Back Issues
The resource of 50 years of quarterly publications about London’s archaeology and only London’s archaeology is invaluable – and a fascinating read for anyone with an interest in the subject.
Recent issues
Although the last two years of LA are only available to subscribers, you can also buy individual issues from the membership secretary. To see what was in recent issues published over the past two years, you can scroll through the contents lists below.
Older back issues
And if you’d like to access pdfs of all the magazines published more than two years ago, all the way back to 1968, you can find them through the Archaeology Data Service. A year’s worth of LA issues is uploaded at a time to ADS, once a year in the autumn.
You can also search for articles by location on the Layers of London website, using the London Archaeologist Articles layer. To find out more about Layers of London and how to view London Archaeologist articles, watch our 2020 Annual Lecture with Adam Corsini.
Recent issues
Although the last two years of LA are only available to subscribers, you can also buy individual issues from the membership secretary. To see what was in recent issues published over the past two years, you can scroll through the contents lists below.
Older back issues
And if you’d like to access pdfs of all the magazines published more than two years ago, all the way back to 1968, you can find them through the Archaeology Data Service. A year’s worth of LA issues is uploaded at a time to ADS, once a year in the autumn.
You can also search for articles by location on the Layers of London website, using the London Archaeologist Articles layer. To find out more about Layers of London and how to view London Archaeologist articles, watch our 2020 Annual Lecture with Adam Corsini.
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Contents of Vol.16 No. 4 / Spring 2021 Features Author, Author...: Masterwork The winners of the biennial London Archaeological Prize were Warwick Rodwell and David Neal for their 20-year research project and publication of the medieval Cosmatesque mosaics in Westminster Abbey. Becky Wallower interviewed the authors of this landmark publication. LA Publication Prize: A Good Read Due to the high standard of the publications nominated for the recent LA Publication Prize, here is the opportunity to read the judges' comments for the runners-up. Access to Archaeology: Digging London Ian Blair and John Burke-Easton have launched a new website to record the memories of archaeologists, past and present. Ian Blair and John Burke-Easton Research Prehistoric Landscapes and a Later Deer Park Neolithic pits, Bronze Age agriculture and a medieval deer park — how the landscape developed over time at Beddington Sewage Farm. Tom Wells and László Lichtenstein Lift Going Down: Roman Finds at Dyers' Hall A relatively small area excavated for a lift shaft revealed a wealth of evidence of quality Roman buildings. Joe Abrams Plus commentary, news and virtual visits |
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Contents of Vol.16 No. 3 / Winter 2021 Features Just the job: Flint and fire Dr James Dilley is finding new ways of bringing the past to life with experimental archaeology. Becky Wallower found out more, via Zoom Findspot: Finds from the foreshore Lockdown in 2020 curtailed foreshore work, but provided Stuart Wyatt with the opportunity to start researching some interesting early medieval discoveries Research East London's Civil War Defences Reviewed Research has uncovered significant issues that will re- write the history of the Civil War Defences in London Peter Mills Fishing in the Medieval Thames Lead fishing net weights, from a medieval ship sunk near Blackfriars, have shed light on fishing net technology and its connections to the economy and environment Lucy Granger The Lost Eastern Wing of St James's Palace Archaeological investigations have uncovered traces of the lost part of this major royal residence Stacey Amanda Harris Plus commentary, news, book reviews and virtual visits |
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Contents of Vol.16 No. 2 / Autumn 2020 Features In context: Meet the Treasurer LA welcomes Jacqui Mellows, our new Treasurer, as she takes up the reins from the late Alastair Ainsworth Access to archaeology: The CRaFT recording project Angela Broomfield, CRaFT coordinator, describes the work of volunteers who have been surveying the foreshore while recording the Thames causeways, river stairs and ferry terminals between Vauxhall and Greenwich Significant site: The Red Lion Playhouse Stephen White provides the latest information on the earliest known purpose-built playhouse Access to archaeology: London archaeology in lockdown A selection of activities conducted by units, contract or furloughed archaeologists during lockdown Research Discovering the Bucklersbury Mosaic A review of the 1 9th-century discovery of the mosaic, and how it made Victorian Londoners reshape modern identities on both a civic and personal scale Sophie Wardle Saxon and Medieval Settlement in Barking The excavations in Barking town centre revealed evidence of Saxon pits and structures and pottery of medieval date Richard Humphrey & Frank Meddens Plus commentary, news, letters, book reviews and virtual visits |
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Contents of Vol.16 No. 1 / Summer 2020 Features Access to archaeology: The Thames at War Gus Milne reviews the foreshore work of the TDP in identifying and recording existing visible evidence for the damage caused by bombing during the Blitz Site in context: Greenwich Park's future revealed Jane Sidell of English Heritage and Graham Dear, Manager of Greenwich Park, reveal plans for the development of post-medieval elements of the Park, with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund Archaeology in context: Older Londoners' Project Helen Johnston and Will Rathouse of TDP describe how the 3-year project brought Londoners aged over 75 to the foreshore and mined their memories of the Thames in the process Research Pre-Roman and Roman Walbrook Landscape A review of the catchment area of the Walbrook, its many tributaries and the landscape surface upon which the future development of Londinium took place Tony Taylor Inscribed Roman Brick from Westminster A fragmentary hand-inscribed graffito reveals a partial date and was probably part of a tally mark of a tiler Isa Benedetti-Whitton Investigations at West End Green, Westminster The site shows development along the west side of Edgware Road, but it was not until the 1 7th century that the area grew, becoming increasingly more urbanised due to the close proximity of the canal terminus at Paddington Ireneo Grosso Plus obituary, commentary, book reviews, news and events diary |
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Contents of Vol.15 No. 12 / Spring2020 Features In context: Mudlarking at Dowgate Peter A Clayton remembers past mudlarking on the Thames foreshore at Dowgate while Stuart Wyatt considers what is still turning up in the same area now being recorded by the PAS Stop press: Fifty years of London's archaeology The culmination of London Archaeologist's 50th anniversary celebrations is the publication of the conference proceedings. Vicki Ridgeway and Clive Orton review contributions of archaeologists past and present Exhibition preview: Bronze Age mysteries The third largest Bronze Age hoard ever found in Britain is about to go on display at the Museum of London Docklands. Becky Wallower got a special preview from Kate Sumnall, the exhibition's curator Research Prehistoric, Roman and Saxon Little Ilford Evidence from Little llford School adds to the growing understanding of the long-term settlement and land-use in a less-understood area of London Les Capon and Helen Chittock Excavation At Stepney Way, Whitechapel A summary based on the key findings from the initial post-excavation work that revealed prehistoric, medieval and post-medieval evidence with some consideration of potential research areas Stephen White Evidence from Refuse Dumping at Shoreditch Layers from a large late 1 7th- and 1 8th-century rubbish tip, known as Holywell Mount, were excavated from below the modern buildings and Phipp Street Lyn Blackmore, Kasia Olchowska and Rob Tutt Plus commentary, book reviews, news and events diary |
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Contents of Vol.15 No. 11 / Winter 2020 Features Access to archaeology: Layers of London Adam Corsini of Layers of London talks about an exciting new project, begun in collaboration with London Archaeologist Archaeological update: Sites Unseen We highlight some post-medieval sites either excavated or recorded as standing buildings, selected from the latest Fieldwork Round-up Research Industrialisation’s Impact on London Health A three-year project re-examined 2,241 of London's stored skeletons — the results reveal the differences between inner city living and life beyond Gaynor Western and Jelena Bekvalac New Evidence for Bear-Baiting in Southwark An examination of animal bones from Empire Warehouse, Southwark, has provided further information about this infamous medieval and post-medieval entertainment Les Capon and Kevin Rielly America Square Revisited A post-excavation training project reviews the finds from a 1987 excavation held in the London Archive and, combined with historical research, reveals the benefits to students and London's archaeology alike Jacqui Pearce and MAAST Plus commentary, book reviews, news and events diary |
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Contents of Vol.15 No. 10 / Autumn 2019 Features In context: Meet the new team We welcome our new Secretary, Ros Morris, and Communications Officer, Helen Johnston Just the job: Royal subjects Daniel Jackson, Curator of Historic Buildings at Hampton Court Palace, talks to Becky Wallower about excavation, publication and some upcoming research projects Archaeological update: Sites unseen We highlight aspects of four site, either excavated or increasing our knowledge of existing structures, as summarised in the latest Fieldwork Round-up Research Roman Cemetery in Southwark Excavation of 3rd- and 4th-century burials in an area within the main Southwark cemetery Neil Hawkins Excavations at Parnell Road, Bow Roman activity in Old Ford to the knowledge of this roadside settlement Ian Hogg Archaeological Archives’ Education Usage Results of a recent survey found increased educational use of archives, featuring the Museum of London Archaeological Archive as a case study On Ki Choi and Daniel Platt Early 17th-Century Stove Tile from Greenwich Discovery of fragments of a stove tile deemed to come from a high-status building thought to come from nearby Greenwich Palace Chris Jarrett Plus commentary, book reviews, news and events diary |
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Contents of Vol.15 No. 9 / Summer 2019 Features Becky Wallower makes a pilgrimage along the Thames from Greenwich, via Bankside, to Fulham to discover how three major historic properties are being restored and redisplayed An appreciation of former secretary Becky Wallower, who has stepped down from the London Archaeology committee after 15 years. Research Requiem Remembering London's Archaeology Post-war archaeology and excavations at St Swithin’s House show the problems encountered along the way Ivor Noël Hume Excavations at St Peter’s Church Petersham Exposed inhumation burials and a brick-lined vault of the Gage family, members of an affluent Thameside community Suzanne Westall and Helen Chittock St Mary Stratford Bow Workhouse, E3 Excavations at Bow Road reveal the development of a 19-century workhouse and what life was like therein Les Capon and Lucy Whittingham 18th-century Innovations in Cattle Breading Finds from 1 Dickens Square, Southwark, allowed the study of cattle development, leading to the identification of possible types or breeds Kevin Rielly Plus commentary, lots of book reviews, news and events diary |
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Contents of Vol.15 No. 8 / Spring 2019 Features Author, author…: Delivering the goods – The runaway winner of the biennial London Archaeological Prize was PCA’s ‘An immense and exceedingly commodious goods station’. Becky Wallower interviewed authors Rebecca Haslam and Guy Thompson and graphics producer Mark Roughley on the challenges of chronicling the huge Victorian industrial site of King’s Cross Goods Yard Research RECONSTRUCTING LONDON'S FORUM AND BASILICA Marsden revisits a reconstruction of the second Roman forum-basilica and measures it against the excavation evidence Peter Marsden C-14 DATED SAXON ACTIVITY IN STRATFORD Redevelopment work at Duncan House, Stratford High Street, on the west bank of the Channelsea River, uncovers wood of late 8th- to late 10th-century date Damian Goodburn and Robert Hartle POST-MEDIEVAL URBANISATION IN HOLBORN Archaeological fieldwork at 64 Lincoln’s Inn Fields reveals phases of post-medieval finds from two adjoining brick-build cesspits Pat Miller and Jacqui Pearce, with contributions from Jon Cotton 18TH-CENTURY CATTLE ‘PLAGUE’ PITS IN SOUTHWARK A group of three complete cattle skeletons from two 18th-century pits at 1 Dickens Square, Southwark, shows evidence of cattle plague Kevin Rielly plus commentary, book reviews, news and diary of events |
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Contents of Vol.15 No. 7 / Winter 2019 Features Anniversary roundup: 50 years and counting… – Becky Wallower considers LA’s anniversary activities Findspot: The first clipped silique from Southwark? – James Gerrard, Sally Gerrard and Rebeca Haslam discuss a highly unusual late Roman silver coin from Brandon House Research POST-MEDIEVAL LONDON: GROWING WORLD CITY An overview to celebrate LA@50, looking at the growth in knowledge of London in the post-edieval period over the last 50 years Jacqui Pearce INVESTIGATIONS AT FERRY LANE, WALTHAMSTOW Palaeoenvironmental and archaeological investigations at Ferry Lane suggest human activity and a nearby settlement Barry Bishop, with contributions from Rob Batchelor, Damian Goodburn, Lionello Morandi, Wayne Perkins, Kevin Rielly and Dan Young EARLY IRON AGE SETTLEMENT IN DAGENHAM Excavation of a prehistoric farmstead during a period of transition reveals significant settlement activity Helen Chittock and Les Capon, with contributions from Jon Cotton DECLINE OF LUNDENWIC AT COVENT GARDEN SITE Pits excavated just outside the settlement core provide a snapshot of the decline of Lundenwic Ian Hogg plus commentary, book review, letter to the editors, obituary, news, diary of events and special 50th anniversary pin board |
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Contents of Vol.15 No. 6 / Autumn 2018 Features Anniversary review: Ten years of Thames Discovery – Nathalie Cohen, Josh Frost, Helen Johnston and Eliott Wragg look back on the Thames Discovery Programme’s first decade of accomplishments and developments Report preview: On track to discover Roman Southwark ¬– Victoria Ridgeway previews PCA’s forthcoming monograph on the Thameslink project which has added significantly to knowledge of Roman occupation south of the Thames Research MEDIEVAL LONDON: RICH RESOURCES – NEW DIRECTIONS An overview to celebrate LA@50, looking at the growth in knowledge of London in the Medieval period over the last 50 years John Schofield PREHISTORIC LANDSCAPE AT HAROLD WOOD Archaeological investigations at Harold Wood Hospital in Romford reveal Bronze Age field systems and evidence of a settlement Joanna Taylor EXCAVATIONS AT 250 CITY ROAD, ISLINGTON A redevelopment site, exposing in and around the former southern extent of the Regent’s Canal City Road Basin Serena Ranieri, with contributions from Ian Betts, Lyn Blackmore, Anne Davis, Alan Pipe and Beth Richardson plus commentary, book reviews, news, 50th anniversary activity updates, diary of events and special 50th anniversary pin board |
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Contents of Vol.15 No. 5 / Summer 2018 Features Anniversary review: 25 glorious years - Gary Brown, founder and director of Pre-Construct Archaeology, takes a personal look back over the company's first quarter century in London Gallery opening: Heavenly galleries at Westminster Abbey: Becky Wallower visited the stunning new exhibition space in the triforium, where archaeology has provided new details of the Abbey's 1000 year history Research SAXON LONDON: MILESTONES AND CHALLENGES An overview to celebrate LA@50, looking at the growth in knowledge of London in the Saxon period over the last 50 years Robert Cowie LIBERATING THE ONCE CAREFREE WANDERER Excavations at Victoria Embankment, Westminster, continue the research into the course of the River Tyburn Virgil Yendell, with Nigel Cameron and Rob Scaife THE PURPOSE OF THE CRIPPLEGATE ROMAN FORT A reassessment of the various fort excavations with an alternative suggestion for the use of the fort Peter Marsden A LATE ROMAN GLASS WORKER IN LONDON The study of a crucible fragment from Bury Street extends the practice of glass working into 3rd-century Roman London John Shepherd, with Edward Biddulph and Matt Phelps plus commentary, book review, news, 50th anniversary activity updates, diary of events and special 50th anniversary pin board |
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Contents of Vol.15 No. 4 / Spring 2018 Features Exhibition preview: Death in Londinium - The opportunity to display the Harper Road sarcophagus for the first time has inspired a full exhibition at Museum of London Docklands. Curators Meriel Jeater and Jackie Keily spoke to Becky Wallower. Great news for LA@50 - The date and venue are announced for LA's 50th anniversary conference and Golden Ticket prizes revealed Research ROMAN LONDON: RESEARCHING ITS RISE AND FALL An overview to celebrate LA@50, looking at the growth in knowledge of London in the Roman period over the last 50 years Peter Rowsome THE WALLBROOK SKULLS REVISITED How much did Geoffrey of Monmouth really know about the events of AD 296 John Clark A SAXON AND MEDIEVAL SETTLEMENT Excavations at the former Barking Magistrates Court Lisa McCaig with Alistair J Barclay A 17TH-CENTURY STONEWARE KILN RE-EXCAVATED Re-examination of a Woolwich kiln has added details o the original 1974 discovery Edward Biddulph and John Cotter AN 18TH-CENTURY MALTHOUSE Excavations at Palace Wharf, Fulham, on the west bank of the Thames Stella Bickelmann, with contributions from Ian Betts, Lyn Blackmore and Anne Davis plus commentary, book review, news, diary of events and special 50th anniversary pin board |
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Contents of Vol.15 No. 3 / Winter 2017 Features Access to archaeology: community archaeology at Fulham Palace - Fulham Palace is undertaking a multi-phase restoration project, with community engagement in archaeology at its heart. Becky Wallower visited Alexis Haslam, the new community archaeologist, to see what the project turned up on a three week dig. Let the celebrations begin! - plans for the magazine's 50th anniversary in 2018 Research PREHISTORIC LONDON: RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT An overview to celebrate LA@50, looking at the growth in knowledge of London's prehistory over the last 50 years Jon Cotton A THORNY AFFAIR The River tyburn and the prehistoric landscape at Abell House and Cleland House at Westminster Mary Nicholls, with Anne Davis, Rob Scaife, Phil Toms and John Whittaker HOW DO WE RECOGNISE A MANSIO? Some thoughts on Roman roadside settlements from a London region viewpoint Martin J Dearne A POSSIBLE WEIR AND FLASH LOCK Excavations as part of the Crossrail works on the River Lea at Pudding Mill Lane David Sankey, with Damian Goodburn and Virgil Yendell plus commentary, letters, book reviews, news, diary of events and special 50th anniversary pin board |