Multi-period

Archaeological Mysteries Quiz

Lord Carnarvon's death in 1923 prompted talk of a 'mummy's curse'. But what really caused the demise of the Tutankhamun expedition's financial backer?

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.

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Current Archaeology 378

• Interpreting Roman river finds from Piercebridge
• Exploring the prehistoric heart of Galloway
• Tracing the Glencoe Massacre
• A concrete replica of the Cross of St John speaks
• Raksha Dave: archaeology for everyone

Liverpool

This week: World Heritage Sites

It was not, perhaps, our finest hour. On 21 July, UNESCO announced that its World Heritage Committee had voted to remove Liverpool from its List of World Heritage Sites, making Britain only the third country ever to suffer such an indignity. To make matters worse, the UN-backed agency warned that Stonehenge would also find its status in doubt if the government pressed ahead with plans to build a £1.7bn road tunnel under the site.

Joe Flatman alt

Excavating Kent

Large infrastructure projects have led to some remarkable discoveries down the years – think of Heathrow Terminal 5, as well as the more recent work along the route of HS2

Queens Quiz

Catherine the Great ruled Russia for 34 years – but in what country was she born?

Road to the past: exploring the prehistoric heart of Galloway

The construction of a new bypass on the A75 near Dunragit has uncovered a wealth of archaeological finds, illuminating around 8,000 years of human activity within a rich and complex historic landscape on the south-west coast of Scotland. With the project’s findings now published in full, Current Archaeology's Carly Hilts surveys some of the key discoveries.

Bridges Quiz

Built 6,000 years ago, the Neolithic timber trackways known as the Sweet Track and the Post Track are among Britain’s earliest known bridges. In which county can they be found?

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.

Hoards from Wiltshire

The landscape of Wiltshire is full of indications of the county’s rich history, but perhaps some of the most compelling information about the area’s past comes from the hoards buried beneath its soil. The contents of these hoards vary widely,…

Prisoners of War Quiz

At which battle during the Hundred Years' War did Henry V infamously order the slaughter of French prisoners of war?

GALLOWAY

Current Archaeology 376

• Galloway Hoard: a Viking Age collection
• Nero, Boudica, and Roman Britain
• Thomas Becket at the British Museum
•Carmarthenshire: a long-lost henge in Wales
• 12th-century civil war smithy site

World arch

Current World Archaeology 107

• Jerash: discovering homes toppled during an earthquake in Jordan
• Seasons at Hawaiian temples
• Discovering Roman women’s lives
• Tuscany: Queen Adelaide’s castle
• Papua New Guinea: homegrown archaeology

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.

Saving British heritage

the organisation has halted the Westminster Parliament’s expensive and environmentally damaging plan to demolish Richmond House, listed at Grade II* as a rare example of a fine building from the 1980s...

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A golden anniversary: marking 50 years of the Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit

Before development-led archaeology was enshrined in law, many archaeological features were destroyed by construction projects without being documented – so, in the 1970s, a number of ‘rescue’ groups were set up to help record these remains before they were lost forever. The Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit marks its 50th anniversary this year, and Brian Philp guides us through some of its trials and triumphs to-date.

Hoards Quiz

The UK’s Treasure Act of 1996, which covers the discovery of hoards, defines as ‘treasure’ any object found that is what?

Plague, Pestilence and Pandemic: Voices from History

Disease has been a constant companion of humankind throughout the ages. As civilisations rose, populations flourished, and trade routes expanded, people brought their ideas, their goods, and their pathogens to new lands and cities that had never previously encountered them.…

Feasts Quiz

According to Tacitus, which Roman emperor held a floating banquet at which guests were rowed by an army of slaves between 'brothels stocked with high-ranking ladies’?

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.