Recent analysis of a 1st-century lead figurine at Wall Roman site in Staffordshire, depicting a man from sub-Saharan Africa, has shed new light on perceptions of identity in Roman Britain. Carly Hilts spoke to Cameron Moffett to find out more.
Glowing in vivid technicolour against a pitch-black backdrop, the stone blocks pictured here are part of a group of seven Roman altars that have been reimagined in colour using only projected light – all as part of a new, immersive…
The man’s bones have been radiocarbon dated to between AD 130 and 360.
The excavation has unearthed a large mosaic in what is thought to be the dining room or entertaining area of the villa, which was occupied between the 3rd and 4th century AD.
The earliest recorded find from Piercebridge, the Roman crossing over the River Tees, was a stash of silver coins found in 1792. It was a hint of what would subsequently emerge when two divers, Rolfe Mitchinson and Bob Middlemass, began…
An immersive online exhibition hosted by the Vindolanda Trust uses the extraordinary range of wooden artefacts excavated at the Roman fort to evoke memories and forge connections with communities who lived 2,000 years ago. CA reports.
The distinctive lozenge-shaped ramparts of Whitley Castle Roman Fort, situated north-west of Alston in Cumbria, survive as earthworks that are clearly visible in aerial photographs like this one.
It is always stimulating to be reminded how much more remains to be said about Hadrian’s Wall, a Roman frontier system that is often believed – from an archaeological perspective – to have been ‘done’. Despite centuries of scholarly scrutiny,…
The busts appear to have been intentionally discarded: the adult ones were broken between the head and torso, perhaps before deposition, and only the head of the child survives.
Carrying on the ornithological theme from last issue’s ‘Finds Tray’, which profiled an early medieval brooch featuring a bird, this Roman lock component was cheerfully cast in the shape of a duck. The copper-alloy object was found last autumn near…
The stunning mosaic depicts the concluding scene of the Trojan War, in which Greek hero Achilles battles Hector, the leader of the Trojans.
English Heritage and Historic England archaeologists have been investigating the remains of Richborough’s Roman amphitheatre – uncovering rare traces of painted decorations, as well as insights into the later years of the associated town. Carly Hilts visited the excavation to find out more.
The team uncovered evidence of farming activity within the enclosure, alongside the foundation walls of a late Roman ‘tuning fork’ corn-dryer.
This new study of tools from Roman London is a hefty volume, but it more than justifies the bookshelf space. Thorough coverage of dozens of crafts and tool types will ensure that it becomes a standard reference work for artefact…
The latest on acquisitions, exhibitions, and key decisions.
Dating to the 1st or 2nd century AD, the moulded statuette is just 17cm high and has been interpreted as a religious icon, probably imported from elsewhere in the Roman Empire
Archaeologists now believe St Mary’s church was constructed directly over the demolished remains of a square Roman building – possibly a mausoleum.
It was likely included as a grave good in an interred cremation burial.
The wall will continue to serve as a lasting reminder of the large 3rd- to 4th-century Roman fort of which it was once a part
Ongoing excavations by the Caistor Roman Project are shedding light on an enigmatic structure that once stood close to a temple built outside the walled town of Venta Icenorum, near Norwich. CA Editor Carly Hilts visited the site and spoke to Will Bowden about the latest finds.
This is a Roman enamelled copper-alloy strap fitting, believed to date to c.AD 100-300. It was found this past winter by metal-detectorist Dave Arveschoug near Middle Rasen in Lincolnshire. Although most of its original edge has been worn away, the…
The first trench revealed the deep V-shaped profiles of the three ditches, highlighting how heavily fortified the site was
Some of the latest news stories from archaeology in the UK, including the discovery of a section of Hadrian's Wall, the launch of a new campaign to protect archaeology as a discipline, and the start of a project analysing Viking remains in Orkney.
Probably dating to the 2nd-3rd centuries AD, the holder is formed into a zoomorphic creature.
In this month’s ‘Science Notes’ we explore recent research by Richard Jones and Louisa Campbell, whose aim was to assess whether portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) analysis can offer a quick and affordable way to categorise previously unidentifiable examples of Samian ware.
The base was probably made in the late 1st or early to mid 2nd century AD by a Continental craftsman
Birdoswald is one of the most-excavated Roman forts on Hadrian’s Wall, but the area beyond the fort walls has been investigated in much less detail. Following the launch of a new four-year project to explore its remains, Current Archaeology's Carly Hilts visited the excavation to hear the latest news from Ian Haynes and Tony Wilmott.
Built in AD 122, Hadrian’s Wall stretched 73 miles from the North Sea to Solway Firth and marked the furthest limit of the Roman Empire.
The central figure might represent a damnatio ad bestias scene, depicting a condemned captive facing execution by being thrown to the wild beasts in the amphitheatre.
It seems less obvious today, as we hurtle about the country using modern road and rail networks, but river crossings were once dangerous places. In ancient times, rites in the form of prayers and sacrifices would be performed to appease the river gods and to improve the chances that goods and travellers would make it across unscathed.
Ritual or rubbish – how should we interpret objects that ended their days in rivers during the Roman period? Hella Eckardt and Philippa Walton consider this question by exploring the more than 3,600 artefacts that have been recovered from the waters of the Tees at Piercebridge.
Measuring 160mm by 215mm, the stone depicts a naked male figure holding a spear and standing in front of either a horse or a donkey.
Next to the sarcophagus, a possible votive offering, consisting of a small pot containing what also appears to be cremated remains.
This report describes the results of excavations conducted in 2015-2016 on the Brooklyn Hall site, south of the River Derwent, opposite the fort at Malton, and immediately west of the main road from York. All those involved are to be…
This remarkable and important study of the art and culture of northern Roman Britain has been published almost two decades after my own – The Heirs of King Verica (Tempus, 2002; 2nd edition: Amberley, 2010), which dealt almost entirely with…
What was the name of the defensive barrier built around the city of Rome in the early 4th century BC?