CWA 131 – out now - World Archaeology

In the 1990s, an aerial photograph captured a circular feature in the fields near the village of Pömmelte, Germany, sparking the beginning of an extraordinary archaeological endeavour. The feature proved to be the remains of a henge monument built around 2350 BC. Although its uprights were fashioned from timber rather than rock, the monument displayed a number of tantalising similarities to Stonehenge in Britain. One area of overlap is that both sites lay within much wider ritual landscapes. This area has been carefully examined in Germany, providing an astonishing glimpse of prehistoric activity.

The fruits of ancient labour in the form of lapis lazuli mining have long been known. This semi-precious stone has been exploited for thousands of years, producing a wealth of striking artefacts. When it comes to understanding prehistoric use of this material, though, the stumbling block has always been isolating its origin. Now a scientific breakthrough has finally solved this mystery, exposing the source of a coveted commodity.

For a few decades in the 13th century, Viterbo in Italy found itself at the heart of papal affairs. This significance is reflected in the presence of a well-preserved medieval papal palace. Studying the architecture and surviving documents reveals how this complex developed, and the consequential events that unfolded there.

A pair of sumptuous silver cups discovered in a grave in Iron Age Denmark testify to connections of some kind with the Roman world. Examining these links illustrates the ability of objects to act as a bridge between cultures.

In our travel section, Richard Hodges examines the unlikely partnership that helped usher in a golden era of pioneering archaeological studies in Rome, before turning to tragedy.

Finally, a trip to the Roman fort at Apsaros in Georgia presents an opportunity to contemplate imperial priorities on the eastern Black Sea shore.