Logo

Digs, Discoveries, Travel, Exploration

  • About us
  • News
  • Features
  • Travel
  • Regions
    • Most popular
      • Italy
      • Greece
      • Egypt
      • Turkey
      • France
    • Africa
    • Asia
      • Iran
      • Iraq
      • Israel
      • Japan
      • Java
      • Jordan
      • Kazakhstan
      • Kodiak Island
      • Korea
      • Kyrgyzstan
      • Laos
      • Lebanon
      • Malaysia
      • Mongolia
      • Oman
      • Pakistan
      • Qatar
      • Russia
      • Papua New Guinea
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Singapore
      • South Korea
      • Sumatra
      • Syria
      • Thailand
      • Turkmenistan
      • UAE
      • Uzbekistan
      • Vanuatu
      • Vietnam
      • Yemen
    • Australasia
      • Australia
      • Fiji
      • Micronesia
      • Polynesia
      • Tasmania
    • Europe
      • Albania
      • Andorra
      • Austria
      • Bulgaria
      • Croatia
      • Cyprus
      • Czech Republic
      • Denmark
      • England
      • Estonia
      • Finland
      • France
      • Germany
      • Gibraltar
      • Greece
      • Holland
      • Hungary
      • Iceland
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Malta
      • Norway
      • Poland
      • Portugal
      • Romania
      • Scotland
      • Serbia
      • Slovakia
      • Slovenia
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • Turkey
      • Sicily
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Belize
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Colombia
      • Easter Island
      • Mexico
      • Peru
    • North America
      • Canada
      • Caribbean
      • Carriacou
      • Dominican Republic
      • Greenland
      • Guatemala
      • Honduras
      • USA
  • Museums
  • Issues
  • Subscriptions
    • Subscribe now
    • Renew
    • Digital Archive
    • Institutions
    • Back issues & binders
  • Photo Competition

Suggestions

  • About
  • Archaeology Newsletter
  • Archaeology Newsletter
  • Archaeology Newsletter
  • Binders and slipcases
  • Christmas Gift Subscriptions
  • Contact
  • Contact Us
  • Current Publishing Data Protection Privacy Policy
  • Current World Archaeology Digital Archive
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Home
  • Institutional Subscriptions
  • Meet the Team
  • Purchasing and Returns
  • Subscriptions
  • Terms and Conditions
  • What our readers think

Logo

Issue 26

The stark, abstract Cycladic figurines found in the Aegean Cyclades islands have had enormous influence on modern art. But when were these enigmatic pieces made, and what were the settlements that produced the figurines? Colin Renfrew has been studying the material since he was a young man in the 1960s. Here he reveals the centrality of the island of Keros to the story. He believes it must have been a major ritual centre of the Cycladic civilisation in the early Bronze Age. Was Keros perceived as the seat of the gods to whom tribute had to be paid? And were the figurines offerings of sorts? Renfrew reveals all.
We then move forward in time to the 4th century BC. Fanum Voltumnae was the sacred shrine cum parliament at which the heads of the Etruscan League would meet each year. The historian Livy mentions the site a number of times but failed to specify its whereabouts. Now, however, an archaeological team believes it has found the site. Judith Harris recounts the history and reports on the hunt for Fanum.
As the features in this issue illustrate, shrines and ritual sites are the very stuff of archaeology. Yet the archaeology of African traditional religions - variously labelled as earth and ancestral cults, animism, totemism, and shamanism - has been largely neglected in comparison to that of world religions, notably Islam and Christianity. However, in 2004 a group of archaeologists began exploring the archaeology of the Tallensi of Northern Ghana and their work is already yielding stimulating information.
From Ghana we leap to the cradle of civilisation with a round-up of the latest archaeological work in Central Turkey. Among the sites we visit is the iconic Neolithic 'city' of

Issue 26

CWA 26

The stark, abstract Cycladic figurines found in the Aegean Cyclades islands have had enormous influence on modern art.   Colin Renfrew has…

Issue 26/Albania/Features

Albania’s Byzantine Butrint

Richard Hodges charts the latest finds from Albania's magical site…

Issue 26/Features/Greece

Keros: Sanctuary of the Cycladic figurines

CWA's editor in chief joins Professor Lord Renfrew in the Central Cyclades…

Issue 26/Features/Italy

Fanum Voltumnae: Parliament of the Etruscan League

Is the mystery of the location of Etruscan league's sacred shrine solved?…

Issue 26/Features/Ghana

Culture of the Tallensi people of Northern Ghana

How does research in to Ghana's Tallensi people help our interpretation of Stonehenge?…

Issue 26/Features/Turkey

Excavations in Central Turkey

Roger Matthews recounts some highlights of his Turkish travels…

Issue 26/Features/USA

Brian Fagan

Brian Fagan's ear to the ground…

Issue 26/China/Features

Terracota Army: Exhibition

Nadia Durrani takes a look at the Terracotta Army, on display at the British Museum…

Issue 26/Features/France

St Gilles and St Guilhem le Desert

The changing fortunes of St Giles and Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert…

Issue 26/Georgia

Dmanisi Homonid Skeletons

Hominid skeletons found at Dmanisi cast more light on homonid evolution…

Issue 26/Korea

Hepatitis in Korean corpse

Archaeologists working in South Korea have found the first example of mummy infected with hepatitis B. Scientists hope it will help combat…

Issue 26/Finland

5000 year old chewing gum

New evidence from Finland shows our ancestors were chewing gum 5000 years ago…

1 2 Next

Advertisement

Popular articles

  • Qasr Bshir
    Qasr Bshir
  • CWA 118 – out now
    CWA 118 – out now
  • Trojan War: the archaeology of a story
    Trojan War: the archaeology of a story
  • Review: A virtual visit to Wahtye's tomb
    Review: A virtual visit to Wahtye's tomb
  • The Antikythera Mechanism
    The Antikythera Mechanism




© 2023 Current Publishing. All rights reserved.

  • Contact Us
  • Subscriptions
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Purchasing and Returns
  • Privacy Policy
  • Subscribe
  • About Us
  • Issues
  • Features
  • Travel
  • Books
  • Museum
  • Photo Competition