Cover Story
In search of the Thracians: From ancient tales to archaeological riches The Thracians made a keen impression on both their neighbours and the archaeological record, but how much do we really know about them? Sara E Cole and Jens Daehner introduced Matthew Symonds to an enigmatic group of peoples. Features
Reading the Herculaneum Scrolls: Secrets from the only surviving Classical library Thanks to an ingenious digital technique, a particle accelerator, and an internet competition, we stand on the threshold of being able to enjoy what is potentially the greatest influx of… 
Rock art of Wadi Rum: Preliminary investigations into the prehistoric and protohistoric past Survey work in Wadi Rum is revealing fascinating new insights into the age and variety of its rock art. Genevieve von Petzinger and George Nash share the findings so far. 
Worlds beneath the waves: Seeking the submerged story of Liman Tepe A chance discovery at Liman Tepe prompted a pioneering archaeological project that is setting the submerged portions of this ancient city alongside its remains on dry land. Evidence won from… News
Beneath the surface of a Viking Age cemetery A large Viking Age burial ground has been discovered in Halland, western Sweden. Archaeologists Anders Kjellin and Petra Nordin tell us about their findings. 
Silk at Sanxingdui A specialised analytical approach has identified the first archaeological evidence for silk at the Bronze Age site of Sanxingdui. The settlement, which lies in the Sichuan Basin in south-western China,… 
A parasitic passenger Between the 12th and the 16th centuries, the city of Bruges in Belgium was an important commercial hub, home to a number of foreign merchant communities, several of whom set… 
The art of fishing Analysis of engraved stone slabs from the 15,800-year-old site of Gönnersdorf, located on the banks of the Rhine in west-central Germany, has identified a set of carvings that appear to… 
An ancient Egyptian ritual blend New analysis of an ancient Egyptian ritual vessel is shedding light on the complex concoction it once held. Bes vases are a type of ceramic vessel decorated with the head… 
A gathering place by the water The remains of a unique Neolithic ceremonial site have been uncovered in the province of Skåne, in southern Sweden. Investigations were carried out in 2024 in the village of Hammar,… 
Come, tell me how you live: a national archaeology outreach programme in Denmark Rubina Raja and Julia Steding discuss a collaboration between the Centre for Urban Network Evolutions and the NGO Videnskabsklubben that has resulted in a brand new, first-of-its-kind archaeological outreach programme… Views
Current Archaeology Live! 2025 What's on In partnership with: Current Archaeology Live! 2025 will be here before we know it, and tickets are selling fast. Our sister-magazine’s Current Archaeology upcoming conference will be held on Saturday… 
Saving Saranda Travel Strictly speaking Saranda cannot be saved. When I first came here in September 1993, a year after Albania became a democracy, it was a blissful Ionian seaport. Many of its… 
Smelling the past Comment Even those who have never ploughed through Proust’s Remembrance of Things Past will know that the French author’s multi-volume reminiscences were sparked by the taste and smell of madeleine cake… 
Oasis of archaeology Comment AlUla is an oasis town in north- western Saudi Arabia with a deep historic past as a major stepping stone for the traders who brought frankincense and myrrh north into… 
Bronze Age – Fires of change Museum, What's on A major exhibition at the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden explores a period of massive transformation in the Netherlands and beyond. Amy Brunskill spoke to curator Luc Amkreutz to find… 
Silver-gilt vessel Objects The vessel was… packed with precious objects and placed upside down. What is it? This lidded, silver-gilt vessel is c.150mm tall, and 92.4mm in diameter at the rim. It was… 
Petite but picture perfect The Picture Desk A small, ornately decorated house has been uncovered in Pompeii during ongoing excavations of the Insula of the Chaste Lovers, in the centre of the ancient city. Archaeological investigations of… 
Collapse and decline Comment Few experiences seem to bring us closer to people in the past than literally following in their footsteps on the streets of abandoned ancient cities, among the ruins of what… 
CWA #129 crossword, and answers to crossword #128 Competitions Across 8 Ancient Greek historian and geographer (6)9 2nd-century Greek theologian, author of Against Heresies (8)10 Fabled city of South America (2,6)11 Mayan style of architecture from northern Yucatan (3,3)12… Reviews
Current Archaeology Live! 2025 In partnership with: Current Archaeology Live! 2025 will be here before we know it, and tickets are selling fast. Our sister-magazine’s Current Archaeology upcoming conference will be held on Saturday… Saving Saranda Strictly speaking Saranda cannot be saved. When I first came here in September 1993, a year after Albania became a democracy, it was a blissful Ionian seaport. Many of its… Bronze Age – Fires of change A major exhibition at the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden explores a period of massive transformation in the Netherlands and beyond. Amy Brunskill spoke to curator Luc Amkreutz to find… 
Embers of the Hands: hidden histories of the Viking Age REVIEW BY CARLY HILTS Popular imaginings of the Viking Age are often dominated by larger-than life figures – kings, warlords, explorers, poets – with the experiences of ordinary men, women,… 
Memory in Fragments: the lives of ancient Maya sculptures REVIEW BY BRYAN R JUST Megan O’Neil’s Memory in Fragments provides a comprehensive and nuanced presentation of a topic the author has been exploring for years, namely the myriad ways… 
In the Darkest of Days: exploring human sacrifice and value in southern Scandinavian prehistory REVIEW BY MARIANNE HEM ERIKSEN Human sacrifice constitutes a perennially fascinating topic for scholars and general audiences alike. It is also a research area where the risk of leaning into… 
From the editor
It is easy to see the Thracians as stereotypes. According to the ancient literature, they were riders, warriors, and capable of horrifying displays of savagery. Such characteristics set them apart from the more orderly and controlled Greeks, who also penned many of these accounts. Sumptuous metalwork from Thracian territory, though, speaks of skilful artisans, and also an openness to a cornucopia of cultural influences. In our cover feature, we go in search of the real Thracians.
Ancient writings have been spurring study, too, of finds from Herculaneum, which was destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79. In this case, the goal is to recover lost texts by using an ingenious digital technique that can virtually unwrap carbonised scrolls from the only surviving Classical library. The results so far give grounds to hope that artificial intelligence will help to make its contents available to readers once more.
Digital technology has been helping to shed fresh light on the past in Wadi Rum, Jordan. An archaeological survey of this majestic landscape is recording a wealth of rock art, with the earliest stretching back far into prehistory. The imagery has not just been scored into the stone, but also includes examples sketched out in pigments, which have been enhanced for study using a colour algorithm.
At Liman Tepe in Turkey, it is underwater explorations that are delivering fascinating insights. These have revealed not only an ancient harbour, allowing archaeologists to delve into the economic heart of this settlement, but also the shifting contours of a changing shoreline. As water levels rose or contracted, so too the ancient inhabitants were periodically obliged to relocate their homes.
Finally, in our travel section Richard Hodges makes the case for saving Saranda, while investigating the ruins of an extraordinary Late Antique church in Albania.
