The British Museum has launched a £3.5 million fundraising campaign to acquire a unique pendant associated with Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon, and with the wider political ambitions of 16th-century Europe. Carly Hilts reports.
Restoration work at a former Tudor hunting lodge – the Ashes in Cumbria – has revealed beautiful paintings lurking beneath the failing plasterwork. The paintings were discovered in the primary upstairs bedroom of the lodge, and are believed to date…
Previously undiscovered markings identified as apotropaic symbols (protective carvings sometimes referred to as ‘witch marks’), as well as a rare ‘curse’ inscription, have been revealed during volunteer research at English Heritage’s Gainsborough Old Hall in Lincolnshire. The hall was originally…
Carly Hilts visited a new exhibition aiming to restore individuality to six women often grouped merely as the ‘wives of Henry VIII’.
Rare early 16th-century wall paintings have been uncovered – for the first time in almost 300 years – in the loft space of the First Court building at Christ’s College, Cambridge. Restoration work to the 15th-century building revealed three crowned…
REVIEW BY AB It is easy to think of castles as a static part of the historical landscape, towering relics of a bygone era, but these buildings have rich stories, many of which are still being written. In Castles of…
The latest on exhibitions, acquisitions, and key decisions.
The museum will be set within the archaeological remains of The Curtain Playhouse – once home to Shakespeare’s theatre company
When an unusual female burial was discovered in the apse of All Saints Church, York, it was interpreted as possibly representing the remains of a religious recluse. Since then, archaeological science and historical research have given new perspectives on the woman’s life, as Carly Hilts reports.
A pendant adorned with symbolic motifs linked to Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon was recently unveiled at the British Museum. Carly Hilts spoke to Dr Rachel King and Teresa Gilmore to find out more.
Buckingham Palace has been the main London residence of the British monarch since 1837, when Queen Victoria chose it as her base, but St James’s Palace remains the official seat of the sovereign, as it has since 1698. Newly appointed ambassadors, therefore, are accredited to ‘the Court of St James’s’, and it is from there that the public proclamation of a new sovereign is first read. Despite this, a comprehensive account of the 800-year history of this royal palace has only just been published, as Chris Catling reports.
There are great opportunities to get involved in heritage, history, and archaeology over the coming months, ranging from new exhibitions to exciting conferences, lectures, and more. Or, if you prefer to get your cultural or historical fix from home, there are plenty of ways to do so, including virtual museums, radio and social media offerings, documentaries, and games. Amy Brunskill has put together a selection of some of the options available.
Leading historians and marine archaeologists will deliver talks on the history of Henry VIII's warship as part of a commemoration programme hosted by the Mary Rose Trust
With 130 ships, 2,431 guns, and 30,000 men, Philip II’s invasion force was, according to one English admiral, ‘the greatest and strongest combination that was ever gathered in all Christendom’. If it had been successful, the history of the past…
The English armourers of the 15th century were great craftsmen, artists, and innovators. That is the essential conclusion of Tobias Capwell’s monumental study of the armour of the English knight in this period. It was once assumed that the domestic…
The coin is a Henry VII ‘half groat’, believed to have been minted in Canterbury, UK.
The Battle of Pinkie was the last large-scale pitched battle between Scotland and England before the 1603 Union of Crowns.
What is immediately striking reading Oman is the depth of his scholarship... These are works of exceptional length and detail.
A brief look at some of the latest stories within the realm of UK archaeology, including evidence of crucifixion from Roman Cambridgeshire, the discovery of Tudor wall paintings at Old Hall in Yorkshire, and the creation of a 3D model of Neolithic Orkney's Skara Brae settlement.
The geochemical compositions of ‘the John Dee mirror’ were found to match obsidian from Pachuca
The discovery of the courtyard was made after years of searching.
Dee used the polished mirror as a scryer to try to commune with spirits.
A set of gold rosary beads carried by Mary, Queen of Scots to her execution in 1587 were among the items stolen
This artist’s impression shows the scale of the 58-room mansion, with its halls, kitchens, and chapel, as well as the largest private garden in the city.
In the 19th century, mudlarks were people (mainly children) who would scour the muddy banks of the Thames for items like coal and metal that they could sell on. Nowadays, mudlarks set out at low tide (with mandatory licences from…
Between 1753 and 1763, renowned architect Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown remodelled the gardens into a landscape park.
The project began in 2001 and has now carefully restored 12 of the 13 tapestries, which have lined the walls of the Long Gallery at Hardwick Hall since 1562.
The story of Thomas Becket’s murder in AD 1170 still resonates after 850 years, despite the attempts of Henry VIII to eradicate all memory of the man that Henry II reportedly called ‘this turbulent priest’. Henry VIII called for the destruction of his shrine and the defacing of prayer books referring to his martyrdom. Even so, the Becket cult refused to die, and the British Museum has brought together an array of pilgrim badges and reliquaries, medals, paintings, and stained glass to show us why so many people in medieval Europe flocked to his Canterbury shrine. Current Archaeology's Chris Catling reports.
It was decided instead that nine new carvings commemorating trailblazing women throughout history would be installed.
‘The rosary is of little intrinsic value as metal, but as a piece of the Howard family history and the nation’s heritage it is irreplaceable.’
Previously unknown inscriptions have been uncovered in the prayerbook which, according to historic records, Anne carried to her execution.
The entire church was in danger of collapse.
Almost four decades have elapsed since the Mary Rose was raised and an astonishing array of new research techniques have revolutionised our thinking about the ship’s make-up, her calamitous final moments, and perhaps most poignantly, the skeletal remains of her 500-strong crew.
The Mary Rose museum at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard was reopened 471 years to the day since the sinking of Henry VIII’s flagship – for the first time giving the public a clear view of her hull
The arsenal of iron shot that was carried aboard Henry VIII’s flagship, the Mary Rose, may have once struck fear into the hearts of the French fleet, but today they are somewhat more delicate. How do you stop the rot?
Thirty years ago, the wreck of the Mary Rose, pride of Henry VIII’s navy, rose from the seabed to the gasps of a live TV audience of millions. Neil Faulkner takes the opportunity to review the rise of English seapower in the early 16th century.