False 21past horizons allowing me to see over the thorny acacia trees. The one weakness to this plan was Derek’s careless steering, which led to my body being pricked, scratched and lacerated by the branches, and although he always swore it was a mistake I was sure I could here the sounds of giggling from inside the car. By the end of this phase we had recorded a wide arc of defended farmsteads that lay on the edge of the gravel plain, and already we were beginning to understand a pattern to the location of these sites and distinctive architectural styles. On one of our daily expeditions Beatrice remarked on our incredible routine on discovering a new tower. Our car would pull to a halt, each of us would silently jump out and pull out our respective equipment. Fiona and I would begin with the ground plan while Derek recorded the exterior. The ladder would be placed against the tower to reach the door which was invariably on the fi rst fl oor. I would then pick a principal elevation which displayed the essence of the building and, using the stone tied to the end of the measuring tape method, would throw it to the top, something I became better at as time went on. Fiona would then shout out measurements as I drew a scaled elevation which I would then complete by eye. By this time Derek was inside the tower and we would join him on completion of the exterior elevations to draw internal plans and signifi cant features. With us hidden from view, Derek would photograph the exterior after which we would descend the ladder, pack our equipment and return to the Nissan Patrol. This could take as little as an hour, and with the minimum of equipment and fuss we completely recorded an entire building. The further from the urban centre we travelled the more dangerous we realised our mission was becoming. While surveying a site called Sheba’s Palace perched on a precarious rocky ridge we heard the occasional pop and whizzing noise. We soon became aware that the source of this noise was gunfi re from an AK- 47, wielded by the son of an irate old lady whose garden we had inadvertently walked through. Retreating to our car we were confronted by a crowd of angry locals and, realising that the situation was getting out of hand, decided to make a hasty escape. This episode prepared us for the odd pot shot that would be fi red in our direction from time to time up in the mountains, which was where we were headed next. There we found dozens of stone- built towers protecting routes and remote villages that clung to the side of dangerously steep slopes. Many of the lookout towers were recorded only after hours of climbing cliffs, crossing chasms spanned by single palm trunks and, on one occasion, driving up a gravel track that was six inches wider than the car with a sheer drop down into the wadi below. However, our single- minded determination drove us on and by the end of the six weeks we had found and recorded 75 defensive structures. All the plans and elevations were written up to publication standard, the records collated, the photographs catalogued, and on our return to the UK we carried out further archival study. The project seemed complete but ten years later, in 2002, Derek phoned to say we had missed a tower. It lay close to our original base camp but by some oversight we had missed it, and I promptly returned to RAK to fi nish the job. And so that’s where the story fi nally ends. In a matter of weeks ( for the most part), and with the most basic of equipment, we had recorded the remarkable buildings that were the Towers of Ras al- Khaimah – and despite the gunfi re, angry locals and hazardous locations, it was a story worth pursuing. ? Learn more: Kennet, D. ( illustrations by D Connolly) 1995. The Towers of Ras al- Khaimah. BAR International Series 601. Ras al- Khaimah National Museum: www. rakmuseum. gov. ae/ ?

False past horizons22 These are some of the comments we have received from students on last summers Syon Training Excavation. Our fi ve day training opportunities include the Syon House Archaeological Training excavation, Environmental Archaeology, Experimental Archaeology, Geophysical Survey Techniques and Ewell Training Excavation in Surrey provide an important archaeological fi eldwork element. Our 5- day courses provide practical training in archaeological excavation and recording techniques, initial fi nds processing and other aspects of archaeological investigation. You’ll be taught by on- site professional archaeologists and visiting specialists, and training will be geared to all levels of experience – including absolute beginners. During your time at this beautiful location to the rear of Syon House, you’ll be helping to reveal more of the famous medieval Abbey. You’ll be discovering equally exciting traces of the 17th century garden. And you’ll be having a lot of fun! Now in its fi fth year, the Birkbeck Training Dig has proved extremely popular. The Faculty of Lifelong Learning at Birkbeck College offers a wide range of Archaeology, Egyptology and Ancient Near East and Aegean courses. The courses are all at fi rst year undergraduate level and are designed for students wanting to gain an academic award to Certifi cate or Diploma level or who want to learn for pleasure. A number of our students have progressed to the MA in Archaeology a fl exible programme taught part- time over two years mainly over one week blocks and weekends. The MA is particularly useful for both volunteer and professional archaeologists and for students wanting to continue their studies in Archaeology. Current and past studies have been able use the MA to prepare for a career change. Our Certifi cate and Diploma programmes cover a number of subject areas: World Archaeology, The Ancient Near Eastern and Aegean, The Romans, Celtics and Vikings, Understanding Archaeology, Archaeology and Medieval England, Languages and Literature in Archaeology, Languages and Literature in Egypt, Egyptian Lifestyle, Art, Artefacts and Archaeology, Archaeology and the Human Body. Syon 2007 main excavation School of History, Classics and Archaeology I thoroughly enjoyed the course. I found it fascinating and it gave me an appetite for excavation. The tutors on the site were always helpful and there was a very good atmosphere. The range of tasks was very good and there was an excellent coverage of different aspects of excavation and archaeological processes. Like the Ronseal advertisement, it did what it said on the tin! I felt I was taking part in an excavation that could actually augment the archaeological record. I really enjoyed my dig at Syon Park. The team were very friendly and patient for newcomers such as myself and I fell that I have really learnt lots of new skills within one intensive week. Lots of hands on experience! Good mixture of diggers with different levels of experience. Something different to the sites I’ve previously excavated.