Extensive excavations near Newark-on-Trent have revealed a complex farmstead that was in use from the late Iron Age through to the Roman period. Back in June, the investigations – carried out by MOLA ahead of the construction of the Newlink…
REVIEW BY VICKI CUMMINGS Six miles from Belfast city centre is the monumental complex at Ballynahatty. Today, the circular earthwork known as the Giant’s Ring, with a small megalith set at its centre, is still visible, but once this was…
AFRICA & BYZANTIUM An exhibition of nearly 180 works exploring the tradition of Byzantine art and culture in North Africa, Egypt, Nubia, Ethiopia, and other powerful African kingdoms, from the 4th century to the 15th century and beyond. On display…
Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a ship that sank in the Mediterranean Sea, approximately 650 metres off the coast of el-Alamein. Dating to the 3rd century BC, the ship was carrying a cargo of wine amphorae imported from Rhodes.…
More than a decade ago, a metal-detectorist discovered a plough-scattered hoard of over 100 Roman coins, together with items of jewellery. Vanessa Oakden explores what has been learned about the finds since then, and what they tell us about life in Cheshire c.2,000 years ago.
Earlier this year Archaeological Research Services Ltd excavated a Roman farmstead west of Milton, on the northern outskirts of Cambridge, providing new insights into rural domestic life and adding to the picture of affluence in this area of Roman Britain.…
REVIEW BY EMILY C KRACHT Lucayan Legacies evaluates the lives of the early Indigenous peoples in the Bahama archipelago and celebrates their legacy, identity, and descendants today. The book presents one of the most comprehensive discussions of Bahamian archaeology to…
Barbara Boczar investigates the sources of the wonderful colours used by ancient Egyptian artisans.
A major step forward in understanding and dating ancient Egyptian ceramics.
Colchester was the first capital of Roman Britain, and excavations within the town frequently uncover evidence of this chapter of its past. Colchester Castle, built over the ancient temple of Claudius, is currently home to an exhibition exploring one aspect of Roman life (and, for many unlucky participants, death): the gladiatorial games. Glynn Davis is our guide.
For almost 30 years, the Cambridge Archaeological Unit (CAU) has been uncovering diverse archaeological features and finds at one of the UK’s largest sand- and gravel-extraction sites. Excavations have illuminated a landscape of prehistoric settlements, field systems, and monuments, located just three miles east of St Ives in Cambridgeshire. Matthew Brudenell, Charles Barker, Jonathan Tabor, and Chris Wakefield report on the latest discoveries.
A large Roman mausoleum, used to bury high-status individuals, was recently discovered by MOLA during excavations in advance of the redevelopment of a site near Borough Market in Southwark, by Landsec and Transport for London (TfL). The foundations, which measured…
Archaeological surveys in the Carangas region of highland Bolivia have identified a previously unrecognised concentration of religious sites built by the pre-Hispanic inhabitants of the area, including one site with characteristics currently unique in the Andes. The survey identified 135…
Analysis of pottery from the Caribbean island of Isla de Mona, part of the Puerto Rican archipelago, is shedding new light on food and drink practices on the island at the time of its early colonisation, including what may be…
Following his articles in AE 127 and AE 135 exploring Predynastic sites in Egypt’s Western Desert, Julian Heath now looks at archaeological evidence for occupation of the Nile Delta during the Late Predynastic and Early Dynastic Periods
The ancient East Delta city of Pithom mentioned in the Bible was an important hub for international trade according to new discoveries made at Tell el-Maskhuta (Ismailia Province). The Italian-Egyptian mission excavating there has uncovered a large collection of pottery…
Also recently declared as treasure in Wales was a hoard of Roman coins, found between 2014 and 2022
REVIEW BY CH The Ness of Brodgar in Orkney is home to a remarkable range of Neolithic buildings, uncovered over the last 20 years. We reviewed the excavation team’s guidebook in 2018 (CA 338) but since then the story has…
Who was the Ancient Egyptian god of the sun?
The mosaic will now be carefully preserved in situ with the whole excavated surface re-covered using materials that will protect the tiles from any wear or damage in the future.
Fragments of Trevisker ware pottery, with slightly different styles perhaps reflecting the different phases of the site, were found throughout each of the four roundhouses.
At another English cathedral, that of Exeter, excavations have revealed Roman remains
The complex dates to the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD.
In this issue, Dr Campbell Price describes an intriguing Predynastic artefact in the Brooklyn Museum.
The vase was found in a grave, located outside Roman Colchester, having been reused as a cremation urn.
Evidence of a possible prehistoric ring ditch was also identified at the site
The site of Hala Sultan Tekke, named after a nearby mosque, flourished for around 500 years as a lively trading hub.
Was the Minoan palace at Knossos the inspiration for myths about the Minotaur and its labyrinth lair? Delving into the archaeology of this monument and its environs reveals a reality every bit as remarkable as the ancient legends, as Andrew Shapland told Matthew Symonds.
This discovery represents the earliest example of its kind found in the ancient Near East.
Last month’s CA reviewed an exhibition in Cirencester that features six ‘gladiator’ skeletons excavated in York. Struck by the fact that Cirencester has an impressive amphitheatre, but no direct evidence for the individuals who may have fought there, while York has potential gladiators but as-yet no trace of any amphitheatre, Carly Hilts presents a tale of two settlements, exploring life and death in the ancient arena.
Review by Simon Esmonde Cleary The excavations at Druce Farm in Dorset were carried out by local volunteers between 2012 and 2018, along with geophysical, drone, and laser surveys of the environs. The full publication of the results only four…
Recent breakthroughs in the study of Maya hieroglyphs have revealed artist signatures on artefacts long considered to be the work of anonymous artisans. Joanne Pillsbury and Laura Filloy Nadal introduce us to the newly identified sculptors and painters who worked in the Maya royal courts.
Finds of religious pottery vessels and fragments of reliefs suggest the hall dates to the Saite Period.
Finds from the palace include a large stone vase and inscribed fragments of ivory and of ostrich eggshell.
Bronze pins, a bracelet, metal spirals, amber beads, and more than 70 pottery vessels were recovered from the well remains.
The thin gold tongue-plates were placed in the mouth to help the deceased transform into a divine being in the afterlife.