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.
Bronze Age
Experimental ‘Bronze Age roundhouse’ unveiled
The new roundhouse was built almost entirely by 33 volunteers from Operation Nightingale, a charity assisting the recovery of wounded and traumatised military personnel and veterans through archaeology.
50 Bronze Age Finds from the Portable Antiquities Scheme
Although Bronze Age finds make up just a fraction of the Portable Antiquities Scheme database, the discoveries recorded still number over 12,000. The objects presented here, in the latest publication in the 50 Finds series, reflect both the most common…
Ancestors: the prehistory of Britain in seven burials
In this latest book by Alice Roberts, we are taken on a tour of prehistoric Britain through an in-depth exploration of seven of the most famous burials from this period found on these shores. Each main chapter of the book…
Buried in the Bronze Age: unearthing a rare log coffin in Lincolnshire
The discovery of 4,000-year-old log coffin and the remains of its occupant in Tetney, Lincolnshire, along with an equally rare stone axe buried with it, has brought together archaeologists from across the field in a massive effort not only to excavate and preserve the wood before it can disintegrate, but also to examine every avenue of evidence that this unique burial can provide. Hugh Willmott, Tim Allen, and Ian Panter report on their ongoing efforts.
Rich bronze artefact deposits found at ancient French settlement
Two deposits of spectacular bronze artefacts dating back to the 9th century BC represent the latest discoveries made during a series of archaeological excavations and surveys conducted in the Allier department of central France since 2019.
Rare Bronze Age coffin sheds light on ancient funerary rites
The coffin, thought to date back c. 4,000 years, was crafted from a hollowed-out oak tree trunk
The earliest family photo from Stonehenge?
A Victorian 3D image thought to be the earliest-known family photograph to have been taken at Stonehenge has been identified in the collection of Queen guitarist Dr Brian May. CA went to see the ‘stereo view’ on display at the monument’s visitor centre.
Cumbria’s Prehistoric Monuments
Adam Morgan Ibbotson has successfully brought together around 100 prehistoric sites from across Cumbria into a much-needed single volume. Home to a range of prehistoric monuments, Cumbria has more than just stone circles, with notable examples including the Mayburgh Henge…
Three new Treasure finds in Wales
'The locations of these hoards are being carefully mapped to provide another piece of information in this jigsaw, so these finds are really important.’
Revealing a rich prehistoric landscape at Biddenham
One of the most significant discoveries the team made was circular ditch monument.
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.
Honor Frost (1917-2010)
Frost fitted herself out with an improvised breathing hose at a party in order to explore a 17th-century well.
Excavating East Sussex
Perhaps Sussex’s most famous ‘site’ of all featured in CA 286, when the Time Team examined rival theories of the location of the AD 1066 Battle of Hastings.
Life and death in a Cypriot Bronze Age society
Excavations in the Bronze Age cemetery at Hala Sultan Tekke, Cyprus, are shedding light on trade networks and complex burial practices, as Peter M Fischer and Teresa Bürge explain.
The Maltese Archipelago at the Dawn of History
This, the third volume to tackle the legacy data from Malta (Tanasi et al. 2011; 2015), effectively lays the groundwork from which to launch renewed archaeological investigations. Its reinterpretation of past excavations highlights the fragile nature of the archaeological remains…
Gold spiral ring
This ring is a significant discovery because it represents the earliest gold object from a clear and well-dated context discovered in this region so far.
Prehistoric currencies, conflict, and climate change
In a warning of what might occur again in the future, a paper in the journal Nature blames climate change for interpersonal violence among Nile Valley dwellers in the Late Pleistocene.
Tea with the junta
For some unaccountable reason, perhaps a case of mistaken identity, Polly and I were ushered into a private room to sit down to afternoon tea with the junta.
Cornish connections in Bronze Age Germany
This identification of Cornish gold in Central Europe indicates that there was probably contact between these two regions during the Bronze Age, and perhaps even a well-established trade route.
This week: experimental archaeology
The word 'experimental' can be confusing, or even alarming. It suggests an area of activity in which people are pushing at boundaries, or acting somehow without official approval. Attached to the word 'archaeology', however, it simply denotes a field of academic study that uses controlled experiments to provide a better understanding of the past.
Striking gold in Germany
The discovery of the gold object in an Early Bronze Age grave was unusual, as precious metals are rare in the region at this date.
Emblems of power in Argaric society
The Antiquity paper presents a new theory about the significance of these diadems as emblems of power and suggests that they may reflect the central position of these women in the governance of Argaric society.
Saint-Bélec Slab
What is it? This engraved stone dating to the early Bronze Age (c.1900-1650 BC) is known as the Saint-Bélec Slab. Made of grey-blue coloured schist, the slab is c.2.2m long, 1.53m wide, and 0.16m thick. New research suggests that the…
Museum of London sites reopening with extended exhibitions
The Museum of London Docklands has announced the extension of several exhibitions and displays, including their exhibition on London’s largest Bronze Age hoard, ‘Havering Hoard: A Bronze Age Mystery’, which will run until 22 August 2021.
Oldest 3D map in Europe unearthed
'The Saint-Bélec Slab highlights the cartographic knowledge of past societies that we tend to underestimate in the era of the GPS.'
Rabbits dig up prehistoric finds on Welsh island
Evidence of Late Mesolithic and Bronze activity has been discovered on a Welsh island.
Unique spearhead sheds light on Bronze Age Jersey
The largest and most-complete late Bronze Age spearhead to be found in the Channel Islands has been discovered in Jersey, sparking questions about the ritual practices of the prehistoric islanders.
The Social Context of Technology: non-ferrous metalworking in later prehistoric Britain and Ireland
Although a little heavy on detail, this is a thorough study of the subject which presents, in a chronological fashion, the archaeological evidence for (mostly copper and bronze) metalworking from sites across the British Isles. The evidence is examined critically,…
News in brief
Excavations begin along the A303 Preliminary investigatons by Wessex Archaeology in advance of the planned A303 tunnel scheme are in progress. So far they have undertaken more than 462ha of geophysical survey and 440 evaluation trenches, uncovering diverse finds in…
Mourning in miniature: excavating an infant Beaker burial near Salisbury
Archaeological investigations just outside Salisbury have uncovered echoes of early Bronze Age activity, including the burial of an infant who was laid to rest with a scaled-down beaker. Rachel McMullan reports.
Bronze Age monument uncovered in the New Forest
Community excavations on the Beaulieu Estate in the New Forest have uncovered an enigmatic Bronze Age monument, as well as evidence for Mesolithic activity, greatly adding to our knowledge of how this area of Hampshire was used during prehistory. Aerial…
In praise of volunteers
My excavations, including Khok Phanom Di, have yielded well over 1,000 human graves, and often the dead were interred with multiple mortuary offerings from fine pottery vessels to thousands of ornaments in gold, silver, bronze, iron, carnelian, glass, shell, and agate.
Contextualising Bronze Age burials on the Isle of Man
Recent assessment of a unique burial assemblage from the Isle of Man has helped illuminate a rare type of funerary practice also found in parts of Wales and northern England. This new work provides a blueprint for moving away from…
Prehistoric settlement uncovered in Aberdeenshire
Evidence for an extensive settlement, possibly dating to either the Bronze Age or Iron Age, has been uncovered on the outskirts of Cruden Bay in Aberdeenshire, on a site overlooking the North Sea. It is the first major prehistoric site…
Rest in pieces: exploring evidence for Bronze Age curation of the dead
Archaeologists have long puzzled over fragments of human bone that have been found scattered around late Bronze Age settlements and placed in early Bronze Age burials like grave goods. Carly Hilts examines a recent study that sheds intriguing light on these enigmatic practices.