Hadrian’s Wall Quiz
Hadrian’s Wall stretches for 80 Roman miles from coast to coast. How many modern miles does this equate to?
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Funding awarded to National Trust for new scientific technology
The funding will enable the conservation charity to upgrade and expand scientific and archaeological research on its historic sites and collections.
History of Indian indenture in the British Caribbean explored in museum display
‘Indo + Caribbean: The creation of a culture’ is free and will run until 19 November as part of the museum’s ‘London, Sugar, and Slavery’ gallery.
Cerne Abbas Giant is an Anglo-Saxon creation, study confirms
Is the Cerne Abbas Giant a prehistoric creation honouring a fertility god, or perhaps even a crude representation of Oliver Cromwell?
High-tech floor to be constructed in Rome’s Colosseum
The project aims to restore the image of the arena as it was in the 1st century AD.
A detective story: rediscovering elite Viking burial remains
The grave goods included two iron axes, a bronze kettle, and metres of lavish textiles embroidered with silver, gold, and silk threads, all suggesting this was the grave of a high-status, elite individual.
Roman-inspired sculptures installed at the Antonine Wall
In an online campaign, the public voted to name the sculpture ‘Silvanus’, after the Roman god of woodlands.
Aircraft at RAF museum get a spring clean
The annual high-level cleaning took place at the end of April and was conducted by specialists from ArcoServices. The team also carried out various safety checks on the suspension cables which keep the aircraft in ‘flight’.
Arabia’s mustatils identified as the earliest monumental landscape
The discovery of cattle horns and skull fragments during the excavation has been interpreted as an apparent offering, and as confirmation that the structures were built for a ritual, cultic, or religious purpose.
More than a hundred ancient tombs discovered in Egypt
68 of the 110 tombs date back to the Predynastic civilisation in Lower Egypt, which lasted from c. 6000-3300 BC.
Museum of London sites reopening with extended exhibitions
The Museum of London Docklands has announced the extension of several exhibitions and displays, including their exhibition on London’s largest Bronze Age hoard, ‘Havering Hoard: A Bronze Age Mystery’, which will run until 22 August 2021.
Dating techniques identify possible earliest evidence for cave occupation
Wonderwerk Cave was first excavated in the 1940s. Its archaeological stratigraphy comprises evidence of human activity spanning from the Early Stone Age in South Africa to the present day.
Huge quernstone unearthed in Orkney reveals Early Neolithic site
The settlement is centuries older than the Stone Age site of Skara Brae.
Esfahan, Iran
Esfahan is little known in the West, but it has some of the world’s great architecture – not only mosques, but also its palaces, its gardens, and last but not least, its fine bridges.
Ness of Brodgar project finds 5,000-year-old fingerprint
‘Working on such a high-status site as the Ness of Brodgar, with its beautiful buildings and stunning range of artefacts, it can be all too easy to forget about the people behind this incredible complex.’
Exhibition on Nero promises to shed new light on Roman emperor
‘Nero: the man behind the myth’ promises to challenge ‘traditional preconceptions’ about the figure.
Stuart-era mourning ring declared Treasure
The ring may have commemorated James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby and Lord of Man, who was executed by the Parliamentarians in 1651.
Contractors bid to deliver Hull’s new maritime visitor centre
The North End Shipyard is a surviving reminder of Hull’s 800 years of maritime history.
National Trust celebrates 125th anniversary of first house purchased
Medieval property Alfriston Clergy House was the first to be purchased by the National Trust, and it cost just £10.
Excavating the Oxford Jewry
The dominance of skeletal fragments from domestic fowl, and the absence of pig specimens and species of fish other than herring, which is kosher, provides evidence that the inhabitants followed a Jewish diet.
Unique Roman villa unearthed in Yorkshire
This is the first Roman villa of this style to be discovered in Britain, and possibly in the entire former Roman Empire.
Berwick Infirmary excavation uncovers medieval structures
So far, the team have uncovered pottery remains, fish bones, stone yards, and wall structures.