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current archaeology Number 41 In this issue . . . Caesaromagus is the only town in Roman Britain to bear the imperial prefix. It should therefore be a town of major importance: it is in fact the minor settlement of Chelmsford. Why? In this issue we see how the recent excavations by Paul Drury have attempted to solve this problem. Firstly we look at the Roman temple, perhaps the only example in Britain of a religious site that can be traced right through from the darkness of prehistory down into the fifth century when i t was demolished, and the stones carted away (to build a Christian church?) We then go to the main building of the town , the mansio or inn, wit h its mysterious early predecessor. Then we look at the defences of the town , and study not only what happened at the time of Boudicca, but perhaps even more important, what happened at the end of the second century. We are now in a position to return to the original problem of the rise and fall of Caesaromagus, and to trace its subsequent history. Finally, after its desertion in the Dark Ages we see the foundation of the new town in 1201, and look at the archaeological evidence for its early years. 'Phase 1 is the excavation, phase 2 is the report, and phase 3 is the reconstruction' quotes Alan Sorrell in 'The Artist and Reconstruction'. For too long archaeological reconstruction has been in the doldrums, but it is now once again in fashion. Alan Sorrell, who has long been known as our leading archaeological artist, considers what artists have thought of reconstruction in the past, and how he sets about his reconstruction drawings today. In Books we discuss The Regni, The Coritani, Town and Country: Verulamium and the Roman Chilterns, The Future of London's Past, Alfred V. Kidder, Early Man in America, Research and Theory in Current Archaeology, Letters from Sardis, and Flights into Yesterday. When first discovered, Garden Hill appeared to be a typical Iron Age hillfort. Subsequent excavations revealed a fine Roman bath-house (complete with plug-hole still in position) and i t appears that the main use was in the Roman period as an extensive iron working settlement. James Money reports. In Press Releases we give news of Photography, the Association of County Archaeological Officers, the Deserted Medieval Villages Research Group, Rotherham, and a conference to set up a Trades Union for archaeologists. (Ugh!!) Letters discuss Chiefdoms, Zimbabwe, Wroxeter Scholarships, The Hole of the Year, and Artists. Our Cover Photo shows Colchester, around 200 A.D., drawn by Alan Sorrell, and reproduced by courtesy of the Colchester Museum. 163 Editorial 164 Notes and News 166 Chelmsford 177 The Artist and Reconstruction by Alan Sorrell 182 Books 185 Garden Hill by James Money 189 Press Releases 190 Letters
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current archaeology Archaeologists have no Soul Archaeologists are lousy photographers. Partly this is a technical matter, for the cult of the 35mm colour slide has been disastrous. There is a widespread fallacy that the fuzzy, out-of-focus slide that survives on the screen, can somehow be translated into a sharp brilliant black-andwhite print for reproduction. It is true that in the hands of the expert, a 35mm camera can produce a good black-andwhite print. Al l you need is a top quality lens, a high quality film, an ultra-fine grain developer, scrupulous care to prevent dust and scratching, and the utmost skill in enlarging. Cheap cameras or commercial processing merely produce what can be most kindly described as a grey sludge. Moral: if you are not an expert, use a big format. No. 41 for NOVEMBER 1973 Vol. IV. No. 6 Published April, 1974 Edited by Andrew & Wendy Selkirk, 9 Nassington Road, London NW3 2TX, Tel. 01-435 7517 Printed in Great Britain by Maund and Irvine Limited Brook Street, Tring, Herts. 14th March, 1974 (8,000) CURRENT ARCHAEOLOGY IS PUBLISHED SIX TIMES A YEAR FOR A SUBSCRIPTION OF £1.50 ($5) A YEAR SUBSCRIPTIONS SHOULD BE SENT TO: CURRENT ARCHAEOLOGY 9 NASSINGTON ROAD LONDON NW3 2TX But even worse than the technical quality is the problem of aesthetics. We always want 'Current Archaeology' to be beautiful, in the way that the National Geographic Magazine, or Country Life is beautiful. But we are continually driven to despair by the photographs archaeologists produce. Archaeologists, it appears, are born without that part of the anatomy known as a soul. They take innumerable photos of postholes, but they never think of lifting their eyes up to the horizon to see what sort of place they are in. They are entirely unaware of the elementary rules of pictorial composition, and the idea that a photo can be beautiful as well as informative is regarded wit h outraged horror. They never ask: "Ho w can I photograph this site in a way that wil l explain i t to those not present? How can I give an idea of the scale of the structures? Or show how it lies in the landscape? How can I give the 'feel' of the excavation? Was it neat and tidy trenches in a DoE enclosure? Was there a big bulldozer impending? Was it very, very muddy, a triumph of mind over matter?" Yet these matters are important. As Alan Sorrell writes in this issue, i t is now being openly declared that reconstruction is the final part of the excavation. In Russia the archaeologist who excavates a site is also responsible for laying out the museum exhibit afterwards, an idea which we might well copy. It is not enough to write a report for the expert: the past belongs to Everyman, and the archaeologist must present it in a way that Everyman can understand. We therefore welcome the announcement on p. 189 that the Royal Photographic Society is to set up an archaeological section, and we hope that many archaeologists wil l join. And if, by any chance, the society can persuade archaeologists that photography is an art and that art is something to be welcomed and not despised, then we wil l be the first to cheer.

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current archaeology

Number 41

In this issue . . .

Caesaromagus is the only town in Roman Britain to bear the imperial prefix. It should therefore be a town of major importance: it is in fact the minor settlement of Chelmsford. Why? In this issue we see how the recent excavations by Paul Drury have attempted to solve this problem.

Firstly we look at the Roman temple, perhaps the only example in Britain of a religious site that can be traced right through from the darkness of prehistory down into the fifth century when i t was demolished, and the stones carted away (to build a Christian church?)

We then go to the main building of the town , the mansio or inn, wit h its mysterious early predecessor. Then we look at the defences of the town , and study not only what happened at the time of Boudicca, but perhaps even more important, what happened at the end of the second century.

We are now in a position to return to the original problem of the rise and fall of Caesaromagus, and to trace its subsequent history. Finally, after its desertion in the Dark Ages we see the foundation of the new town in 1201, and look at the archaeological evidence for its early years.

'Phase 1 is the excavation, phase 2 is the report, and phase 3 is the reconstruction' quotes Alan Sorrell in 'The Artist and Reconstruction'. For too long archaeological reconstruction has been in the doldrums, but it is now once again in fashion. Alan Sorrell, who has long been known as our leading archaeological artist, considers what artists have thought of reconstruction in the past, and how he sets about his reconstruction drawings today.

In Books we discuss The Regni, The Coritani, Town and Country: Verulamium and the Roman Chilterns, The Future of London's Past, Alfred V. Kidder, Early Man in America, Research and Theory in Current Archaeology, Letters from Sardis, and Flights into Yesterday.

When first discovered, Garden Hill appeared to be a typical Iron Age hillfort. Subsequent excavations revealed a fine Roman bath-house (complete with plug-hole still in position) and i t appears that the main use was in the Roman period as an extensive iron working settlement. James Money reports.

In Press Releases we give news of Photography, the Association of County Archaeological Officers, the Deserted Medieval Villages Research Group, Rotherham, and a conference to set up a Trades Union for archaeologists. (Ugh!!)

Letters discuss Chiefdoms, Zimbabwe, Wroxeter Scholarships, The Hole of the Year, and Artists.

Our Cover Photo shows Colchester, around 200 A.D., drawn by Alan Sorrell, and reproduced by courtesy of the Colchester Museum.

163 Editorial

164 Notes and News

166 Chelmsford

177 The Artist and Reconstruction by Alan Sorrell

182 Books

185 Garden Hill by James Money

189 Press Releases

190 Letters

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