Hadrian’s Wall Quiz
Hadrian’s Wall stretches for 80 Roman miles from coast to coast. How many modern miles does this equate to?
The comprehensive website for archaeology, history, heritage and the ancient world. Find out more about us here
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.
Fragments of the oldest map of the stars found in medieval manuscript
The map was created by Hipparchus between c. 170 and 120 BC
New discoveries at Ephesus
Archaeologists working in Ephesus, Turkey, have uncovered a new section of the ancient city: a business and gastronomical district dating to the early Byzantine period. The discovery was made by researchers from
Conservation work begins at Durham Castle’s Norman Chapel
The first phase of the project will include repairing the water damage to the Chapel’s sandstone walls.
New project to explore horse trade in ancient China and Mongolia
Project ‘Horse Power’ aims to test the hypothesis that horses from the northern steppe region were traded south in exchange for Chinese metals.
UK’s oldest human DNA sheds light on the recolonisation of post-Ice Age Britain
Findings show that there were at least two genetically distinct Late Upper Palaeolithic populations present in Britain after the last Ice Age, around 15,000 years ago.
Glass fragments highlight Islamic connections in late medieval Scotland
Discovered at Caerlaverock Castle, the glass fragments are believed to have been part of a vessel made in modern-day Syria, Iraq, or Egypt during the late medieval period.
New experience at Sudbury Hall inspires children’s curiousity about heritage
Children can enjoy posing for a portrait in the Long Gallery and dressing up in the candelit Saloon, before curling up with a book in the Library.
Previously unrecorded rituals identified at ancient Egyptian shrine
The remarkable discoveries of headless falcon skeletons and a stele depicting an Egyptian falcon deity have led researchers to dub the temple the ‘Falcon Shrine’.
Researchers investigate ancestral origins of ancient Greek army combatants
Genomic analysis of skeletons excavated from the ancient Greek city of Himera, Sicily, has shed light on the diverse cultural backgrounds of those who had defended it against attacks from Carthage in the 5th century BC.
Roman cemetery unearthed in Nîmes
One of the most exciting discoveries was that of a casket carved out of a single stone, which contained a glass cinerary urn, along with a wealth of stunningly-preserved funerary goods.
Shortlist for 2022 Baillie Gifford Prize announced
The award, presented annually since 1999, focuses on non-fiction writing, ‘bringing the best in intelligent reflection on the world to its new readers’
Footprints on Merseyside beach shine light on biodiversity in Ancient Britain
The footprint beds reveal that the intertidal landscapes of Mesolithic Britain were hubs of human and animal activity for the first few thousand years after the last glacial period.
Ancient settlement and mosaics uncovered on the shores of the Sea of Galilee
Analysing pottery fragments recovered from the site, archaeologists have dated the construction of the settlement to between the 5th and 7th centuries AD.
Hundreds of prehistoric hunting traps identified across the Arabian desert
These monumental structures, termed ‘kites’, consist of low stone walls that stretch hundreds of metres and lead to an enclosure, in which gazelles and other game could have been trapped.
Royal hall used by kings of East Anglia unearthed in Suffolk
‘The results of this season’s excavation are of international importance. Rendlesham is the most extensive and materially wealthy settlement of its date known in England.’
Mysterious stone spheres may have been used for Ancient Greek board game, study finds
Bronze Age sites across the Aegean and Mediterranean have yielded a wealth of small, spherical stone artefacts, which for years have puzzled archaeologists. Now, using artificial intelligence (AI), a research team from the University of Bristol has presented new evidence that the stones were used as counters in an ancient board game.
Nobel Prize awarded to Svante Pääbo
The 2022 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Svante Pääbo for his discoveries concerning the genomes of extinct hominins and human evolution.
New study identifies world’s earliest evidence of opium use
The study sheds light on how the hallucinogenic drug was used in Late Bronze Age burial customs.
Ancient Maya settlement unearthed in Belize
The settlement has been dated to the Early Classic Period (c. AD 250-600).