REVIEW BY MARC DESANTIS Over several centuries, Rome met and bested every other organised state of the Mediterranean basin. By overcoming all rivals, Rome extinguished the ability of other states to make war, which was now its monopoly. It was…
• Beyond Birdoswald: exploring life and death outside a Hadrian’s Wall fort
• Magnifying Milecastle 46: new excavations at the Hadrian’s Wall site
• Gladiators: arena spectacles in Roman Britain
• Vernacular houses in Jersey: hints from Hamptonne
• Unearthing a medieval mystery: searching for Saline’s lost church
• Archaeology on prescription: using fieldwork to support York’s mental health
THE BELOVED OF ISIS: NERO, THE DOMUS AUREA, AND EGYPT This exhibition explores the links between Rome and Egypt in the 1st century AD, and Emperor Nero’s special relationship with Egypt. It includes multimedia exhibits and more than 150 artefacts…
• The gods of Dura-Europos
• Making a splash
• Secrets of their craft
• All creatures great and small
• Visions of Mary Magdalene
• Eleusinian mysteries
Researchers from the University of York, York Museums Trust, and Heritage360 have recently carried out a 3D scan of a Roman gypsum burial – a practice in which liquid gypsum was poured over the body before interment. This project, the…
A large Roman mausoleum, used to bury high-status individuals, was recently discovered by MOLA during excavations in advance of the redevelopment of a site near Borough Market in Southwark, by Landsec and Transport for London (TfL). The foundations, which measured…
Buried in lead The excellent Museum of Antiquities in Rouen, Normandy, has mounted a special exhibition called Le Plomb et l’homme (Lead and Man; open until 5 March 2024) devoted to the large number of Gallo-Roman lead coffins and funerary…
A round-up of some of the latest archaeological discoveries from across the globe.
In 2018, a rusty lump of more than 400 fragments of iron was discovered in Germany at Kalkriese, the site of the Varus Battle, where a catastrophic defeat was inflicted on Rome in AD 9 (see CWA 104). In the…
More still to uncover at Pompeii While investigations at Pompeii have been ongoing for centuries, much of the site remains unexplored, and new excavations have recently begun in one such previously unexamined section. This new project aims to uncover an…
How did water go from being something to fear to a place of privilege in Greece and Rome? Karen Eva Carr plunges into the cultural history of swimming.
From the worship of local Syrian protector gods to Christianity, many different religions flourished in the cosmopolitan crossroads city of Dura-Europos. Jen Baird brings us face to face with the diverse divine through the art of this ancient site.
Stories from the world of archaeology, art, and museums
A new exhibition running at the World Museum in Liverpool illuminates some of the key figures of ancient Greek and Roman myth, and explores how religious beliefs entwined with everyday life in the Classical world. Carly Hilts set out on a heroic quest of her own, braving the Eurovision crowds to find out more.
One of archaeology’s distinctive features has always been the lack of hard boundaries between professional and amateur. Archaeology is perhaps unique in the degree to which anyone can participate in the discipline, even at the highest level. That is especially…
The cargo comprises around 44 tonnes of marble architectural elements, including Corinthian capitals and marble columns
Three Roman fortified camps have been identified in southern Jordan through satellite imagery surveying, with research suggesting that they represent evidence of an undocumented military campaign linked to the Roman annexation of the Nabataean kingdom at the beginning of the…
The excavations are only in their early stages, but already signs of the upper parts of ancient buildings are beginning to emerge.
Review by Chris Epplett Over the past few years, there has been an increasing number of books and studies written on humankind’s interactions with and exploitation of the natural world. The book under review, drawn from the author’s background as…
• The story of a Roman frontier fort in Jordan
• Myths and Minoans at Knossos
• Mountain rock art in Kyrgyzstan
• Palmyra: the archive of Harald Ingholt
• Exploring a Peruvian fortress-temple in the desert
Who used this huge bathhouse is not clear, but finds including 34 carved intaglios, more than 100 hairpins, multiple gaming counters, and fine glass beads within the drains, as well as vaulting tubes hint at a rich, non-military clientele.
This is a copper-alloy brooch that was discovered in East Lindsey, Lincolnshire, in March. It dates to the later Roman period, sometime during the 3rd century AD. The body of the lion is composed of one long, narrow plate with…
The study suggests that the archaeological sites of Apollonia, Ptolemais, and Tocra are at risk of extensive erosion.
An astonishing array of wooden objects has survived from Herculaneum, carbonised by the volcanic eruption that destroyed the town. This invaluable material may be less showy than the celebrated marble and bronze statuary, but it was still used for everything from beams and boats to purses and small shrines, as Dalu Jones finds out.
The secret of the ancient material’s durability has intrigued researchers for decades, but a new study led by a team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology may have found the key.
On 10 May 1894, Aquincum Museum in Budapest opened its doors to the public. Here, in anticipation of the forthcoming anniversary of that event, David Breeze recounts his connection to the museum and its archaeological park.
Review by Dylan K Rogers To say that the Roman world was overflowing with water is an understatement. Recently, scholarship has increasingly begun to explore the numerous ways water impacted the lives of ancient Romans, from understanding the design of…
It is understandable perhaps, here in Britain, that we have a somewhat partial understanding of Ancient Rome’s border defences – with most attention focused naturally on Hadrian’s Wall, the extraordinary fortified structure that is the largest Roman artefact anywhere in…
What name is often given to a Roman frontier?
Deep in the Jordanian desert lies an extraordinary ruin. It is a Roman fort that can stake a claim to being the best-preserved example anywhere in the former empire. But this relic of imperial power is in urgent need of conservation work. David Breeze, Mark Driessen, and Fawzi Abudanah discuss why Qasr Bshir is special, and the challenges that lie ahead.
The cardboard sheets, photographs, and handwritten notes compiled by Harald Ingholt bear a wealth of information about Palmyrene sculpture and architecture. As his archive in the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek is reopened, Olympia Bobou, Eva Mortensen, and Rubina Raja reveal some of the secrets within.
Among the artefacts on display are 180 original bronze objects from the Naples National Archaeological Museum and the Archaeological Park of Pompeii.
Such wooden defences have been referenced in literature and by Julius Caesar, though no other examples are known to have survived.
Which Roman general defeated a major slave uprising led by the escaped gladiator Spartacus?
The Manchester Museum, Bengaluru's new art gallery, and the House of the Vettii in Pompeii open to the public.
A deity of wisdom and war, born fully grown, and armed, from the head of her father Zeus/Jupiter, Minerva – and her Greek counterpart Athena – played an important part in Greek and Roman religion.