Archaeology

The Year 1000

It is often thought that AD 900-1100 was a time when nothing much happened in the area that is today the Netherlands; many overviews of Dutch history have a tendency to skip straight from the Romans to the later Middle…

Right The Cathedral of Our Lady in the monastery complex of Gelati near Kutaisi, in the Imereti region of Georgia. It was founded by King Davit IV in 1106 and was consecrated in 1130 by King Demetre I. The monastery was also an academy of science. A 16th century mural in the cathedral shows various recognisable historical figures (above). These are, from right to left, the founder King Davit IV (r. 1089 1125), with a model church; Catholicos Yevdemon Chkhetidze; King Bagrat III of Imereti (r. 1510 1565), his wife Elena, and their son King Giorgi II of Imereti (r. 1565 1585), and Prince Bagrat.

The Golden Age of the Kingdom of Georgia

The Caucasus is a region where nations have often found themselves sandwiched between competing great powers. Christoph Baumer examines the political intrigues and military struggles that led to the rise and fall of the Kingdom of Georgia, while taking in some of the key monuments from the era.

In praise of Tating Ware (and high-definition archaeology)

Fifty years ago, I received a life-changing letter. David Peacock, my tutor at Southampton University, offered me a doctoral scholarship to study the imported Frankish pottery from Hamwic, the 7th- to 9th-century emporium at Southampton. The newly formed Southampton Archaeological…

Built to last: Extraordinary ancient architecture at Kalambo Falls

In 2019, excavations at Kalambo Falls in Zambia produced a range of wooden objects. These included structural elements that have been dated using cutting-edge technology to an almost unbelievably ancient era. The results force us to rethink everything we thought we knew about the capabilities of early humans, as Larry Barham and Geoff Duller told Matthew Symonds.

Deciphering the decipherers: Young Versus Champollion

The rivalry between Young and Champollion in the race to translate Egyptian hieroglyphs is legendary. But what motivated these two scholars, and what qualities did they bring to the endeavour? Andrew Robinson goes in search of the personalities behind an extraordinary intellectual achievement.

Above This textile hanging dates to approximately 1900 1930, and shows scenes from the Ramayana, an Indian epic that gained popularity in what is now Myanmar after Thai theatrical troupes were relocated to the region. The story follows Prince Rama’s search for his kidnapped wife, Princess Sita, with the assistance of the white monkey known as Hanuman.

People power: Understanding the making of Myanmar

Examining artefacts from Myanmar reveals how a tale of power, wealth, people, and the rise and fall of empires played out over centuries, as Alexandra Green told Matthew Symonds.

Rediscovering a forgotten power centre

Archaeological investigations at a site in the Norwegian countryside have uncovered evidence of a rich history stretching back thousands of years. Amy Brunskill spoke to Jes Martens and Christian Løchsen Rødsrud, who led the research, to find out more.

Footprints in stone

Analysis of human and animal footprints carved into rock faces in Namibia has revealed that they contain a wealth of hidden details. Engravings of human and animal tracks are found in prehistoric rock art around the world, but these images…

Below Extensive excavations at Beidaling in Guangxi have uncovered flexed human burials and a massive stone tool workshop.

Affluent hunters

Ever since the redoubtable Madeleine Colani explored the wonderful karst country of Hoa Binh Province, west of Hanoi in northern Vietnam, a century ago, the hunter-gatherers of Southeast Asia have received rather a poor press. With a background in the…

Making money in 18th-century America

Analysis of paper money produced by Benjamin Franklin is shedding new light on the monetary history of Colonial-era America.

The difference within

Rubina Raja & Søren M Sindbæk on heterogeneity.

World news in brief: From Iron Age child’s shoe to New Indo-European language

Iron Age child’s shoe Excavations in a prehistoric salt mine in Dürrnberg, Austria, have uncovered a well-preserved shoe – roughly a UK child’s size 12.5 – dated to the 2nd century BC. The discovery was made by the German Mining…

A meteoric discovery

A team of researchers have confirmed that a Bronze Age arrowhead found 150 years ago in Switzerland was made of iron from a meteorite – but not the meteorite they expected. The discovery was made during a recent study of…

Life on an Alaskan lakeshore

Excavations at a site in Alaska have uncovered an ancestral Alutiiq house frozen in time by a fire 3,000 years ago, complete with rarely preserved woven grass mats on the floor. The Nunallerpiaq site sits on the shore of Karluk…

Religious rituals in ancient Arabia

Recent research at two mustatils (prehistoric rectangular open-air structures found across northern Arabia) is uncovering new information about the ritual practices that may have been taking place in the region in the late 6th millennium BC. First identified in the…

Christian tattoo in medieval Sudan

Archaeologists have uncovered a rare example of a religious tattoo in a burial near the medieval monastic site of Ghazali, in northern Sudan. The tattooed individual, whose skin was unusually well preserved, was discovered in 2016 during excavations of the…

Reading the Herculaneum scrolls

Efforts to decipher the Herculaneum scrolls have reached an important turning point. The collection of over one thousand papyrus scrolls, carbonised during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, was discovered in 1752 in what is now known as…

A Victorian rock garden: Celebrating ‘dahlia-mania’ at Stonehenge

For a brief snapshot of the mid-19th century, flower festivals drew thousands of visitors to Stonehenge, long before the Neolithic monument became a popular tourist attraction in its own right. Carly Hilts visited the site and spoke to Louise Crawley, Brian Edwards, and Jennifer Wexler to learn more about this colourful but little-known episode of Salisbury Plain’s past.

Uncovering a lost landscape: The archaeology of Llanddwyn Island

Located off the south coast of Ynys Môn (Anglesey), Llanddwyn Island was home to a small monastic community for more than 1,000 years. Now a decade of archaeological investigations have shed vivid light on this remote religious community, documenting the remains of a 12th-century church and its surrounding landscape. George Nash, Philip Dell, Leslie Dodd, Thomas Wellicome, and Carol James explain further the history and archaeology of one of Wales’ hidden island gems.

Ad Gefrin: Distilling the spirit of Northumbria’s Golden Age

In the early medieval period, Yeavering was the site of seasonal gatherings by the Northumbrian royal court, whose palatial halls were famously excavated by Brian Hope-Taylor in the 1950s and 1960s. Now, with new archaeological investigations teasing out further details of the site, and an innovative attraction recently opened in nearby Wooler to tell its story, Carly Hilts spoke to Chris Ferguson and Sarah Semple to learn more.

BELOW This reconstructed Saxon longhall displayed at Avalon Archaeology, a new open air archaeology museum in Somerset is based on a 9th century example excavated at the Kings of Wessex School in Cheddar by Philip Rahtz.

Avalon Archaeology: A new open air archaeological museum in Somerset

An eight-year effort by a dedicated band of more than 100 volunteers has borne fruit with the recent opening of a new heritage attraction in the heart of the Avalon Marshes. Richard Brunning describes how Somerset’s Iron Age, Roman, Saxon, and Viking past has been brought to life once more.

Rooted in the future: A cultural ecology of the Sycamore Gap tree

Do archaeological remains represent static monuments, or do they remain ‘alive’ in their natural and cultural landscapes? Emily Hanscam and Cornelius Holtorf discuss how Hadrian’s Wall and the Sycamore Gap tree can encourage us to rethink the relationships between humanity, nature, and the planet.

Akan gold weights. Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology Cambridge MAA ID

Current Archaeology’s November Listings: exhibitions, events, and heritage from home

There are lots of great opportunities to get stuck into history and heritage this autumn, whether you’re looking for conferences, exhibitions, or archaeological days out. If you would rather get involved at home, though, there are a wider variety of resources on offer, from new virtual museums and digital tours of heritage sites to podcasts, blogs, TV shows, and more. Amy Brunskill has put together a selection of some of the options available.

The tale of a tree: An archaeological history of Sycamore Gap on Hadrian’s Wall

The Sycamore Gap tree was an immediately recognisable feature of the central section of Hadrian’s Wall. Jim Crow, who directed excavations of this portion of the Roman frontier between 1982 and 1989, investigates its archaeological and landscape history.

Alternative views: Exploring ‘icons’ of the Hadrian’s Wall landscape

In the aftermath of the felling of the famous tree at Sycamore Gap, David Breeze examines how artistic interest in different sections of Hadrian’s Wall has changed over the centuries.

CA 405 Letters – November

Your thoughts on issues raised by CA.

Excavating the CA archive

Joe Flatman explores over half a century of reports from the past.

Highlights from the CARD Fund: Community radiocarbon-dating fund delivers fresh results

A specialist grant that helps volunteer and community groups to date their finds has opened applications for its 2023 funding cycle. Robin Holgate discusses some of the key findings from the projects supported by the CARD Fund in 2022 – and how to apply this year.