Hilary Wilson on… Bread, beer, and economics – Part 2
Hilary Wilson shows how the ancient Egyptians were paid in food and drink.
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Current Archaeology’s August Listings: exhibitions, events, and heritage from home
There are lots of great ways to get involved with history and archaeology over the next few months, including exhibitions, lectures, and conferences exploring a wide range of subjects. If you would prefer to get your heritage fix from the comfort of your sofa, though, there is a variety of resources on offer online, too, from virtual site tours and digital offerings by museums to podcasts, TV shows, and more. Kathryn Krakowka has put together a selection of some of the options available.
Genghis Khan: How the Mongols Changed the World
A new exhibition at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds explores the history and legacy of the Mongol Empire. Carly Hilts visited to learn more.
Arctic: digging in permafrost
What is archaeology in the Arctic like? Matilda Siebrecht shares its challenges and charms.
Mexico: Day of the Dead
Long-held traditions evolve and gain new elements with every generation. Current World Archaeology’s Carly Hilts travelled to Mexico for the Day of the Dead to find out more.
Albania and the Death of Pan
Devil or pastoral sprite and mischief-maker, Pan’s presence in the form of the lost sanctuary on Mount Mile lends a new dimension to the god’s story
Tantra: an archaeology of enlightenment
Tantra’s appeal has proven remarkably broad. What began on the margins of Indian society went on to command the patronage of royalty and transform Hinduism and Buddhism as it spread across Asia. Along the way, it created a rich archaeological legacy, capable of provoking radically different reactions from its audiences, as Imma Ramos told World Archaeology.
Last Supper in Pompeii
The extraordinary levels of preservation at the relatively ordinary Roman city of Pompeii and other sites in the Bay of Naples, where the eruption of Mount Vesuvius devastatingly interrupted the inhabitants as they went about their daily lives, provide remarkable insights into the production, distribution, and conspicuous consumption of food and wine.
The Charterhouse
A recently opened museum at London’s Charterhouse illuminates centuries of life at this former medieval monastery. Lucia Marchini explores some of the highlights.
Cyclades: Homage to Dhaskalio
My trip, then, was a pilgrimage of sorts, to visit Colin Renfrew and his newly-found sanctuary.
One of the magnificent six: secrets from the Byzantine city of Shivta
How did cities come to flourish in the Negev Desert? George Nash has gone in search of Shivta’s former glory.
Review: Royal Navy Submarine Museum
Reviewing the best military history exhibitions WITH MATTHEW ADAMS.
Denmark’s Viking fortresses: a Tuscan challenge
Richard Hodges explores the Viking fortresses at Trelleborg and Borgring.
The Road to Palmyra
Halfway between the Mediterranean and the River Euphrates, the Efqu spring offered refreshing respite for ancient traders crossing the dusty Syrian desert. The city of Palmyra flourished at the oasis, its merchants
Writing early medieval England: tracing the first echoes of Anglo-Saxon voices
How did the kingdoms of early medieval England evolve into a single nation? A new exhibition at the British Library combines artefacts and manuscripts to tell the story of the Anglo-Saxons in their own words. Carly Hilts reports.
The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries at Westminster Abbey
New displays in Westminster Abbey’s eastern triforium (the gallery above the nave) explore the long history of the church, its royal links, and its importance as a national monument. Lucia Marchini takes a look at the recently opened Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries.
Harry Potter: a history of magic
What link is there between archaeology and a best-selling series of children’s books? To find out, Lucia Marchini tours the British Library’s major new exhibition.
The Rothschild Pentateuch
The text contains features that indicate it may have been written in France for Jewish emigrés who had been expelled from England in 1290.
Modernising Maudslay’s Maya casts
These monumental carvings are just two of the many the adventurous Alfred Maudslay recorded on his travels around Mesoamerican sites in the 1880s and 1890s.
War on Film – The Vietnam War
James H Willbanks gives an insider’s view on the making of The Vietnam War.
Iran
It was a splendid tour: we stayed in 9 different hotels over 16 days, which meant that we were always on the move. But this was just what we wanted, for we explored the heart of the historic country and saw – if briefly – most of the best-known archaeological sites.
Lawrence Alma-Tadema: the archaeologist of artists
Dominic Green looked at the sensual paintings of the acclaimed Victorian artist Lawrence Alma-Tadema on show at Leighton House in London.