Current World Archaeology 137
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Ramses the Great: How a pharaoh built his legacy
Why is Ramses II considered to be ‘the Great’? An exhibition focusing on his life and times sheds light on how Ramses earned this accolade. Matthew Symonds shares what he learnt.
Beyond the luxurious: Tracing the Late Antique ivory trade
Study of ivory use in the early medieval world is revealing fresh insights into how this material was viewed. The results have important implications for our understanding of the scale of the trade, and its impact on the elephants it exploited, as Rowan S English and Julia Steding explain.
Bearded Viking figurine
This Viking Age figurine depicts… a man with a shrewd expression. What is it? This Viking Age figurine, which is just c.40mm tall, depicts the head and torso of a man with
Exploring ancient graffiti
The walls of Pompeii are littered with messages left behind by the city’s inhabitants two millennia ago. Recent research is shedding new light on one of the richest concentrations of these ancient inscriptions.
A dog and a dagger
Archaeologists from Swedish National Historical Museums have uncovered an unusual and remarkably well-preserved dog burial believed to date to c.5,000 years ago at a site in Logsjömossen, near Järna, south-west of Stockholm.
Earliest evidence of fire-making
Archaeologists have revealed that humans were making fire 350,000 years earlier than previously known. Opportunistic use of wildfire, usually created by lightning strikes, is likely to have developed over a million years
A monumental site in Mexico
Investigations at Aguada Fénix, in the lowlands of Tabasco, south-east Mexico, are uncovering evidence of a vast ritual complex constructed c.3,000 years ago. The site was first discovered via LiDAR in 2017,
Submerged stone structures
A collection of undersea constructions dating to the end of the Mesolithic period has been discovered off the coast of France near Île de Sein, Brittany. A total of 11 submerged structures
An unusual Viking Age burial
An intriguing woman’s grave has been discovered in Bjugn, in Trøndelag County, Norway. Researchers were alerted to the burial by a metal-detectorist who came across an oval brooch of a style typical
CWA news in brief
A changing Rome Maria Barosso is an unsung heroine in Rome’s archaeological story. An extraordinary new exhibition in the Museo Centrale Montemartini provides a flavour of her work as a functionary in
Current World Archaeology 135
CWA 135 crossword, and answers to crossword #134
Across 7 Name given to human fossils discovered in Indonesia in the late 19th century (4,3)8 Culture of coastal communities in Peru from c.900-100 BC (7)10 Semi-precious stone used since the Neolithic
The Asante Ewer
The ewer is the largest surviving bronze vessel made in medieval England. What is it? This medieval vessel, known as the Asante Ewer, is a large bronze jug with a pear-shaped body,
Grand Egyptian Museum
The world’s most comprehensive collection devoted to ancient Egyptian civilisation has opened its doors in full. Tony Field reflects on his visit to the new museum in Giza.
Phaselis: A city and the sea
The ruins of ancient Phaselis occupy a striking setting on the Mediterranean shore. Matthew Symonds visited to find out more.
Ritual Landscape: rock art and archaeology in the Mongolian Altai
REVIEW BY GEORGE NASH The Altai region of western Mongolia has long been considered marginal in broader Eurasian archaeological narratives. In this book, William Fitzhugh and Richard Kortum build a compelling case
Between Sahara and Sea: Africa in the Roman Empire
REVIEW BY ANDREW SELKIRK The Roman province of Africa was famed as being the ‘breadbasket’ of the ancient city, for Africa produced the huge quantities of grain needed to feed the plebs
Muslim Europe: a journey in search of a fourteen hundred year history
REVIEW BY ADAM KLUPS Are Muslims native to Europe? Should Islam, in a historical and cultural sense, be considered an indigenous European religion? Readers who believe they already know the answers to
The making of ancient Egypt: Glimpsing the artisans behind the artefacts
The art and artefacts of ancient Egypt are still familiar around the world, but how much do we know about the people who created these objects? Matthew Symonds spoke to Helen Strudwick about the makers of ancient Egypt.
Communicating classical antiquity: The making of a Museum of Ancient Art
Aarhus offers a fascinating example of how university museums can reflect research agendas, as Vinnie Nørskov and Rubina Raja explain.
Semiyarka: a special steppe site
Archaeologists are exploring a unique Bronze Age settlement in the heart of Kazakhstan’s grasslands.
Making the moai
Easter Island (Rapa Nui) is famous for its monumental stone sculptures, known as moai. More than 1,000 have been found across the island, and over 95% of these figures were made in