In the defensive ditches of the Roman fort of Magna, located in Northumberland and now home to the Roman Army Museum, archaeologists have uncovered remains of ancient footwear of extraordinary size, raising questions about who once inhabited this northern frontier outpost of Britannia nearly two thousand years ago. The Vindolanda Charitable Trust has been investigating […]
United Kingdom
Posted inIron Age Archaeology
One of the Most Iconic Stories of British Heroic Resistance Against the Romans Debunked: It Never Happened
A new archaeological investigation casts doubt on one of the most emblematic accounts of the Roman conquest of Britain, questioning whether the violence at the famous Iron Age hillfort of Maiden Castle was the result of a battle with the Romans, suggesting instead that it stemmed from internal conflicts among the Britons themselves. In the […]
Posted inMedieval Archaeology
The Mysterious Byzantine Bucket Found at Sutton Hoo Contains the Remains of an Anglo-Saxon Who May Have Served in the Imperial Army
In 1986, a sixth-century Byzantine copper-alloy bucket was found in the famous Anglo-Saxon ship burial at Sutton Hoo in England. It is decorated with a hunting scene, probably from North Africa. Now, an analysis of the bucket’s contents has found that it contains cremated human and animal remains, along with a double-sided antler comb that, […]
Posted inBronze Age Archaeology
British Isles tin enabled mass production of Bronze in Europe and the Mediterranean in the ancient world
A pioneering study by Durham University experts has revealed one of archaeology’s oldest mysteries—where early Bronze Age societies obtained the tin to produce bronze. Using advanced scientific methods, scientists have uncovered the first tangible proof that tin from southwest Britain, mined over 3,000 years ago, was not just extremely prized but was exported right across […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
A “Bestiarius” in York: The First Archaeological Evidence of Combat Between a Gladiator and a Lion in Roman Times
Bite marks found on a skeleton discovered in a Roman cemetery in York have revealed the first archaeological evidence of combat between a human and a lion in ancient Rome. This discovery, published in the journal PLoS One, is the final piece of research that began in 2004 and has shed light on the life […]
Posted inIron Age Archaeology
An Exceptional Iron Age Treasure with Over 800 Chariot Parts, Ceremonial Spears, and Ritual Cauldrons Found in England
A team of archaeologists has carried out one of the most significant excavations in recent years in the United Kingdom, revealing a set of Iron Age objects of incalculable historical value. Known as the Melsonby Treasure, this find was located near the village of the same name in North Yorkshire and consists of more than […]
Posted inArt, Stone Age Archaeology
The Prehistoric Circle of Flagstones Dates Back to 3200 BC, Making It the Oldest in Britain and a Possible Model for Stonehenge
A recent archaeological study conducted at the prehistoric funerary site of Flagstones, located in Dorset, has revealed that this circular enclosure is the oldest known of its kind in Britain. Thanks to advanced radiocarbon analysis applied to human remains, red deer antlers, and charcoal found in the area, researchers have established that Flagstones was built […]
Posted inArt, Modern Era
Havergal Brian, the Musician Who Composed the Longest Symphony in History Using Massive Scores with Oversized Staves
The world of music is full of curiosities and anecdotes, and classical music is no exception. One of its most remarkable figures is Havergal Brian, an English composer who holds the record for having written the longest symphony in history, lasting approximately two hours. It is titled Symphony No. 1 in D Minor because it […]
Posted inSecond World War
The Disastrous Italian Invasion of Egypt During World War II
Wavell’s Thirty Thousand might sound like the title of a play about an inheritance or lottery prize, but nothing could be further from the truth: it was the nickname given to the troops of Archibald Percival Wavell, the Commander-in-Chief of the British Middle East Command between 1939 and 1941. The reason for this name was […]
Posted inScience
The Heslington Brain: A Remarkably Well-Preserved 2,600-Year-Old Human Brain Found in a Pit
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 […]
