Howard-Davis, C. (2010). The Carlisle Millennium Project

[jho]

Received my copy today. At 25 GBP it is extremely good value for money. Lots of nice illustrationd and lucidly written.

In addition to detailed information on the better known armour components (manica, greave, scales, segmentata), there is a lot more interesting stuff which was at least new to me including a possible wooden saddle frame and potential iron bound wooden ballista parts (although I do not yet quite understand how they would fit to the machine).

Includes a CD with more detailed data (which sadly I cannot open with my MAC).

[Caballo]

The DVD contains a lot- all of Volumes 1, 2 and 3.

Vol 1 is:-
Carlisle Millennium Project - Excavations in Carlisle 1998-2001, Volume 1: Stratigraphy
by John Zant

From 1997 to 2001, works associated with Carlisle City Council's Gateway City (Millennium) Project on castle Way and Castle Gardens provided an important opportunity to conduct a programme of archaeological excavations on the site of the Roman fort at Carlisle, and to examine the development of part of the medieval castle, which occupies most of the fort site. Five main areas were investigated prior to the construction of the Castle Way (Irish Gate) footbridge and the Millennium Gallery and underpass, in what was the largest archaeological excavation undertaken in Carlisle since the early 1800s.

The results of the work will greatly enhance understanding of the development of the fort during the Roman period, and of Carlisle's role in the origins and development of the Tyne-Solway frontier system. Important evidence for occupation within the medieval castle's outer ward was also recovered, and the large ditch separating the castle from the city was investigated. Waterlogging of the lower levels resulted in exceptional preservation of organic materials, which rarely survive on archaeological sites in Britain. These included the remains of numerous wooden buildings and other structures within two superimposed timber forts of the late first- to mid-second century AD, a multiplicity of wooden and leather artefacts of Roman and medieval date, and a wealth of environmental information.

This monograph presents the detailed stratigraphic narrative, describing site development from the pre-Roman to post-medieval periods. The site is placed in its wider context, and a discussion is presented of the importance of the data for advancing understanding of the history and development of Carlisle, and of the wider region. A second volume discusses the artefactual and ecofactual data, and provides an overview of the significance of the material. Much of the detailed project data have been compiled into a thrid, digital, volume; this takes the form of a DVD accompanying the second book. 542p, illus throughout (Oxford Archaeology 2009)

Vo 2 is the Finds.

The Carlisle Millennium Project: Excavations in Carlisle, 1998-2001, Volume 2: The Finds
by Christine Howard-Davis

From 1997 to 2001, works associated with Carlisle City Council's Gateway City (Millennium) Project on castle Way and Castle Gardens provided an important opportunity to conduct a programme of archaeological excavations on the site of the Roman fort at Carlisle, and to examine the development of part of the medieval castle, which occupies most of the fort site. Five main areas were investigated prior to the construction of the Castle Way (Irish Gate) footbridge and the Millennium Gallery and underpass, in what was the largest archaeological excavation undertaken in Carlisle since the early 1800s.

The results of the work will greatly enhance understanding of the development of the fort during the Roman period, and of Carlisle's role in the origins and development of the Tyne-Solway frontier system. Important evidence for occupation within the medieval castle's outer ward was also recovered, and the large ditch separating the castle from the city was investigated. Waterlogging of the lower levels resulted in exceptional preservation of organic materials, which rarely survive on archaeological sites in Britain. These included the remains of numerous wooden buildings and other structures within two superimposed timber forts of the late first- to mid-second century AD, a multiplicity of wooden and leather artefacts of Roman and medieval date, and a wealth of environmental information.

Volume 2 presents detailed evidence of the artefacts and ecofacts from the site. It draws together the many reports produced by specialist researchers into a synthesis and discussion. This sheds light on day-to-day activity in and about both the Roman forts and medieval outer ward of the castle and illustrates the lives of those who built and inhabited the buildings within them. Much of the detailed project data have been compiled into a third, digital, volume; this takes the form of a DVD accompanying this book. 1000p (Oxford Archaeology 2010)

Vol 3 contains the Appendices with context listing, and section son all the finds- ceramics, coins, conservation, fine metalwork, iron work, leather , bone etc.

A LOT of info for £25- good value.

[mcbishop]

A LOT of info for £25- good value.

And it is so difficult not to do the bangs-per-buck calculation for this and the Housesteads report... so I did 'em...

Carlisle (offset litho, some colour, calendered art paper stock): 997 (936 + lxi) printed pages (+ c.600 pages on DVD) = £0.03 per printed page (so excluding the pages on DVD)

Housesteads (POD, some colour, photocopy paper): 632 (614 + xviii) printed pages (no DVD) = £0.16 per page

A crude comparison, but it makes the point.

From the perspective of content they are pretty close (and I have already declared an interest in that I have contributions - sliced and diced, which is what good archaeological report editing is all about - in both), although Housesteads is showing its age and gestation period, but one has to ask why two such wildly differing publication models should exist. And hands up anyone who seriously believes the Housesteads report won't be remaindered and in an Oxbow sale for a nominal sum in a couple of years time (which was how I picked up the considerably better-produced Birdoswald report).

After wikinomics and freakonomics, I think I have just invented twerponomics.

Pricing Housesteads in the same way as Carlisle would have produced a beautifully produced book that cost £19. Go figure...

Mike Bishop

[Caballo]

Absolutely agree Mike.

Btw, have kicked off a thread on the painted black lorica fragments here <!-- l <a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.romanarmytalk.com/rat/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=29366">viewtopic.php?f=17&t=29366<!-- l . Would love to lure you in to tell us more..... for example was the paint on both sides of the fragment?

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Where do you get these reports from at the moment?

[Caballo]

I got my copy from Oxbow books in Oxford. Nice people, who have far more great books than is good for my bank balance.... :roll:

Cheers

Paul

[jvrjenivs]

Also got my copy (and indeed a lot of other interesting titles) from Oxbow.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Thanks, will have to check out the site.