World Archaeology

World Archaeology

Qasr Bshir: conserving a special Roman fort

Deep in the Jordanian desert lies an extraordinary ruin. It is a Roman fort that can stake a claim to being the best-preserved example anywhere in the former empire. But this relic of imperial power is in urgent need of conservation work. David Breeze, Mark Driessen, and Fawzi Abudanah discuss why Qasr Bshir is special, and the challenges that lie ahead.

Unboxing Palmyra: the archive of Harald Ingholt

The cardboard sheets, photographs, and handwritten notes compiled by Harald Ingholt bear a wealth of information about Palmyrene sculpture and architecture. As his archive in the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek is reopened, Olympia Bobou, Eva Mortensen, and Rubina Raja reveal some of the secrets within.

Below Excavation in progress in 2022 at the ‘Lost City of the Pyramid Builders’, in Giza, Egypt. Thirty five years after Ancient Egypt Research Associates initiated fieldwork here, an overview of the huge settlement is still coming together, and with it a much fuller understanding of the building of the pyramids.

Time to do it right

What Lehner’s team found was a far-flung complex of houses, storage galleries, kitchens, dormitories, and offices. The ‘Lost City of the Pyramid Builders’ saw light.

A Peruvian fortress-temple in the desert

In 2022, archaeologists from the University of Toronto and the University of Trujillo began the first excavations of Cerro Prieto Espinal, a mountainside fortress-temple and settlement in north coastal Peru. Across the 3km-wide site, the team identified massive concentric walls,…

Mountain rock art at Saimaluu Tash: battle chariots and ploughing scenes at an altitude of 3,000m

The remote, mountainous location of Saimaluu Tash has ensured that its ancient rock art remains remarkably well preserved. Some of the images, though, feature subjects such as ploughing and chariots. The presence of activities best suited to much lower altitudes raises questions about who was creating this rock art and why. Christoph Baumer is our guide to an extraordinary concentration of ancient artistry.

Hand of Irulegi

What is it? This 2,100-year-old piece of bronze sheet cut into the shape of a life-size right hand has been dubbed the ‘Hand of Irulegi’, after the site in Spain where it was found. The hand is 143mm tall, 128mm…

Knossos: seeking the labyrinth

Was the Minoan palace at Knossos the inspiration for myths about the Minotaur and its labyrinth lair? Delving into the archaeology of this monument and its environs reveals a reality every bit as remarkable as the ancient legends, as Andrew Shapland told Matthew Symonds.

ABOVE This gilded mummy belonging to a woman called Isaious was discovered at Hawara in 1911. The mummy mask’s facial features and hairstyle are reminiscent of Ptolemaic ideals, while other elements of the cartonnage feature traditional Pharaonic iconography, reflecting the multiculturalism present in burial traditions in Egypt at the time.

Golden Mummies of Egypt

An internationally touring exhibition featuring mummies and artefacts from Graeco-Roman Egypt has opened in the UK for the first time at the newly refurbished Manchester Museum. Amy Brunskill visited to find out more.