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Cod and Herring: The Archaeology and History of Medieval Sea Fishing, edited by James H. Barrett and David C. Orton

digital archive held by the ADS. There then follows (Chapter 3) a substantial historical introduction to the site by Gilchrist; this is very readable and contains many new ideas. One of the most intriguing arguments is the association of the discovery of Arthur’s grave in 1191 with royal patronage for the rebuilding after the fire of 1184, being in turn linked to Henry II’s wish to see Glastonbury promoted as a pilgrimage destination, ‘to distract from his complicity in the murder of Becket and to create an alternative cult based on royal and secular associations’ (p. 60). The core of the volume is Chapters 4–7, reconstructing and delineating the excavations of the cemetery and church, the cloisters, chapter house, dormitory, inner court and precinct, and the Anglo-Saxon glass furnaces. The latter are some of the earliest buildings now shown to date from the seventh to the ninth centuries AD. Much of the description and discussion is arranged chronologically, incorporating the phasing derived from the IADB and facilitating the easier reading of the complex arguments and reconstructions. Chapter 8 provides some of the finds reports. Of especial importance are the reports by McBride, Timby, and Allan on the post-Roman imported pottery, all Late Roman Amphora 1, from production centres that included Cyprus and the Antioch region, imported as amphorae with wine or olive oil into Britain in the fifth and sixth centuries. The significance of these ceramics was perplexingly not apparent to the earlier excavators; their significance in relation to other sites in South West England is only briefly discussed, as the material from Glastonbury consists of ‘small numbers of sherds ... found unrelated to structural remains’ (p. 253). Of equal interest are the reports on the imported Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese wares that formed part of the collection of the late medieval monastery, all providing an insight into pre-Dissolution monastic good living. Ron Baxter’s detailed report on the medieval worked stone assemblage (Chapter 10) provides much data for any future generations wishing to reconstruct the appearance of the monastic buildings, externally and internally. The volume is completed with two important chapters, a chronological summary by both editors and the ‘Conclusions’ written by Gilchrist, the latter being essential reading, both for students of the early Christian South-West and for any future research at Glastonbury. Text and plans illustrate important conclusions with reference to the early churches, here and elsewhere, as well as burial practice from the Late Anglo-Saxon period to the mid-fifteenth century, and drainage and water supply. With reference to Radford’s conclusions, the catalyst for this entire project, perhaps the most important conclusion is that his ‘identification of a Dunstan-period cloister has been refuted, although the presence of freestanding stone buildings pre-dating the Norman cloister has been confirmed’ (p. 435). Bringing together the excavated evidence for Glastonbury Abbey is a magnificent achievement. At the same time, this volume serves as a model for future projects directed at major unpublished excavations.