Across 8 US state containing the Last Supper Cave archaeological site (6)9 Persian dynasty founded by Ardashir I (8)10 US state, location of the Hell Island archaeological site (8)11 Military governor of feudal Japan (6)12 ___ culture, Neolithic communities of…
Culture vultures A new study, recently published in Ecology (), reveals that the nests of bearded vultures can contain objects dating back hundreds of years. Examination of more than 50 historical bearded vulture nests in southern Spain, where the species…
Your thoughts on issues raised by the magazine.
MHM’s round-up of the latest military history releases.
There are lots of great ways to get involved with history and archaeology over the next few months, including exhibitions, lectures, and conferences exploring a wide range of subjects. If you would prefer to get your heritage fix from the comfort of your sofa, though, there is a variety of resources on offer online, too, from virtual site tours and digital offerings by museums to podcasts, TV shows, and more. Kathryn Krakowka has put together a selection of some of the options available.
Castles, conservation, and conquest With a week in Norfolk booked and a visit to Norwich in mind, not least to collect a fridge magnet from the Castle for a grandson, it was serendipity when CA 427 arrived with a review…
REVIEW BY ROB IXER This is a peculiar hybrid of a book. It is a pretty good generalised account of British ‘historical geology’, namely a description of the occurrence of all the rocks given in stratigraphical order from the earliest…
When excavating human remains, archaeologists are sometimes able to identify a pregnant woman if the bones of her unborn child are still present in her pelvic area. There are many reasons why this might be missed, however, such as if…
Ongoing excavations at Leicester’s market are uncovering new details about the city, stretching from its role as an important Roman settlement through to the post-medieval period. Redevelopment of the marketplace began in July of this year, and the University of…
New project to study ‘bog bodies’ A new project, entitled ‘Bog Biographies’ and led by researchers at Coventry University, is aiming to improve understanding of the Iron Age phenomenon of ‘bog bodies’. This period appears to have seen a significant…
• Cladh Hallan: examining life and death in the Bronze Age and Early Iron Age
• The dangerous dead: exploring the cross-cultural continuity of deviant burials
• The people of St Peter’s: encountering a community from 19th-century Blackburn
• A tale of two hoards: interpreting collections from Carnoustie and Rosemarkie
• Testing times: insights from experimental archaeology
• Inside Koonalda Cave: examining extraordinary rock art in Australia
• Uncovering Imet: an ancient Egyptian city in the Nile delta
• Weapons from the water: secrets of Scandinavia’s first professional army
• Côte D’Ivoire: early human activity in the West African rainforest
• What life was like for the female inhabitants of Pompeii
• Special report: recreating a Mycenaean battle
• From World War to Cold War: the Iron Curtain descends on post-war Europe
• Napoleon’s turncoats: the generals who turned traitor to revolutionary France
• Battle for Magna Carta: the first Barons’ war, 1215-1217
• King of the Vandals: the barbarian who made Rome tremble
• David Olusoga: weapons that changed the world, and the film 1917
The latest on acquisitions, exhibitions, and key decisions.
Simone Petacchi describes an important Egyptian collection in Rovigo, Italy, that is not on public display.
DISCOVERING ANCIENT EGYPT After five years as a travelling exhibition, visiting Japan, South Korea, and Australia, the RMO’s exhibition returns to the Netherlands. It explores the life, religion, and culture of the ancient Egyptians through nearly 500 objects, including golden…
• The gold bracelet of the Twenty-first Dynasty pharaoh Amenemope was recently stolen from the conservation laboratory of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Arrests were made but, sadly, the bracelet had already been melted down for gold. • An ancient…
REVIEW BY HILARY FORREST This thoroughly researched book contains a wealth of material, and covers the frequently discussed question of how Egyptological displays should be planned and designed, both culturally and ethically. The main focus is on the place of…
REVIEW BY HILARY WILSON Any author might be daunted by the ambitious subtitle of the ‘Brief Histories’ format, but Campbell Price has risen to the challenge. In little more than 100 smaller-than-A5 text pages, with only three randomly placed photographic…
There are lots of great ways to get involved with history and archaeology over the next few months, including exhibitions, lectures, and conferences exploring a wide range of subjects. If you would prefer to get your heritage fix from the comfort of your sofa, though, there is a variety of resources on offer online, too, from virtual site tours and digital offerings by museums to podcasts, TV shows, and more. Kathryn Krakowka has put together a selection of some of the options.
The latest on acquisitions, exhibitions, and key decisions.
REVIEW BY CH For this collection of 34 poems imagining western England’s prehistoric and Roman pasts, Slow Migrations is a fitting title. Many of the works within – inspired by the Corinium Museum in Cirencester and the Roman Baths at…
Roman Morris Having just received the latest issue of Current Archaeology, I placed it on our recently purchased tablecloth, the pattern of which is based on the ‘Blackthorn’ design by William Morris. As can be seen in the photo (above),…
A new study, which was recently published in Antiquity, has examined a sediment core from a palaeochannel of the River Ure, near Aldborough in North Yorkshire, and combined it with both historical and archaeological evidence in order to discern how…
Carved stone head found at Skaill Farm dig An excavation at Skaill Farm on Rousay, Orkney, has uncovered an unusual carved stone head. Found by Katie Joss, an undergraduate from the UHI Archaeology Institute, which is leading the investigation, the…
Excavations in Guardbridge, along the Eden Estuary in Fife, have revealed a rich landscape of archaeological features spanning the late Upper Palaeolithic through to the modern day. Conducted between 2019 and 2021 – and recently published on Archaeology Reports Online…
Large Iron Age settlement found in Czechia Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a large settlement dating to between the 3rd and 1st century BC in the Hradec Králové region of north-east Bohemia, Czechia. First discovered in 2023 during investigations…
What was under discussion at the latest World Archaeological Congress? Stu Eve reviews events at the gathering in Darwin, Australia.
As summer comes to an end, it is the perfect time to reflect on any heritage filled travels, archaeological projects, or visits to historical sites around the world. Dig out your best photos on an archaeological theme – these can…
When I think of spring, one of the first images that comes to mind in the depth of winter is the carpet of flowers at Byllis, high above the Vjosa valley. This is, in all but name, arcadia. No crowds.…
Pompeii reoccupied after eruption Excavations at Pompeii have uncovered evidence that certain areas of the city were reoccupied after the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79. This had been suggested before, but previous excavations focused on reaching Pompeii’s pre-destruction levels…
REVIEW BY OLIVER CREIGHTON This new, ambitious, elegantly produced volume showcases how archaeology is transforming our understanding of horses in the human past. Its purpose is twofold: to provide an introduction for those, particularly students, who have a general interest…
REVIEW BY NICK HEWITT Historian and broadcaster Tessa Dunlop has energetically breathed life into the ‘history in a hundred’ format with her enthralling new book, which should be essential reading not just for those with an interest in war and…
MHM’s round-up of the latest military history releases.
The valley of the western Rother is best known to archaeologists as the location of Butser Ancient Farm and Bignor Roman villa, as well as the Weald and Downland Museum and the settlements at Selborne, Liss, Petersfield, Midhurst, and Petworth. Adopting a whole-landscape approach, taking in the entire river catchment, a recent study of the valley shows how natural and cultural heritage are inextricably intertwined, as Chris Catling reports.
A High Street highlight Kathryn Morrison’s Chain Stores in the Golden Age of the British High Street, (‘Cathedrals of commerce’, Chris Catling, CA 426) excellently complements books on other types of buildings such as bandstands, the co operative movement, and…