Museum

John Pull: Worthing’s hero archaeologist

Self-taught archaeologist John Pull made discoveries of national significance in the South Downs around Worthing, but his humble origins saw him sidelined by more privileged professional peers. With a recently extended exhibition at Worthing Museum and Art Gallery bringing his story back into the spotlight almost 100 years after his investigations began, Current Archaeology's Carly Hilts visited to find out more.

Hever Castle Christoph Matthias Siebenborn

Heritage from home – September 2021

Across the UK, many heritage sites and museums are now welcoming visitors again, but if you’re still looking for activities and resources that you can take advantage of from home, there is an ever-growing supply of those too! Amy Brunskill has put together a selection of the options available, from virtual tours and online exhibitions to podcasts, TV shows, games, and activities, as well as a list of some of the places that are open once more.

Exhibitions from around the world – August 2021

Due to changing coronavirus measures, the dates listed below may have changed since we went to print, and museums and galleries may close. Check the websites and social-media accounts of the museums for the most up-to-date information and bookings.

Chiragan emperors 16x9 DSC06167

Who beheaded the emperors of Chiragan?

One of the finest collections of Roman emperors is to be found hidden away in the Musée Saint-Raymond, the archaeological museum of Toulouse, in south-western France. But where did they come from, and how did such a magnificent collection of Roman emperors come to lose their heads?

Capitoline museum

Heritage from home: August 2021

Many heritage sites and museums in the UK, Ireland, and other countries around the world have now reopened their doors to visitors, but there are still plenty of ways to get involved in history and heritage from home this summer as well. Current World Archaeology's Amy Brunskill has put together a variety of options below, from video tours of recent exhibitions to online webinars, social media trends, and craft activities, as well as a round-up of some of the places that are open again.

Left Nero, in the form of a marble statue created within a few years of him becoming emperor in AD 54. His hairstyle differed from that of previous emperors, and according to the ancient authors so too did his general approach to the role. It is illuminating to compare and contrast their hostile accounts with objects created

Nero: monster or maligned?

It would be fair to say that Nero’s reputation survives him. But could it be that this notorious imperial bad boy has been unfairly condemned by history? While the charge sheet levelled against him by the ancient historians is truly horrifying, archaeology paints a more nuanced picture, as Thorsten Opper told Current World Archaeology's Matthew Symonds.

Post 1 image0 65 scaled

Epic Iran

Current World Archaeology's Amy Brunskill visits a new exhibition at the V&A presenting 5,000 years of art and design in Iran.

BELOW The first part of the ‘Fashioning the Viking Age’ project produced a ‘Textile and Tool Box’ containing reproductions of textile and fibre samples and the tools used to create them.

Fashioning the Viking Age

The designs of these outfits are based on two high-status graves, which contained some of the best-preserved Viking Age textiles in Denmark: a male burial from Bjerringhøj, dated to AD 970-971, and a female grave from Hvilehøj, dated to the late AD 900s.

Cleaning Cold War aircraft

The team from Arco Services had to abseil from the hangar’s 30m-high roof to get access to the various aircraft, which include a Vulcan bomber and an English Electric Lightning.

Chatsworth

Heritage from home: July

Many museums and heritage sites in the UK and Ireland have already reopened to visitors, with more to follow in the coming weeks, but if you still fancy getting your heritage fix at home there are plenty of great options, from virtual tours and online exhibits to podcasts and TV shows. Current Archaeology's Amy Brunskill has put together another selection of archaeology-, history-, and heritage-related resources to enjoy from your sofa, plus places you can now visit in person.

Festival of Archaeology

This July, the Festival of Archaeology returns with an exciting mixture of digital and on-the-ground events, as well resources and activities, all centred around ‘Exploring Local Places’. Here is a taste of just some of the options.

Last supper in Pompeii

The Romans’ passion for fine dining is well known – now a mouth-watering new exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum shows how the production, distribution and consumption for food and wine coloured every aspect of Roman life, as its curator Paul Roberts explains

On show: exhibitions from around the world – June 2021

Many museums and galleries around the world have recently reopened with safety measures in place, including compulsory booking and limits on visitor numbers. Closures are still a possibility, and the dates listed below may have changed since we went to print. Check the websites and social-media accounts of the institutions for the most up-to-date information, bookings, and, in many cases, a chance to explore their collections online.

Taj Mahal

Heritage from home: June

As museums and heritage sites reopen, we’re looking forward to visiting our favourite spots as soon as possible – but there are still plenty of resources available online from historical, archaeological, and cultural institutions and sites around the world, as well as podcasts, TV shows, social media content, and more. Current World Archaeology's Amy Brunskill has put together another selection of options, as well as summarising some of the places that have recently reopened.

13 Skull Fragment

‘Who will deliver me from this turbulent priest?’ How two Henrys failed to erase the memory of Thomas Becket

The story of Thomas Becket’s murder in AD 1170 still resonates after 850 years, despite the attempts of Henry VIII to eradicate all memory of the man that Henry II reportedly called ‘this turbulent priest’. Henry VIII called for the destruction of his shrine and the defacing of prayer books referring to his martyrdom. Even so, the Becket cult refused to die, and the British Museum has brought together an array of pilgrim badges and reliquaries, medals, paintings, and stained glass to show us why so many people in medieval Europe flocked to his Canterbury shrine. Current Archaeology's Chris Catling reports.

BCB84385

Nero’s Britain: rebellion, reconstruction, and a revised reputation

The Roman emperor Nero has long been reviled as a notorious tyrant, prone to lavish and often murderous excesses, who headed a chaotic regime that saw Britain erupt into open insurrection led by the rebel queen Boudica. A new exhibition at the British Museum presents a more nuanced picture, however, and Current Archaeology's Carly Hilts spoke to the curator, Thorsten Opper, to find out more about what Nero’s reign had meant for Roman Britain.

Clean 30 4 21

Aircraft at RAF museum get a spring clean

The annual high-level cleaning took place at the end of April and was conducted by specialists from ArcoServices. The team also carried out various safety checks on the suspension cables which keep the aircraft in 'flight'.

Post 1 image0 20 scaled

Thomas Becket: Canterbury Tales

In 1170, Archbishop Thomas Becket was killed in his cathedral by knights linked to his former friend King Henry II. But how did Becket become a revered saint and protector of the king?

The Mary Rose as seen from the lower deck of the virtual hull.

The Mary Rose Museum

The Mary Rose museum at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard was reopened 471 years to the day since the sinking of Henry VIII’s flagship – for the first time giving the public a clear view of her hull