World news
Community-created field systems in Colombia? In the wetlands of La Mojana in northern Colombia is a vast (more than 500,000ha or 1,900 square miles) field system of canals and ridges, used to control both floods and droughts. In use from…
Americas
Amphibious cities
When news about Tenochtitlan (nowadays Mexico City), the capital of the Aztec Empire, started to reach Europe around the time of the conquest by the Spanish Conquistadors led by Hernán Cortés, the city was soon labelled the ‘Venice of the New World’.
Becoming America: How science shaped a nation
What role did science play in the emergence of the United States of America? Matthew Symonds spoke to Elissavet Ntoulia about scientific knowledge and its practical applications as a nation was born.
Ritual offering at Peñico
An assemblage of objects discovered at Peñico on the north-central coast of Peru, dating to 3,800 years ago, provides new evidence for the continuity of the Caral culture. Caral is considered the oldest known ‘advanced’ civilisation in the Americas, emerging…
Ancient answers to climate crises
The wetlands of La Mojana in northern Colombia are home to an ancient raised field system made up of canals and ridges (camellones) covering a vast area of c.500,000ha. Often called the Zenú hydraulic systems, after the pre-Hispanic societies who…
MHM 154 Competition
Put your military history knowledge to the test with our competition and crossword.
Excavations reveal traces of the fight for Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill, which took place in Charlestown, Massachusetts, on 17 June 1775, was one of the bloodiest conflicts of the American Revolutionary War. On the night of 16 June, around 1,200 colonial militiamen built an earthen fort,…
From biplane to B-52
In the second part of our special feature, Graham Goodlad examines the changes in design and technology that underpinned the 20th-century transformation of US airpower.
US airpower
Onwards and upwards a timeline tracing the developing fortunes and many incarnations of America's air force in the 2oth century.
American thunderbolt
In the first part of our special feature, Graham Goodlad charts the development of America’s air-arm from its earliest beginnings, while in our second article he focuses on the hardware deployed by American forces.
Cannons from the American Revolution go on display
A collection of large cannons from the American Revolutionary War has returned to Savannah, Georgia, after several years of conservation work, as part of a project led by the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Coastal Heritage Society. The…
Ceremonial coin from catastrophic colony
Archaeological investigations at a short-lived 16th-century Spanish settlement in southern Chile have uncovered a coin associated with its foundation. In 1584, colonists led by veteran navigator Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa established a fort called Ciudad Rey Don Felipe beside the…
Little Bighorn: The five key myths
One of the most talked-about battles in US history took place 150 years ago this summer. Here, Fred Chiaventone identifies some common misunderstandings about Custer’s Last Stand.
The ultimate arms race: The Iron Curtain falls – Part 6: the Atomic Age
In the final part of our series on the coming of the Cold War, Taylor Downing examines the struggle for nuclear domination.
Fort Niagara
Reviewing the best military history exhibitions, with Christopher Warner.
Hawai‘i: Maritime journeys and an island kingdom
The ocean is integral to the story of Hawai‘i. It carried the first Polynesian settlers to the archipelago, and linked an island chain spanning 2,400km. In the 18th and 19th centuries, it also provided pathways for international diplomacy and unexpected alliances. Matthew Symonds spoke to Alice Christophe about the seldom-told stories brought to light in a new major exhibition at the British Museum.
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 walls and ceilings of more than 100…
Zapotec tomb unearthed in Mexico
A spectacular tomb associated with the ancient Zapotec civilisation has been uncovered on Cerro de la Cantera, in San Pablo Huitzo, Oaxaca, south-western Mexico. The burial was brought to the attention of archaeologists from INAH thanks to an anonymous report…
A world upside down: The American Revolution – Part 4: the final act
In the concluding part of our series marking 250 years since the Declaration of Independence, Fred Chiaventone reveals how the Revolutionary War was won at last.
War on Film – The American Revolution
Taylor Downing reviews the latest film and television releases.
World News
Monumental finds in Mexico Excavations at Aguada Fénix in Tabasco, south-east Mexico, have revealed a large complex that was constructed c.3,000 years ago, making it possibly the oldest Mayan monument ever discovered. The site was first identified during a LiDAR…
Hawai‘i: a kingdom crossing oceans
A new exhibition at the British Museum explores Hawai‘ian history and culture, as well as the archipelago’s complex but enduring relationship with the United Kingdom. Carly Hilts visited to learn more.
A monumental site in Mexico
Investigations at Aguada Fénix, in the lowlands of Tabasco, south-east Mexico, are uncovering evidence of a vast ritual complex constructed c.3,000 years ago. The site was first discovered via LiDAR in 2017, and initial explorations uncovered a large artificial platform…
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 Rano Raraku, a quarry on the slopes of…
Understanding the ‘Band of Holes’
New research is shedding light on the possible function of a mysterious site in southern Peru.
The empire strikes back: The American Revolution – Part 3: changing fortunes
In the third part of his series marking the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence, Fred Chiaventone examines the crucial events of 1777-1780.
Military History Matters 149
• 250th anniversary: revolution in America, the fight for independence
• Under the Soviet heel: the crushing of eastern Europe
• Balkan breakdown: Bulgaria’s belated and ultimately disastrous entry into WWI
• Lest we forget: uncovering the stories behind the UK’s war memorials
• Assault on Shaizar: how the legendary Assassins were defeated by middle-aged women
The changing faces of Easter Island: Revealing the secrets of shape-shifting figurines
Easter Island did not just produce monumental stone sculptures. It was also home to talented woodcarvers making an extraordinary range of figurines. Paul Horley, Rafal Wieczorek, Catherine Orliac, and Paul Bahn explore a side to these sculptures that was hidden in plain sight.
An ancient solar observatory
Iván Ghezzi, Alcides Alvarez, and Cecilia Camargo discuss the unique site of Chankillo in Peru.
The road to independence
In our latest four-part series, marking the 250th anniversary of US independence, Fred Chiaventone examines first the genesis of America’s Revolutionary War, how discontent exploded into open warfare, and then traces the history of a conflict whose repercussions are still being felt 250 years on.
A very bloody summer: The American Revolution: Part 2 – a game of cat and mouse
In the second part of our series, Fred Chiaventone looks at how the conflict escalated as the two sides struggled to gain the upper hand.
The American Revolution by numbers
£133 million - Britain's national debt after the Seven Years War. This enormous deficit prompted the introduction of unpopular new taxes in North America.
A royal burial at Caracol
Excavations at the largest Maya site in Belize have uncovered a tomb believed to belong to the city’s first king.
Site of Washington’s ‘friendly fire’ incident located in Pennsylvania
Archaeologists in western Pennsylvania have identified the site of a tragic episode during the North American conflict known as the French and Indian War (1754-1763). On the evening of 12 November 1758, two Virginia regiments, led by Lieutenant Colonel George…
Sharing cultural heritage
In its annual ‘watchlist’ of threatened heritage sites, the World Monuments Fund (WMF) has cast its gaze beyond our own planet and declared that the surface of the Moon represents a vulnerable cultural landscape.
Studying ancient tattoos
A new technique is offering fresh insights into ancient tattoos.