Boltby is a very important ancient site IMO. A gold “hair braid”, was found there, linking it to the Amesbury Archer, buried with two similar hair braids. This also provides a link to the founding of Stonehenge, which helps set a potential scene for a possible “zeitgeist”, of the day.
Location: North Yorkshire
Nov 23
The Story of Boltby Scar
- Filed under Brigantes, Brigantia, Brigantia England, Britain, Bronze Age, Celtic Tribes, Defensive Dike, Defensive Walls, Dike, Europe, Fort, Hair Braid - Ring, Hill Fort, Iron Age, Landscape Archaeology, Linear Earthworks, Mining Landscape, Promontory fort, Stories of Brigantia
Swaledale
- Filed under Brigantia, Brigantia England, Britain, Cairn, Europe, Flint Scatters, Geology, Geomorphology, Hill Fort, Iron-Age, Megalithic, New Sites, Promontory fort, Ring Cairn, Rock Art, Univallet Hillfort
Swaledale occupies the long, sinuous valley carved by the River Swale on its 45-kilometre descent from Nine Standards Rigg (662 m) on the Pennine watershed to Richmond in lower Teesdale. The dale narrows between rough gritstone scarps near Keld, broadens to a patchwork of hay-meadows around Muker and Gunnerside, then opens into a tree-fringed flood-plain west of Reeth before the river cuts through the Carboniferous escarpment to meet the Vale of Mowbray.
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Head One – St Michaels Church, Kirklington
- Filed under Celtic Head, Celtic Head, Church, Gothic
This head is one of thirteen “Celtic”, or archaic heads that are located within the interior of the church. Twelve of those heads, including this one, are located in four rows of three, which run down either side of the churches arched columns. The thirteenth head is located in the bell tower.
Cana Barn Henge
- Filed under Brigantia, Brigantia England, Britain, Class IIa, Europe, Henge, Liminal Spaces, Neolithic, New Sites
The stats for this Neolithic monument are astounding: 200m across, once a great circle of earthen banks and deep ditches. Today, almost lost: 5,000 years of plough and neglect have flattened the banks and filled the ditches, and Cana Henge is now nothing but a smoothly undulating grassy field on the moor overlooking Ripon.
Oval Barrow east of Ulshaw Bridge
- Filed under Brigantia, Brigantia England, Burial Mound, Landscape feature, Long Barrow
This unexcavated and undated barrow matches many of other Late Neolithic / Early Bronze-Age round barrows (c. 2400–1500 BC) dotted along the flanks of the Yorkshire Dales.
Cleave Dyke Defensive System
- Filed under Brigantia, Brigantia England, Britain, Defensive Structures, Dike, Iron Age, Landscape feature
The Cleave dyke system is several Dykes which combine to create a boundary of between 9 and 18 kilometres running north south to the west of Thirsk.
Black Dike – Coverdale
- Filed under Boundary Marker, Brigantia, Brigantia England, Dark Ages, Dark Ages Brigantia, Dike, Iron Age, Landscape feature, New Sites
Black Dike is the diminutive counterpart to the great Tor Dike, rising from its western arm and climbing to the watershed between Great and Little Whernside. Beginning at roughly SD 988 756—where Tor Dike cleaves the limestone scarp—the Black Dike pursues a steep, sinuous course uphill for nearly 0.6 km, finally spilling onto the ridge crest at about 675 m above sea level
Tor Dyke
Tor Dyke appears to have been attributed to Venutius which dates it of the period AD 52 – 70. The presence of a legionary size marching camp a few miles to the southwest at Malham certainly indicates an active role in the Roman advance of AD 70. However, given the lack of published research so far a clear picture has yet to emerge.
Jun 27
Prehistoric mounds, cairns and boundary earthworks in Coverdale
- Filed under Archaeology, Barrow, Boundary Marker, Brigantia, Brigantia England, Bronze Age, Burial Mound, Dark Ages, Dark Ages Brigantia, Early Christian, Early Medieval, Guide, Iron Age, Landscape Archaeology, Landscape feature, Motte and Bailey, Mound, New Sites, Roman, Terraces, Visible Remains
A gazetteer of probable prehistoric mounds, cairns and boundary earthworks in Coverdale. It is not complete and is still being researched.
Bishopdale
- Filed under Brigantia, Britain, Landscape Archaeology
Bishopdale lies within the northern limb of the Askrigg Block, its underlying bedrock dominated by Carboniferous limestones with intermittent shales and sandstones of the Yoredale Series. The Great Scar Limestone, a thick, massive unit formed around 330 million years ago in a shallow tropical sea, underpins the dale’s steeper scarps and cliff lines, while the thinner-bedded limestones and intervening mudstones of the Yoredale Group create the characteristic terraced flanks on which many of Bishopdale’s field systems are laid out
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Announcing: The Brigantian News!
- Roman Road to the West uncovered under Manchester Street 16 July 2025
- What might Stonehenge Mean? Dartmoor and Carnac add to the Picture 3 July 2025
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- Drumanagh Promontory Fort – First Ever Intact Roman Pot Found in Ireland 5 June 2025
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A medieval short cross penny, probably of Henry III, Class 7c (1236 - 1242), Spink 1356c, Canterbury mint, moneyer Ioan. The coin is in good condition and complete, is 18mm in diameter and weighs 1.38g. [...]
An incomplete copper alloy radiate of Unclear Emperor (AD 260-296). Unclear reverse type. Unclear mint.Diameter: 15.10mm, Weight: 0.5gThe coin is missing minor portions of its outer flan. [...]
An incomplete copper alloy radiate or nummus of Unclear Emperor (AD 260-402). Unclear reverse type. Unclear mint.Diameter: 14.45mm, Weight: 0.8gThe coin is missing minor portions of its outer flan. [...]
An incomplete copper-alloy Rose farthing of Charles I (1625-1649). Unclear type. Reverse depicts crowned rose. AD 1636-1644.Diameter: 13.48mm, Thickness: 1.22mm, Weight: 0.6gThe coin is missing a portion of its outer flan. [...]
An incomplete copper-alloy Rose farthing of Charles I (1625-1649). Unclear type. Reverse depicts crowned rose. AD 1636-1644.Diameter: 12.69mm, Thickness: 0.82mm, Weight: 0.5gThe coin is missing a portion of its outer flan. [...]
A worn silver Medieval short cross penny of Henry III, Class 7b dating to 1222-1236. Moneyer is IOAN FR, Canterbury mint. [...]
Fragment of a small Roman copper-alloy Harlow brooch. The upper part of the bow, wings and parts of the spring are extant. The wings are broadly rectangular, tapering slightly on the upper or forward edge, [...]
A complete silver Sixpence of William III (AD 1694-1702). Cruciform shield reverse. Unclear mint. AD 1695-1699.Diameter: 20.68mm, Thickness: 1.02mm, Weight: 2.62gSpink P 369, No 3520The coin is heavily worn and has two bends, in opposing directions, suggesting the [...]
An incomplete copper alloy Nummus of the House of Valentinian, dating to the period AD 364-378. Reece Period 19. SECVRITAS REIPVBLICAE reverse type, depicting Victory walking left with wreath. Unclear mint.Diameter: 18.50mm, Weight: 1.54gThe coin is missing [...]
An incomplete copper alloy brooch of Roman date (AD 25-60). The object is a Colchester type two-piece brooch, Harlow type. The brooch is composed of a head with short rectangular wings which are incomplete, to the [...]
An incomplete lead Spindle Whorl of late Medieval to early Post-Medieval date (AD 1500-1600). The object is biconical with a central sub-circular aperture. The upper surface has a moulded raised design composed of repeating radiating lines. [...]
Fragment of a Roman copper-alloy trumpet brooch of Mackreth’s (2011) type TR 2.2g, similar (as far as it survives) to ibid, Pl.85 No. 5371. The head, the upper part of the bow, and the integral [...]
A silver post Medieval penny of Charles I, Group D with no inner circles, and initial mark of two pellets. London Tower mint. Cf. North 2271. [...]
Small medieval copper-alloy annular brooch or tiny buckle. The frame is circular, broadly rectangular in cross-section, of slightly variable width and thickness, and undecorated. There is a single external notch on the narrower part, not [...]
A worn and heavily clipped Medieval silver penny of Edward IV, Second reign (1471-1483), Type XXI dating to AD 1476-1480. Minted under Archbishop Lawrence Booth in York. As North 1652.. [...]
A silver post Medieval penny of Charles I, probably Group D with no inner circles, single pellet initial mark. London Tower mint. Cf. North 2270. [...]
A 16th century silver Venetian soldino issued by Doge Leonardo Loredan (1436-1521), dating to 1501-1521. Obverse description: Doge, as standard bearer of Venice, kneeling left, receiving the banner of St. Mark from the patron saint. [...]
A Roman copper alloy sestertius of Hadrian dating to AD 136 (Reece period 6). [FELICITAS] AVG // S C reverse depicting Felicitas standing left, holding caduceus and cornucopia; by feet to left, wheel. Mint of [...]
Roman furniture fitting with an iron core and a copper-alloy casing. It is a knob: a globular head with a narrowed circular-cross-sectioned neck. The head is unintentionally flattened (i.e. damaged) on two opposing sides, but [...]
A circular lead alloy Medieval pilgrim badge, possibly of the cult of St. John the Baptist at Amiens, France (see Lewis (2014:145)). The front has a wide border decorated with pseudo jewels (pellet-in-annulets) around a central image of a [...]
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- The Story of Boltby Scar
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- Head One – St Michaels Church, Kirklington
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