Cover Story
Peru: a journey in time The Incas dominate perceptions of Peru’s past, but their empire did not appear out of nowhere. Instead, it drew on traditions and concepts that developed across the central Andes for thousands of years, as Cecilia Pardo and Jago Cooper told… Features
Rethinking the jungle: the forgotten story of humanity and tropical forests Humans and jungles are often seen as a poor combination. It is easy to write off the environment as challenging at best and a ‘green hell’ at worst. But could… 
Face to face with the Netherlands’ first Neanderthal The young Neanderthal man, known as ‘Krijin’, lived between 50,000 and 70,000 years ago in Doggerland, the prehistoric landscape that lies subsumed in the North Sea. 
A crossroads between the seas: the origins of early Christianity Excavations in Eritrea are revealing early Christian sites from the Kingdom of Aksum. What can these places of worship reveal about cultural connections in the 6th century AD? Gabriele Castiglia,… 
Butrint’s slave manumissions: shedding new light on the UNESCO World Heritage city During 2020, 'squeezes' – copies – made in the 1930s of Butrint’s exceptional inscriptions from the Sanctuary of Asclepius were rediscovered by chance. Enrico Giorgi shares the story of these… News
Viking settlement in Canada dated to exactly 1,000 years ago The latest research has used a newly developed approach to radiocarbon dating, which is capable of dating objects to an exact year. 
Bronze Age coffin found in Lincolnshire The coffin contains the remains of a man and an axe, which is thought to have been more of a symbol of authority than a practical tool. 
On the tracks of the earliest Americans Archaeologists working in New Mexico, USA, have discovered a set of human footprints that date to thousands of years before people were thought to have arrived in the region. 
Late Bronze Age Hillfort found in France Around 800 objects have been recovered so far, making it one of the richest Late Bronze Age sites in Europe. 
Teotihuacan complex found in Maya city Archaeologists exploring the Ciudadela at Tikal have discovered six phases of construction, mostly dating to the Early Classic period (c.AD 300-550). 
New discoveries from Egypt’s sunken city Among the objects found were bronze artefacts, imported Greek ceramics, and wicker fruit baskets still containing grape seeds Views
The Treasures of Sanxingdui Comment The contents of those two pits amaze. They include some of the most remarkable bronzes from the ancient world: human face-masks with protruding eyes, thought to depict Cancong, the mythical… 
Engraved deer bone Objects What is it? This 51,000-year-old engraved toe bone is one of the oldest works of art ever found. The bone, which is the second phalanx of a giant deer, is… 
Making a difference? Comment The wealth produced by Egyptian peasants was spent on warfare, monuments, and luxury. Egyptian artisans were despised as manual labourers. So Egyptian civilisation looked essentially the same in 30 BC… 
Tracy Roberts and LoveItaly Travel Based in Rome, LoveItaly is now in its seventh year and its accent is decidedly American and not patrician. It owes everything to the dynamism of a Californian who is… 
Byzantine wine factory The Picture Desk Excavations in the city of Yavne in Israel have discovered a vast 1,500-year-old industrial complex thought to be the largest wine production centre known from the Byzantine period. The factory… 
Gold of the Great Steppe Museum, What's on A new exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge presents an array of artefacts from the Iron Age Saka culture of East Kazakhstan. Amy Brunskill visited to find out more. 
American advances Comment activists in Mexico City are claiming that the arrival of Columbus in America opened the door to European oppression and colonialism. Mexico City’s governor has confirmed that the place of… Reviews
Tracy Roberts and LoveItaly Based in Rome, LoveItaly is now in its seventh year and its accent is decidedly American and not patrician. It owes everything to the dynamism of a Californian who is… 
Ontologies of Rock Art Back in the days when I was an undergraduate, I was introduced to the mystical world of social theory. My tutors – Christopher Tilley and, later, Michael Shanks – introduced… Gold of the Great Steppe A new exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge presents an array of artefacts from the Iron Age Saka culture of East Kazakhstan. Amy Brunskill visited to find out more. 
History of the Caucasus For thousands of years, people have lived on the 1,000-mile span of mountains stretching, high and low, from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea, or in the numerous mountain… 
From the editor
The fame of the Incas often eclipses other ancient societies that flourished in Peru. These dazzling groups rose and fell at various times and places, but their stories are essential for understanding the Inca Empire. Because the region was relatively isolated from outside influences, these Peruvian societies developed from unique building blocks, which display common themes that can be traced over thousands of years. We follow some of these threads, to seek out the origins of the Incas.
It is a different story in Adulis, a former port city of the Kingdom of Aksum. Excavating Christian places of worship there has revealed buildings that drew on influences and materials from overseas to both the east and west, as well as distinctive local architecture. The results shed light on the connections at work in a cosmopolitan trading hub at a crossroads between the seas.
When it comes to influences, the jungle is rarely judged to have done much for human progress ever since our distant ancestors left it in favour of the African savannah. But how accurate is this view? Examining the results of research conducted in tropical forests presents an alternative picture. Modern scientific analysis reveals that ancient groups chose to live in this environment, while aerial survey is laying bare just how much could be achieved by mastering this resource-rich environment.
In Butrint, Albania, a more old-fashioned method was employed to record examples of an extraordinary set of inscriptions discovered in the 1920s. Most of these texts are concerned with freeing slaves, but – after almost a century exposed to the elements – these documents have become less legible. Now the chance discovery of paper moulds made from some inscriptions in the 1930s offers the opportunity to check the accuracy of the original readings.
Finally, Richard Hodges profiles Tracy Roberts of LoveItaly, taking a look at her ongoing work to help conserve Italy’s heritage.
