Military

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War, plague, and pollution from a European ice core

For millennia, fresh ice forming on a European glacier marked the passing years like tree rings. But over time these layers became compressed, preventing individual years within the depths of the ice from being examined individually. A new technology is now unlocking this remarkable repository of information, as Alexander More, Christopher Loveluck, Michael McCormick, and Paul Mayewski told World Archaeology.

Communities in the conflict zone: Ten years of discoveries at Vindolanda

The Roman auxiliary fort of Vindolanda is best known for the remarkable cache of 1st- and 2nd-century wooden writing tablets that was found on the site in 1973, but ongoing archaeological work on the site continues to reveal a wealth of insights into both military and civilian life. From a murder mystery and evidence for a previously unknown goddess to shoes and sporting equipment, Andrew Birley takes us through some of the highlights uncovered in the last ten years.

Community spirit: Hadrian’s Wall, Cumbria

For Historic England, Hadrian’s Wall has always been a site needing active research – many questions about the frontier remain unanswered, and only by the kind of refreshed understanding that research brings, and by addressing the interests and concerns of the public, can the frontier remain relevant.