Antiquity Journal

Our October issue is out now! Featuring great #archaeology such as: Identifying the name of a #Maya mathematician Inequality in the Indus Valley Civilisation Ancient Japanese painted tombs & more 🏺 www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Brass-making reached China during the 9-10th centuries AD. Microscopic analysis of crucibles from Guangzhou found techniques were similar to those used in the Islamic world, indicating brass arrived via maritime trade with Arab merchants. 🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy... 🏺 #Archaeology

sciencefocus.com'Thought to be lost forever': After 2,000 years, a library buried by Pompeii’s eruption is finally revealing its secrets | BBC Science Focus MagazineThe scrolls of Herculaneum are being unravelled by AI (among other things)

📰 Progress continues as ultra-high-resolution scanning and AI help virtually unravel the Herculaneum scrolls, enabling us to access the only surviving library from the classical world. 🏺 #ArchaeologyNews via BBC Science Focus www.sciencefocus.com/future-techn...

doi.orgAshes from Pompeii: incense burners, residue analyses and domestic cult practices | Antiquity | Cambridge CoreIncense burners are frequently excavated at Roman period sites, attesting to acts of combustion within domestic ritual practices, but what was burnt is still uncertain. Here, the authors use microscopy and spectrometry to analyse burnt residues contained within two censers from domestic contexts in Pompeii and a nearby villa. Their results indicate that woody plants were burnt in both censers, either as fuel or offerings, alongside stone fruit or laurel plants and possibly wine or grapes, while traces of Burseraceae resins, originating from Asia or sub-Saharan Africa, provide the first archaeological evidence of incense offerings in the Pompeian domestic cult.

Herculaneum was buried in the AD 79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius, burying a valuable record of everyday Roman life. Learn how ancient incense, preserved in the eruption, is teaching us about Roman religion and domestic worship in Antiquity 🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...

Antiquity Journal reposted

Cambridge University Press - Archaeology

@cambup-archaeology.cambridge.org

15h

The #PaperOfTheMonth from @antiquity.ac.uk is "Social dynamics of toxic metal industry in medieval Europe: Peak District lead production, AD 600–1500" by Christopher P. Loveluck et al., available #openaccess! 📚 https://cup.org/4yMbzOP #antiquity #archaeology

Antiquity publishes methods papers: articles presenting newly applied or newly developed methodological techniques. If this sounds like your research, we want to hear from you! Find out more and submit a methods paper at antiquity.ac.uk/submit 🏺 #Archaeology

16h

Excavation of a council house at the major #Maya centre of Ucanal, Guatemala revealed how the public gained some influence over Maya politics, indicating divine kinship made way for more consensus-based governance during the Terminal Classic period. 🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy... 🏺 #Archaeology

archaeologymag.comAncient Nubian temple faience workshop shows how Kushite rulers controlled materials, labor, and burial goods | Archaeology News Online MagazineA faience workshop at Sanam Temple in Sudan shows how Kushite rulers controlled raw materials and royal burial figurines in ancient Nubia.

20h

📰 Faience workshop uncovered at the ancient Nubian capital of Napata indicates production was power in the Kingdom of Kush 🏺 #AntiquityResearch #ArchaeologyNews via @archaeologynews.bsky.social archaeologymag.com/2026/10/anci...

doi.orgCrafting power in Kush: faience production and state control in the Napatan region | Antiquity | Cambridge CoreSanam Temple lies in the heart of Napata, the capital of the Kushite Empire in the first millennium BCE. Excavations at the temple (2018–2020) have revealed the remains of a mid-seventh-century BCE faience-production workshop, comprising three firing pits, two mudbrick basins and various faience objects, numerous beads, small shells and wasters found in compacted ashy layers. Here, the authors argue that this evidence provides insight not only into manufacturing techniques and restricted access to goods, but also into aspects of state control in Napatan Nubia, expanding our understanding of the Kushite state in Iron Age north-east Africa.

20h

Read the original research in Antiquity 🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...

When undertaking industrial gravel extraction from the Danube, Austrian workers excavated several rusty iron objects. Far from scrap, analysis has revealed it is in fact the largest mass find of prehistoric iron bars ever found in Europe! A surprising #AntiquityThread 1/10 🧵 🏺 #Archaeology

"It is incredible that such a large quantity of iron was transported at once and was available in a single exchange transaction”, Trebsche concludes. “This finding demonstrates the increased capacities of iron production that were reached in the Danube region.” 9/10

doi.orgA sunken ship cargo of 500 bipyramidal bars? Implications for La Tène period iron production and trade along the Danube | Antiquity | Cambridge CoreWater is not kind to iron, as demonstrated by the ‘rusty treasure’ uncovered at Deinham in Upper Austria, now revealed as the largest assemblage of bipyramidal iron bars yet found in Europe. While similar bars are generally attributed to the Early Iron Age (eighth–fifth centuries BC), the authors here argue that the Deinham bars are a new variant, radiocarbon dated to the Late Iron Age (fourth–first centuries BC). Discovered in a silted-up branch of the Danube River, the bars were likely lost in a shipwreck, permitting speculation as to the purpose and exchange value of this weighty cargo.

Read the original research in Antiquity 🆓 'A sunken ship cargo of 500 bipyramidal bars? Implications for La Tène period iron production and trade along the Danube' - Peter Trebsche & Marion Berranger doi.org/10.15184/aqy... 10/10 🧵

This was enough iron to equip around 500 warriors with swords or to forge up to 8000 nails, enough to construct a large defensive wall. The cargo's value must have therefore been immense 7/10

Likely lost in a shipwreck, the iron was probably being transported down the River Danube for trade, highlighting the large-scale, well-organised inland shipping capabilities of later prehistoric Central European societies 8/10

“It is nothing short of a minor miracle that the largest mass find of prehistoric iron bars in Europe did not end up at scrap dealers, but was reported to the Austrian monument authority”, said lead author Professor Peter Trebsche from the University of Innsbruck 5/10

Comprising at least 500 iron semi-products together weighing more than one tonne, the Deinham mass find is the most abundant assemblage of Iron Age bars currently known in Europe 6/10

Despite knowing iron was produced at dedicated iron-production centres, the exact scale of the trade is poorly understood as iron semi-products often escape the attention of finders and are difficult to date precisely 3/10

Therefore, the discovery of numerous double-pointed iron objects during gravel extraction along the River Danube provided a unique opportunity to investigate large-scale prehistoric iron production and trade 4/10

During the Late Iron Age La Tène period (mid 5th–1st centuries BC), Europe saw a vast increase in iron production, with huge quantities and varieties of iron objects becoming common across the continent 2/10

23h

📕 Historically, ancient Egyptian religion has often been interpreted through a Eurocentric, Christian lens. The latest #ReviewArticle explores a book offering "a more culturally grounded understanding of ancient Egyptian religious practice." 🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy... 🏺 #Archaeology

@gillianwzooarch.bsky.social

It's #NationalPumpkinDay! 🎃 A product of the Americas, discovery of pumpkin seeds at a colonial institution in Sydney indicates that, following introduction by the British, they became an important part of the Australian diet. 🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy... 🏺 #Archaeology

Antiquity Journal reposted

Dr Gillian Wong

New article by Dr Sarah B. McClure in @antiquity.ac.uk on the challenges faced by U.S. #archaeology: www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

cambridge.orgCurrent challenges to archaeology in the United States: a story in three crises | Antiquity | Cambridge CoreCurrent challenges to archaeology in the United States: a story in three crises

In one of medieval Europe's largest lead-producing regions, children were raised in dangerously polluted home environments #MedievalMonday This may have had a disproportionate effect on women, who showed much higher rates of premature mortality. 🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...

The Battles of Agincourt (1415) and Balaclava (1854) both took place #OnThisDay 🏺 Interested in ancient battles and the impact of conflicts on #archaeology and heritage? Explore our collection of conflict archaeology: www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

This #NationalFoodDay check out this ancient Egyptian food, preserved in the tomb of the architect Kha and his wife Merit. Ranging from bread, meats and vegetables to spices, they were likely offerings to ensure the couple’s sustenance in the next life. 🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy... 🏺 #Archaeology

For #NationalMoleDay we're exploring a different kind of mole 🧪 Looking beyond the built structures of ancient Mediterranean harbours, called moles, reveals how anchorages outside formal basins increased port capacity 🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy... 🏺 #Archaeology 📷 Cosudibastia / CC BY-SA 4.0

What can insects teach us about ancient societies? 🪲 At Cruz de la Esquina in Gran Canaria, over 8,000 preserved arthropod remains suggest a 7th–9th-century AD funerary cave was previously used to store food before being converted into a burial place. 🏺 #AntiquityThread 1/11 🧵

View full thread

“Archaeoentomological remains have revealed the hidden biography of Cruz de la Esquina: before it became a burial cave, where bodies were deposited shortly after death, it was a granary where food was stored”, Henríquez-Valido concludes 10/11

doi.orgBuried in the pantry: using archaeoentomology to assess cave reuse at the pre-Hispanic site of Cruz de la Esquina | Antiquity | Cambridge CoreEntomology, the study of insects, is an integral part of modern forensic science and can also make substantial contributions in archaeology. Here, the authors report on archaeoentomological analyses conducted within the Cruz de la Esquina funerary cave (Acusa Seca, Gran Canaria, c. seventh–ninth centuries AD), offering insights into Indigenous practices. The identification of storage pests and various cadaveric species is used to interpret a change in function for the cave, transitioning from an earlier storage area to a burial site, and to suggest that bodies were deposited in the cave immediately after death, challenging previous assumptions about prolonged exposure.

Read the original research in Antiquity 🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy... 11/11 🧵

Other insects also offer clues to funerary practice. The presence of flesh flies suggests bodies were placed in the cave within a relatively short period after death and decomposed there, challenging interpretations that they had first been exposed outside to decompose 8/11

Overall, these findings shed new light on the cultural practices of Gran Canaria's poorly understood Indigenous people and show the incredible power of insects to inform archaeologists when other traces have disappeared 9/11

“Insects can provide valuable evidence for reconstructing post-mortem processes”, explains Henríquez-Valido. “We aimed to determine whether the insect remains from Cruz de la Esquina could clarify the funerary treatment of the bodies” 6/11

Storage pests make up a significant proportion of the remains. Their abundance indicates that substantial quantities of cereal were once present, suggesting the cave originally functioned as a granary before being adapted as a burial space 7/11

However, how soon after death these burials took place is unclear and it was unknown whether the caves served a different purpose before being transformed into burial spaces 4/11

The “extraordinary preservation” of the cave of Cruz de la Esquina in Gran Canaria made it a perfect site to research, as organic materials such as wood, rope and leather had survived. This meant the collection of preserved pest remains was possible too 5/11

Before Spanish conquest in the 15th century AD, the Canary Islands were occupied by the Indigenous people. Now, following colonial destruction, little is known about their culture and customs, in particular their unique burial practices 2/11

“It was already known that Indigenous communities in Gran Canaria used caves for funerary purposes, including the deposition of wrapped bodies”, says lead author of the research, @gorgojito.bsky.social from @uahes.bsky.social 3/11

Warning: images of human remains.

english.elpais.comSurviving in the Muslim quarter: A hundred skeletons shed new light on a medieval minority in SpainChemical compounds preserved in the bones of an Islamic cemetery have allowed researchers to reconstruct the diet of Tudela’s Mudéjar community over five centuries

📰 Chemical compounds preserved in bones shed light on the lives of a Muslim minority in medieval Spain 🏺 #AntiquityResearch #ArchaeologyNews via @english.elpais.com.web.brid.gy english.elpais.com/culture/2026...

doi.orgEating under Christian rule: isotopic evidence for food access and resilience among a medieval Muslim minority in Iberia | Antiquity | Cambridge CoreMuslim minorities are documented as taxpayers or legal subjects in medieval Europe, but rarely as individuals or households. This study examines carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes from 120 individuals buried at Torre Monreal, Tudela (Navarre, Spain) between the late eleventh and fifteenth centuries to build a picture of everyday food access in an Islamic community under Christian rule. The results, the authors argue, show a long-term reorganisation of diet that reflects historical narratives on the legal accessibility and market availability of freshwater and terrestrial resources, and are presented here as evidence for adaptive food practices rather than dietary assimilation.

Read the original research in Antiquity 🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...

Crystal ball amulet and gold & beaver-tooth pendant from 7th-century-AD burials in England's Peak District #FindsFriday Wealth such as this appeared suddenly, indicating the region's lead industry was growing, perhaps due to increased church-building. 🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy... 🏺 #Archaeology

The Second Battle of El Alamein began #OnThisDay in 1942, forcing Axis forces to retreat from Egypt and Libya. Beneath this wartime landscape lies a much older story, as archaeology reveals a Greco-Roman settlement alongside the WW2 shelters. 🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy... 🏺 #Archaeology

📕 #BookReview 🏺 #Archaeology How did the fall of the Western Roman Empire re-shape Europe? Ian Wood's 'Burgundy, 450–535: politics and religion in the Gibichung Province' explores the Gibichungs and their role as imperial agents for Western and Eastern Emperors. (£) doi.org/10.15184/aqy...

"The fall of the Western Roman Empire fascinates many people, and a great deal has been written on the subject. Yet, what is published often focuses on the same great events, so that many smaller players are almost forgotten" ✍️ Reviewed by Haggai Olshanetsky

#OnThisDay in 2137 BC, a solar eclipse occurred over China. According to a (likely untrue) tale, two royal astrologers were drunk before the event and failed to warn the emperor of the eclipse, resulting in their execution 1/2 📷 Luc Viatour / CC BY-SA 3.0 🏺 #Archaeology

doi.orgThe identification and work of an eighth-century Maya mathematician | Antiquity | Cambridge CoreMaya glyphic texts from the Classic period (250–900 CE) typically chronicle the exploits of historical or divine characters; everyday or functional records are rare. Here, the authors offer a reconstruction and transcription of a ‘microtext’ painted on an interior wall of Structure 10K-2 at the site of Xultun, Guatemala. The text records a unique astronomical formula that concludes with a name, attributing the work to an individual named Sak Tahn Waax (‘White-chested Fox’). To date, this is the only known example of a Classic Maya mathematician directly credited for their work, attesting to the value of its intellectual authorship.

Astronomical events such as eclipses were important in several ancient societies worldwide, and astronomers played a vital role in many cultures. This was also true in Mesoamerica, but we only know the name of a single #Maya astronomer 2/2 🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...

Traces of blue pigment on a 13,000-year-old stone artefact from Mühlheim-Dietesheim, Germany. Questioning the idea that Palaeolithic artists only used red or black, it paints a picture of a more vibrant Ice Age than imagined #NationalColorDay 🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy... 🏺 #Archaeology

Historically, the seed fluff of the cattail plant has been used as a filling material for pillows and bedding. Discovery of cattail in burials from Roman-period Poland suggests it also played a role in prehistoric funerary practices #ThrowbackThursday 🏺 #Archaeology 🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...

iflscience.comThe 19th-Century “Castaway Camp” Of Shipwrecked Penguin Hunters May Have Been Found On Island Off PatagoniaThe stranded crew built a small boat and sailed to safety.

📰 Whilst hunting penguins in 1873, Argentine sailor Luis Piedra Buena's ship 'Espora' sank off the coast of Patagonia. Now, archaeologists believe they have found the camp built by the castaways 🏝️ 🏺 #AntiquityResearch #ArchaeologyNews via @iflscience.com www.iflscience.com/the-nineteen...

doi.orgCastaways at the end of the world: ongoing archaeological research at Franklin Bay, Isla de los Estados | Antiquity | Cambridge CoreOngoing archaeological research at Lacroix Inlet, in Franklin Bay on Isla de los Estados, part of the Atlantic-Pacific sailing route since the early seventeenth century, has provided new information on shipwreck remains and a temporary camp possibly linked with the schooner brig Espora (1873) of the renowned Argentine sailor Luis Piedra Buena.

Read the new research in Antiquity 🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...