Internet Archaeology

10/08/2026

New in IA71: Inset Lead Weights: Trade and Identity in 9th- and 10th-century armies in Britain and Ireland by Dawn Hadley, Julian Richards, Mark Randerson and Rebekah Hiett

https://doi.org/10.11141/ia.71.14

Viking armies introduced a bullion economy to 9th-century Britain and Ireland in which transactions were facilitated through the use of balances and weights. This paper presents the first comprehensive analysis of one type of those weights, made of lead and inset with reused material, which was an innovation of the 860s and 870s. It examines the range of insets and the messages they conveyed, arguing that they were deliberately selected and processed as a means of cultural communication: to express authority, to reflect the experiences and travels of those armies, and to imbue trading with messages of protection and group identity. It addresses the date range of the weights, whether they reflect specific weight standards, the processes for manufacturing them, and their post-depositional histories. The paper is based on a new catalogue of over 390 such weights, including many from private collections, never previously published, now available as an illustrated searchable online catalogue via the Archaeology Data Service. This comprises a critical underexplored dataset for the Viking impact on Britain and Ireland, which can be tightly dated to the late 9th century, presenting new insights into the earliest years of migration and settlement.

The ADS archive can be found at: https://doi.org/10.5284/1144245

Viking armies introduced a bullion economy to 9th-century Britain and Ireland in which transactions were facilitated through the use of balances and weights. This paper presents the first comprehensive analysis of one type of those weights, made of lead and inset with reused material, which was an i...

07/07/2026

New in IA71: Arrington, N.T., D'Acri, A., Baloukidis, D. and Tasaklaki, M. 2026 Always in the Field: Introducing the WebDig App https://doi.org/10.11141/ia.71.13

Amongst the digital tools that projects use to gather data in the field, an application created for use in the Athenian Agora excavations has gained traction in recent decades: iDig. It is used on multiple projects in Greece, and beyond, with positive results. This article describes some of the strengths of the program but also the limitations when it comes to post-season study and publication, which the authors encountered on the Molyvoti, Thrace, Archaeological Project. In response, we created an open-source, web-based application, WebDig, which we present here. WebDig mirrors the content and functionality of iDig in order to facilitate collaboration among specialists and to complement print publication.

Amongst the digital tools that projects use to gather data in the field, an application created for use in the Athenian Agora excavations has gained traction in recent decades: iDig. It is used on multiple projects in Greece, and beyond, with positive results. This article describes some of the stre...

26/06/2026

25/06/2026

New in IA71: Kansa, E.C. 2026 Archaeology in the AI Era: Demystifying powerful and problematic systems shaping the future of the past, Internet Archaeology 71. https://doi.org/10.11141/ia.71.15

This essay explores how Large Language Models (LLMs) and the generative "Artificial Intelligence" (AI) services they power impact archaeology's information ecosystem. Most of the discussion focuses on the dangers of escalating costs, commercial dependency, indeterminacy and reliability, and the potential for bias amplification. The essay highlights the need for structural reforms in archaeology's professional incentive systems, especially those systems that measure and reward publishing practices.

It looks at and mass scraping on the infrastructure supporting and . It also looks at the incentives that encourage the mass-production of ****it that may lead to but more likely less dramatic and more dreary outcomes.

16/06/2026

This data paper introduces the CHERISH (Climate, Heritage and Environments of Reefs, Islands and Headlands) Project collection in the Digital Repository of Ireland (DRI). The collection is composed of several datasets from terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) digital ph...

09/06/2026

New in IA71: Archaeological Excavations at the North Annexe, York Guildhall by Benjamin Savine et al.

https://doi.org/10.11141/ia.71.10

As part of a wide-ranging programme of refurbishment and redevelopment of York Guildhall, archaeological investigations revealed a deeply stratified sequence of human activity running from the late 1st century CE to the modern period.

This publication offers a look into urban spatial management and changing land use over two millennia in the heart of York .

Read the complete study here: https://doi.org/10.11141/ia.71.10

A related digital archive has been deposited with ADS and will be available soon.

Archaeological investigations took place in 2020 in advance of the refurbishment and redevelopment of York Guildhall, and uncovered a significant sequence of archaeological deposits, dating from the late 1st century CE to the modern period.

19/05/2026

New in IA71: van Tongeren, T. 2026 Furnace Fields: Iron Age and Roman Metalworking between York and the Humber, Internet Archaeology 71. https://doi.org/10.11141/ia.71.11 (open access)

An archaeological investigation associated with a proposed renewable energy development at Thornton in the East Riding of Yorkshire (UK) revealed extensive evidence for middle Iron Age to early Roman industrial activity.

The site demonstrates how communities adapted settlement patterns, enclosure systems and production strategies in response to changing environmental conditions. The availability of fuelwood and bog iron ore within this hydrologically sensitive setting created favourable conditions for iron production, situating Thornton within a wider zone of metalworking activity in the Vale of York. Radiocarbon dating shows that iron smelting was firmly established during the middle Iron Age, with dates clustering in the fourth to second centuries BC and extending into the late Iron Age and early Roman period. Evidence shows this to be a long-lived industrial landscape in which enclosure systems were repeatedly modified and re-cut, serving both drainage and waste-disposal functions. By the Roman period, these systems were reconfigured, with activity extending into Core Area 6, reflecting evolving land-use practices rather than abrupt abandonment.

The recovery of a large quantity of archaeometallurgical residues, including a uniquely intact 155kg furnace bottom, confirms large-scale non-slag tapping slag-pit smelting employing wood pit-packing. Microstructural and elemental analyses demonstrate technological consistency across the assemblage and confirm that the residues derive predominantly from smelting rather than smithing. The large size of the furnace bottom suggests blooms were produced sequentially, rather than singly. Requiring considerable ore and charcoal, it is also suggestive of a communal effort. Similarly sized furnaces are known from the early and middle Iron Age further south in England but they are unknown from the Midlands and the North. The Thornton furnace bottom is described in detail and provides the first microstructural dataset for Iron Age smelting residues from East Yorkshire.

Headland Archaeology (UK) Ltd Statkraft

An archaeological investigation associated with a proposed renewable energy development at Thornton in the East Riding of Yorkshire (UK) revealed extensive evidence for middle Iron Age to early Roman industrial activity. Amongst over 200kg of archaeometallurgical residue finds was a single intact fu...

18/05/2026

The latest issue in Internet Archaeology (primarily funded by Historic England) shows how heritage participation can improve mental health and wellbeing by providing individuals with a sense of purpose, social connection, and a strengthened identity rooted in their local community and the past.

https://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue73/

While many activities offer social or physical benefits, heritage specifically contributes something unique which is potent for wellbeing and recovery. It links past, present and future and offers a unique relationship with time, providing a "temporal distance" that gives a reassurance about the passage of time and the continuity of life. The thrill and wonder of uncovering the past can help to create positive emotional states, which can in turn lead to transformative experiences for participants.

Whether through volunteering, visiting, or active archaeological fieldwork, engaging with heritage acts as a "force-multiplier" for wellbeing by combining physical activity with cognitive stimulation and emotional expression.

The key mechanisms include:

Purpose and meaning - Heritage projects offer a valued role which satisfies an individual's need for altruistic and meaningful activity

Social connection and belonging - Heritage acts as a catalyst for "togetherness," connecting people to one another and to their locality

Identity - Connecting to the past helps individuals explore their own roots and origins, fostering a sense of pride and place attachment

Capacity and skill building - Participation facilitates "knowledge gain" and the acquisition of transferable life skills such as communication, critical thinking, and cooperation.

https://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue73/

Issue 73. Wellbeing and Archaeology

14/05/2026

The Archaeological Archives Group is one of the European Archaeological Council's most active and long-standing working groups. In March, "Accessibility & re-use of archaeological collections in heritage management. EAC symposium proceedings" edited by Agnieszka Oniszczuk, Agnieszka Makowska & David Novák was published by Internet Archaeology. Find papers exploring the topic here: https://lnkd.in/epwKaXFi

Now the group is analysing the evolving role of archaeological repositories in the process of archaeological heritage management and the cost of sustainable archiving. They have an open questionnaire on the topic aimed directly at the managers of archaeological repositories. If you are someone who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of an archaeological repository, please take the questionnaire. Find it on the EAC website. https://bit.ly/4nymXtK