Stephen Cosh, together with his colleague Dr David Neal, are the authors of a truly monumental and authoritative five-volume survey of all the Roman mosaics of Britain, the only province of the Empire which brought such a venture to completion:…
In the last issue, AE 153, Peter Lacovara celebrated the meticulous work of Dows Dunham in excavating the Fourth Dynasty (c.2613-2494 BC) Tomb of Queen Hetepheres I at Giza. In this issue, marking the 100th anniversary of the tomb’s discovery, Geoffrey Killen explains how William Arnold Stewart reconstructed the furniture found in the tomb.
This new publication brings a welcome focus to the creative individuals behind the artistic achievements of the New Kingdom. Building on a 2022 conference in Madrid, the collection’s 12 papers examine a broad range of interconnected themes: the role and…
This is the companion to an exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, which includes objects gathered from many international collections, curated by Helen Strudwick. But it is more than a catalogue of the artefacts in the exhibition. Although not…
Campbell Price describes some beautifully preserved ancient Egyptian footwear.
The art and artefacts of ancient Egypt are still familiar around the world, but how much do we know about the people who created these objects? Matthew Symonds spoke to Helen Strudwick about the makers of ancient Egypt.
A new exhibition explores ancient Egypt from the perspective of its craftspeople, showcasing their creations and illuminating their experiences. Carly Hilts visited to learn more.
New research is exploring the sophisticated metalworking involved in the creation of the famous Nebra Sky Disc.
Recovering an assemblage of trafficked prehistoric swords from Iran presented an opportunity to undertake scientific analysis of these weapons. The results reveal both the skills of ancient metalworkers and how these swords have been tailored to meet the expectations of the illicit antiquities trade, as Alex Rodzinka explains.
In 1946, 500 fragments of brightly coloured stained glass were removed from the window of St Andrew’s Church, Heckington, to make way for a modern replacement. This was not their first move – the fragments, which are mainly thought to…
REVIEW BY CAMPBELL PRICE Much-anticipated from the prolific pen of Kara Cooney, the undisputed queen of coffin (re)commodification, this enormous tome is not for the faint-hearted. Introductory chapters gather, reformulate, and re-emphasise arguments Cooney has put forward in a number…
REVIEW BY MATTHEW CHAMPION The history of the English parish church has long been of fascination to historians, buildings archaeologists, and the general public. As a result, the number of books on the subject published over the last two centuries…
For this issue, Hilary turns her attention to one form of jewellery worn by both women and men in ancient Egypt.
New research from the University of Liverpool (Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, October 2024) has given insights into how ancient Egyptian mirrors were manufactured. Metallurgical analysis on 19 Egyptian mirrors from UK museum collections shows three main types of alloy…
Ancient city culture was inescapable in the societies where it prevailed. It suffused life to encompass almost everyone. Even the dead.
A new exhibition at the Drents Museum tells the story of the Dacians through their spectacular treasures. Gillis Kersting visited to find out more.
James Harrell looks at the time-honoured practice of imitating costly materials with cheaper ones.
A new display drawing on the Museum of Cornish Life’s extensive archaeological collections was recently unveiled. Laura Miucci introduces its key themes and highlights her favourite finds.
Found in 2019, but only recently uploaded to the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) website, this beautiful piece of Roman glass once formed part of a colourful bracelet. It dates to c.AD 50-200 and was discovered in East Riding, Yorkshire, as…
Marwa Abdel Razek and Mounira Raslan explore the role of Pauserhat, ‘scribe of the textile workshops’, and the significance of his black coffin.
Christopher Catling, Contributing Editor for CA, delves into the eccentricities of the heritage world.
Thomas Hardy’s second novel – Under the Greenwood Tree (1872) – is a masterpiece of rural comedy with a tragedy at its heart: the usurpation of the centuries-old tradition of church music, represented by the loss of the west-gallery musicians…
Barbara Boczar investigates the sources of the wonderful colours used by ancient Egyptian artisans.
Many metalworkers and ceramicists in Renaissance Europe seemingly had no qualms about killing a lizard – or other animal – for their art. Pamela Smith investigates the intriguing practice of life-casting that turned nature into art, and why artisan authors recorded practical knowledge in words.
Your thoughts on issues raised by the magazine.
What is it? This object, thought to be at least 2,000 years old, is believed to be a stringed musical instrument. The artefact is made from a single piece of deer antler and is c.353mm long, with a diameter of…
Although none of the stained-glass windows were destroyed or damaged by the fire, many of them, already dusty, were exposed to smoke and soiled as a result.
The latest on acquisitions, exhibitions, and key decisions in the UK.
A new exhibition at the Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, tells the story of 350 years of interaction between the British and Japanese royal and imperial families. Amy Brunskill visited to find out more.
The event, Meet the Makers Behind London's Heritage, is being hosted by the Heritage of London Trust (HOLT), an independent charity which has spearheaded restoration projects in the city for over 40 years.
Review by Stephen R Cosh. Anthony Beeson has been among those at the forefront of mosaic research in Britain for many years, particularly on mythological subjects. This little book is very much a personal journey and summarises his own research…
This small lion figurine, which probably dates to c.AD 1300-1500, was found last year by a metal-detectorist on cultivated land near St Teath in Cornwall. The 6.8cm-high animal, which is made from copper-alloy and weighs 173g, was most likely cast…
The English armourers of the 15th century were great craftsmen, artists, and innovators. That is the essential conclusion of Tobias Capwell’s monumental study of the armour of the English knight in this period. It was once assumed that the domestic…
On the north and south walls of the Chapel at the Temple of Hatshepsut, mirrored reliefs show a procession of figures bringing offerings to the enthroned female pharaoh
Although Bronze Age finds make up just a fraction of the Portable Antiquities Scheme database, the discoveries recorded still number over 12,000. The objects presented here, in the latest publication in the 50 Finds series, reflect both the most common…
This new book explores the purpose of decorative practices in Middle and Late Iron Age Britain, moving beyond traditional approaches to Early Celtic Art to consider what these decorative objects did. To investigate what pattern does, fundamentally means viewing it…