Current World Archaeology

22/07/2024

The biggest dig at Pompeii in a generation is working to expose nearly an entire block of the ancient city. In CWA 126, we caught up with the archaeologists involved to find out more. Read the article online now:

www.world-archaeology.com/features/pompeii-unearthing-insula-10

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.

18/07/2024

CWA 126 is out now! In this issue we explore the latest excavations at Pompeii, animals in ancient Egypt, 'autoarchaeology' at Christiansborg Castle, AI and ancient landscapes, Viking Denmark, and much more! See what's inside here:

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...

23/05/2024

CWA 125 is out now! In this issue we explore luxurious Roman residences in the Netherlands; submerged prehistoric settlements in the Balkans; excavations at Benin City; new investigations at Butrint; and much more! See what's inside here:

www.world-archaeology.com/issues/cwa-125

25/03/2024

Rome’s army is famous as one of the most formidable fighting forces in the ancient world. But who were the individuals that filled its ranks, and what motivated them to fight for Rome? Find out in our cover feature in CWA 124, out now:

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?

21/03/2024

CWA 124 is out now! In this issue we explore the lives of Roman soldiers; the longest sword and largest mirror in ancient Japan; recent fieldwork in the United Arab Emirates; remarkable clockwork gadgets where East meets West; and much more!

Rome’s warriors are legendary. The army that carved out the Empire is renowned as one of the finest fighting forces ever assembled. But who were the individuals that filled its ranks, and what motivated them to fight for Rome? A new exhibition at the British Museum allows the soldiers to speak for...

29/01/2024

It is estimated that some 160,000 burial mounds were constructed in Japan between the 3rd century and 8th centuries AD. In CWA 123 we explore these remarkable monuments and the sumptuous grave goods they contained. Read an extract of our cover feature here:

These tombs were the final resting places of Japan’s ancient elites, and form part of a broader East Asian funerary tradition, aspects of which they emulate. Such burial mounds are so distinctive a feature of the archaeology that the era from AD 250-710 is known as the Kofun period.

25/01/2024

CWA 123 is out now! In this issue we explore Japan's royal tombs, a surprising Palaeolithic cave art site in Spain, global trade and ancient mobility in Jordan, the archaeological remains of Australia's earliest colonies, and much more! See what's inside here:

In ancient Japan, royal burial mounds could be magnificent monuments. The distinctive keyhole-shaped earthwork associated with the semi-legendary Emperor Nintoku, for example, is 486m long and ranks as one of the largest tombs ever constructed. In our cover feature, we explore how these burial mound...

27/11/2023

Sanxingdui has produced a wealth of startling Bronze Age artefacts. But why were many of these treasures deliberately smashed or burnt before being buried? Find out in our cover feature in CWA 122, out now!

Sanxingdui has produced a wealth of startling Bronze Age artefacts. Many of these treasures were deliberately smashed or burnt before being buried, raising questions about what they were used for and how they met their end.

23/11/2023

CWA 122 is out now! In this issue we explore a forgotten civilisation in China, extraordinary ancient architecture in Zambia, the decipherers of Egyptian hieroglyphs, Myanmar's complex history, and much more! Find out more here:

The finds from Sanxingdui are sensational. In 1986, two pits were discovered by chance within this ancient city. The contents proved to be simultaneously stunning and shocking. While the contents included a wealth of sumptuous sculptures, their style was without any obvious parallel in China, or any...

25/09/2023

Deep underground, the ancient inhabitants of what is now China built remarkable houses and palaces. But these dwellings were not homes for the living. In CWA 121 we explore what we can learn from these impressive tombs and offerings. Start reading here:

Deep underground, the ancient inhabitants of what is now China built remarkable houses and palaces. But these dwellings were not homes for the living. Instead, the dead would be laid there, not to rest, but to live out their afterlife in comfort.

23/09/2023

The CWA Photo Competition 2024 is open now! Send in your best archaeological, historical, or heritage-related photos for a chance to win! Find prize details, terms and conditions, and information on how to enter here:

Send us your best heritage photos for a chance to win! As summer comes to an end, this is the perfect time to reflect on memories of your heritage-filled travels or visits to historical sites. Photography offers a wonderful way to capture and experience the sights and splendours of archaeology aroun...

24/07/2023

When La Tène was discovered more than 150 years ago, the site gave its name to the second half of the Iron Age across much of Europe, and objects of La Tène type are often equated with the Celts. But what was found at La Tène? In CWA 120 we explore the changing interpretations of this iconic site. Read an extract of our cover feature online here:

When La Tène was discovered more than 150 years ago, the site gave its name to the second half of the Iron Age across much of Europe, and objects of La Tène type are often equated with the Celts. But what was found at La Tène? Andrew Fitzpatrick and Marc-Antoine Kaeser explore the changing interp...

20/07/2023

CWA 120 is out now! In this issue we explore changing interpretations of La Tène; the powerful prehistoric city at Liman Tepe; fact and fiction in early 20th-century fieldwork; the mythological landscapes of Sicily; an 11th-century buccaneer on Kefalonia; and much more! See what's inside here:

Fishermen were landing some extraordinary catches in mid-19th-century Switzerland. The discovery of prehistoric sites submerged in European lakes prompted a surge in angling for antiquities. In 1857, this fishing for finds led to some telltale timbers being spotted in a small bay on Lake Neuchâtel....

22/05/2023

Turkey's Konya Plain presents an extraordinary glimpse of what the shift from a mobile existence to Neolithic lifestyles could mean for individuals. In CWA 119 we share some exciting results from the long-running investigations of a set of sites in central Anatolia.

The Konya Plain presents an extraordinary glimpse of what the shift from a mobile existence to Neolithic lifestyles could mean for individuals. Douglas Bair ...

18/05/2023

CWA 119 is out now! In this issue we explore the transition to settled and farming lifestyles in Neolithic Turkey, a formidable ancient frontier in Iran, the role of Persian and Greek luxury, the archaeological gems of Western Macedonia, an Albanian site rich in ancient graffiti, and much more!

https://www.world-archaeology.com/issues/cwa-119/

27/03/2023

Deep in the Jordanian desert lies an extraordinary ruin; a Roman fort that can stake a claim to being the best-preserved example anywhere in the former empire. Find out more about the challenges facing this relic of imperial power in CWA 118, out now!

Deep in the Jordanian desert lies an extraordinary ruin. It is a Roman fort that can stake a claim to being the best-preserved example anywhere in the former empire. But this relic of imperial power is in urgent need of conservation work.

23/03/2023

CWA 118 is out now! In this issue we explore a Roman frontier fort in Jordan, mountain rock art in Kyrgyzstan, myths and Minoans at Knossos, an extraordinary archive in Denmark, Caesar’s siegeworks at Alésia, soldiers and civilians at Roman Aquincum, and much more!

Qasr Bshir invites questions, as well as awe. Deep in the Jordanian desert, away from any permanent water source, the ruins of this Roman fort stand sentinel over an empty landscape. But why garrison such an inhospitable spot? Is it simply an expression of Roman military inflexibility in the face of...

20/01/2023

Supplying Constantinople with water was a monumental challenge that received a monumental solution. Examining the extraordinary remains of aqueducts, bridges, and cisterns reveals the ingenuity – and expense – committed to sating a thirsty ancient metropolis. Read an extract of our cover feature from CWA 117 here:

Supplying Constantinople with water was a monumental challenge that received a monumental solution. Examining the extraordinary remains of aqueducts, bridges, and cisterns reveals the ingenuity – and expense – committed to sating a thirsty ancient metropolis.

18/11/2022

In 1991, two hikers walking in the Ötztal Alps came across what turned out to be the remains of a Copper Age man, now known around the world as Ötzi. The South Tyrol Museum in Bolanzo tells the story of this remarkable discovery. Find out more in CWA 116:

https://www.world-archaeology.com/features/otzis-one-man-show/

17/11/2022

CWA 116 is out now! In this issue we explore an intact royal burial from Egypt, finds from an ancient sanctuary in Italy, a rock art survey in Abu Dhabi, a new exhibition about hieroglyphs, the life and death of Ötzi the iceman, and much more!

https://www.world-archaeology.com/issues/cwa-116

23/09/2022

Many ancient stone circles are known in Japan, but how and why were these monuments built? In CWA 115, we examine what these enigmatic structures can tell us about a key period of Japanese prehistory. Read the feature in the magazine, or online now:

Numerous ancient stone circles are known in Japan, but how and why were these monuments built? Simon Kaner examines what these enigmatic structures can tell us about a key period of Japanese prehistory.

10/02/2021

A fossil cranium found in a cave in South Africa, belonging to a distant hominin ancestor who lived two million years ago, is shedding important new light on the human evolutionary story. Find out more here:

https://www.world-archaeology.com/news-focus/paranthropus-robustus/

The discovery of a two-million-year-old skull in South Africa is shedding important new light on microevolution in an early hominin species, as Jesse Martin and Angeline Leece reveal.

27/01/2021

A project investigating the history and culture of the Makran Sefidkuh region of Iran has identified a wealth of archaeology which is shedding light on the region's past occupants and their connections to its modern communities. Find out more:

https://www.world-archaeology.com/features/life-and-death-in-sefidkuh/

An ongoing study in the Makran Sefidkuh region of Iran is shedding light on the culture and archaeological remains of communities in the area, stretching back to prehistory.

25/01/2021

Excavations at a previously unknown Roman cemetery on Corsica have revealed an even more surprising discovery beneath the Roman tombs - an Etruscan hypogeum! Find out more about the exciting discovery of this subterranean burial chamber in CWA 105:

www.world-archaeology.com/issues/issue-105/an-unexpected-tomb

Discovering a previously unsuspected Roman cemetery would normally rank as the archaeological highlight of a building project. Recent work on Corsica, though, revealed an even greater surprise.

21/01/2021

CWA 105 is out now! In this issue we explore an unexpected Etruscan tomb discovered in Corsica, culture and climate in the Arctic Circle, the magnificent mosaics of Caddeddi Roman villa, a Phoenician shipwreck, and much more! See what's inside here:

www.world-archaeology.com/issues/cwa-105

Excavations on Corsica sprang a surprise when archaeologists discovered a set of steps descending into the ground. Work at the site, undertaken in advance of a building development, had already revealed a Roman-era cemetery. The steps, though, led to a much rarer discovery: an intact Etruscan tomb.....