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Mark McKerracher

Archaeologist and Writer

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An open (field) relationship

Posted on September 16, 2017August 26, 2021 By Mark 1 Comment on An open (field) relationship
FeedSax

Many moons ago, as a teenager, I plumped for ancient history and archaeology on my university applications. In response, another lad said something along the lines of, “I don’t really get history myself – it’s all been and gone, hasn’t it?” It’s not an uncommon response, and in many ways it’s not unreasonable: why are … Read More “An open (field) relationship” »

The History of the Countryside

Posted on May 7, 2017January 1, 2019 By Mark 1 Comment on The History of the Countryside
Uncategorized

Of course I had consulted it. Of course I’d cited it. But it’s taken a while to sit down and read it – properly, finally – from cover to cover. And it feels like a literary pilgrimage. What am I taking about? None other than “Rackham’s Countryside”, or more formally: Rackham, O. 1986. The History … Read More “The History of the Countryside” »

What’s up on the Downs?

Posted on July 24, 2016August 26, 2021 By Mark 4 Comments on What’s up on the Downs?
Uncategorized

My phone started ringing before I had unlocked the door. It was my dad. “Quick,” he said. “Turn on the news.” Whatever’s happened? I wondered. Has the Isle of Wight declared independence? As it happened, no, it was bigger than that: agricultural archaeology was on the evening news. You see, there’s a project underway in … Read More “What’s up on the Downs?” »

The Ghost of the Sea

Posted on March 9, 2016January 1, 2019 By Mark 2 Comments on The Ghost of the Sea
Origins of Agriculture

Max Planck (1858-1947) was a trailblazer of quantum theory, that confusing branch of physics which describes the inherent unpredictability of the very small. It’s kind of appropriate, then, that researchers at his namesake foundations – two of the Max Planck Institutes in Germany – are shedding uncertainty in the tiny world of molecular archaeology. It’s … Read More “The Ghost of the Sea” »

Get off my co-axial field system!

Posted on November 15, 2015September 1, 2021 By Mark
Uncategorized

I shouldn’t have been so surprised. Way back when I started this blog, I commented on how farming seems to permeate archaeology as a discipline – from the Neolithic onwards, it’s a crucial thread in so much of human history. It’s hard to ignore. But equally, it’s often a bit of a poor relation. Farming … Read More “Get off my co-axial field system!” »

Barnstorming in Roman Wiltshire

Posted on August 7, 2015September 1, 2021 By Mark 1 Comment on Barnstorming in Roman Wiltshire
Uncategorized

So there they were, poised to knock up a retail distribution centre outside Chippenham, when up pops a Roman barn. Turns out there’s a nationally important Romano-British rural settlement on the site, and Historic England (formerly English Heritage) has scheduled it accordingly – so the development has stopped. This news nugget caught my eye in … Read More “Barnstorming in Roman Wiltshire” »

Sorting the sheep from… the other sheep

Posted on May 30, 2015August 28, 2021 By Mark 2 Comments on Sorting the sheep from… the other sheep
Uncategorized

Continuing this blog’s impromptu ‘DNA season’, I’d like to flag up another recent article. Now this is ingenious stuff. It made me chuckle with admiration, in an I-wish-I’d-thought-of-that sort of way. First, the problem: historic livestock. How can we know what breeds of livestock were kept in the past? How far back can we trace … Read More “Sorting the sheep from… the other sheep” »

No spelt, please, we’re Saxon

Posted on May 26, 2015January 1, 2019 By Mark No Comments on No spelt, please, we’re Saxon
Uncategorized

My guest post from the “Not Just Dormice” blog: https://notjustdormice.wordpress.com/2015/02/08/no-spelt-please-were-saxon/

Fashionably early?

Posted on May 8, 2015January 1, 2019 By Mark 4 Comments on Fashionably early?
Origins of Agriculture, Uncategorized

After a long pause, the blog is back – and it’s a blog of surprises. These particular surprises reached my attention through both British Archaeology magazine and the online news pages of Science. For those of you lucky enough to have full-blown access to Science, the reference is this: Smith, O., Momber, G. et al. … Read More “Fashionably early?” »

The Hidden Mysteries of Midden Histories

Posted on November 21, 2014January 1, 2019 By Mark 4 Comments on The Hidden Mysteries of Midden Histories
Lyminge

It’s been a while since I last blogged, and especially since I last blogged about the Lyminge Archaeological Project – a fantastic research excavation undertaken by Reading University which I’ve been following with great interest. I popped back down to visit the dig in sunny Kent this summer to catch up with the 2014 campaign … Read More “The Hidden Mysteries of Midden Histories” »

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