News Round Up

RITTO, JAPAN—The Asahi Shimbun reports that a bronze ring discovered in a dry riverbed in the south-central region of Japan’s main island of Honshu has been identified as a balance scale weight dating to the late second century A.D. by Ryo Wauchi of…

As we set off down Philadelphia’s runway, the pilot drolly piped up to say, ‘at least we didn’t have to de-ice [the plane] today.’ A muted ripple of laughter passed through the serried ranks of seats as we set southwards and onwards into crystalline…

The decision to install a hydroelectric dam in the Göksu valley sparked a project to record its past, before the archaeology was submerged beneath rising water. Naoíse Mac Sweeney, Tevfik Emre Şerifoǧlu, Anna Collar, and Stuart Eve reveal the…

Some of the finest surviving remnants of the Roman Empire can be found in Algeria. But how easy are they to visit? Philip Kenrick is our guide. For the tourist who is interested in the Classical Mediterranean (encouraged not least by the warmth),…

SAPPORO, JAPAN—Zooarchaeologist Masaki Eda of Hokkaido University Museum and his colleagues studied anatomical characteristics such as the size and shape of beaks, heads, necks, bodies, wings, tails, and feet of 16 bird figures etched in the ground…

ROME, ITALY—According to a report in The Local, a second-century A.D. sculpture smuggled out of Italy sometime between 1944 and the early 1960s was handed over to Italian authorities at the German ambassador’s residence in Italy. Excavated in the…

TAIYUAN, CHINA—Xinhua reports that a brick-chambered tomb thought to date to the Yuan Dynasty (A.D. 1279–1368) has been discovered in northern China. The tomb is decorated with well-preserved murals depicting a desk for ritual activities, landscapes…

Today is the turn of University of the Highlands and Islands Archaeology Institute student Alana to write the daily blog from The Cairns….. The weather on The Cairns today has been good, a little windy at times but mainly very… Continue reading →

Throughout the summer, if you are aged between 12 and 16, you could be part of the dig team for one morning at the world famous Ness of Brodgar archaeology dig. The dates are as follows: 9th July 2019 16th… Continue reading →

This slim but hugely informative book describes the excavation of the grave, presents the detailed reports on artefactual and scientific analyses, and offers a discussion that places the grave in its archaeological and historical context. The post…

Operation Diver is the definitive account of how Anti-Aircraft Command attempted to counter the V1 threat. It describes the work by army boffins to piece together the fragmented intelligence, the evolving pattern of gun emplacements, and the men and…

The lives of the Iron Age inhabitants of a coastal settlement in the most northerly of the Shetland Isles are captured in this fascinating excavation report. Over 12 centuries and the rhythms of the seasonal cycle, successive generations farmed the…

‘This is an archaeological book, I make no pretensions to write history.’ So writes Martin Carver in his wide-ranging new book – yet the more than 700 pages that follow represent a sweeping and impressively comprehensive account of Britain’s past,…

This collection of papers examines the place of humans within their global ecosystem, along with their long-term modification of, and responses to, it. The book brings together contributors and subject areas from the fields of anthropology,…

Making a Mark focuses on decorated portable artefacts from mainly the Neolithic, and provides the reader with an excellent discussion forum. Across the book’s 15 chapters, the authors discuss a number of issues, such as the would-be relationship…

A new temporary exhibition presents the latest research into the remains recovered from the Mary Rose, revealing new details about a diverse crew who hailed from both Britain and abroad, and setting them in the context of Tudor society. The post…

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND—The Asahi Shimbun reports that an international team of researchers has spotted chimpanzees in the rainforests of Guinea in West Africa catching and eating freshwater crabs. Kathelijne Koops of the University of Zurich said the…

WUHAN, CHINA—Xinhua reports that a 2,000-year-old tomb complex was discovered in central China during a road construction project. Iron swords, ironware, pottery, and human bones and teeth were recovered from the four tombs, which are thought to…

PORTSMOUTH, ENGLAND—An international team of researchers led by comparative psychologist Juliane Kaminski of the University of Portsmouth examined the anatomy and behavior of small groups of dogs and wolves, and determined that dogs’ facial anatomy…

Day Two at The Cairns dawns bright with a blue sky and today it is University of the Highlands and Islands student Sara Marioni turn to write the dig diary.…. A pretty awesome second day of excavation at The Cairns!… Continue reading →