The construction of a new electricity substation at Northfleet, Kent provided an opportunity to investigate the archaeological remains at the site. Excavations in 1999 revealed field boundaries, paddocks and structural remains dating to the 11th and 12th centuries, possibly relating to the settlement known as Wenifalle in the late 12th century. The proximity of the Roman settlement at nearby Springhead has tended to distract from the later settlement in the area, so the results of this excavation represent a useful addition to the modest body of evidence relating to medieval settlement in North Kent. This short report includes a concise discussion of the project followed by reports on the artefactual evidence (Roman and medieval pottery, building materials, flint and worked stone and metalwork) and environmental remains.

Archaeological excavation at the site of Poyle House, a derelict Georgian country house, revealed limited evidence of earlier buildings on the site. These comprised the beamslots of a possible farm range, and structural remains of the north wall of a medieval house. The buildings formed part of the medieval Poyle Manor, and limited artefactual evidence suggests that occupation began during the late 11th or 12th centuries. This short report focuses on the artefactual evidence (pottery, waterlogged wood, building materials, metal objects and worked flint) and environmental remains, dating back as far as the Mesolithic period.

The Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Harford Farm consisted of two groups of late 7th-century inhumation burials surviving only as stains within a prehistoric barrow cemetery. Of the thirty-one graves grouped on a bluff overlooking the river, most contained either unaccompanied burials or burials with just knife and buckle; but three, all probably female, were lavishly equipped. The fifteen graves further south, loosely arranged around a prehistoric barrow, were mostly 'knife and buckle' burials, but one was more richly furnished. The character of the grave-goods and the manner of burial are typical of 'late or 'Final Phase cemeteries. Although similarity of grave-goods suggests that the two groups of graves were contemporary, there may have been some significant differences in burial rite, coffins predominating in one group and burials in the other group resting on mats of organic material.

A former builders merchants yard, adjoining St Marys Street and the Hen Brook at St Neots, was investigated by means of trial-trenching, a small area excavation and a watching brief, in advance of a housing development. Episodes of alluviation and the formation of marshy deposits on the site accompanied medieval activity along the street frontage. In the 17th century the ground was made up, a terrace of houses was built in brick along the street frontage, and the backplot area was used for tanning. Lime pits and tanning waste (a large assemblage of animal bone) were recovered. In 1889 the site was acquired by the builders merchant.

A medieval building and occupation at Maidenhill, Stonehouse; Medieval field systems at Tinker's Close, Moreton in Marsh; A medieval occupation site at Westward Road, Ebley.

Richard Hattatt's collection of brooches ranges from the Iron Age to the Middle Ages, though most were Roman and Romano-British. Between 1982 and 1989 he wrote four books illustrating all the brooches, and in the fourth book he included a visual catalogue which provides a quick guide to the types and dates. it is this visual index - with drawings of all 2000 brooches - that is reproduced.

The multi-period site of Benbow House lies next to the Thames, and is a fine example of the multifarious and colourful activities that took place in London over the centuries. The earliest extant evidence of human activity within the excavation area was an attempt at land consolidation in the 12th or 13th century. This was followed by three periods of building from the 13th century onwards. Nine or ten buildings can be dated to the 13th and 14th centuries, and probably included the remains of 'stews' - inns or brothels known from documentary sources. Further buildings were constructed in the 16th and 17th centuries, including a possible animal-baiting arena. The final phase of the excavated evidence included the remains of 18th- and 19th-century brick buildings reflecting the later use of the site as a foundry and metalworks.

Oxford Archaeology carried out an excavation in 1997 on a site alongside the north bank of the river Thames in King Stable Street, Eton, Berkshire. The evidence indicated that the site probably served as a working area for properties fronting the approach to the north side of Windsor Bridge from the 12th century onwards. Evidence was also found of a succession of timber revetments constructed to consolidate the riverbank. Late medieval and post-medieval activity on the site was characterised by low intensity craft or industrial pursuits, prior to development of the site in the 18th century and construction of a malthouse.

Twelve papers presented by Michael Wilks between 1965 and his death in 1999, two of which are published here for the first time. Wilks' research into Wyclif and 14th-century England was very much rooted in Wyclif's own prolific writings, a perspective that differed from the more traditional Reformation viewpoint. The papers trace Wyclif's early history in northern England and Oxford and ask why the established and favoured civil servant turned against Edward III and Richard II and died a traitor and heretic. Wilks' detailed analysis of Wyclif's Latin texts, with numerous extracts and copious notes, presents Wyclif's demands for reform and his determined campaign against the church and the religious orders. Wyclif's name was inevitably linked with the Peasants' Revolt, even though it attacked his patron and former defender John of Gaunt, but even in exile he continued his fight with attacks on both the Schism popes. The essays are the result of 35 years of evolving ideas and opinions but all reflect the great learning and energy of Wilks' scholarship.

Initially concerned exclusively with death and burial, this volume grew to encompass the role of the living and the towns they inhabit. The ten papers take an informal, relaxed tone, seeking to inspire discussion rather than provide a definitive summary. John Bradley's candid and witty "Urbanization in Early Medieval Ireland" stands out especially. He points out that history is not just about the past; it is very much about the present. (Spaces of the Living and the Dead) adeptly interweaves both, examining historical facts and our modern biases toward them.

Chronology is the factual basis for contextualising archaeology. This collection of papers aims to integrate local chronogical schemes with more comprehensive and general "master" chronologies. The studies focus on Germanic or Germanised populations during and after the Roman Empire's fall in the West: the rich Germanic archaeological sites provide a yardstick for other areas. The authors also play close attention to terminology with definitions of major periods, sub-periods and artefact-types and to the relationship between typology and computerised quantitive and statistical techniques. The papers, all in English, cover North-West Europe, Denmark and Britain.

This is another in the famous Knight series by the renowned medieval historian Ewart Oakeshott. Explore another fascinating dimension of medieval warfare in this engaging account of knights and their various kinds of armor. Oakeshott focuses on the armor of the later Middle Ages, from 1100 to 1500. He examines how armor developed, how craftsmen made the important garments, and he looks in detail at the different kinds of helmets and which were the best. He also looks at the other important aspects of a knight's armor and finishes up with a discussion of how the armor was worn. Along the way he dispels a number of myths about medieval armor. Originally published in 1961-and of interest to young and older readers-this updated and revised edition of A Knight and His Armor has an extensive and useful glossary. Accurately illustrated by the author, the book captures the wonder and magic of a past time. "Oakeshott here provides a detailed history of how armor developed, how and of what it was made, and how it was worn." - Library Journal

This book takes its title from the momentous decision of the Icelandic law-giver, Thorgeir, in AD 1000, to adopt Christianity as the island's official religion. According to tradition, this was taken as he lay "under a cloak", presumably seeking inspiration from his, pagan, deities. First published in 1979, the present edition expands its discussion of the background to this peacable adoption of the new faith, and its growth under succeeding generations. The author shows how tolerance and pragmatism were early features of the Icelandic church.

An exploration of the links between the languages, cultures and traditions of the Celtic peoples of Ireland and Britain through an analysis of literary sources, place or people names and the Gaelic language. Twenty-six English, Gaelic or French essays, include extracts from Celtic texts, accompanied by detailed commentaries, and comparisons between these three main areas of influence.

An assessment excavation was carried out on a low but distinct mound in Oxborough parish where a metal-detector survey and fieldwalking had recovered forty-one Early Saxon objects and a concentration of prehistoric flints, suggesting that the mound represented the remains of a barrow, later re-used as the focus of an Early Saxon cemetery. Although excavation revealed that the mound was natural, it was encircled by a ring-ditch, possibly in prehistoric times. Ten graves were found, some containing articulated skeletons, others jumbled bones. One skull bore the neat and healed hole of a successful trepanation. Grave-goods were few, perhaps because some had been carried away by the plough. The finds are typical of 'Anglian' burials of the 6th century, except for a silvered bronze buckle of possible Kentish origin. The results of the excavation were unexpected in that the quantity of finds from the topsoil were thought to indicate a considerable number of Early Saxon graves. In practice, most had been destroyed by ploughing, and their contents brought up to the ploughsoil. This result has implications for excavation strategy and for the interpretation of fieldwork evidence in areas of intense arable farming.