Hadrian’s Wall Quiz

Hadrian’s Wall stretches for 80 Roman miles from coast to coast. How many modern miles does this equate to?…

Frontier fortlet found

Of the 41 Roman fortlets that are believed to have been built along the Antonine Wall, the remains of only nine had previously been located – until a recent geophysical survey carried out by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) added a tenth to their number. The site in question had been…

Finds tray – Roman finger ring

This Roman finger ring with an engraved intaglio was discovered by a metal-detectorist near Chelmsford in Essex and was recently declared treasure. This style of intaglio is known as a Henig Type II and dates to c.AD 125-175. The band of the ring is made of silver and is unadorned.…

The Association for Roman Archaeology

One of archaeology’s distinctive features has always been the lack of hard boundaries between professional and amateur. Archaeology is perhaps unique in the degree to which anyone can participate in the discipline, even at the highest level. That is especially true of the Association for Roman Archaeology (ARA), where academics…

Neolithic Quiz

In which English county would you find Silbury Hill, the tallest Neolithic human-made mound in Europe?…

Vietnamese stringed instrument

What is it? This object, thought to be at least 2,000 years old, is believed to be a stringed musical instrument. The artefact is made from a single piece of deer antler and is c.353mm long, with a diameter of 12.96mm, and a maximum breadth of 25.31mm. The antler has…

American Civil War Quiz

Who replaced Major General Joseph Hooker as commander of the Union Army of the Potomac on 28 June 1863, just three days before the Battle of Gettysburg?…

Back to the drawing board: the Avro Manchester

The Avro Manchester originated with an Air Ministry specification dating from November 1936 for a bomber capable of carrying a load in excess of 8,000lbs over more than 2,000 miles. This aircraft would be powered by a Rolls-Royce X-Type engine, which was then still under development. This engine, soon renamed…

The Second World War in living colour

Most books about the Second World War include only black-and-white photographs, and these are often sketchy or blurred. Some are even staged pieces of propaganda. Colour photography was not unknown at the time, of course, but it was immensely expensive and therefore rarely used. Artists with historical leanings have long…

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