Current Archaeology 159 was published in September 1998 

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King Arthur, an Iron Age witch, reactionary Britons and the secrets of medieval Shrewsbury - it's all in the latest issue of Current Archaeology. 

We start with Tintagel, and King Arthur. Recent press reports tell the story of a discovery of a slate slab inscribed with the name Artognov. To many this was splashed as being the story of King Arthur, yet what was the background to the excavation and what precisely was discovered and where? We reveal the truth behind the latest discovery and offer a Marks-ist Tintagel.

 We think, too, that we have discovered an Iron Age witch. At least at Brackmills, near Northampton, an Iron Age burial has been discovered of a woman trussed and bound and buried face downwards in a pit with a lead torc around her neck. Is this the result of some grisly ritual?

 What do you do if you are an ancient Briton and you decide to go and live in a roadside settlement alongside one of these brand new Roman roads? The answer is that you ignore the road and the Romans and instead build a roundhouse with its door facing the traditional direction - south-east - away from the road. At Birdlip, in Gloucestershire, the A417 is being 'dualled' and the excavations in advance of the new road revealed a surprising story of what really went on in Roman Britain. 

At Shrewsbury, in the Victoria period, there was great debate about whether a mysterious wall that still survives in the town centre was really the remains of an inner Saxon defence. Recently English Heritage have been funding an urban research project in Shrewsbury and here the excavator reveals the story behind this mysterious wall. In addition we also tell you why, when you are in Shrewsbury, you should visit McDonalds. 

And, of course, there is also the Books, Diary, John Musty's Science Dairy - and the Letters page!

Previous issues 

 Finalised: 24th October 1998