Birthing on the bricks
W Benson Harer Jr proposes a new theory for the use of birthing bricks in ancient Egypt.
daily life
Byzantine city discovered in Egyptian oasis
Archaeologists from Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities have uncovered the remains of a residential city dating to the 4th and 5th centuries AD at the Ain Al-Sabil archaeological site in the Dakhla Oasis, New Valley Governorate, in Egypt’s Western Desert.…
The plaster casts of Pompeii
The first permanent exhibition of the plaster casts of Pompeii has opened at the Archaeological Park.
Surviving Rome: the economic lives of the ninety percent
Sometime in the 1st century AD, a crass graffiti artist carved a 2m-long graffito into the wall of a stairwell within the House of Julia Felix at Pompeii. The mudslinger didn’t mince words. In it, they mocked a man who…
The Roman Footwear from Vindolanda
The Roman auxillary fort of Vindolanda has produced by far the largest assemblage of Roman footwear to be recovered anywhere. The remains of 5,000 shoes have been found, many in a remarkably good state of preservation, allowing 1,000 to be…
Sandals for a child
Campbell Price describes some beautifully preserved ancient Egyptian footwear.
The Last Days of Pompeii: the immersive exhibition
A new exhibition in London uses cutting-edge technology to recreate the streets of Pompeii – and the explosive events that turned a thriving Roman settlement into an archaeological time capsule. Carly Hilts describes the experience.
Made in Ancient Egypt at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
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.
Being a woman in ancient Pompeii
An exhibition at the Archaeological Park of Pompeii explores what life was like for Roman women.
Current Research in Egyptology: Working Women
Jessica Coughtrey asks what ancient skeletons can tell us about the role of women in the ancient Egyptian workforce.
Cooking Recipes and Drink Preparation in Ancient Egypt
Barbara Gai investigates the diet of ancient Egyptians and the ways in which their meals were prepared.
The Excavations at Ismant Al-Kharab: Vol. II, The Christian Monuments of Kellis: The Churches and Cemeteries
REVIEW BY MICHAEL TUNNICLIFFE Ancient Kellis was a site in the Dakhla Oasis that was occupied from Late Ptolemaic times to the end of the 4th century AD. Excavations have exposed houses, cemeteries, temples, and churches. Important documents were found…
The other Pompeii: Common lives in the shadow of Vesuvius
An exhibition at Pompeii explores the less glamorous side of life in the ancient city.
Coptic Culture and Community: Daily Lives, Changing Times
REVIEW BY MICHAEL TUNNICLIFFE This work comprises 14 essays spanning the late Roman Period to the present day, focusing on the daily life of the Copts, who have always been a minority community. The aim is to understand daily concerns…
Personal Religion in Domestic Contexts during the New Kingdom: The Impact of the Amarna Period
REVIEW BY ANNA GARNETT The site of Tell el-Amarna presents a unique opportunity to understand aspects of the daily lives of ancient Egyptian people more than 3,000 years ago. The high level of preservation of the ancient city and its…
Hilary Wilson on… Party Time
Just like us, ancient Egyptians enjoyed a good party with plenty of food and drink!
Objects of Daily Use (Oxbow Classics in Egyptology)
REVIEW BY HILARY FORREST William Flinders Petrie, known to many as the ‘Father of Egyptology’, left a huge legacy of Egyptological material – not only artefacts, but also many writings. He also produced many typological catalogues based on his excavations.…
Magical honey: some unusual uses in Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egyptians used honey in cooking, especially to sweeten dishes in the absence of sugar, and in medicine, for its healing properties and to soothe coughs. They also used it for more unusual purposes, as Amandine Marshall reveals.
Hilary Wilson on… Mirrors in Ancient Egypt
Mirrors, as we know them, did not exist in ancient Egypt, so what did the elite use to check their elaborate make-up?
Ancient mesopotamian tavern uncovered
The recently discovered tavern, dating to c.2,700 BC, consisted of an open-air public eating area and a kitchen
Weavers, Scribes, and Kings: A New History of the Ancient Near East
Review by Diana Bentley The ancient Near East has not always attracted the popular attention it deserves, especially in comparison with other cultures of the surrounding area, like Greece, Rome, and Egypt. This latest work by Amanda H Podany, Professor…
Let’s go on a pub crawl around Pompeii!
Join Andrew Selkirk for a trip around the bars in Pompeii and find out where to go with your loved one for a slap-up meal.
Muldlark’d: hidden histories from the River Thames
Review by HB. This lavishly produced volume offers an introduction to Thames ‘mudlarking’ – the practice of searching the river’s foreshore (with a permit!) for historical objects and other items of interest. The book is not so much a practical…
At Home in Roman Egypt: a social archaeology
Review by Barbara E Borg ‘The real essence of an age is better revealed among trivial and commonplace things than among prominent monuments and great leaders.’ The opening sentence of this book captures succinctly its underlying principles. Following two chapters…
At Home in Roman Egypt: A Social Archaeology
At Home in Roman Egypt offers the first full-scale investigation of life as experienced by the ordinary people of Roman Egypt in the 1st to 4th centuries AD. It approaches the subject by looking at the life course, following people’s…