In the 1990s, an aerial photograph captured a circular feature in the fields near the village of Pömmelte, Germany, sparking the beginning of an extraordinary archaeological endeavour. The feature proved to be the remains of a henge monument built around 2350 BC. Although its uprights were fashioned from timber rather than rock, the monument displayed a number of tantalising similarities to Stonehenge in Britain. One area of overlap is that both sites lay within much wider ritual landscapes....| World Archaeology
A hoard discovered in the Netherlands presents an extraordinary first for continental Europe. The contents of this cache combine coins minted by Rome and a powerful ruler in Britain: Cunobelin. This eye-catching mixture is just one of the clues that the hoard was amassed by a person or people with first-hand experience of Britain, most likely participants in the Roman invasion. Do these coins of Cunobelin, then, represent the spoils of war? In our cover feature, we explore what this hoard rev...| World Archaeology
It is easy to see the Thracians as stereotypes. According to the ancient literature, they were riders, warriors, and capable of horrifying displays of savagery. Such characteristics set them apart from the more orderly and controlled Greeks, who also penned many of these accounts. Sumptuous metalwork from Thracian territory, though, speaks of skilful artisans, and also an openness to a cornucopia of cultural influences. In our cover feature, we go in search of the real Thracians. Ancient writ...| World Archaeology
In the 1st century BC, a Roman force advanced into Switzerland from Italy. We cannot yet be sure whether these soldiers were tasked with conquest, or mounting a punitive expedition to cow the inhabitants of the Alps. But we do know that members of this force were drawn from three different legions, and that they were making for a key Alpine pass. Ahead of them lay at least one battle. Over the last two decades, a remarkable range of finds associated with this incursion has been identified. In...| World Archaeology
Xuanzang was not afraid to break the rules. This Buddhist monk lived in Tang China during the 7th century AD. Although the imperial court banned foreign travel due to security concerns, this did not deter Xuanzang from slipping out of the country undercover in AD 629.| World Archaeology
We now know that there were many Silk Roads. Back in the 19th century, an attempt to chart how ancient exotic goods travelled east and west produced two lines on a map, running westwards from China. Today, the picture looks rather different. An increasingly intricate web of connections can be glimpsed, linking Asia, parts of Africa, and Europe. A new British Museum exhibition is examining this network, revealing both the wonders this flow of materials and ideas made possible, and the horrors ...| World Archaeology
The biggest dig at Pompeii in a generation is working to expose nearly an entire block of the ancient city. Archaeologists are making astonishing discoveries that shed powerful new light on life and death in the shadow of Vesuvius.| World Archaeology
Pompeii continues to amaze. The tragedy that befell the city in AD 79 famously preserved powerful and poignant snapshots of everyday life. From family homes ablaze with flamboyant frescoes to the gritty realities of industries reliant on hard manual labour, Pompeii has it all. Now the largest dig in the city for a generation has unearthed a property that brings together both of these facets: a combined bakery and residential complex. It offers plenty of grist for the mill when it comes to und...| World Archaeology
Around 20 Roman villas have been excavated in the Limburg region of the Netherlands. The heyday for this work came in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when a succession of sites was investigated with antiquarian zeal. Now fresh research in the field, archives, and find stores is shedding intriguing new light on these villa estates and their inhabitants.| World Archaeology
Rome’s military is renowned as one of the finest fighting forces of the ancient world. But what was life really like for the individuals who became career soldiers, and how much do we know about the tools of their trade?| World Archaeology
