Celtic News Update
Bringing you the latest news in archaeology, history, and other odd items.

In truth, calling it "Celtic" is a bit of a misnomer, since I'm not about to limit myself only to the classical Celts, but intend to include the Anglo-Saxons, medieval period, whatever seems vaugely relevant and of interest.

Google
WWW www.maryjones.us

Updated News on Tara!

Friday, February 7, 2005. 12:00 pm EST.

  • Treasure found in Viking market: Lots of stuff in Cumbria, may have been a 10th century Viking market.
  • Rare Bronze Age Ring Find: Found in Carisbrooke, Isle of Wight.
  • Meet Norman, A 2,000-Year-Old Carving: Woman in Melton found what may be a British carving from the Roman era.
  • The real Macbeth was not all toil and trouble: On Shakespeare's propaganda.
  • Celtic 'Lughnasadh' Festival in time for show: For us up north, it's Imbolc; in Australia, it's Lughnassadh
  • They promote chain mail bonding: on SCA, the Society for Creative Anachronisms.

    Friday, January 28, 2005. 12:00 pm EST.

  • Ignoble Ancestors: Turns out George Bush is descended of both Strongbow the Norman invader of Ireland, and Dermot MacMurrough, the Leinster king who sold out Ireland to Strongbow. Not exactly great ancestors.
  • The mysterious end of Essex man: It's possible that two very different types of prehistoric man fought for control of Britain--axe-weilders vs. knife-weidlers. The axe-men supposedly won.
  • Danish Archaeologists in Search of Vikings in Iran: Well, if they can take over Russia (the Rus of Sweden giving the country its name), then they could've made it to Iran. Especially since we know they made it to Constantinople--er, Istanbul, not Constantinople.
  • In Ireland, Commuters vs. Kings: More on the problems with building a road through Tara.
  • Trust makes plea over Stonehenge: Like Tara, Stonehenge is also under threat from road building.
  • Young recruits swore their allegiance to pagan gods and Caesar: On the life of a Roman soldier. Just some interesting facts, and the relationship between becoming a soldier, and what Christianity used from these ceremonies.

    Friday, January 21, 2005. 12:00 pm EST.

  • Ancient rock carvings go online: Which is really cool, but there's no details about the URL for this future website :(
  • Britain and Ireland Were Always Separate: Ireland has apparently always been an island and was never connected to Britain and the continent, according to scientists.
  • The Leprechaun Watch: a friend pointed this out to me. A real-time cam in Ireland (supposedly) where you can watch for leprechauns.
  • In defence of 'lost' languages: More languages are dying every year; on the plus side, the article says Welsh is making a comeback.

    Friday, January 14, 2005. 12:00 pm EST.
    Yeah, I know--I've been lazy. Plus, there hasn't been that much news, unfortunately. So here we go:

  • Hertford, home of the Holy Grail: erm, I doubt it, but OK. Still, feeds my fascination with weird, conspiracy stuff.
  • Statue reveals ancient astronomy: on the Roman "Farnese Atlas", which may show the constellations as seen by the astronomer Hipparchus. Cool. No pics, sadly.
  • Buried Women 'Were in Amazon Fighting Tribe': Women warriors from Eastern Europe--the land of the Amazons--are found buried in England, and dating to the Roman era.
  • Ancient 'Colours of White': all those white marble ideas of the ancient world? They were actually in color.

    Friday, December 3, 2004. 1:40 pm EST.

  • Mystery of erotic symbol smashed in church: This is disgusting. History isn't allowed to stand in the way of "Christian" morality. An 800-year-old sculpture of a Sheela-na-gig on a church in Sussex--a very rare sculpture at that--has been destroyed. Fucking iconoclast Christian Taliban. An image of the sculpture can be found here.
  • Microsoft unveils Welsh software : Cool! (or, uh, Cwl!) That F'in Rocks! MS Word now in Welsh, a response to the complaint that the younger generations are losing their native languages. Frankly, this is cool, because it means Welsh is that much more of a living language and culture.
  • President Clinton Orders Spy Unit to Find Nessie: Clinton told the Psychic Spy Unit to look for the Loch Ness Monster. Huh? Yeah, doesn't sound real plausible.
  • Eagle secret of Bronze Age burial: Talons of a golden eagle was found with the burial remains of a Bronze Age community recently excavated in Skilmafilly; the site dates to around 2000-1500 BCE.
  • Graves of Saxon warriors found: In Marlborough

    Monday, November 29, 2004. 12:00 pm EST.
    Sorry, things've been hectic:

  • Couple Get Hitched in Stone Circle Wedding: Man, I'm envious; my mom would have a stroke.
  • Viking map may rewrite US history: Just stuff on the Vineland map.
  • Bisexual Viking idol marks ancient circle: the "bisexual" (actually capable of changing his sex) viking idol in question is Odin.
  • Talks start on wild animal plans: Scotland wants to bring back the wolves, bears, bison, and lynx to Britain. Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks, unavailable for comment.
  • Another Stonehenge Found in Russia?: Why not?
  • Codebreaker scores success in search for the Holy Grail: not likely; too steeped in the Priory of Sion bunk.
  • Gallic war treasure discovered in southern France:
  • The Vikings: A Memorable Visit to America: article from the Smithsonian magazine.

    Friday, November 12, 2004. 12:00 pm EDT.

  • Decision due on Hill of Tara motorway: Hopefully it will be spared the bulldozers.

    Friday, November 5, 2004. 12:00 pm EST.

  • Standing Stone reveals ancient secrets at modern opencast site: in Scotland, funery sites and standing stones have been discovered. A wealth of information, apparently.
  • Roman Beauty Secrets Revealed in 1,800-Year-Old Makeup: using Cornish tin instead of the more poisonous lead. It was found in London. It was probably a foundation.

    Friday, October 29, 2004. 12:00 pm EDT.

  • 'Hobbit' joins human family tree: Way cool--tiny humanoid skeletons dated to only 13,000 years ago (well within the time of modern man) have been found in Indonesia.
  • Foil reveals Roman magic: A Roman lamella--a rare form of amulet--has been found in Norfolk.
  • Town to officially pardon executed witches: Well, better late than never.

    Friday, October 22, 2004. 12:00 pm EDT.

  • Germany's Bronze Age Blockbuster: one of the oldest depictions of the heavens (dating to 3600 years ago), the Sky Disk of Nebra is on display again.
  • Roman Comet 5,000 Times More Powerful Than A-Bomb: Craters around Lake Chiemsee, Bavaria, may be evidence of an impact ca. 200 BCE, in what was then Celtic territory. However, such impacts are usually much more destructive, so it may not be a comet.
  • Forest excuse 'pure Roman spin': I used to play baseball; when I didn't catch a pop fly, it was always, "Well, the sun was in my eyes." Turns out, the so-called great forests of Caledonia are the same, except unlike the sun, these trees didn't exist.
  • Full Excavation for Irish Viking Village?: Digging for a highway, they find a buried Viking village.

    Friday, October 15, 2004. 12:00 pm EDT.

  • Celtic Klondike prepares for a gold rush: Gold found in Ireland. Woohoo!
  • Danebury: Ritual and Religion in the Iron Age: The Archaeology Channel website has a streaming video on Danebury, England.

    Monday, October 11, 2004. 12:00 pm EDT.
    I know I'm late, but I was sick all last week.

  • Japanese monster hunters arrive in Clifden: They're searching for the horse-eel. No, I'm not kidding.
  • Entire Iron Age village discovered at lochside: On the bonny, bonny banks of Loch Lomond. Dates to around 100 BCE.
  • Celebrities join demonstration to protect Hill of Tara: Well, Irish celebrities, and not a Bono in sight. Bono, where are you?
  • Medieval surgeons were advanced: That, or we're not as advanced as we like to think we are.
  • Medieval teeth 'better than Baldrick's': It's the sugar that's the problem.
  • Remains of Genghis Khan palace unearthed: not Celtic, but that's still really cool.

    Friday, October 1, 2004. 12:00 pm EDT.

  • Vandals Strike Again at Birkrigg Stone Circle: Jerks are splashing red paint on this ancient stone circle. To be honest, for me, this is like burning a church.
  • Stonehenge replica brings tranquility to W. Mich. pair: sounds like a neat place; I'm envious.
  • Experts Concerned Over Climbing on Prehistoric Rock Carvings: A really cool megalith in Copt Howe, Chapel Stile in England's lake district, is being damaged by climers. It's prehistoric carvings are being destroyed.
  • Ancient Artefacts Found in Rock Formations: Remote areas in Scotland are yeilding evidence of habitation.
  • Culloden: The Jacobite's Last Stand: Mmm. Jacobites vs. Orangemen. God help us all.
  • Witch hunts and trials in the 17th century: Just to get you in that Autumnal, Pilgrim-Halloween vibe, regarding English witch trials.
  • Picts wrongly painted as a race of barbarians: Instead, they were supposedly rather advanced, but assimilated early into the Scots kingdom. Deals with a new book on Pictish art, which is actually a gorgeous volume, definitely worth finding at your library.
  • Rings Were Secret Mark of War God: a number of silver rings with the inscription "TOT" (thought to stand for Toutatis) have been found throughout Lincolnshire, which may have been a cultic center.

    Friday, September 17, 2004. 12:00 pm EDT.

  • Ancient graves uncovered at pit: A 1500 year old Christian burial in Scotland.

    Friday, September 10, 2004. 12:00 pm EDT.

  • Irish homecoming for Viking boat: A replica of a ship built 1000 years ago in Ireland, will now sail from Denmark to Ireland. Hopefully leaving the axes and swords at home.
  • Viking burial ground dispels myth of longship marauders: "These were clearly not the longship pirates of legend, but a settled, wealthy, peaceful community." Well, yes, after two hundred years of pillaging and the like, you usually want a roof over your head.
  • Experts stunned as Viking graves found: More on the graves--a mix of men and women, fully decked out in jewels, swords, and all sorts of other things you might want in the next life, whether it be Heaven or Valholl.
  • Geneticists find Celtic links to Spain and Portugal: Guess the Irish were right about being descended of Mil of Spain. In all seriousness, there's supposedly a genentic link to the section of Spain called Galacia--which ultimately means "Place of Gauls" or Celts. So, in other words, duh. Truth be told, the article is very silly, acting surprised that there's a link between the Irish and the Scots that goes back further than the 1600 settlements in Northern Ireland--damn it, anyone who knows just a little history about Scotland knows that the name Scot originally meant "Those guys living in Ireland" (think John Scotus Erigena), and that they emigrated to Scotland during the Dark Ages.

    Friday, August 27, 2004. 12:00 pm EDT.

  • Owain Glyn Dwr and the Battle for Wales: a quick and dirty history of the Welsh freedom fighter.
  • Ancient Gold Mask Discovered in Bulgaria: A 2400 year old golden mask (24 oz. near solid) found in what was once Thrace may be of King Seutus III.
  • Irish archaeologists find 9th century Viking body: dates to about 1100 years ago, and is likely a woman. Also, a rare oval brooch was found.
  • Mystery of biggest Viking gold ring: Big golden arm bracelet has been found.
  • Mystery of figure's identity is revealed: Mystery statue seems to be of Isis. However, there has been no temple to Isis found in the Wiltshire area.
  • Anglo-Saxon Pendant is Jewel of a Find: believed to be around 1,500 years old, which would place it early in the Saxon invasion.

    Friday, August 20, 2004. 12:00 pm EDT.

  • British Badgers Threaten Historical Site: Apparently badgers rather like the soft earth around Stonehenge, and are disturbing the area around and including the site.
  • Carved Figure Linked to Bronze Age Burials: Dating to 2200 BCE, it was found in the Thames estuary.
  • Book bag reveals the education of ancient Scotland: A 1400-year-old leather bookbag has been found in Argyll, showing that books were actually a relatively common item for the educated classes.
  • Ancient ring declared treasure trove: Another article on what may be Boudicca's torc.

    Friday, August 13, 2004. 12:00 pm EDT.

  • Mystery of Iron Age woman with rings on her toes: Buried 1500 years ago under the floors of an Iron Age workshop?
  • Tree that holds the spirit of Aintree to be felled: A bit of Saxon heritage in the town of Aintree is about to be cut down, and folks aren't to happy about it.
  • Relic linked to Seahenge: a wooden figure may have some significance for the site.

    Friday, August 6, 2004. 12:00 pm EDT.

    Ireland is Atlantis?

    According to one Swedish scientist, when Plato described Atlantis, he was describing ancient Ireland:

    Atlantis, the Greek philosopher Plato wrote in 360 B.C., was an island in the Atlantic Ocean where an advanced civilization developed some 11,500 years ago until it was hit by a cataclysmic natural disaster and sank beneath the waves.

    Geographer Ulf Erlingsson, whose book explaining his theory will be published next month, says the measurements, geography, and landscape of Atlantis as described by Plato match Ireland almost exactly.

    [snip]

    "Just like Atlantis, Ireland is 300 miles long, 200 miles wide, and widest across the middle. They both have a central plain surrounded by mountains.

    "I've looked at geographical data from the rest of the world and of the 50 largest islands there is only one that has a plain in the middle -- Ireland."

    Erlingsson believes the idea that Atlantis sank came from the fate of Dogger Bank, an isolated shoal in the North Sea, about 60 miles off the northeastern coast of England, which sank after being hit by a huge flood wave around 6,100 B.C.

    "I suspect that myth came from Ireland and it derives from Dogger Bank. I think the memory of Dogger Bank was probably preserved in Ireland for around 3,000 years and became mixed up with the story of Atlantis," he said.

    Well. Guess I'm half Atlantean then. In all seriousness, I still hold that Atlantis is Thera, but I'm willing to at least look at the guy's book. Plus, Ireland would have been beyond the Pillars of Hercules. Guess all those guys who claimed the Druids came from Atlantis were right.

    Or not. I think Atlantis is a mix of legend, history, and allegory. Maybe a little bit of Ireland and its geography was mixed in, but I don't think that could explain everything. Oh well--it's still kinda neat.

  • Ancient magic still to be seen at Brigit's garden: Tourist spot in Galway, but it sounds like a neat place.
  • We have found Europe's earliest altar, say archaeologists: in Bulgaria, it may be up to 8,000 years old.
  • Ancient Script Uncovered in Bulgaria: meanwhile, down the street, a 3,000 year old script has been discovered. Man, Bulgaria is the place to be. Er, several thousand years ago, anyway.
  • In Search of the Real King Arthur: trying to piece together the puzzle. ("Woads"? "Woads"?!?)
  • Scientists Save Viking Hair: 'cause who ever heard of a bald Viking?
  • Prosecutors Drop Case Against Druid Charged With Carrying a Sword: Yeah, "Merlin" isn't going to be prosecuted. I'm sorry, but damn these guys give Druids a bad name.
  • At Scottish chapel, book's fans seek Grail: about The Da Vinci Code. Sorry, I can't get excited about that hoax.
  • "Nine Maidens" May Have To Be Renamed: Well, no, not really. But the ancient stones in Cornwall are having trouble standing up.
  • Ancient Find Unearths Past Religious Battles: Maybe, or maybe it's just a broken fountain.
  • Newgrange Being Rebuilt for Burning Man: This is pretty cool--some Irish folks are rebuilding the famous Newgrange monument at the Burning Man Festival.

    Friday, July 30, 2004. 12:00 pm EDT.

  • Welsh expert discovers why the Vikings were so mad: Hmm. Guess size really does matter.
  • Thousands mark 31 years of The Wicker Man: Ah, but will anyone mark 31 years of Showgirls?
  • Polish excavation in Syria sheds new light on ancient cult: Supposedly new findings about the cult of Mithra, divorcing it from the Mitra of Vedic religion. Not sure if I buy it.
  • Dig team baffled over tribe who suddenly upped sticks: Why did the Novantae, a tribe in Scotland, suddenly abandon their home on the Galloway coast 2200 years ago?

    Friday, July 23, 2004. 12:00 pm EDT.

  • Iceni Coin Dates to 35 BC: More coins found in West Norfolk. BTW, the Iceni were the tribe of Boudicca.
  • Human sacrifice was rarer than thought: Who'da thunk it?
  • Bronze age traces found in forest: Forest of Dean, SW England. I've driven through there; it was quite beautiful.

    Friday, July 16, 2004. 12:00 pm EDT.

  • 'Merlin' Tried for Shopping With Sword: Um... really, it makes fun of itself without even trying.
  • Treasures of 'Southend's King' Go On Display at Museum in Docklands: with pictures.
  • Child Skeleton Found Just In Time: a 2000 year old skeleton was found, thankfully before houses were built on the site. The child is wearing jewelry, and likely lived during the early days of the Roman occupation of Britain.
  • Stone me, what a find: Guy in Manchester (England, England) finds a bronze-age stone axe in a wardrobe. Reports of an umbrella-carrying satyr are still under investigation.
  • Ruins' holes mark solstice: Not Celtic, but still really interesting.

    Friday, July 9, 2004. 12:00 pm EDT.

  • Lisa puts cool into Cornish cause: Wha? 'S got to be a joke. Supposedly, Lisa Simpson will be shouting "Rydhsys rag Kernow lemmyn!" (Freedom for Cornwall now!) in a Christmas episode that will be an alternative to QEII's speech. ???
  • Cornish version of bible unveiled: After 27 years, a new translation will be released. Huh--given that Cornish is a dead language, this is fairly interesting.

    Friday, July 2, 2004. 12:00 pm EDT.

  • Most Gaeltacht dwellers do not speak Irish daily: sadly, up to 70% of the Gaeltacht--the western part of Ireland where Gaelic is still spoken (and where my family comes from)--do not speak the language on a daily basis.
  • Treasure hunter's historic ring find: A gold ring--two dragon heads holding a blue stone--dates to the 13h or 14th century; it still looks really good, too.
  • Farming origins gain 10,000 years: Turns out agriculture is older than we thought. Makes me wonder how many other achievements may be pushed back.
  • Iron Age Discovery in Heybridge: A decorated bronze plaque from the turn from BCE to BC contains La Tene influences.
  • Ramblers barred from ancient mound: Silbury Hill is reclassified, which will keep people from walking on it and destroying it.
  • Bronze Age axe found in harbour: found in Poole Harbour, it dates from 1000 to 800BC.
  • Man unearths Bronze Age dagger in field: the dagger dates from 1600BC.
  • Pilgrims flock to 'healing' well: North Welsh well of St. Winefrid. The interesting thing here is that it claims it's the only pilgrimage site that wasn't disrupted by Henry VIII.
  • Crannog rises out of lake: new bog dwellings in Powys.
  • Rabbits Threaten Viking Site: I knew they were a problem in Australia, but Scotland?
  • Orkney’s prehistoric secrets unearthed: Apparently, the prehistoric folks in Orkney didn't mind living near the dead. Intersting.

    Friday, June 25, 2004. 11:45 am EDT.
    Holy cow, I found a lot of stuff this week:

  • Outrage over destruction of Celtic fort: This is absolutely horrible. The largest ring-fort--the 3000 year old Dun Mor fort in Co. Kerry, Ireland, has been partially destroyed, likely by a local farmer claiming the land. An ogham stone was also removed.
  • Clans touch swords in battle to crown Arthur as their own: So who's descended of King Arthur? Was he Welsh? Scottish? Cornish? Is this a really silly debate? All signs point to "Answer Cloudy--Ask Again Later."
  • Here Comes the SUN: Druids celebrate the Summer Solstice at Stonehenge; of course, the connection between Druids and Stonehenge is questionable (they certainly didn't build it), but hey, it's still a neat site, right?
  • Stonehenge: Built by Welshmen?: 'Tis the season of Stonehenge. Of course, "Welshmen" is a medieval/modern political identity, certainly not applicable to those who built Stonehenge 4000 years ago.
  • For solstice, a druid who's down to earth: Druids are pretty normal people, it turns out (um, duh).
  • Stonehenge study tells pagans and historians it's good to talk: Fights over using Stonehenge today vs. archaeological studies. Gotta be a compromise here somewhere.
  • Mystery of Stone Anchors: relics of a type of anchor unique to the British Isles are showing up in Lothain, Scotland.
  • Builders of Stonehenge found: Hmm. Short of having a note on the body saying "I built Stonehenge", I don't know how the scientists can make this claim, but oh well.
  • Remains of Huge Stone Elephant Found In Kent: Who knew there used to be elephants in Britain?
  • Archdruid wants Stonehenge back: The Archdruid of Wales (that is, of the Gorsedd), wants Stonehenge to be returned to Wales. (C'mon--after 5000 or so years, I think England can keep the damn stones.)
  • Long Man is not as old as he looks: This has been debated for years. I think he's probably a late creation inspired by the presumably much older Cern Abbas Giant, or the White Horse of Uffington.

    Friday, June 18, 2004. 11:15 am EDT.

  • Borders folk may be descended from Africans: Ah, the Afro-Celt hypothesis comes back around. Maybe, maybe not.
  • White Witch Hopes to Contact Nessie's Ghost: umm.... yeah.

    Friday, June 4, 2004. 1:00 pm EDT.

  • Major excavation to open Viking graves: Lots of neat stuff being found, particularly ship materials.
  • The Establishment and Demise of the Medieval Nordic Settlements on Greenland: The Role of Natural Climate Change: yep.
  • £50,000 facelift for kirk's ugly past: Scottish church, supposedly a scene of a massive witch congregation in East Lothain, is getting fixed.
  • Hollywood plans stir Celtic ghosts: Mel Gibson's making a movie about Boudicca. Erm. We'll see. Well, at least he can't blame her death on the Jews.

    Friday, May 28, 2004. 1:00 pm EDT.

  • Ancient monument may be reclassified: Silbury Hill is falling apart, and reclassifying it as a building (it is man-made) may help slow the process.
  • Bronze Age Burials and the Beginning of the Greeks: Turns out Agamemnon's mask is way older than Agamemnon.

    Friday, May 14, 2004. 1:00 pm EDT.

  • Restoration of pagan stone circle: work on the Nine Maidens in Cornwall will soon begin.
  • Bronze Age treasure hoard found: More treasure, this time found in Mickelham.
  • Discovery of gifts to the gods is hailed as find of a lifetime: Treasure from North Wales.
  • Wooden Pipe Find Excites Irish Archaeologists: This is the oldest wooden musical instrument every found; sort of like pan pipes, they're tuned to Eb, Ab, and F. Older whistles made of bone, going back 100,000 years, have already been found in Ireland; wood is a rare find.
  • Underwater Islands Add To The Mystery Of Orkney: Man-made islands near the coast; were likely an easily-defendable land, while they farmed on the natural islands.
  • Archaeologists Discover Alma Mater Of Archimedes: Not Celtic, but still really cool--reportedly, the University of Alexandria has been found; it is the oldest known university in the world.

    Friday, May 7, 2004. 1:00 pm EDT.

  • Treasure hunters hit jackpot: major hoard found in north Wales was likely a gift to the gods. This isn't the first Bronze Age treasure hoard found at Wrexham, either.
  • Asteroid Toutatis to pass by earth in September: Interesting, especially given that its name is from the Gaullic god Teutatis. It will be closest to the earth on September 29, which is Michaelmas, just after the autumnal equinox.
  • Grace and Power: Yeah, another Kennedy book, but this one goes into where the Camelot association came from, which people of my generation may not know. As my boyfriend said, "Is Marilyn Monroe the Morgan Le Fay of the 1960s?"
  • Dig shows Welsh were evolving at faster pace: Hey, when you're still being ruled by the Queen of England, you've gotta find something to be proud of, right?

    Friday, April 24, 2004. 1:00 pm EDT.

  • Warrior's grave points to Druid site
  • Quarrying of sand on beach damages ancient burial site
  • Amateur treasure-hunter unearths missing piece from 'Boudicca's necklace'

    Friday, March 19, 2004. 1:00 pm EST.

  • Microsoft To Add Welsh to Windows: maybe now I can make ŵ and ŷ without searching through Unicode.
  • Beltane fans fired up over early finish: Edinburgh wants the partiers to go home early. I say, get in touch with yer warrior ancestors, kids, and say the hell with 'em.
  • Teeth unravel Anglo-Saxon legacy: Seems the English aren't quite so Anglish.
  • Stonehenge Tunnle Debate: Archaeologists say that it would bring "irreversible damage to the World Heritage site".
  • International academics make a stand for Tara as UNESCO World Heritage Site: What's worse than digging a tunnle under Stonehenge? Building a highway over Tara.

    Friday, March 12, 2004. 1:00 pm EST.

  • Inscription could have been carved by Viking settler: Rock found in Fife could be from 9th century.
  • Sparks fly over rare axe head: more rock stuff from Fife.
  • Roman treasure found in pond dig: See what happens when you dig up the backyard?
  • Fresh Bronze Age treasure find: Found in Britain; dates back to over 3000 years ago.

    Friday, March 5, 2004. 12:30 pm EST.

  • Tuscan 'Excalibur' Mystery to be Unearthed: A real-live sword in the stone, supposedly put there by St. Galgano a medieval knight who became a hermit, is to be tested to see if it is a fake. Whether or not this is the origin of King Arthur's sword in the stone (which, I should point out, is not Excalibur) is up in the air.
  • Give Stonehenge a New Druid Shrine To the Dead: Druids want Stonehenge and its dead to be protected during the construction of the tunnel.
  • Historians preserve Govan’s 1000-year-old stones: Scottish sculptures to be saved.
  • Disney to Make Viking Flik: starring Michael Eisner.

    Friday, February 20, 2004. 12:30 pm EST.

  • Pagan fire festival reignites with a fee: Return of the Beltane fires in Scotland.
  • 'Awesome' Treasure Find Could Be England's First Viking Boat Burial: Dating to the first raids on the Isles by the Vikings. Lots of neat artifacts.
  • Suspected Viking burial fills a hole in English history: More about the above Viking burial.
  • Vikings' Barbaric Bad Rap Beginning to Fade: See, all that raping and pillaging wasn't so bad, now was it?
  • Fight begins over Stonehenge tunnel scheme: Jesus--why don't we just build a fucking strip mall next to the Great Pyramid while we're at it?
  • Island Hopping To A New World: Just how did the first Americans get here, when, and from where?
  • Viking find rewrites Cork history: The finds will be incorporated into a new development.
  • Ancient stone circle has made us ill, say ghost detectives: Psychics visiting the Carn Llechart in Swansea Valley found that instead of having healing properties, the stones are more apt to make them sick.

    Friday, February 6, 2004. 10:10 am EST.

  • Astronomers Unravel A Mystery Of The Dark Ages: A comet that may have hit the earth in 536 AD is thought to have caused a minor nuclear winter, particularly in England. In the Annales Cambriae, there is reference to a great plague in the year 537 AD (the same year as the battle of Camlann), and another in 547 (the year Maelgwn Gwynedd died)--either, it is thought, could be related to this nuclear winter.
  • Caves Move Into the Future: Prehistoric cave in South Devon is getting a makeover.
  • Fabulous Finds as Saxon King's Tomb Is Unearthed: The find is thought to be on the par with the famous Sutton Hoo, and of the same period. They don't know who he is, though.
  • First Couple To Marry at Roman Baths: As in Bath, UK. Hey, it was probably cheaper than Hawaii. Sulis is probably happy.

    Friday, January 30, 2004. 10:29 am EST.

  • Stones may hold key to why we are here: Axes, etc.
  • Artefact recalls witches' shadow: "Witch's Ball" found in house dating to the 1830s. Guess some beliefs took longer to die out that we thought.
  • Slovak Celts celebrate spring: While the Celts once lived in what is now Slovakia, I didn't realize there are people there who are still interested in the culture. Kudos, guys.
  • Celtic Centre on the Ropes: Unfortunately, the new Celtic Culture Center in Carmarthen, Wales, is having buget problems, keeping it from being built.
  • Roman soldier's life unfurls: Roman soldier writes home, asking for dad to send socks and boots. In another letter, he wants permission to marry his girlfriend. You know what they say, the more things change...

    Friday, January 23, 2004. 12:23 pm EST.

  • World heritage site faces quarry threat: a number of megalithic sites are under threat by a quarry in the Orkneys. Well, hopefully the news will pick up.

    Friday, January 9, 2004. 11:00 am EST.

  • The 400BC Ferrari: More on the oldest chariot found in Britain; possibly shows that the people (Picts? Britons?) had more contact with the contient than previously thought. Which, if you've done your history, shouldn't really surprise you.
  • It's last rites for Braveheart... at last: Given that we don't know where his remains are, this is a largely symbolic act. But never underestimate the power of symbolism, I say.
  • Siberian graveyard's secrets: That's some cold mummies up there... As usual, not Celtic, but I find it interesting.
  • Prehistoric cave for sale: A cave--called "the sorcerer's cave"--in Perigueux, France, filled with prehistoric artwork, is on sale for €1,000,000. Let's hope a preservation society buys it.
  • Macabre find behind bedroom wall: Some odd finds in a Suffolk house may point to 16th/17th century witchcraft repellant.

    Friday, January 2, 2004. 11:11 am EST.

  • Romans Wiped Out Scots Tribes: Actually, they were likely Picts, though some support a Germanic hypothesis. At any rate, this isn't terribly surprising.
  • Evidence Found of Arctic Hunters Living in Siberia Near New World 30,000 Years Ago: Not at all related to Celts, Romans, the Middle Ages, or whatever, but still interesting.
  • Here Comes the Sun, Again: On the winter solstice in northern Europe.
  • Irish Crowd into Tomb for Solstice: Crowding into Newgrange for the winter solstice. For more on Newgrange happenings, read the following.
  • Newgrange needs protection from incinerator: I can't believe they want to build a trash incinerator right near Newgrange. For those of you who don't know Newgrange, read here. It's like building a trash incinerator next to Stonehenge.
  • Orangemen Set for Battle of the Boyne: The Orangemen are even angry about it too (though they're more focused on the site of the Battle of the Boyne. Politics aside, folks, politics aside.)
  • Treasure beneath your feet and under the waves: On the joy of discovery.

    Friday, December 19, 2003. 1:00 pm EST.

  • : Hey, it's just Pascal's wager for the recently converted.
  • Tiny sculptures are oldest artworks in world: cool thing is that they're made of mammoth ivory, ca. 30,000 BCE.
  • Ancient disc declared treasure: Not exactly surprising.
  • This week I recieved a letter refuting my commentary on the November 7th article on the Devonshire flag. It's worth a read, and the writer has allowed me to print it here:
    I came across your website recently, and its reference to Devon and the BBC artlicle.

    I would like to make some comments

    Devon's claim to having a Celtic component is not new or sudden.

    In 1870 Professor Thomas Huxley (President of the Royal Society, President of the Ethnological Society) commented that Devon was no more Anglo-Saxon than the Northumbrians are Welsh. From around the same era Freedman (an avowed pro-Saxon historian) acknowledged that Devonians were 'English only by adoption'.

    Like Cornwall (but separate) Devon had its own Stannary Parliaments from the early dark ages up until the eighteenth century, and had its own form of Celtic wrestling - with 17000 attending a match as recently as in the 19th Century. The Celtic language lingered here long after the Norman invasion - at least until the fourteenth century, and possibly until the sixteenth, and the language survived to modern times in certain dialect words.

    Recent DNA testing suggests that the majority of the population in South West England is of Celtic rather than Anglo-Saxon ancestry.

    The name Devon does derive from the ancient Celtic tribe in that area, but you are wrong in saying that the Dumnoni lived (only) in Cornwall. In fact the Dumnoni inhabited Devon, Cornwall and (at least) Western Somerset. It is possible - even likely - that within this tribal area there may have been divisions (it is the Celtic habit) and it is possible that Cornwall was to some degree autonomous - but no one knows.

    As a nation (as opposed to the people themselves) Dumnonia did decline in influence once the Saxons arrived, but up until the tenth century the Celts who lived in Exeter (Devon's capital) were subjects of the Celtic nation at the same time that Saxons in the same city were under Saxon rule - as equals.

    The influence of the Dumnonian nation declined thereafter and little more than a hundred years later the last Dumnonian King controlled only a small part of western Cornwall.

    The people (of course) continued to be Celts, but over time and very gradually the language also started to recede westward (as it has in Brittany) - probably in a patchy an un-uniform way across Devon and Cornwall and eventually became extinct - to then be revived!

    The issue that the BBC article addressed was that we Devonians are simply trying to assert our own identity, but in doing so we seem to have upset some Cornish preconceptions and fables. I think the article exaggerated the issue - most Cornish people that I know seem quite happy for Devon to do what it has, and it is only a few of the more extreme nationalist flavour that seem to have taken offence.

    No harm is intended, and certainly Devon's identity in no way diminishes that of Cornwall.

    Some of the Celtic background to Devon is encapsulated in the following web-site http://users.senet.com.au/~dewnans

    Many Thanks

    Paul

    Thanks, Paul. I'm glad you could clear that up. I was honestly ignorant about whether or not Devon retained any of its previous Celtic culture, but I see that they did. Glad you could correct me on this. :)

    Friday, December 12, 2003. 1:00 pm EST.

  • German "Stonehenge" marks oldest observatory: Older than Stonehenge, it is (so far) the earliest Neolithic observatory.
  • A child's face amid 10,000 years of Irish at war: New exibit in Ulster on the history of Irish warfare from 8,000 BCE to Nov 1, 2003 (an interesting date to pick--Samhain, the Celtic New Year).
  • A new era for Orkney's ancient runes of attraction: Is the lozenge a fertility symbol? Will people buy more products if it features lozenges? Is this a little silly, or a relevent subset of semiotics? Damned if I know.
  • Iolo reveals the fertile magic of mistletoe(Thankfully the Iolo in question is not Iolo Morgannwg.) Ah--mistletoe, robins, druids, and Christmas. Warms me heart.
  • Forester wins award after ancient kiln find: Found a grain-drying kiln in the forest. Really, you should take walks in the woods more often--see what can happen?
  • Glimpse into life of rebel Welsh prince: Research on the Latin vita on Gruffydd ap Cynan, wins an award. Cool.

    Friday, December 5, 2003. 12:00 pm EST.

  • Archaeological find may lead to rewriting of history: The Dark Ages? Not so dark. The Bronze Age? Not so primitive. Turns out civilization didn't begin with the Romans and leave with them in 410. Heh.
  • Vindication for Vinland map: New study supports authenticity: more speculation and possible proof that the Vinland Map is authentic and not a forgery. It's all in the ink, baby.
  • King's grave mystery may be unearthed: Looking to see if King Harold II, last Saxon king of England, is buried at Holy Trinity Church in Bosham, West Sussex. Personally, I'm more curious as to where John Lennon is buried. Or was he cremated? I have no idea.
  • Dig unearths Bronze Age sun disc: In Ceredigion, Wales. Apparently often found in Ireland and Britain, this is the first found in Wales itself.
  • Motorway Diggers Unearth Ancient Chariot: Now this is pretty cool--finding Bronze Age chariots under the highway.
  • Stone warrior delights experts: Unusual find--stone torso, possibly of a god, but definitely of a soldier-figure in Roman-style armor.

    Friday, November 21, 2003. 12:00 pm EST.

  • Ancient Scots link to Stonehenge: Aye.
  • Anglo-Saxon spin halted to credit Welsh: Seems that the Welsh didn't just go quietly into that good night, but stuck around making history. (Um, well, duh.)
  • Black market robbing UK of its treasures: Not surprising, but unfortunate; also, for some reason it reminds me of Indiana Jones's fighting with Belloq about antiquities.
  • How seahenge will go on show: Seahenge is going on display in Norfolk; God, I wish I had the money to go see that.
  • Dimension Mulls Merlin: Dimension Films is considering doing a film based on T.A. Barron's series The Lost Years of Merlin; I hope they do, it's a good YA series.

    Friday, November 14, 2003. 1:05 pm EST.

  • Gold Sword of 7th Century Saxon King, Caedwalla Found?: maybe
  • DNA tests debunk blond Inuit legend: Now, if we could just debunk the myth that Ann Coulter is a journalist...
  • Grave Discovery Brings Viking Fashion To Doncaster Museum: They did like their brooches...
  • Old oaks hold key to history: Trees, of course, are very important not only to the Celts, but to scientists. Yay trees.
  • Bid for centre in honour of bawdy bard: Nice! A look towards honoring Dafydd ap Gwilym, one of the greatest medieval Welsh poets (and one of my favorites).

    Friday, November 7, 2003. 1:48 pm EST.

  • Was Orkney the ceremonial capital of ancient Britain?: There sure are a whole lot of artefacts and monuments, they say...
  • Bones of the Saxons have already been found: Better luck next time...
  • Reheating Bath - New mineral spa could restore British city's reputation as soaking center: An attempt to revamp Bath's (formerly Aquae Sulis, center of a cult to a Minerva-type goddess) original attraction--hot springs.
  • New Flag Causes A Flap in South West: Flap over the new Devonshire flag. It's a complicated issue, really--Devon suddenly wants to be considered as Celtic as Cornwall. And to some extent, it is, or at least its name is (Devon < Dumnonii, a local tribe, who actually lived in what is now Cornwall, not Devon), it's culture is much more English. Hey, I don't live there and I'm not an archaeologist. You'll just have to read the article for yourself.
  • Viking Gods Recognized: Not exactly Celtic, but still interesting. Seems that Denmark is going to recognize Heathenism as a legit religion. Of course, the need to "recognize" a religion seems strange to me, but then, the U.S. government technically doesn't recognize any religion. It's not the government's place to determin whether a religion is legitimate.

    Friday, October 31, 2003. 1:48 pm EST.

  • Tiny Hazelnut Reveals Secrets of Peeblesshire’s Earliest People: Signs of a prehistoric hunting camp.
  • Archaeologists Battle To Save Galloway Site: preserving the prehistoric village of the Novantae tribe.
  • Archaeologists dig for answers at Mildenhall: What happens when you try to build a baseball diamond in Britain? You end up digging up neolithic artefacts. That's a lot more interesting than the rocks in my parents' back yard.
  • Valuable Verulamium: Roman Site Saved From The Plough: On the push to save Verulamium, now part of St. Albans, from becoming a cornfield. Fair enough.
  • Roman ruins found in rural Germany: somewhat out of the usual scope, but still interesting.

    Friday, October 24, 2003. 4:32 pm EDT.

  • Samhain: a little to whet yer appetite for next week.
  • Plans to Protect Gaelic: Scotland will finally recognize Gaelic as an offical language. Well, duh.
  • The Original 'Iron Lady' Rides Again: Looking for the site of Boudicca's battles.
  • Was This an Iceni Warrior?: um, probably.
  • Lasers Reveal Stonehenge's 'Art Gallery': and you thought they were just pretty rocks.
  • In Hot Water: fun messing with Bath's baths.
  • Ancient Cup Leads to Discovery of Ancient Fort in Hadrien's Wall: more on that souveneir they found.

    Friday, October 3, 2003. 4:32 pm EDT.

  • Anglo-Saxon Warrior Woman's Remains Found: ah, I can hear "Ride of the Valkyries" now...
  • Roman souvenir of wall found: a unique find, namely a bronze bowl with inlaid enamel of Celtic designs, found up near Hadrien's Wall.
  • Why Did Ancient Britons Stop Eating Fish?: I dunno--tired of fish and chips everyday?
  • Cosmic Link to Stone Circles: Gotta love those Neolithic builders.
  • Senua, Britain's unknown goddess unearthed: Little bit of an older story, but I'm adding it here, since it is rather important when a new member of the pantheon is discovered.
  • Roman Crimes of Fashion Revealed: Ah--nice to know that the most powerful empire ever committed that most famous of fashion faux pas.
  • Diggin up Carmarthen Castle.

    Contact me with news stories!
    Home