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Friday 09.11.12 Volume 61
Issue
What’s inside? Debate
Restrictions on free speech?
Miliband visits University Sophie Elliott
On Wednesday 7 November, Sir David Bell and the University of Reading played host to David Miliband MP. Visiting Reading as part of a tour around Britain’s universities, Mr Miliband took part in a conversation with the University’s ViceChancellor before taking questions from the audience. Tackling domestic issues such as tuition fees, youth unemployment and the economy, Mr Miliband also commented upon the recent US election. He talked of Barack
Photos courtesy of Sam Winslet
Obama as a ‘rational, calm and strategic’ leader. Speaking to Spark* after the event, the former foreign secretary said he was “surprised” that only 259 students had voted in the recent RUSU referendum on the planned NUS London march. Yet he also stated that he didn’t see it as a problem and that, elsewhere, people shouldn’t be ‘namby-pamby’ when talking to young people about politics. See the next issue for Spark*’s report and interview or go to www. sparknewspaper.co.uk.
Archaeologists uncover Anglo-Saxon feasting hall Laura Mckenna
Earlier this year, archaeologists from the University of Reading, headed to Lyminge, Kent, to start a dig. They set out to find AngloSaxon artefacts. What this group of professors and students found instead was the first Anglo-Saxon feasting hall in over 30 years, and one of the biggest to have ever been found. Dr Gabor Thomas, from the University of Reading’s Department of Archaeology said: “This hall is remarkably well preserved. With a ground-plan in excess of 160m square, the hall is comparable in scale and importance to some of the largest Saxon timber halls previously excavated in England.” Measuring 69 feet by 28 feet, the hall was far bigger than the archaeologists expected. A ground
penetrating radar had tipped the them off to the fact that there were structures underground. The hall, being big enough to hold 70 people comfortably would have been predominantly used by royalty, aristocracy, and the wealthy for day long feasts and plenty of mead.
The hall would have been predominantly used by royalty This type of hall was usually the central point of a society. Old English poems of exile display that what they long for most is the feasting hall and everything it represents. We can see by all of the animal bones found around the
area, how grand the feasts would have been. More than just sheep skulls were found. Several artefacts of worth have also been found. Members of the dig discovered a golden horse harness, precious glass vessels and rare bridle fittings that have so far only ever been discovered in graves, and even then, only the graves of those revered for their behaviour in battle. This hall can be dated back to the late 6th century, perhaps early 7th. It is assumed to be over 1300 years ago. Due to Christianity becoming more prominent within the UK, it is believed that this hall only stood for a few years, no more than one generation. We can see that it has partially been destroyed through fire, and whether this is accidental or not cannot be confirmed. It was not
uncommon for wooden buildings with an open hearth to suffer the plights of fire.
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Fashion 24 Luxe-leather?
Travel 34 Vietnam - from South to North
The foundations show the last flecks of Pagan rituals in this country The foundations of this hall show the last flecks of Pagan rituals in this country. It would have been a Paganist hall, but the tribes would have gradually left it as they turned towards Christianity. The group are planning on returning to the site next year to continue their research. For more stories go to www. sparknewspaper.co.uk.
Spotlight English society 36