Cover Story
On the trail of the legions: A Roman conflict landscape in Switzerland The discovery of a Roman fortification high in the Alps is the most recent development in a remarkable series of findings that allow us to trace the progress of a legionary battlegroup in the 1st century BC. As well as… Features
Ocomtún: Discovering a Maya city Surveying an area of remote Mexican jungle that was previously devoid of Maya sites has produced remarkable results. Ivan Šprajc told Matthew Symonds how he set about discovering lost settlements… 
Seeing the past in the past: The Historic Environment Image Resource – a rescue mission Obsolete photographic formats can hold valuable or even unique information about ancient sites and artefacts. Such archives are, though, at increasing risk of being thrown out for being of no… 
Execution in the absence of imprisonment: An archaeology of capital punishment in Sweden Excavation of execution sites in Sweden has shed light on the realities of capital punishment in the country. Caroline Arcini and Emma Karlsson explain what can be revealed by examining… News
Exploring Arctic burials New research into the burial sites of 17th- and 18th-century whalers on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard is providing rare insight into the lives of these individuals and the impact… 
Europe’s earliest inter-regional conflict? Analysis of arrowheads from Bronze Age Europe is uncovering new details about an ancient battle that took place in the Tollense Valley. 
Armenia’s earliest church Excavations in the ancient city of Artaxata have uncovered the remains of a church dating to the early days of Christianity in Armenia. Artaxata was the capital of the Kingdom… 
Discovering a new Neolithic society in Morocco Research at a site in northern Morocco is uncovering evidence for the oldest and largest Neolithic society that has yet been found in Africa outside the Nile valley. Evidence of… 
Early cocaine use in Europe Analysis of the brains of individuals from 17th-century Milan indicates that they were utilising the coca plant (Erythroxylum spp.) several centuries before the drug was previously believed to have reached… 
Uncovering a Celtic chamber tomb A remarkably well-preserved 6th-century burial chamber has been discovered near Riedlingen, in south-west Germany. The burial chamber lies beneath a huge burial mound, which measures 65m in diameter and currently… 
A spectacular painted throne room Excavations at a Moche site in north-central Peru have uncovered a throne room believed to belong to a previously unrecognised female ruler. The site of Pañamarca was first rediscovered in… Views
CWA #128 crossword, and answers to crossword #127 Competitions Across 8 US state, location of the Dolores Cave rock shelter (8)9 Legendary island where King Arthur was taken after his final battle (6)10 Ancient Greek historian and geographer (6)11… 
Forum: Comments and conundrums Letters Your observations, your objections, and your opinions: send them to cwaletters@world-archaeology.com 
Dispersed ancient Mediterranean cities Comment Ancient city culture was inescapable in the societies where it prevailed. It suffused life to encompass almost everyone. Even the dead. 
Bomarzo and its Pyramid Travel In a deep valley below Bomarzo’s Orsini palace lies the so-called ‘Monster Park’ – the Sacro Bosco, a Mannerist gem from the later 16th century. It is surely one of… 
Feats of engineering Comment Stonehenge is often portrayed as if it were a unique monument, which in some respects it is. No other surviving monument uses mortise-and-tenon joints to lock the lintels to the… 
Echoes of ancient Dacia Museum, What's on A new exhibition at the Drents Museum tells the story of the Dacians through their spectacular treasures. Gillis Kersting visited to find out more. 
A city of temples by the Pacific Ocean The Picture Desk For the first time in 40 years, a new effort is under way by archaeologists from the University of Toronto, in collaboration with local scholars, to document the pre-Hispanic city… 
The salt sellers Comment My first experience of fieldwork in Southeast Asia found me in Roi et province of Northeast Thailand. It was a total accident that led me to this spot. The mighty… 
Rune-inscribed knife Objects What is it? This broken knife blade is almost 2,000 years old. Currently preserved at a length of c.8cm, its original length is unknown, but was probably just slightly longer… Reviews
Bomarzo and its Pyramid In a deep valley below Bomarzo’s Orsini palace lies the so-called ‘Monster Park’ – the Sacro Bosco, a Mannerist gem from the later 16th century. It is surely one of… Echoes of ancient Dacia A new exhibition at the Drents Museum tells the story of the Dacians through their spectacular treasures. Gillis Kersting visited to find out more. 
Dolia: The containers that made Rome an empire of wine REVIEW BY EMLYN DODD The study of dolia, and indeed research more generally into ancient viti- and viniculture, has become increasingly popular in the past two decades. Cheung’s book fits… 
Women in the Valley of the Kings: The untold story of women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age REVIEW BY CAROLINE ARBUCKLE MACLEOD As a professional female Egyptologist and archaeologist, I have learned more than perhaps necessary about the so-called ‘Fathers of Egyptology’, including their discoveries, biases, and… 
How the World Made the West: A 4,ooo-year history REVIEW BY ANDREW SELKIRK Every year Professor Quinn has the task of sorting out applications from those wishing to study classics. Many of them say that they wish to study… 
From the editor
In the 1st century BC, a Roman force advanced into Switzerland from Italy. We cannot yet be sure whether these soldiers were tasked with conquest, or mounting a punitive expedition to cow the inhabitants of the Alps. But we do know that members of this force were drawn from three different legions, and that they were making for a key Alpine pass. Ahead of them lay at least one battle. Over the last two decades, a remarkable range of finds associated with this incursion has been identified. In our cover feature, we follow in the footsteps of these legions.
It is settlements that are being sought on the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. While this region is renowned for the Maya city-states that once flourished there, significant gaps exist in the archaeological map of the region. One conspicuous example is a remote area of some 3,000km2, where until recently no ancient sites were known at all. Skilfully targeted survey by air and ground has answered the question of whether urban centres lay concealed beneath the jungle.
Former execution sites have been under examination in Sweden. Although surviving historic documents set out rules for administering the death penalty, excavation has shown that these were not always followed. Instead, the results reveal the gritty realities of crime and capital punishment over several centuries in the country.
Different perspectives of a more literal kind can be found among archive images. While collections of physical photographic formats are at risk of being judged obsolete and junked in the digital era, a project seeking to preserve the images they hold illustrates how much can be gained from seeing the past in the past.
Finally, in our travel section, Richard Hodges explores an extraordinary Renaissance garden filled with fabulous sculptures at Bomarzo, Italy. More remarkable examples of rock carving, this time stretching back to ancient times, help tell the story of the surrounding countryside.
You must be logged in to post a comment.