthing ancient Tw e e d d a l e Dr Ronan Toolis Ronan is the Chief Executive Archaeology Ltd. Over the last 30 years, he has pursued research into various aspects of Scottish archaeology. FOLLOW US: @CurrentArchaeo currentarchaeologymag @current_archaeology WELCOME CURRENT Editorial Editor: Carly Hilts carly@currentpublishing.com Deputy editor: Dr Kathryn Krakowka On maternity leave Assistant editor: Rebecca Preedy rebecca.preedy@currentpublishing.com Editorial assistant: Amy Brunskill amy.brunskill@currentpublishing.com Contributing editor: Christopher Catling chris@archaeology.co.uk Contributing editor: Joe Flatman Art editor: Mark Edwards mark.edwards@currentpublishing.com Designer: Emma Morgan Subeditor: Simon Coppock Editor-in-chief: Andrew Selkirk andrew@archaeology.co.uk Tel: 020 8819 5584 Publisher: Maria Earle maria@currentpublishing.com Managing director: Robert Selkirk Commercial Commercial manager: Mike Traylen mike@currentpublishing.com Tel: 020 8819 5360 Marketing & digital manager: Emma Watts-Plumpkin emma@currentpublishing.com Tel: 020 8819 5575 Commercial director: Libby Selkirk Subscriptions Current Archaeology is published monthly for a subscription of £59.95 for 12 issues. Non-UK subscriptions are £83.95. Back issues: £6.95 each/£8.95 non-UK Binders/slip cases: (hold 12 copies) £15/£20 Subscriptions should be sent to: Current Publishing O , 295 Chiswick High Road, London W4 4HH Tel: 020 8819 5580 (office hours) Subscription queries to: subs@archaeology.co.uk or online at: www.archaeology.co.uk Printed in the UK by William Gibbons Unauthorised reproduction in whole or part is prohibited without written permission. The publisher, editor and authors accept no responsibility in respect of any products, goods or services which may be advertised or referred to in this issue. Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright material. In the event of any material being used inadvertently or where it has proved impossible to trace the copyright owner, acknowledgement will be made in a future issue. 220824190 ISSUE 415 3