Department of Scientific Research, British Museum - This part of the British Museum's website gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the scientific techniques used to analyze and date objects in the museum's collections. There are five main sections: Investigating the collections, Research techniques, About the department, Collections documentation, and News. The starting point for explaining the variety of techniques and what they can tell us about an object (how old is it? where does it come from? how was it made?) is a specific artifact for each category of material ­ for example, medieval enamels to illustrate techniques used to examine glass, Peruvian whistling pots for ceramics, a Bronze Age skeleton for radiocarbon dating, and so on. The objects are beautifully illustrated and have an interactive component, with separate pop-up windows that explain how a particular technique works for each type of material. The elaborate equipment used for these investigations is also well-illustrated and explained in clear language ­ the site steers clear of blinding you with science, and the highly visual approach helps make even the most esoteric-sounding techniques (such as energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence and atomic absorption spectrophotometry) comprehensible to the non-specialist. The News section includes information on some of the items in the museum's collection currently under investigation, a calendar of events at the museum, and recent museum publications. Each section provides a Further Reading list. From any page you can access the British Museum home page, with dozens more sections to explore and browse. The site scores highly for ease of navigation, visual clarity, and attractive lay-out and design; however, there is no search function ­ so, for example, you can't look up techniques not covered in this section ­ nor are any links provided. Rating: 8 out of 10 (4 October 2002) DD
http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/science/

Council for British Archaeology - At this portal for sites dealing with British archaeology, full texts of British Archaeology magazine are available, as well as the ejournal Internet Archaeology, plus CBA  briefings and research reports. The listings of upcoming fieldwork are helpful if you are looking to join an excavation crew as a volunteer. In the cheerful Everything You Wanted to Know About Archaeological Excavations, But Were Afraid to Askportion, you'll find the reasons why snug-fitting jeans are not suitable apparel for a dig, but smooth-soled shoes are. What to expect in the way of a social life, sleeping accommodations, and food on such a venture are also discussed. A young archaeologist's section is hosted by Norman Helmet, a cartoon snake, who gives out kid-friendly information about archaeological matters, events of interest, and even some jokes. Rating: 9 out of 10 (26 September 2002) AD
http://www.britarch.ac.uk/

Seahenge - The 1998 discovery of a circle of oak posts surrounding a huge, overturned oak stump at Holme-next-the-Sea on the Norfolk coast generated a good deal of excitement. The circle was built at roughly the same time as Stonehenge, and was perhaps used as a place of excarnation, or where bodies were exposed to the elements to speed decomposition. There are links to other Seahenge sites, including Seahenge News (www.druidry.org/obod/text/news/woodhenge.html) which features a much better photograph of the henge. (16 August 2001) AD
http://www.channel4.com/plus/timeteam/2000sea...

Museum of Antiquities - This is the virtual version of the Museum of Antiquities at Newcastle on Tyne, the foremost museum of archaeology in northeast England. It covers the history of the region from prehistoric times to the 17th century, with an emphasis on the Roman period, particularly Hadrian's wall and the Roman frontier. The Virtual Gallery includes such topics as the Virtual Mithraeum, Flints and Stones, Object of the Month, and Wallnet (an education website for Hadrian's Wall); while in the Archives section you can search for aerial photographs or explore the Armamentarium (book of Roman arms and armour). There are also services for schools, and a CyberFriends section with comprehensive listings of all museums in the UK, an archaeological resource guide for Europe, and links to several international museums and projects (though unfortunately quite a few of these links were defunct, so this section was less useful than it could be). (28 July 2001) DD
http://museums.ncl.ac.uk/archive/

Internet Archaeology - Billed as 'the first fully refereed electronic journal for archaeology', Internet Archaeology (published by the Council for British Archaeology) provides a forum for academic articles on current and recent research. Start with the Site Map for either searching by theme ­ such as Anthropology, Ceramic Studies, Environment, In the Field ­ or by keyword, or to access the indexes of archived journals. Be warned, though: as with any academic journal, Internet Archaeology has been set up by and for specialists rather than the curious layperson (expect such article titles as 'The application of high resolution fluxgate gradiometery as an aid to excavation planning and strategy formulation'), and you can only access the full text of articles if you are dialling in from an authorised network. But for anyone studying or working (or wishing to publish) in the subject, this is an important online resource. (15 July 2001) DD
http://intarch.ac.uk/

USGS Information on Fossils and Fossil Collecting - From the US Geological Survey comes an online textbook-style site, covering all you could possibly want to know about the study of fossils. The two main sections are "Fossils, Rocks and Time", which introduces concepts like fossilisation and answers questions like "how do scientists know how old the Earth is?", and "Dinosaurs: Facts and Fiction", which gives comprehensive answers to all the major dino-questions: why did they go extinct? How did they get so big? The site is crammed with well written info, though when it comes to the graphics and general design, it's all a bit late-nineties. Last updated nearly four years ago in places, and with plenty of other paleontological websites out there fighting for survival, this one's looking slightly fossilised itself... (14 May 2001) RJN
http://geology.er.usgs.gov/eastern/fossils.html

Institute of Nautical Archaeology - The Institute of Nautical Archaeology (INA) is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to gather information and knowledge on past human history from the physical remains of maritime activities. For anyone with an interest in marine archaeology, the site's 'virtual museum' is well worth checking out. Containing detailed information on many of the institute's excavations, there are links to site plans and reconstructions of the excavated vessels in addition to many colour images of the artefacts and objects recovered from the seabed. Images and details of the more personal, everyday items salvaged from these wrecks, everything from scissors to chess and backgammon pieces, certainly help to bring the lives of the ancient mariners that sailed on them a little closer to home. In addition to the virtual museum, the site also contains details of current projects from 1999 and 2000, with details of many excavations being updated regularly. (10 February 2001) LH
http://ina.tamu.edu/