Cover Story
Japan’s royal tombs: Burial mounds and Korean connections in the 3rd-8th centuries AD Japanese burial mounds can be stunning in scale, while the decorated tomb chambers and grave goods sometimes found within have the power to astonish. In the first of a two-part series examining these tombs, Simon Kaner introduces the archaeology of… Features
Cova Dones: A surprising Palaeolithic cave-art site A major new cave-art discovery has recently been made in Cova Dones, Spain. The nature of these images poses fascinating questions about how and where Palaeolithic people created such art,… 
Surveying Khirbet al-Khalde: Global trade and ancient mobility in southern Jordan Fresh knowledge about global trade and travel is coming to light in the Jordanian desert. A survey project is revealing information about the chronology of a small fort or fortlet… 
Excavations at Monte Cassino In the first of a two-part feature, Richard Hodges untangles the early evolution of the famed Benedictine monastery of Monte Cassino. 
Jailhouse Rocks: Exploring archaeological echoes of Australia’s earliest colonists The city of Sydney has changed beyond recognition since it was founded as Britain’s first Australian penal colony in 1788. Carly Hilts set out to explore some of the surviving… News
Antler combs uncover Viking Age connections Analysis of early Viking Age combs from Hedeby has revealed new evidence of links between the town at the base of the Jutland peninsula and distant upland regions of northern… 
Let the sun shine in! An Early Bronze Age sanctuary that functioned as a solar calendar has been discovered in the Netherlands. Cristian van der Linde tells us more. 
Possible cemetery near the Arctic Circle New research at a site in Finnish Lapland, c.80km south of the Arctic Circle, suggests that it could represent one of the largest Stone Age cemeteries discovered so far in… 
Early beaver hunting Beaver remains at a site in central Germany are changing our understanding of the diets of hominins in Lower Palaeolithic Europe, as well as the antiquity of the exploitation of… 
The Tomb of Cerberus: a newly unearthed treasure An exceptional discovery has been made during the laying of a water pipeline in northern Naples, in Giugliano, an area that has never before yielded this type of find. The… 
Wari-era burials discovered in Peru Excavations at the archaeological site of Pachacámac, near Lima, have uncovered a remarkable collection of well-preserved burial bundles dating to the time of the Wari Empire (AD 800-1100). Pachacámac, which… 
Beads in Lake Turkana burials Stone beads found near Lake Turkana in Kenya are offering a new way to study how early pastoralists in the area interacted with the landscape around them at a time… Views
CWA #123 crossword, and answers to crossword #122 Competitions Across 5 Egyptian falcon-headed god also known as Horus (8)8 Roman goddess of the dawn (6)9 English river taking its name from the Old English for ‘winding’ (6)10 Spanish cave… 
Forum: Comments and conundrums Letters Your observations, your objections, and your opinions on CWA. Excavations at Monte Cassino Feature, Travel In the first of a two-part feature, Richard Hodges untangles the early evolution of the famed Benedictine monastery of Monte Cassino. 
Stone tools, space dust, and sacramental ash Comment Hiding in plain sight Look carefully at Renaissance paintings and you will see all sorts of fascinating cultural details, from the most obvious – the clothing that was fashionable at… 
What the emissary saw Comment In 1296, the Chinese Emperor Temür Khan despatched a diplomatic mission to Angkor. Zhou Daguan was a member, arriving in August 1296 and leaving the following July. On his return,… Jailhouse Rocks: Exploring archaeological echoes of Australia’s earliest colonists Feature, Travel The city of Sydney has changed beyond recognition since it was founded as Britain’s first Australian penal colony in 1788. Carly Hilts set out to explore some of the surviving… Reviews
Excavations at Monte Cassino In the first of a two-part feature, Richard Hodges untangles the early evolution of the famed Benedictine monastery of Monte Cassino. Jailhouse Rocks: Exploring archaeological echoes of Australia’s earliest colonists The city of Sydney has changed beyond recognition since it was founded as Britain’s first Australian penal colony in 1788. Carly Hilts set out to explore some of the surviving… 
Weavers, Scribes, and Kings: A new history of the Ancient Near East REVIEW BY ECKART FRAHM Mesopotamian history, Amanda Podany argues in the introduction to her new book, ‘is more of a weathered mosaic than a grand narrative’. What she provides in… 
Archaeology in Antarctica REVIEW BY SHERRIE-LEE EVANS Archaeology in Antarctica is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the history of archaeological practice in Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic. The authors have researched published,… 
Facing the Sea of Sand: the Sahara and the peoples of Northern Africa REVIEW BY ANDREW SELKIRK What fields are left for Barry Cunliffe to conquer? After the Celts and the Bretons, Europe between the oceans, the Atlantic Ocean, the Scythians, and the… 
The Folds of Olympus: Mountains in Ancient Greek and Roman culture REVIEW BY GERALD LALONDE Activity of the Earth’s tectonic plates affects geography, and geography affects the activity of humans. Sliding of the Africa–Arabia plate under the Eurasia plate in the… 
From the editor
In ancient Japan, royal burial mounds could be magnificent monuments. The distinctive keyhole-shaped earthwork associated with the semi legendary Emperor Nintoku, for example, is 486m long and ranks as one of the largest tombs ever constructed. In our cover feature, we explore how these burial mounds could create a potent statement of royal power, while also containing sumptuous grave goods that provide a fascinating glimpse of traditions in both life and death. Some display clear connections with continental Asia, revealing the role of overseas influences in elite power.
When it comes to subterranean finds in Spain, cave art has recently been discovered at Cova Dones, near Valencia. The region has not previously been renowned for such imagery, and it was initially suspected that there would only be a handful of paintings at the site. A surprising twist came during survey work, though, when it was realised that the Ice Age artists had used an unusual technique to create many more images. Could this approach have been more widespread than currently appreciated?
It is a concentration of sites at Khirbet al-Khalde, along the former Roman frontier, that is attracting attention in Jordan. Among the remains are a Roman fortification, an apparent roadside inn, an aqueduct, and a cemetery. Today, these ruins appear isolated in remote desert, but in antiquity they would have formed part of a global exchange network.
In our travel section, Richard Hodges investigates the results of a remarkable campaign of excavations at Monte Cassino, which sheds fascinating light on one of the wonders of Christendom. Meanwhile, Carly Hilts has been exploring Sydney, Australia, and takes a look at the results of the Big Dig, which explored early life in the British colony.
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