It might seem that the large quantities of plain pottery found at Neolithic sites can’t tell us all that much. But as OLIVIER NIEUWENHUYSE, editor of ‘Relentlessly Plain: Seventh Millennium Ceramics at Tell Sabi Abyad, Syria’ explains,[…]
Faversham in the Making: The Lesser-known History of a Small Market Town
What looks at first glance an unpretentious small market town, probably founded around AD 1200, is at second glance something more special and unusual. This extract from ‘Faversham in the Making’ begins to scratch the[…]
The Times of Their Lives: The Future of Studying the Past
Do authors set out intending to write a benchmark book that may well change the face of their subject area forever, or does it simply evolve along the way? Professor ALASDAIR WHITTLE, author of the[…]
Did Arthur Really Pull the Sword from the Stone?
Did Arthur really pull a sword from a stone? Can archaeology shed light on myths like these, and can myth shed light on archaeology? In this extract from the newly published Myth & Materiality, JOHN[…]
Game of Thorns: A Medieval Farming Conundrum
Author MARK MCKERRACHER explores the problems and pitfalls of Medieval farming – and how we can hope study farming, farms, livestock and crops through archaeology. Every year, the medieval farmer faced a stark warning: winter[…]
The Viking Age: A Time of Many Faces
Who were the Vikings? How much can we know about the individuals of the period – what they looked like, how they presented themselves, and how sickness or disability affected their lives? ‘The Viking Age:[…]
The Difficulties of Trusting Medieval Sources for The Battle of Poitiers
How can we reconstruct medieval battles? Is it possible to discern the truth in our sources? This extract from ‘The Black Prince and the Capture of a King’ by Morgen Witzel & Marilyn Livingstone explores[…]
More Than Meets the Eye – Palmyra After Zenobia
Even after damage and destruction when in the hands of ISIL, the site of Palmyra in Syria is made of famously recognisable ruins. But these monumental remains of the Roman period hide another story –[…]
The Unrepentant Editor and Archaeological Legacies
Who volunteers to ‘herd cats’ to edit academic collective volumes – and why? MARIA RELAKI, editor of From the Foundations to the Legacy of Minoan Archaeology, examines the struggles and the benefits of acting as an[…]