Homage to Gallarus Oratory
Fifty years ago, one of the most daring expeditions in modern times left Ireland’s Dingle Peninsula. Tim Severin set out with a crew of three in a curragh – a skin-boat shaped
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From the fringes of the Roman Empire: Locally crafted empires
In our high-speed modern world, it can be easy to forget that the ancient world was experienced at a slower speed. Rubina Raja shares the insights that can spring from exploring the edges of the Roman world on foot.
The plaster casts of Pompeii
The first permanent exhibition of the plaster casts of Pompeii has opened at the Archaeological Park.
Cosmic psychopomps and apotropaic pentagrams: A pot with a difference
Archaeology essentially illuminates human entanglement with things, James Deetz pointed out 50 years ago in his classic book In Small Things Forgotten. ‘Don’t read what we have written; look at what we
Above ground level
A new exhibition at the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden explores the highlights of the last 25 years of Dutch archaeology.
A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks
REVIEW BY LISA BRIGGS It has been 15 years since A History of the World in 100 Objects by Neil MacGregor was first published and introduced readers to a novel method of
Birthing Romans
REVIEW BY PAULINE RIPAT Roman legends stressed the importance of babies in the foundation of Rome and its destiny to dominate. The unlikely birth of the twins Romulus and Remus from a
Over Land and Sea: the long-distance trade, distribution and consumption of ancient Greek pottery
REVIEW BY ROBIN OSBORNE Trade in Greek pottery long attracted little interest. Finley’s massively influential The Ancient Economy (1973) discouraged both the idea that archaeological data might have anything to add to
Korea: war without end
REVIEW BY TAYLOR DOWNING General The Lord Dannatt, once Chief of the General Staff, has teamed up with military historian Robert Lyman to provide a fascinating new take on the Korean War
No More Napoleons: How Britain managed Europe from Waterloo to World War I
REVIEW BY GRAHAM GOODLAD Andrew Lambert has earned a reputation as the leading naval historian of his generation with a series of books on Nelson, the Anglo-American War of 1812-1814, and the
The Siege of Tyre: Alexander the Great and the gateway to empire
REVIEW BY MARC DeSANTIS Alexander the Great of Macedonia is one of the best-known figures of ancient history. Comparatively large amounts of written material concerning his short but extraordinarily eventful life have
Thunderbolt of the North: Harald Hardrada, Viking King
REVIEW BY JEFFREY JAMES King Harald III of Norway’s sobriquet Hardrada conjures up an image of a resolute, ruthless, no-nonsense leader, yet may in fact be a corruption of the Norse word
Festival of Archaeology
This month sees a return of the Council for British Archaeology’s annual Festival of Archaeology, with a wealth of in-person and online events taking place across the UK between 19 July and 3 August. The theme for 2025 is ‘Archaeology and Wellbeing’. Here is a selection of regional highlights; for more details, and to explore the full programme, see http://www.archaeologyuk.org/festival.html.
Current Archaeology’s July Listings: exhibitions, events, and heritage from home
There is a fantastic selection of opportunities to immerse yourself in history and heritage this summer, from new exhibitions and heritage attractions to conferences and activity days. Or, if you would prefer to get stuck into archaeology at home instead, there is plenty to choose from, including digitised museum collections, virtual site tours, and online resources. Amy Brunskill has put together a summary of some of the options available.
Go digging!
Following on from our special sections in CA 422, 423, and 424,
this selection of summer digging opportunities includes projects
in Gloucestershire, the Cotswolds, and Nottinghamshire.
Cornwall Museum & Art Gallery, Truro
Cornwall Museum & Art Gallery in Truro is undergoing a major transformation. Carly Hilts visited the recently refurbished ‘Heart of Cornwall’ archaeology displays.
Castles of Scotland
REVIEW BY KK With more than 1,500 castles – a term that Andrew Powell-Thomas uses to cover everything from medieval military fortifications and tower houses to crenellated mansions and great estates –
‘Your Church Newly Built…’: a history of the Church of the Holy Trinity, Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire
REVIEW BY ADAM KLUPS Few church reordering projects are lucky enough to be celebrated with a book, but this publication by archaeologist Chiz Harward is a compelling exception. Commissioned to oversee archaeological
Between Peak and Plain: Excavations on a Multiperiod Site at Mellor, Stockport, 1998-2009
REVIEW BY HEATHER BEETON This report is a result of 11 seasons of extensive excavations of the multiperiod site at Mellor hilltop in Stockport, carried out by University of Manchester Archaeological Unit.