Pit of puzzlement
This unusual burial was recently found by archaeologists from Highland Archaeology Services, working in advance of the expansion of a quarry at Evelix, near Dornoch, in Sutherland. Before it was used for
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The Glozel controversy
Janice Kinory looks back on the curious case of the clay tablets from Glozel.
Sunken treasures
The identity of a 17th-century shipwreck containing hundreds of gold coins has been revealed, three decades after its discovery. The wreck, which lies at a depth of c.18m in Salcombe Bay, off
Historic drought reveals historic garden: Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire
While this summer’s drought conditions have had a dramatic effect on many aspects of our environment, one upside of the recent hot and dry conditions has been the discovery of long-forgotten or
The Osirion at Abydos: A cenotaph for Sety I
The Osirion is one of the most intriguing New Kingdom monuments. It is located behind the Sety I temple at Abydos, the burial place of Osiris. Now open to the sky, this
Chalk it up to experience: Cerne Abbas, Dorchester
The Cerne Abbas Giant has just undergone its once-in-a-decade rechalking, restoring the famous foothill figure to its striking white appearance. With the Giant standing at an impressive 55m (180ft) tall, the task
Mohenjo-daro: an egalitarian urban centre?
Mohenjo-daro (c.2600-1900 BC) has long invited questions about the relationship between urbanisation and social inequality. With an estimated population of 40,000 at its peak, it was one of the largest cities of
All’s well that ends well: Sheffield Castle
A team from Wessex Archaeology – working with FlyThru, a commercial drone company – have recently conducted a survey of a medieval well, once a vital source of water for Sheffield Castle’s
Gebel Barkal Burial place of the god Amun
Some 370km (230 miles) north of Khartoum lies a large, flat-topped rock (mesa) that was one of the most sacred places in Egypt and Nubia. The distinctive feature of this 100m-high (330ft)
A strapping find: Halesworth, Suffolk
Strap-ends from belts and other attachments are common finds from the early medieval period. This example was found by Cotswold Archaeology during an excavation in the market town of Halesworth in Suffolk
Picturing Pompeii
A 19th-century photograph sheds light on a forgotten part of Pompeii, as Janice Kinory describes.
An ancient altar
Recent excavations at the ancient city of Savatra, in the Karatay district of Konya, central Turkey, have uncovered an impressive altar in the site’s theatre complex, which is believed to date to
Recreating early medieval manuscripts: Tarbat Discovery Centre, Portmahomack
The elaborately decorated Book of Kells takes its name from the eponymous abbey in Co. Meath where it was kept for centuries, but it has been previously suggested that the early medieval
The Temple of Esna restored to splendour
Once hidden beneath layers of soot and bird faeces, the stunningly colourful painted scenes and elaborately carved columns adorning the Temple of Khnum at Esna (Latopolis) can now be seen in all
Saving shipwrecks: HMS Invincible, East Solent
There are currently 57 nationally important shipwrecks in English waters, spanning the Bronze Age to the 20th century, designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973 – including the remains of HMS
Art for the ages
The Lower Pecos Canyonlands, in south-west Texas and northern Mexico, are home to an extensive collection of rock paintings in what is known as the Pecos River style. These multicoloured murals cover
The last piece of the puzzle: Withington Roman Villa mosaics, Corinium Museum
For the first time in more than 200 years, colourful fragments of the ‘Orpheus’ mosaic excavated at Withington Roman Villa in 1812 have been reunited in a new display at the Corinium
Monumental Legacy: The Heb Sed court in the mortuary complex of Djoser at Saqqara
Djoser (c.2667-2648 BC), the second ruler of the Third Dynasty, was the pharaoh whose chief minister Imhotep is credited with the idea of creating the first pyramid by layering a series of
Ticking all the right boxes: Broadway, Worcestershire
This unique and remarkably well-preserved bone box was uncovered during excavations at Milestone Ground in Broadway, Worcestershire. Dating to the late Roman period, it measures 68mm long, 33mm wide, and 30mm deep
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
Not in mint condition: Mint House, Pevensey
Mint House is a Grade II*-listed timber-frame building, which stands opposite Pevensey Castle on Pevensey High Street in East Sussex. It has been on the Heritage at Risk Register since 2022, and
The discovery of Tomb U-j
The Predynastic tomb found in 1988 sheds light on the development of the earliest Egyptian state.