A recent Netflix documentary, Secrets of the Neanderthals, has attracted a massive worldwide audience, and taken a major step forward in dealing with the widespread myth that Neanderthals were brutish and backward. As we now know from comparing their DNA and ours, we can count them among our remote ancestors.
A remarkable discovery in the fields near Vindelev revealed objects that are both beautiful and informative. Olympia Bobou, Ilaria Bucci, and Rubina Raja bring us up-to-date about a find shedding fresh light on runic writing, the history of religion, and royal power in Denmark.
Burials found in three different cemeteries in Sweden defied explanation until a connection with polio was proposed. Caroline Arcini and Emma Karlsson weigh the evidence and look at how the impact of this disease has changed over the centuries.
A new exhibition at the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden explores the highlights of the last 25 years of Dutch archaeology.
A new technique is offering fresh insights into ancient tattoos.
A community-led project in Costa Rica has identified two wrecks as lost 18th-century Danish slave ships.
August 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which precipitated the unconditional surrender of Japan and the end of the Second World War. What has become known as VJ (Victory over…
Research in the Bolivian Andes has identified a previously unknown Tiwanaku ceremonial complex. The Tiwanaku civilisation (c.AD 500-1000) was a pre-Inca culture centred around the southern shores of Lake Titicaca, in western Bolivia, but their influence is believed to have…
For the first time, non-invasive technology has been used to recover a title from the ancient papyri from Herculaneum carbonised in the AD 79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Earlier this year, scans of the scroll in question, known as PHerc.172,…
Obsidian was highly valued by many cultures across Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, including the Mexica (Aztecs), for its natural lustre and sharpness, which made it a perfect material for both highly polished ornaments and the production of tools. Analysis of obsidian artefacts…
New analysis of a hominin skull previously believed to represent a new species of ancient human suggests that it may in fact be a Denisovan. The Denisovans were first discovered in 2010, when ancient DNA from a finger bone in…
A Viking Age burial site has been uncovered at Lisbjerg, near Aarhus, in Denmark. Excavations carried out by archaeologists from Moesgaard Museum have revealed 30 burials, although it is possible that there could be more in the surrounding area. The…
Cave treasures In 2023, two speleologists exploring the Cave of Tlayócoc in south-western Mexico came across a collection of 500-year-old objects. Archaeologists from INAH investigated further, revealing that the assemblage consisted of 14 artefacts in total, including three engraved shell…
REVIEW BY LISA BRIGGS It has been 15 years since A History of the World in 100 Objects by Neil MacGregor was first published and introduced readers to a novel method of breaking down world history into bite-sized, easily digestible…
REVIEW BY PAULINE RIPAT Roman legends stressed the importance of babies in the foundation of Rome and its destiny to dominate. The unlikely birth of the twins Romulus and Remus from a Vestal Virgin, and their even more improbable survival…
REVIEW BY ROBIN OSBORNE Trade in Greek pottery long attracted little interest. Finley’s massively influential The Ancient Economy (1973) discouraged both the idea that archaeological data might have anything to add to study of the ancient economy and the idea…
This design is… known from the Sutton Hoo and Valsgärde helmets. What is it? This rectangular copper-alloy object is 1-1.5mm thick and measures 4.5cm by 3.7cm. It dates to c.AD 550-625 and is a type of stamping die known as…
Sherds was intrigued to encounter two interesting items recently that have to do with the treatment of human remains. (Anyone who is grieving or has suffered a recent bereavement might like to skip over these reports.)
This month’s column comprises the latest in a ‘Roman towns’ miniseries. I have recently visited Chester and Colchester, and next up is Cirencester (Corinium).
The first research excavation to take place at Wroxeter in more than 30 years has illuminated a previously unexplored area of one of the largest urban centres in Roman Britain. Peter Guest, Roger H White, and Mike Luke report.
David Neal’s name is synonymous with Romano-British mosaics: since 1960, he has documented every new discovery (more recently in collaboration with Stephen Cosh). His meticulous records and reconstructions fill the five-volume corpus of Roman Mosaics of Britain published by the Society of Antiquaries between 2002 and 2024 (see CA 223). Based on his new autobiography, Chris Catling reports on David’s formative years and the people who led him to a life in archaeology.
Historic England’s laboratories at Fort Cumberland, near Portsmouth, recently reopened after major refurbishment. Carly Hilts visited the new facilities and spoke to Gill Campbell, Jen Heathcote, Ian Morrison, Simon Mays, Francesca Gherardi, and Angela Middleton to learn about some of the latest advances in archaeological understanding to which the site’s specialists have contributed.
This month sees a return of the Council for British Archaeology’s annual Festival of Archaeology, with a wealth of in-person and online events taking place across the UK between 19 July and 3 August. The theme for 2025 is ‘Archaeology and Wellbeing’. Here is a selection of regional highlights; for more details, and to explore the full programme, see www.archaeologyuk.org/festival.html.
Churches have long been a key feature of Britain’s urban and rural landscapes, and many are of great historical significance in addition to their religious meaning. In this article, Chiz Harward outlines some of the features (and challenges) particular to carrying out archaeological work within parish churches.
Finding lost farmsteads I was intrigued by the article on South Yorkshire (‘Fields and farmsteads’, CA 424) and the reference to the absence of evidence of farming and occupation of the area between the late 10th century and the 16th/17th centuries…
With one of the UK’s major commercial units celebrating its 30th birthday this year, Carly Hilts spoke to Vicki Score, John Thomas, Jen Browning, Matt Beamish, and Alice Forward about ULAS’ journey into the past.
There is a fantastic selection of opportunities to immerse yourself in history and heritage this summer, from new exhibitions and heritage attractions to conferences and activity days. Or, if you would prefer to get stuck into archaeology at home instead, there is plenty to choose from, including digitised museum collections, virtual site tours, and online resources. Amy Brunskill has put together a summary of some of the options available.
Following on from our special sections in CA 422, 423, and 424,
this selection of summer digging opportunities includes projects
in Gloucestershire, the Cotswolds, and Nottinghamshire.
Cornwall Museum & Art Gallery in Truro is undergoing a major transformation. Carly Hilts visited the recently refurbished ‘Heart of Cornwall’ archaeology displays.
The latest on acquisitions, exhibitions, and key decisions.
During this year’s annual excavations at the Roman auxiliary fort of Vindolanda, Jim and Dilys Quinlan from Merseyside – who have been volunteering on the site for 21 years – discovered this sandstone relief. It was found in May, in…
REVIEW BY KK With more than 1,500 castles – a term that Andrew Powell-Thomas uses to cover everything from medieval military fortifications and tower houses to crenellated mansions and great estates – still standing in Scotland today, no book can…
REVIEW BY ADAM KLUPS Few church reordering projects are lucky enough to be celebrated with a book, but this publication by archaeologist Chiz Harward is a compelling exception. Commissioned to oversee archaeological work during the church’s major 2016-2021 reordering –…
REVIEW BY HEATHER BEETON This report is a result of 11 seasons of extensive excavations of the multiperiod site at Mellor hilltop in Stockport, carried out by University of Manchester Archaeological Unit. Occupation started in the Mesolithic and continued in…
REVIEW BY RICHARD BRADLEY Archaeologists study memories in prehistory and help to create them in the present. Ancient people must have had a sense of the past, just as we do today. That is why older monuments were visited and…
REVIEW BY JODY JOY Many books have been written about the ancient Celts, whether from the standpoint of a shared identity across a connected Europe, or a more sceptical perspective, arguing for regional diversity and more complicated histories. This book…