The photograph albums that are enjoyed by ARLT Summer School members have been scanned, so that digital versions exist should anything befall the originals.

Some early photos are now accessible from this page.

At the moment it is a matter of looking up various years to see if photos are available.

The important work of labelling them is still to be done, but if you click on the thumbnails you should reach a large version with a title.

I don’t intend to put many photos of recent Summer Schools up, in case people are unhappy to appear on line, but shall put up a group photo for each year where they exists.

The Digital Classicist has been presenting papers in Malet Street during the summer, and I am at the moment listening to a talk about the Catalogue of Ships from Iliad 2, illustrated by PowerPoint.

The topics, all on the use of computers in the study of the Classics, may not appeal to everyone, but if you do have an interest, these talks are an excellent resource. Most are in mp3 format, with an abstract and either PPt or pdf.

Roman fort will be centrepiece of new tourist attraction

August 2008
By Brian Ferguson ONE of Britain’s most important Roman sites – the remains of a fort on the outskirts of Edinburgh – will be opened up permanently to the public within months, The Scotsman has learned.
An excavation has exposed what is left of the ancient building for the first time since in more than 50 years.

Work carried out over the last few days in the shadow of Cramond Kirk has opened up the remains of the fort, which dates back to 142AD,

The new work will include uncovering parts of the fort, which is thought to have once housed more than 1,000 men, for the first time, including its gatehouse, and former grain stores.

It is hoped the archaeological project will not only unearth new treasures but will shed new light on whether the Romans actually stayed in the area longer than already thought.

Once that work is completed landscaping will be carried out around the remains before the site is opened up to the public.

A similar project will then be carried out on the nearby remains, which are currently below ground, of a Roman bathhouse, discovered in the mid-1970s, which is widely regarded as the best-surviving Roman building in Scotland.

It is hoped a long-awaited multi-million pound visitor centre and museum, housing most of the Roman artefacts discovered in the area over the years, will then become a reality. The new attraction will recount the famous story of the Cramond Lioness sculpture, discovered 11 years ago by a ferryman in the nearby River Almond. It can currently be seen in the National Museum of Scotland.

Historians believe the fort was originally constructed as an outpost of the Antonine Wall, on the frontier of an empire during the campaigns of Emperor Antoninus Pius around 142-144 AD.

John Lawson, the city archaeologist, who is leading the dig, said: “The remains of the fort at Cramond are actually one of the most important Roman sites anywhere in Britain.

“Although there was an extensive dig in the 1950s, overseen by a local couple, Alan and Viola Rae, this one will cover areas that have never been looked at before. Archaeological techniques and our knowledge of the Roman occupation of Scotland have moved on hugely since then, so it’s a very important dig.

“We are hoping to find out more about the origins of the fort, who might have been occupied there and at what time. It may be that the Romans were in Cramond much later than we currently think.”

Cllr Deidre Brock, the council’s culture and leisure leader, “I can’t wait to see the results . The local community have always been very enthusiastic about the Roman Fort and I’m pleased they’re able to take part in these new excavations.”

29 August 2008 12:12 AM The Scotsman Edinburgh

The latest in a heap of reports to come my way about re-enactment days around the country that feature the Romans in Britain. This one is from the Watton and Swaffham Times.

West Acre in the bloody wars

27 August 2008

A series of bloody wars descended upon a picturesque Norfolk village over the bank holiday weekend.

Battle cries carried across deserted fields and the smell of gunpowder filled the air.

Thankfully, despite the ambulance service on standby, no-one was injured for while the swords were sharp and the guns working, the fighting was all re-enacted as part of the two-day West Acre History Fair.

More than 1,000 history enthusiasts set up camp near Swaffham to take part in dozens of activities Sunday and Monday.

There was an English Civil War Society private drill, infantry displays, cavalry displays and an impressive recreation of a civil war battle.

Horses galloped up and down the battlefield while their skilled riders fought the opposition with swords.

Visitors could head back even further in time by watching the Romans and Britons in a gladiatorial combat show, fighting displays covering Saxons through to Elizabeth I, and how the cavalry changed from the Romans to the Spanish Armada.

Hundreds of people flocked to the site too caught up in peering into civil war tents to look at needlework and mediaeval doctors healing battlewounds, to notice the muddy ground.

Children took part in an archaeology excavation to hunt for Roman coins, winning a Roman artefact if they did.

The event also saw the Priory, usually closed off to the public, open its doors, a live mediaeval excavation and a working iron-age farm.