Excavations at Lincoln over the years have created a large legacy of medieval roof tiles fragments, but the potential value of this material remains largely untapped. 

In a short presentation at Jews' Court on 25 November Alex Beeby explained how a type series has been set up which enables tile fragments to be classified according to easily identified features of tiles, such as nibs (protrusions to enable hanging), holes (for wooden peg hanging), colour and texture. Plain roofing tiles can also be differentiated from ridge and eaves tiles.

If this work of classification was undertaken it would be possible to date the Lincoln tiles and locate where they were manufactured (there were 4 or 5 principal tile making communities in the county).  A project is proposed to undertake this work using volunteers and drawing on Heritage Lottery Funds.

On 14 November, four separate speakers brought news of finds in Lincolnshire to a large audience at St Hugh's Church Hall, Lincoln.

Market Deeping: Iron Age Settlement
Dr Steve Malone of Archaeological Project Services reported on the long-term investigations of an Iron Age Roman settlement being uncovered ahead of housing development in Market Deeping, close to the line of the major Roman route known as King Street and the presumed course of the Car Dyke. The settlement appeared to be defined by major tracks and ditch-systems, and recently some hearths had been identified which could be as late as Early Saxon in date.

Lincoln: a Variety of Sites
Mark Allen, a Director of Allen Archaeology, discussed the results of several investigations, including those in advance of the new Arts block at the Brayford campus of Lincoln University, which indicated that the area became increasingly wet from the Late Bronze Age. Excavations at Lincoln College had revealed features close to the eastern limit of the Dominican Friary (13th-16th centuries) and underlying Roman burials. In the grounds of the Old Palace, an early Roman wall and yard had been cut through later in the Roman period for a stone quarry pit. There were also medieval rubbish pits, probably associated with properties along the street to the north.

Lincoln, The Collection: Jewellery
Antony Lee of the Collection Museum described in detail some recent acquisitions by the museum, including rings and a bracelet.

Lincoln: Roman & Medieval Buildings
Craig Spence of Bishop Grosseteste University College was able to set the results of recent excavations in the area of the College library into the context of previous work there. There were both Roman buildings and, after a gap of c.600 years, a sequence of medieval houses, those of the 13th and 14th centuries being substantial stone structures. All fronted on to the Roman Ermine Street immediately west of the site or its wide medieval successor.

On 17 October 2012, Dr Jon Henderson of Nottingham University described the work that he has been directing at Pavlopetri on the mainland of Greece - the subject of a BBC2 TV programme in October 2011.

This project consists of an underwater exploration of a Bronze Age town just off shore; houses and tombs have been discovered, using the most advanced scanning and recording techniques. The finds suggested influence from the Minoan civilization of Crete.

On 12 September Jim Brightman of Archaeological Research Services (Bakewell) described the recent exciting results from excavations at the hill-top of Fin Cop in Derbyshire.  The site was known from previous investigations to include Bronze Age cairns within round barrows.

Working with the Longstone Local History group, the latest survey and dig concentrated on a trench across the defences, which unexpectedly revealed human skeletal remains tossed into the ditch as the hill-fort's use came to a (possibly violent) end in c.300BC.

On 16 May, Gareth Perry, a doctoral research student at Sheffield University, spoke about his research on the earlier uses of the Anglo-Saxon cremation urns from Cleatham and Elsham in North Lincolnshire.

His study has employed analysis of both residues and types of surface wear to suggest that certain pots were used for fermentation of beer or for dairying in advance of their later consignment to the earth as cremation urns.

This is a controversial hypothesis, but the results of the analysis convinced many in the audience, and we look forward to seeing Gareth's researches concluded and published.

At an SLHA meeting in Lincoln on 14 March, Barbara Tratsaert described her research into Roman gold-mining in eastern Egypt. Her interest in that region stemmed from participation in the international project at Berenike, an important Red Sea port in southern Egypt in antiquity.

Barbara Tratsaert examined the evidence for techniques used in extracting the gold, and compared them to those investigated in the gold-mines in North-West Spain and at Dolaucothi in south-west Wales.

She has also demonstrated that the people used in mining were skilled technicians, not unskilled slave labour.

On 15 February Vicki Score of University of Leicester Archaeological Services described the remarkable Hallaton treasure and its possible significance.

This was a surprise discovery of large groups of over 5000 silver and gold Late Iron Age coins, principally dating to the last generation before the Roman conquest, found at an unpromising location in Leicestershire in 2001.

There were also some surprising but valuable objects, including a silver bowl and a Roman parade helmet whose conservation and detailed decoration has recently received national publicity (the coins themselves have previously featured in Hello! magazine!).

On the other side of a ditch with an entrance ("guarded' by a carefully-buried large dog) were a large number of pig bones, presumably from feasts. Detailed study of the coins and the names on them at the British Museum has suggested that this may have been a meeting place for leaders of various sub-tribes of the Corieltavi.

The finds are now on display at Harborough Museum.

The annual SLHA residential conference was held at Bishop Grosseteste University College over the weekend 10 to 12 February on the theme of Non-Conformity.

Topics covered were:

• Catholic Communities in Lincolnshire from Reformation to Emancipation - John Wilford
• Thomas Grantham and the Baptist Explosion - Bob Kershaw
• Methodist Variety Show - Linda Crust
• The Huguenots - Kathy Chater
• Moulton Seas End Primitive Methodist Chapel - Abigail Hunt
• Monksthorpe Baptist Chapel - Hilary Healey & Bob Kershaw
• Quakers in Lincolnshire - Brenda & Peter Knudssen

On Saturday afternoon visits were made to two Lincoln High Street churches: the Unitarian Chapel and Central Methodist Church.

See images in the photo gallery

The South Holland History Group enjoyed a very interesting and well presented talk by Julia Knight, the Museum Officer, about Ayscoughfee Hall in Spalding on 27 January.

This beautiful house was built about 1420 for Richard Ailwyn, a wool merchant, and it is believed that it was granted to Sir William Ayscough from Stallingborough in north Lincolnshire sometime after 1506. The hall was subsequently known as Ayscoughfee, the suffix signifying the territorial grant made to a knight of the realm.

No records exist of the Ayscoughs actually living at the hall although the second son, Sir William Ayscough, sometimes lived in Spalding.

A number of different families occupied the hall after 1520, the most well known of which were the Johnsons, who were there until 1851.

The hall and gardens were sold by Isabelle Johnson to a committee of Spalding citizens in 1898 for sum of £2100. Thus the building came into public use, and today is administered by South Holland District Council on behalf of the people of Spalding.

This Grade One building has exceptional quality and the townspeople are rightly proud of their great house.

In the now well-established tradition, SLHA members were treated to a variety of short but entertaining talks in a "Sunday Special" on 22 January.

Ken Hollamby gave an illustrated preview of the attractions in West Sussex and Hampshire being visited in this year's study tour. These include Chichester (where the University provide our accommodation), Fishbourne Roman Palace, Weald and Downland Museum, Amberley Museum, Arundel Castle and Cathedral, and Fort Cumberland. We hope this very interesting programme attracts a large group.

Recent acquisitions at The Collection were the theme of Antony Lee's talk. He first mentioned the Roman intaglio ring, Anglo-Saxon pendant (right), bronze boar statuette and Roman gold coins already featured in Lincolnshire Past and Present, and then described in detail six gold coins, minted under Charles V of Spain in the period 1790-1801, which are part of a much larger hoard found near Lincoln over recent years.

The museum has also recently acquired a Chinese Hellbank Note, of no monetary value as currency but burnt at funerals as part of a traditional ritual.

Dave Kenyon of the University of Lincoln spoke about George Boole (1815-1864), who was born in humble circumstances in Lincoln. Boole developed his interest in Mathematics while running a small school in Pottergate in the city (left) and the exceptional quality of his work led to a professorship in Maths at Queen's College Cork. His seminal work on the logic (Boolean Algebra) which underpins computer science is widely recognised.

Dave is doing all he can to ensure there will be appropriate international celebrations of Boole's birth/death in 2014/15. Read a more detailed biography.

The opening archaeology lecture of the 2012 season on 18 January provided City Archaeologist Mick Jones with an opportunity to describe the highlights of fieldwork and research in Lincoln in the past year.

Among the excavations summarised were investigations at both Bishop Grossesteste University College, where work adjacent to the library revealed Roman and medieval suburban remains, and at Lincoln College, where Roman burials as well as occupation associated with the Dominican Friary to the west were uncovered.

A trench at Edward King House also found medieval pits and part of a Roman building, and on Auden Close more graves were found, within the precinct of medieval St Giles' hospital. More details of these excavations and others outside the city will be given at the 14 November meeting by the excavators themselves.

The talk also included news on recent publications and current post-excavation work on Lincoln, including both popular books and the two final volumes in the Lincoln Archaeological Studies series.

The progress report on repairs to and interpretation of visible remains included the Roman east gate and St Paul-in-the Bail, where improved lighting of the well and a new panel about its contents have now been installed.