Current World Archaeology 137
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Ramses the Great: How a pharaoh built his legacy
Why is Ramses II considered to be ‘the Great’? An exhibition focusing on his life and times sheds light on how Ramses earned this accolade. Matthew Symonds shares what he learnt.
Beyond the luxurious: Tracing the Late Antique ivory trade
Study of ivory use in the early medieval world is revealing fresh insights into how this material was viewed. The results have important implications for our understanding of the scale of the trade, and its impact on the elephants it exploited, as Rowan S English and Julia Steding explain.
Archaeological Stones and their Macroscopical Identification
REVIEW BY ROB IXER ‘No provenance is better than wrong provenance’ should be tattooed on the forehead of anyone embarking on a career in lithic studies. Forgoing that, buying this book would
Rural Baths in Roman Britain: A colonisation of the senses
REVIEW BY JO DAY Imagining Roman baths conjures up scenes of mosaics and frescoes, perfumes, hot rooms and cold pools, and steamy air thick with watery sounds and chattering. These structures were
Boathouses of Britain
REVIEW BY KK Opening with a brutal account of fratricide between the sons of the pioneering physician who first described Down’s syndrome, this book about boathouses is unexpectedly gripping. The rest of
On the Edge, Above the Vale
REVIEW BY RP Cotswold Archaeology’s latest monograph (free to download at http://www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk/publication) covers excavations that took place ahead of the construction of the Collection Management Facility, Science, and Innovation Park at the
Life and Death in Roman Carlisle
REVIEW BY RP This volume compiles the findings of excavations carried out by Wardell Armstrong at Botchergate, a main street to the south-east of Carlisle’s city centre. There, works undertaken ahead of
Ruperra Castle Preservation Trust
Ruperra Castle (Castell Rhiw’r Perrai; ‘pear-tree hill’) is garlanded with heritage designations, being a Grade II*-listed building and a Scheduled Monument, set within a Grade II Registered Park. Sadly, it is also
ARCHEOSCAN 2025
Archeoscan provides opportunities for public involvement in archaeology, including giving people the chance to participate in archaeological excavations at exciting sites in the Cotswolds area. They also assist communities in conducting geophysical surveys
Current World Archaeology 131
Current Archaeology 423
A Roman landscape revealed : Celebrating 20 years of the Culver Archaeological Project
Two decades of excavations in East Sussex farmland have uncovered the remains of an unusual enclosed settlement linking the Roman road network with the River Ouse. Rob Wallace and David Millum explain more.
Current Archaeology’s May Listings: exhibitions, events, and heritage from home
There are lots of great archaeological and historical events and activities coming up over the next few months, including exhibitions, festivals, and conferences. Or, if you would prefer to get your heritage fix at home, there is plenty on offer as well, from virtual site tours and new digital resources to TV shows, podcasts, apps, and more. Amy Brunskill has put together a selection of some of the options available.
From gasholders to chic apartments: Tracing the history of the most prominent landmarks in the gasworks industry
The system whereby coal was heated and the resulting gases purified, stored, and distributed to factories, street lamps, public buildings, and, in due course, to every home was developed in the UK in the first decade of the 19th century and exported around the world. Today the 600 remaining gasholders, once familiar industrial structures in every city and town, are being recorded by Historic England prior to being dismantled or converted to other uses, as Chris Catling reports.
Go digging!
Following on from CA 422, this selection of summer digging opportunities includes projects in Aberdeenshire, Essex, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, and Nottinghamshire.
Paradise lost: Rediscovering a forgotten pleasure garden at Attingham Park
Recent archaeological research in the grounds of a Shropshire stately home has added a surprising new chapter to the estate’s story. Viviana Caroli and Nigel Baker explain more.
The Melsonby Hoard: Exploring unprecedented insights into Iron Age Yorkshire
One of the largest Iron Age hoards ever found in the UK was recently unveiled. Comprising hundreds of metal items, its contents are shedding brilliant light on this period of Yorkshire’s past, revealing how wealthy and well-connected some of its ancient inhabitants were. Carly Hilts spoke to Tom Moore, Emily Williams, Sophia Adams, and Keith Emerick.
Tutankhamun: The immersive exhibition
A recently opened experience in London is using virtual-reality technology to explore the life and times of one of ancient Egypt’s most famous pharaohs, as Carly Hilts reports.
CA Letters 423 – May
World’s oldest waterworks? Chris Catling, in his excellent piece on those temples of engineering, the waterworks (CA 421), refers to a Boulton and Watt beam engine at Kew dated 1820 as being
Secrets of the Thames: Mudlarking London’s lost treasures
A new exhibition showcasing hundreds of artefacts recovered from the banks of the River Thames sheds illuminating light on London’s long history. Carly Hilts visited the displays at London Museum Docklands.
Planning reforms
The Westminster Government has published its revised National Planning Policy Framework amid a flurry of boosterish phrases about ‘backing builders not blockers’, ‘unleashing billions in economic growth’, and introducing ‘seismic reforms to help builders get shovels in the ground quicker’.