September - 2018

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John Blair’s 'Building Anglo-Saxon England'

John Blair’s 'Building Anglo-Saxon England'

In the summer of 1969, excavating on the Bell Hotel site in Gloucester, we discovered – deep down – the remains of the Flavian Roman legionary fortress. The upright posts of the building were spaced at such millimetre-precise regularity that in the manic last days of this salvage dig we could estimate and locate the posts, thus drawing up plans of whole buildings. The precision was remarkable, but bear in mind these were the same Romans who built the Colosseum, the Pantheon a

Democracy, liberty and a cook called Hercules

Democracy, liberty and a cook called Hercules

Today I was invited to WHYY in Philadelphia to participate in a radio programme. The theme was the silent rise of demagogues and dictators today and in the past. My part focussed on some celebrated Italians - Julius Caesar, Augustus and their modern Italian counterpart, Benito Mussolini. But history is rather different from contemporary affairs. History has treated the Romans pretty generously, and Il Duce much less so. The programme wanted to focus on the manipulation of pow

Nico Muhly’s Liar, Suite from Marnie

Nico Muhly’s Liar, Suite from Marnie

The Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin kicked off its new season with a world premiere of Nico Muhly’s Liar – a Suite from Muhly’s new opera, Marnie. The opera’s US premiere is at the Met in New York next week. Based on Alfred Hitchcock’s 1964 film starring Tippi Hedren and Sean Connery (which was an adaptation of Winston Graham’s 1961 novel), this is a musical thriller. Image courtesy of BBC Radio 3. Copyright BBC 2018 The orchestra rose exultantl

Musings on the European Archaeology Association Congress and Brexit

Musings on the European Archaeology Association Congress and Brexit

The European Archaeology Association 24th congress was in Barcelona. It is the first time I have attended and I spoke to a canonical European theme, the Pirenne thesis, along with two Danes, an Austrian, a Belgian, a French, and a German archaeologists. Much of the lively (and welcome) discussion featured a distinguished Dutch professor. It was all quite amazing, especially as we lectured and conversed in English. It is not overstating matters to say that this conference has

Autumn has arrived

Autumn has arrived

After weeks of afternoon storms, the grass has started growing again. It is astonishing. Confused spring flowers pop up everywhere. Then the storms suddenly cease giving way to cloudless days. Mowing the unexpected grass on a stormless Saturday sets up a billowing cloud of dust. Momentarily it is reminiscent of the serene, drifting mists that now typify the otherwise listless hour after sunrise. early autumnal mowing This autumn will bring disappointments. The vines have bee

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