Maritime archaeologists from Bournemouth University have uncovered the remains of a medieval ship and its cargo dating back to the 13th century off the coast of Dorset. The survival of the vessel is extremely rare and there are no known wrecks of seagoing ships from the 11th to the 14th centuries in English waters. The…
Read More “Earliest English medieval shipwreck site uncovered off Dorset coast” »
Archaeologists from The University of Manchester have started a dig at a 5,000-year-old tomb linked to King Arthur, hoping to answer some of the mysteries surrounding the enigmatic site in the process. Arthur’s Stone [Credit: University of Manchester] The experts are working in partnership with English Heritage, which looks after Arthur’s Stone in Herefordshire, to…
Read More “Archaeologists carry out first dig at tomb linked to King Arthur” »
Archaeology students from Bournemouth University have found the remains of prehistoric people and animal sacrifices in a recently discovered Iron Age settlement in Dorset. The skeletal remains were found in crouched positions in oval shaped pits [Credit: Bournemouth University] The site, which consists of typical Iron Age round houses and storage pits was discovered by…
Read More “2000-year-old human remains and animal sacrifices found in Dorset” »
New archaeological research into grave goods and skeletal material from the oldest grave field in the Netherlands shows that male-female roles 7,000 years ago were less traditional than was thought. The research was conducted by a multidisciplinary team of researchers led by Archol, the National Museum of Antiquities and Leiden University. Credit: Leiden University New…
Read More “Research into grave goods sheds new light on traditional roles” »
Archaeological discoveries made on the outskirts of Canterbury, Kent (England) confirm the presence of early humans in southern Britain between 560,000 and 620,000 years ago, making it one of the earliest known Paleolithic sites in northern Europe. A selection of handaxes discovered in the 1920s [Credit: University of Cambridge] The breakthrough, involving controlled excavations and…
Read More “Canterbury suburbs were home to some of Britain’s earliest humans” »
Archaeology is not just the study of past human activity. It also looks at the animals that inhabited ancient landscapes. During excavations on the National Highways A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon Road Improvement Scheme we retrieved more than four tonnes of animal bones, which we are now studying in detail. Research will tell us which species…
Read More “More than 8,000 frog bones found by Iron Age roundhouse in Cambridgeshire” »
The wreck of one of the most famous ships of the 17th century — which sank 340 years ago while carrying the future King of England James Stuart — has been discovered off the coast of Norfolk in the UK, it can be revealed today. Julian and Lincoln Barnwell measure one of the Gloucester’s cannons[Credit:…
Read More “Wreck of historic royal ship discovered off the English coast” »
To reach the only place in the world where cave paintings of prehistoric marine life have been found, archaeologists have to dive to the bottom of the Mediterranean off southern France. Cosquer Cave lies under the sea in a landscape of limestone near Marseilles [Credit: © Luc Vanrell] Then they have to negotiate a 137-meter…
Read More “Race to save undersea Stone Age cave art masterpieces” »
Nestled in the picturesque Northumberland countryside, Vindolanda with its fort and settlement is a treasure trove of everyday life during the Roman occupation of Britain and beyond. What makes this part of the Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site so exceptional, is that some of the nearly 2,000-year-old artefacts uncovered reveal human emotions and feelings. Perhaps…
A new analysis of ancient faeces found at the site of a prehistoric village near Stonehenge has uncovered evidence of the eggs of parasitic worms, suggesting the inhabitants feasted on the internal organs of cattle and fed leftovers to their dogs. The prehistoric monument of Stonehenge in Wiltshire, UK [Credit: Adam Stanford] Durrington Walls was…
Read More “Prehistoric feces reveal parasites from feasting at Stonehenge” »
