Palaeolithic hand axe found at Swanscombe in Kent. Dating to 400,000 BC this is one of the earliest hand tools found in Britain. This can be seen at Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery. Save Save
Category: Archaeology
Golden Octopus, 1500 BC
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King Khasekhemwy, Second Dynasty Pharoah
Khasekhemwy (ca. 2690 BC) was the final king of the Second dynasty of Ancient Egypt. This statue of him in the Ashmolean Museum is the oldest example of royal statuary from Egypt. It shows him wearing the White Crown of Upper Egypt. Save
Bronze Age Barrow Cemeteries of Ashen Hill and Priddy
Ashen Hill Barrow Cemetery The area of north east of the village of Priddy in Somerset contains an extensive Bronze Age ritual landscape containing several barrow cemeteries rivalling those seen in Wiltshire surrounding Stonehenge. It includes the recently partially-demolished Priddy Rings, the Ashen Hill Barrow Cemetery and Priddy Nine Barrows Cemetery. Ashen Hill Barrow Cemetery … Continue reading Bronze Age Barrow Cemeteries of Ashen Hill and Priddy
The Wrestler of the Antikythera Shipwreck
In the National Archaeological Museum in Athens you can find a special gallery for the finds from the Antikythera shipwreck, a boat carrying luxury goods from around 75–50 BC which was wrecked in a storm off the coast of Greece. It contained many statues, vessels, coins and of course, the famous 2000-year-old computer I've previously … Continue reading The Wrestler of the Antikythera Shipwreck
What The Shanidar Cave Burials Tell Us About Neanderthals
The term ‘Neanderthal’ has become synonymous with the type of behaviour associated with ‘sluggish’, ‘brutish’ cavemen, and the term has entered the English dictionary as also meaning ‘an uncivilised or uncouth man’. Indeed, one online dictionary gives their definition of Neanderthal as meaning ‘crude, boorish, or slow-witted person’ and Neanderthaloid as ‘ill-mannered and coarse and … Continue reading What The Shanidar Cave Burials Tell Us About Neanderthals
Treasures of Natural History: Dodos, Darwin’s Pigeons and Neanderthal Skulls
At a recent trip to the Natural History Museum in London I visited their new gallery of treasurers from their collections, which as you'd imagine, are amazingly varied and cover everything from geology and dinosaurs to early human evolution and the animal kingdom. One of the most interesting specimens on display was a composite skeleton … Continue reading Treasures of Natural History: Dodos, Darwin’s Pigeons and Neanderthal Skulls
An Ancient Computer: The Antikythera Mechanism
The highlight of a recent trip to Athens was a visit to the National Museum of Archaeology. The museum had a special gallery for the finds from the Antikythera shipwreck, a boat carrying luxury goods from around 75–50 BC which was wrecked in a storm. It was discovered in 1900 by sponge divers. The highlight … Continue reading An Ancient Computer: The Antikythera Mechanism
The Shapwick Hoard: Britain’s Largest Hoard of Roman Silver Denarii
Take a look at this rather attractive pile of coins; who doesn’t like a bit of treasure? It’s actually a photo of the Shapwick Hoard, a collection of 9,262 Roman silver denarii coins found at Shapwick on the Somerset Levels in 1998. Where was it found? The hoard was discovered by amateur metal detectorists in … Continue reading The Shapwick Hoard: Britain’s Largest Hoard of Roman Silver Denarii
Gothic Victorian Graveyards: Putney Vale Cemetery
Graveyards have always been a rather fascinating places for me. I grew up next door to our village church, so for me the graveyard was more often a place for exploration than a place to be scared of. Being inclined towards history and archaeology, the fascination of graveyards and the stories of the people in … Continue reading Gothic Victorian Graveyards: Putney Vale Cemetery
