Current World Archaeology 136
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Discovering Denmark: From prehistoric burials to Viking Age power architecture and beyond
Denmark is home to many archaeological marvels, including both renowned sites and world-class museums. Olympia Bobou, Ilaria Bucci, and Rubina Raja are our guides to the wealth of heritage that the country has to offer.
Surveying Falerii Novi: Rethinking the development of a Roman town
Surveying an ancient town in Italy has presented fresh insights into a key moment for Roman urbanism. Matthew Symonds spoke to Martin Millett about what can be learnt from studying an entire townscape.
Investigating the Venus of Willendorf
New research into the Venus of Willendorf has shed more light on the fascinating prehistoric figurine’s construction and its possible origins. The c.30,000-year-old statue is exactly 11cm tall and depicts a stylised,
Writing archaeology
Neil went on to propose using what R G Collingwood called ‘the historical imagination’ by blending data and interpretation to ‘tell the story’. He was convinced that this ‘must be done if archaeology is to be interesting and worthwhile’.
A tale of endurance
How a research expedition in Antarctica located the lost wreck of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship, Endurance.
Pompeii’s robot archaeologist
‘Spot’ is equipped to carry out routine inspections and monitor the safety of the site.
Stone jars found in India
Many of the jar sites in Assam contain engraved stone slabs decorated with human figures and other motifs.
6th-century ivory comb
What is it? This 6th-century ivory comb, which may have been used by its owner to style his hair and beard, was found in a grave in Germany, in an early medieval
Violent conflict on the Peruvian south coast: the dead of Amato
Why did collecting human heads as trophies become so widespread along the south coast of Peru, and who were they being taken from? Lidio M Valdez examines the extraordinary and chilling implications of the archaeology of the Acari valley.
Corpus of the Mosaics of Albania Volume 1: Butrint intramuros
Review by Oliver J Gilkes Everybody likes mosaic pavements; they are ancient artefacts that entrance and beguile the visitor at Greek and Roman sites. No matter that floor mosaics (the majority of
Early ear surgery
Analysis of the remains of an elderly woman buried at the Dolmen of El Pendón, in northern Spain, has identified the earliest known evidence of successful ear surgery, 5,300 years ago. The
Early evidence of Maya calendar found
This discovery demonstrates that this calendar system has been in operation for at least 2,200 years.
Evidence of Mesolithic mummification discovered in Portugal
Until now, the earliest evidence for intentional human mummification came from the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, c.7,000 years ago.
Apollonia revisited: the story of a pioneering survey
In 1958, an archaeological team set out to undertake a trailblazing survey of the submerged ruins of Apollonia. Nic Flemming looks at what was accomplished, and what changed in the decades that followed.
New terracotta warriors discovered
Among the new statues is least one figure who appears to be a general, and another who is a middle-ranking army officer.
Current World Archaeology 112
Rus – Vikings in the east
A new exhibition at the Moesgaard Museum in Denmark explores the often-overlooked story of the Rus Vikings. We spoke to curator Pauline Asingh about the adventures of these influential voyagers, whose travels took them from Scandinavia to Constantinople, the Caliphate, and beyond.
Climatic change and ancient civilisations
New studies are revealing the impact environmental changes have had on ancient societies around the world.
Roman amphitheatre found in Switzerland
The Kaiseraugst amphitheatre was discovered in the Rheinfelden district at a site known to have been the location of a Roman quarry
Archaeological study of human habitation in space launched
January 2022 saw the launch of a new phase in the first ever archaeological study of a human habitat in space. The project, which began in 2015, is led by Dr Alice