In the 1990s, an aerial photograph captured a circular feature in the fields near the village of Pömmelte, Germany, sparking the beginning…
These tombs were the final resting places of Japan’s ancient elites, and form part of a broader East Asian funerary tradition, aspects…
In ancient Japan, royal burial mounds could be magnificent monuments. The distinctive keyhole-shaped earthwork associated with the semi-legendary Emperor Nintoku, for example,…
Sanxingdui has produced a wealth of startling Bronze Age artefacts. Many of these treasures were deliberately smashed or burnt before being buried,…
The finds from Sanxingdui are sensational. In 1986, two pits were discovered by chance within this ancient city. The contents proved to…
Deep underground, the ancient inhabitants of what is now China built remarkable houses and palaces. But these dwellings were not homes for…
It started with the soil. The thick yellow loess that blankets much of northern China proved perfect for building city walls and…
When La Tène was discovered more than 150 years ago, the site gave its name to the second half of the Iron…
Fishermen were landing some extraordinary catches in mid-19th-century Switzerland. The discovery of prehistoric sites submerged in European lakes prompted a surge in…
We all know that the finer things in life can transmit messages about wealth and status. In the epic struggles between the…
It is hard not to see them as excessive. The glorious gold and silver vessels that graced elite banquets in the Achaemenid…
Deep in the Jordanian desert lies an extraordinary ruin. It is a Roman fort that can stake a claim to being the…
Qasr Bshir invites questions, as well as awe. Deep in the Jordanian desert, away from any permanent water source, the ruins of…