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 be a useful long-term alternative. This quintessential reference/lab…
At first glance, it looks like an ornate coffee spoon… What is it? This curious object, which looks at first glance like a large, ornate, cruciform coffee spoon, is in fact rather an elegant counterpoised coin balance. Suspended on a…
• Twelve 5-metre-high subterranean cisterns, part of an extensive Ptolemaic water supply system, have been excavated at Darazya (ancient Derhis). • TT39, the Tomb of Puyemra (Second Priest of Amun in the reign of Thutmose III), has been reopened to…
In another area of Saqqara, a joint Egyptian–Japanese mission, led by Kanazawa University, has discovered a further four Old Kingdom tombs. The two mud-brick mastabas and two rock-cut tombs date to the late Second and early Third Dynasties. One of…
The Narmer Palette may be regarded as the world’s first historical document, recording the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt in about 3000 BC.
Dr Campbell Price describes an item of clothing that belonged to a New Kingdom pharaoh.
EGYPT: JOURNEY TO IMMORTALITY An exhibition telling the story of the journey to the afterlife through 110 masterpieces from the Egyptian Museum of Florence (National Museum of Archaeology). Highlights include the mummy and sarcophagus of Padimut, a ‘pseudo-mummy’ of a…
A structure, dating to the 6th century BC, discovered three years ago by an Egyptian mission at the Temple of Buto (in modern-day Tell el-Faraeen) is now thought to be Egypt’s first and largest astronomical observatory, where priests could monitor…
Following his introduction to the Harrogate Collection in the last issue, Ken Griffin takes a closer look at some of the objects that are on loan to the Egypt Centre in Swansea.
CREATURES OF THE NILE Creatures of the Nile explores the world of ancient Egyptian and Sudanese animals through more than 250 artefacts from the University of Liverpool’s Garstang Museum, National Museums Liverpool, and Manchester Museum. Highlights include the earliest known…
Dr Campbell Price describes the unique statuette of one of Egypt’s most famous pharaohs.
REVIEW BY HILARY FORREST This is a most unusual book – bound in an antique Chinese fashion originating from the Ming period, with pages tied together between boards with string. The content, however, relates not to China, but to mainstream…
REVIEW BY SHANNON LEE DAWDY Dead Man’s Chest is a collection of essays and research reports by practising archaeologists and historians who have conducted work on shipwrecks, terrestrial sites, artefact collections, and archival sources. It is the third book in…
SCULPTED PORTRAITS FROM ANCIENT EGYPT Sculpted Portraits explores revival and renewal during Egypt’s Twenty-sixth Dynasty, through a series of sculpted portraits of court officials and priests, created for display in tombs and temples. The artefacts at the exhibition are on…
Robert G Morkot tells us about the life and achievements of one of the most remarkable and influential characters of the New Kingdom.
A round-up of some of the latest news from the world of ancient Egypt.…
A joint Egyptian-Japanese team working on the eastern escarpment of the North Saqqara plateau has discovered a rock-cut tomb dating to the Second Dynasty. The tomb contained an adult buried in a crouched position, found lying next to the remains…
A new exhibition is set to explore what ordinary life was like for soldiers in the Roman army. Legion, opening in February at the British Museum, will boast more than 200 objects on display, including the world’s only intact legionary…
A round-up of some of the latest news from the world of ancient Egypt.
ACROSS 8 Egyptian agrarian culture of 4500-3250 BC (8)9 Son of Daedalus in Greek mythology (6)10 Édouard ….. , French archaeologist noted for his work on the Palaeolithic (6) 11 William ….. , British antiquary and author of Avebury (1743)…
Joe Flatman explores over half a century of reports from the past.
Geoffrey Lenox-Smith attends the ‘soft opening’ of Giza’s new blockbuster museum.
When La Tène was discovered more than 150 years ago, the site gave its name to the second half of the Iron Age across much of Europe, and objects of La Tène type are often equated with the Celts. But what was found at La Tène? Andrew Fitzpatrick and Marc-Antoine Kaeser explore the changing interpretations of this iconic site.
Your thoughts on issues raised by CA.
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.
Such objects were used to play a variety of medieval board games known as ‘tables’, some of which resembled modern-day backgammon.
The dates listed below may have changed since we went to print. Check the websites of the museums for the most up-to-date information and bookings.
PHARAOH: KING OF EGYPT An international touring exhibition of more than 120 objects from the British Museum, exploring the ideals, symbolism, and ideology of Egyptian kingship, and the realities of life in ancient Egypt. The exhibition is organised by the…
Royal sites revealed Lying more than 275 miles apart, Rendlesham and Yeavering belong to a handful of sites named as a vicus regius or ‘royal settlement’ by the Anglo-Saxon cleric Bede. Later this month, both are set to showcase their…
The Egyptian-British archaeological mission working in the Northern Cemetery (Tombs of the Nobles) at Amarna has uncovered a burial containing fine pieces of gold jewellery. The grave contained the remains of a young woman wrapped in textiles, who was buried…
Denmark's current monarch, Queen Margrethe II, traces her lineage back to which 10th-century king?
The project ends in December, but the team are still looking for more places to excavate. For more information, see www.thebishopbigdig.com.
Review by KK. This thought-provoking book reimagines how we approach maritime archaeology – demonstrating that it is not solely for the adventurous diver but can, and should, be practised from the comfort of dry land. Specifically, by examining all of…
According to Slavic folklore, sharp instruments such as sickles could be used to decapitate the deceased should it try to leave its grave.
Dated c.14,000–300 BC, which is the earliest major culture of prehistoric Japan?
Which legendary leader established the Xia dynasty in c.2070 BC, inaugurating dynastic rule in China?