Qubbet el-Hawa: The tombs of the nobles
On the West Bank of the Nile, opposite Aswan, is Qubbet el-Hawa, the necropolis of the governors of Elephantine during the Old and Middle Kingdoms. These officials – the guardians of Egypt’s
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Pit of puzzlement: Evelix, Sutherland
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
The Glozel controversy
Janice Kinory looks back on the curious case of the clay tablets from Glozel.
In the pipeline: Besselsleigh deserted manor and village
During this season’s work at the Oxfordshire site of Besselsleigh deserted manor and village (CA 400) by Appleton Area Archaeological Research Project (AAARP), the team of volunteers and students from the Oxford
An intrepid lady traveller: Amelia Edwards ventures A Thousand Miles up the Nile in 1873.
Towards the end of the 19th century, when wives were regarded as the property of their husbands and not expected to have a university education or an independent career, several remarkable women
Seeing the invisible: Stonehenge, Wiltshire
For more than a decade, Adam Stanford and English Heritage have periodically recorded the parch marks that appear at Stonehenge in the summer, when conditions are right. Until recently this involved oblique
A lost monument re-emerges
The Dolmen of Guadalperal is a megalithic tomb located in the Spanish province of Cáceres, some two hours south-west of Madrid. The site is believed to be a Neolithic funerary monument, probably
A cannon from HMS Tyger, sunk off the Florida coast
In this image, a diver surveys one of the five cannon found during an archaeological exploration in Dry Tortugas National Park, off the south-west coast of Florida. The cannon played a crucial
Combing through history: Ipswich, Suffolk
A new publication, An Early Medieval Craft: antler and bone working from Ipswich excavations 1974-1994, details the extraordinary Viking Age finds discovered over the course of 20 years of digging in the
The treasure of Tanis: A discovery rivalling that of Tutankhamun’s tomb.
Situated in the north-eastern part of the Nile Delta, ancient Djanet (Tanis) was the residence and burial place of the kings of the Twenty-first and Twenty-second Dynasties. In the late 1930s and
Scandinavia’s earliest ship burial
With a diameter of 60m, the burial mound of Herlaugshaugen is one of the largest in Norway. New research has now revealed that it is older than was previously thought. The site
Creating havoc, 1942
In this image, the newly constructed glass noses of several dozen A-20 ‘Havoc’ bombers shimmer under the factory lights at the Douglas Aircraft Company’s production plant in Long Beach, California. The picture
Medieval boat graffiti – Isle of Luing
On the outer walls of an old parish church, on the small island of Luing in the Inner Hebrides, are carvings of longships that are thought to date from the 13th century,
The decipherment of hieroglyphs: A momentous achievement in Egyptology
The intricate symbols that adorn Egyptian monuments and papyri stood mute for millennia, their secrets locked away in a forgotten language. Hieroglyphs, with their captivating blend of pictorial and phonetic elements, had
Conserving the Scottish crown jewels – Edinburgh Castle
The Honours of Scotland recently underwent the most significant conservation in their centuries-long history, helping preserve them for generations to come. The Crown, Sceptre, and Sword of State represent the oldest crown
Objects in the ice
Archaeological survey of ice patches in the Mount Edziza Provincial Park, Tahltan Territory, British Columbia, Canada, has identified an array of perishable artefacts associated with ancient obsidian mining dating back thousands of
Remains of a radar station, Craster, Northumberland
More than 200 radar stations were dotted throughout Britain during the Second World War, although very few survive intact today. A number of these were Chain Home Low, or CHL stations, so
Colliery headstock and winding house listed : Swanwick, Derbyshire
This rare example of a private colliery – called Swanwick Common Colliery and dating to the early 20th century – was recently granted Grade II-listed status. Surviving collieries are rare in England,
The rescue of Abu Simbel: A history of restoration, exploration, and resurrection
Abu Simbel actually presents us with several milestones. Probably completed by Year 24 in the reign of Ramesses II, the rock-cut temples left an awe-inspiring statement of power and permanence 140km south
Conserving a snapshot of the past: Sutton Hoo, Suffolk
Some of the most famous photographs of the1939 excavation of the Sutton Hoo ship burial were taken by two women, Mercie Lack and Barbara Wagstaff (see CA 374). This October, part of
Footprints in stone
Analysis of human and animal footprints carved into rock faces in Namibia has revealed that they contain a wealth of hidden details. Engravings of human and animal tracks are found in prehistoric
A bit of a long shot: an experimental catapult from WWII
This image shows the remains of an innovative catapult – designed to launch fighter aircraft into the sky – which has recently been uncovered by archaeologists in Oxfordshire. The Royal Aircraft Establishment