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No.56
July 2003 | Contex
HOME
FROM
THE CHAIR ROSE BAILLIE
WIDENING
HORIZONS
I
recently saw a newspaper article about the excavation and preservation
of an 82ft foot long Roman sailing boat. This oak boat sank in the
mud of a former river course and was found during work for a new
housing estate. It is largely complete and still contained may personal
items belonging to the crew. A familiar story? Probably
not, for this is a Dutch project.
We
tend to think of the exotic when we think of overseas archaeology, Egypt,
Mesopotamia, South America. Very often our vision of the Roman way
of life owes much to Pompeii and other well preserved sites in Mediterranean
locations.
The
attractions of “blue skies” archaeology are obvious, but to obtain
a better understanding of past life in Britain the
best parallels and contrasts are probably to be found in our near
geographical neighbours. I know that for many years archaeologists
interested in the Roman army have studied the Limes of Europe
and established good links with continental colleagues of similar
inclination. Probably the same think is happening in other fields,
but the results remain largely unknown to the general public. Later
this year a new magazine Current World Archaeology is to be launched. Doubtless
it will feature pyramids and ziggurats, but hopefully it can also
be a means for learning more about the archaeology of Western Europe
and Scandinavia, and perhaps even that often overlooked land on our
doorstep Hibernia.
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