Internationally recognised art and literary critic, writer and cultural producer. Published in ELLE, Glamour, Esquire and Cosmopolitan; member of the Union of Writers.
Archaeologists have unearthed a remarkable find in Nottinghamshire, England: a henge monument and a Roman pottery center that date back to the Iron Age and the Roman period, respectively. The discovery, which was made during a routine survey for a housing development, sheds new light on the ancient history and culture of the region.
A henge monument is a circular earthwork that typically encloses a flat area with a ditch and a bank. They are often associated with ritual activities and ceremonies, and some of them contain stone circles, timber structures, or burial mounds. The henge monument in Nottinghamshire measures about 25 meters in diameter and has two entrances, one facing east and one facing west. It is located near a stream and a spring, which may have been important sources of water and symbolic meaning for the people who built it.
The Roman pottery center is situated about 500 meters away from the henge monument, and consists of several kilns, workshops, and waste pits. The pottery center was active from the late first century AD to the early third century AD, and produced a variety of vessels, such as jars, bowls, dishes, and mortaria (large bowls used for grinding and mixing food). The pottery center was part of a larger network of Roman settlements and industries in the area, and supplied pottery to the nearby towns of Margidunum and Ad Pontem.
The discovery of the henge monument and the Roman pottery center is significant for several reasons. First, it reveals the continuity and change of human activity and land use in Nottinghamshire from the Iron Age to the Roman period. Second, it provides valuable information about the religious beliefs and practices of the Iron Age people, and the economic and social activities of the Roman people. Third, it adds to the growing body of evidence that henge monuments and Roman pottery centers were more widespread and diverse than previously thought.
The archaeologists who made the discovery, led by Dr. Will Bowden from the University of Nottingham, are working to excavate, document, and preserve the site. They are also planning to conduct further research and analysis on the artifacts and environmental samples they have collected. They hope to share their findings with the public and the academic community, and to enhance the understanding and appreciation of the rich and complex heritage of Nottinghamshire.
