In 2008, during an archaeological excavation on the grounds where a new campus for the University of York was to be built, an unexpected discovery astonished the scientific community. A human skull, buried in a pit in Heslington, Yorkshire, contained within it a surprisingly well-preserved brain, despite having spent 2,600 years underground. This find, carried […]
England
Posted inMedieval Archaeology
Discovery of a Medieval Latrine Confirms the Location of the Last Anglo-Saxon King’s Residence depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry
Recent archaeological findings have shed new light on a long-standing mystery about Harold Godwinson, the last Anglo-Saxon king of England. A collaborative study conducted by the Universities of Newcastle and Exeter has identified the location of a previously lost royal residence in Bosham, West Sussex. This site, depicted in the famous Bayeux Tapestry, has been […]
Posted inAge of Exploration
When the Dutch Attacked the English and French Colonies in America and Reclaimed New York
In that article we dedicated to the tragic end of the Dutch Prime Minister and his brother in 1672, we explained that the Treaty of Dover, signed between Charles II of England and Louis XIV of France, led to the so-called Third Anglo-Dutch War. In this conflict, the French army was halted by the floods […]
Posted inMedieval Archaeology
The famous Sutton Hoo tombs may belong to Anglo-Saxons who served in the Byzantine army fighting against the Sassanids in the 6th century
Sutton Hoo, one of England’s most iconic archaeological sites, has once again captured the attention of historians and archaeologists following the publication of a recent study in which Helen Gittos, a researcher at the University of Oxford, reveals possible connections between the Anglo-Saxons and the Byzantine world. This discovery, which could rewrite the history of […]
Posted inAge of Exploration
When France Evacuated Toulon and Converted the Cathedral into a Mosque to Temporarily Cede It to the Ottomans
Hayreddin Barbarossa, the famed admiral of the Ottoman Empire, effectively became the master of the Mediterranean during the first half of the 16th century. Between 1543 and 1544, he raided numerous towns along the Spanish coast as well as the Genoese coast. This was nothing new, as he had been doing so for years; what […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
A Roman Chalice Preserved for Generations as a Family Heirloom Found in the Tomb of a Sixth-Century Woman in England
In 2018, during excavations carried out by the University of Sheffield in Scremby, Lincolnshire, an enamelled copper alloy chalice was discovered in a female grave dating from the 6th century AD. This object, known as the Scremby Chalice, stands out as a unique piece due to its antiquity, Roman origin, and its inclusion in an […]
Posted inAncient Rome
An Enigmatic Roman Altar Found in England Was Dedicated by a Soldier Stationed on the Danube, in a Legion That Was Never in Britain
A Roman altar dedicated to Mars, found in Marton, Lincolnshire, has revealed a fascinating connection to a soldier of the XI Claudia Legion of the Roman Empire. The altar, which was discovered in a fragmented state in the yard of St. Margaret of Antioch Church, apparently during restoration work, has generated archaeological interest and debate […]
Posted inMedieval Archaeology
Archaeologists Are Not Finding Late Roman and Anglo-Saxon Burials from the 5th Century in England – Where Are the Bodies?
A recent archaeological study explores an enigmatic question about the “missing” dead of the 5th century in Britain. A team of researchers, led by Emma Brownlee of the University of Cambridge and Alison Klevnäs of Uppsala University, has proposed a novel hypothesis: many bodies from this era may have been disposed of through methods that […]
Posted inMiddle Ages
The Oldest Alliances in the World: Portugal-England and Scotland-France
Although geostrategic interests change throughout history, for many centuries, some alliances have defied the passage of time, remaining stable and renewing themselves as if they were unaffected by changing circumstances. Which are the oldest? At least in Europe, there are two that stand out. One is very well known, the Anglo-Portuguese alliance, established in 1373; […]
Posted inModern Era
When Daniel Defoe was condemned to the pillory, people threw him flowers instead of mocking
Almost everyone has at least heard of Daniel Defoe, or at the very least, his most famous work: The Life and Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, a Sailor of York. But aside from novels, Defoe also wrote social and political essays. Among these was one that was so critical and poorly received by the authorities […]
