A Roman marching camp covering c.7.4ha has been found near the town of Šurany, in south-western Slovakia. The discovery – which came about through an extensive ongoing archaeological project carried out by the Archaeological Institute of Slovak Academy of Sciences,…
CA recently visited exhibitions at three sites in the care of North East Museums, with displays exploring Roman military life and ideas of ‘treasure’.
Over the last 300 years, a handful of enamelled bronze vessels, most of which are thought to depict Hadrian’s Wall and in some cases are inscribed with the names of forts along its line, have been discovered in Britain and on the Continent. With a sixth example newly unearthed in Spain, Carly Hilts explores what these 2nd-century ‘souvenirs’ can tell us about Roman responses to their northern frontier.
A remarkable Roman cup discovered in central Spain is revealing links between Hadrian’s Wall and the Hispanic soldiers who served there. The object was uncovered by chance in farmland in Berlanga de Duero, in the province of Soria. Despite being…
Recent excavations at the ancient city of Savatra, in the Karatay district of Konya, central Turkey, have uncovered an impressive altar in the site’s theatre complex, which is believed to date to the Roman period. The altar is decorated with…
MHM’s round-up of the latest military history releases.
In 2011, excavations at the site of the Roman-period city of Mursa (modern-day Osijek) in Croatia came across an ancient water well containing the complete skeletons of seven individuals. The results of analysis recently published in the journal PLOS One…
Archaeologists have long sought to understand how the Romans made use of natural resources on their northern frontier, both in constructing its famous fortifications and supporting the lives of those who garrisoned them. Ian Jackson offers a thought-provoking insight into what geology can add to this picture – and what it cannot.
In March 2025, the owners of a house in the Carrollton neighbourhood of New Orleans came across a flat marble slab while clearing undergrowth in their backyard. The unusual object bore an engraved Latin inscription, leading the couple to fear…
Underwater excavations around the Aegadian Islands, off the north-west coast of Sicily, have discovered a 2,200-year-old bronze helmet of the ‘Montefortino’ type. This style of Roman helmet, which has a conical shape with a knob on top, a flared rim,…
Between 2008 and 2010, the first modern excavation of a legionary storehouse anywhere in the Roman Empire was carried out at Caerleon. With the full findings now published, Carly Hilts reports on what has been learned about the site’s military life, and what happened when official administration ended.
A rare felt hat from the Roman Period has gone on display for the first time at Bolton Museum, in the north-west of Britain, following conservation work. Dating to c.AD 200, the hat is thought to have belonged to a…
This coin, found by a metal-detectorist near Basingstoke in Hampshire, was minted in North Africa during Julius Caesar’s Civil War (49-45 BC), and is a fascinating example of Roman Republican propaganda. At the time the coin was issued, Caesar’s army…
REVIEW BY AMY BAKER Bringing together work conducted by Historic Environment Scotland (previously Historic Scotland), Glasgow University, and various commercial archaeological units, this highly readable and comprehensive synthesis of two decades of geophysical survey work along the Antonine Wall offers…
Fragments of four letters have been discovered at Berenike on the Red Sea coast. They were written on papyrus by Roman commanders stationed in Egypt in the reign of Nero (AD 54-68) and name three centurions: Haosus, Lucinius, and Petronius.…
The final season of a four-year excavation exploring the civilian settlement outside Birdoswald Roman fort concluded this summer. Carly Hilts visited the project at its outset, and again in 2023; this July she returned to Hadrian’s Wall to hear the latest thinking from Tony Wilmott and Ian Haynes.
REVIEW BY MATTHEW SYMONDS Vindolanda is a marvel. It lies to the south of Hadrian’s Wall, and boasts a series of superimposed Roman forts and associated structures. The Vindolanda Trust has been investigating them for over 50 years, with this…
REVIEW BY JOHN REID The attraction of ancient Rome is as potent today as it has ever been – just turn on your TV or look at any popular history bookstand – and how can we resist such an alluring…
A pair of Roman swords – the first to be found in the Cotswolds, and thought to be only the second time two have been found in the same context in the whole of Britain – has been discovered during…
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Review by Andrew Tibbs The Antonine Wall in Falkirk District is the culmination of more than 35 years of archaeological research and excavation along Scotland’s Roman wall by the local authority: the Keeper of Archaeology and Local History in Falkirk,…
Several Roman sanctuaries are known in the Netherlands, but this is the first to be discovered on the northern boundary of the empire.
Review by Matthew Symonds. Reconstructing Roman military campaigning in Britain poses a fascinating challenge. For some periods, a solid overview of events – from a Roman perspective, at least – is provided by Classical writers as renowned as Julius Caesar…
At over 500 pages, David Mason’s volume on Roman activity in County Durham is the first comprehensive analysis of Roman military and civilian activity for this part of north-east England; many of the sites have not previously been examined in…
In this stimulating addition to the burgeoning literature of Hadrian’s Wall, Matthew Symonds, editor of Current World Archaeology, brings fresh emphases to the study of this endlessly fascinating Roman monument in the north of Britain, and in doing so shows…
Could the relationship between the Roman army and local communities living in the shadow of Hadrian’s Wall hold the key to understanding this remarkable monument? Current Archaeology's Matthew Symonds investigates why it was built.
Tantra, Captain Boycott, and Parliamentarians in Coventry
The remains of a Roman villa have been revealed near Rossett, Wrexham. It is the first site of its kind to be found in north-east Wales, adding to our knowledge of the region during this period. The first clues to…
A remarkable piece of Roman armour has been discovered at the site of the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest.
During the 2019 Pilgrimage of Hadrian’s Wall (see CA 353), participants considered a key question relating to the ancient fortification: did the eponymous emperor who commissioned its construction live to see it completed? David Breeze and Erik Graafstal explore the evidence.