cwa119

The ancient world’s largest fortresses: Persia’s northern defences in late antiquity

In the 4th to 6th centuries AD, Persia was under attack from the north by the ‘White Huns’ and other powerful groups of steppe warriors. Persia’s response was to create a massive fortification belt – unsurpassed in scale anywhere in the ancient and medieval world, with only the possible exception of China. Eberhard Sauer, Jebrael Nokandeh, Hamid Omrani Rekavandi, Mohammadreza Nemati, and Mehdi Mousavinia have explored the backbone of the system: the densest concentration of mega-fortresses in the late antique world, in the Gorgan and Tehran Plains of Iran.

Post 1 image0 48 e1683819752191 1024x673

CWA Photo of the Year Competition 2023 – THE RESULTS!

This year’s overall winner is Nickolas Warner’s photo of the West Cemetery of Meroë, Sudan.

The West Cemetery of Meroë

The image was chosen as the winner of the CWA Photo of the Year 2023 Competition (sponsored by Ace Cultural Tours).

CWA #119 crossword, and answers to crossword #118

Who was the Ancient Egyptian god of the sun?

New research has demonstrated that the frontal sinuses (ABOVE) can be used to enhance our understanding of human evolution. From c.2 million years ago, these features appear to have developed more independently of the braincase, resulting in a wider variety of sinus sizes and shapes, which can be used to distinguish

How studying sinuses can enhance our understanding of human evolution

The way these features changed in size and shape across ancient human species can provide important information about how their skulls changed over time

World news in brief: sunken Nabataean altars, ancient ice skates, and signs of the zodiac

A round-up of some of the latest archaeological discoveries from across the globe.

Left A view of one of the more complex houses in Çatalhöyük: Building 52.

Neolithic Turkey: investigating the transition to settled and farming lifestyles on the Konya Plain

The Konya Plain presents an extraordinary glimpse of what the shift from a mobile existence to Neolithic lifestyles could mean for individuals. Douglas Baird, Ian Hodder, and Michele Massa share some exciting results from the long-running investigations of a set of sites in central Anatolia.

The Young Alexander: the making of Alexander the Great

Review by Matthew Symonds When we think of Alexander the Great, it is his exploits as an adult that spring to mind. He is the audacious leader who landed an army in Asia at the age of 21 in a…

Above Archaeologists believe they may have discovered the home of the Neolithic community that constructed the tumuli at Tusson, 2km from the megalithic site. below These reconstruction images show how the site might have looked in its prime, with several houses at the pinnacle of a small promontory, surrounded by natural defences, and protected by a

Uncovering the home of the monument-builders

Archaeologists have discovered a settlement site belonging to the builders of some of Europe’s earliest Neolithic monuments.

Above The dramatic, rugged landscape of Western Macedonia provides ample explanation for why the word ‘Macedonian’ can be translated as ‘highlander’.

Western Macedonia: forgotten highlands of Greece

The archaeological gems on show in a neglected region of Greece help to shed light on the success of Alexander the Great, as Alex Rowson reveals.

Left This gold armlet, decorated with lion griffins, showcases the skills of Achaemenid goldsmiths. It was found in Tajikistan and can be dated to 500 330 BC. The armlet is 12.3cm in height, while the gaps in the lion griffins would once have held colourful glass, faience, and stone.

Power or decadence? Luxury under the Achaemenids, Athenians, and Alexander the Great

We all know that the finer things in life can transmit messages about wealth and status. In the epic struggles between the Persians and Greeks in the 1st millennium BC, though, luxury came to mean so much more, as Jamie Fraser told Matthew Symonds.

Above The new project at Pompeii is excavating a previously unexplored area of the site.

New archaeological work begins at Pompeii

The excavations are only in their early stages, but already signs of the upper parts of ancient buildings are beginning to emerge.

Vietnamese stringed instrument

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…

Beer: a global journey through the past and present

Review by Max Nelson Arthur presents a global history of beer inspired by his two-year stay with the Gamo people of Ethiopia. He begins with a brief introduction examining beer in terms of technology (as fermented malted cereal processed with…

Severed hands found in ancient Egyptian palace offer evidence of a ritual custom

The discovery prompted a debate about whether they represented ritual trophy-taking or the amputation of limbs as punishment.

Anyang: China’s ancient city of kings 

A recent exhibition at the National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, DC, explores the art and culture of the Bronze Age city of Anyang in China. We spoke to curator J Keith Wilson to find out more.

The secrets of church walls

had King Charles been in need of distraction or amusement during his Coronation in May 2023, he could have done worse than study all the graffiti carved into the woodwork of the Coronation Chair

ABOVE Analysis of samples of wood from Norse sites in Greenland has shed new light on the role played by imported timber.

Research reveals American wood imported by Norse Greenlanders

The study confirms that the Norse had the ability, knowledge, and vessels necessary to bring timber from North America until well into the 14th century, if not longer.

Broken links and smashed glass

Far into the Middle Ages, glass-workers produced beads using techniques eerily similar to those employed 2,000 years earlier in Amarna.

An archaeology of thought

I doubted if Daeng would find anything of interest within. An hour later, she was revealing the smallest skeleton I have ever seen.

Battle Elephants and Flaming Foxes: animals in the Roman world

Review by Chris Epplett Over the past few years, there has been an increasing number of books and studies written on humankind’s interactions with and exploitation of the natural world. The book under review, drawn from the author’s background as…

Left The ‘Disc of the Ball Players’ was found in the Casa Colorada complex, where it was most likely once attached to an archway that has since collapsed.

Maya ballgame marker discovered at Chichén Itzá

The ancient Maya ballgame, known as pelota or sometimes pok-ta-pok, played an important ritual and symbolic role in the Mesoamerican culture.

LEFT The quarried bay side face of Grama. The resulting smooth surface proved an ideal canvas for generations of mariners to inscribe with texts recording their presence.

Grama Bay: where the Ionian blue begins

Richard Hodges has been following in the wake of generations of mariners by investigating the extraordinary concentration of inscriptions carved into the rock of Grama Bay, Albania.

Left Researchers from IPHES have been studying and documenting the prehistoric engravings in the Cova de la Vila cave complex since their discovery in 2021.

Prehistoric cave art found in Spain

The motifs found on the panel include quadrupeds (possibly bovids and equids), as well as circles, zigzags, lines, reticulates, stelliforms (suns and/or stars), and more.