New book looks at Salisbury's archaeological history

Thursday, 15 December 2022 00:00

Wessex Archaeology has launched a book titled ‘Joining the Dots: uniting Salisbury’s past through holes in the ground’.

Prominent local archaeologist Phil Harding, a Time Team regular, was a primary contributor to the book, which brings Salisbury’s archaeological evidence together for the first time.

The hardback book tells the story of our city, and its residents through its past and is now available to buy through various outlets, including Waterstones and Amazon, for £22.95.

In a statement said of the book: "The project was initiated through a need to document excavations that had taken place in Salisbury in the 1980s.

"Excavations have taken place in the city since the 1960s, creating a wealth of information that has now been drawn together, emphasising the narrative of the city that developed around the landmark cathedral.

"No previous accounts, as told by the excavated remains, have been compiled before. The book is not confined to the medieval city but also summarizes settlement from the earliest Stone Age occupants to the present day.

"The volume, which aims to provide a broad description of the city and its past that can allow readers to examine related sources in more detail, includes summaries of the animal bones, which formed important parts of the residents’ diet, by Lorrain Higbee and the pottery, which contributes vital dating evidence from excavations, by Lorraine Mepham.

"These combined chapters make it possible to expose traces of the most important elements of the city and the lives of its former residents, their professions, the houses they lived in, their food, water supply and sanitation."

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