June 2011 – Popular Archeology

The Dedication of Roman Weapons and Armor in Water as a Religious Ritual
by Brandon Olson
Through chance finds, formal excavations, looting, and dredging operations, several pieces of intact, fully functional Roman weapons and armor have been recovered from aquatic contexts in Gaul and Britain dating from the first century B.C.E to late first century C.E. Some scholars have attempted to explain the phenomenon as a series of accidental losses, while ... Read more »
The Minoan Connection
by Dan McLerran
The news-making discoveries that are now emerging from this major archaeological site in Israel.

Popular Archaeology is a quarterly online magazine exploring the human past, from prehistoric beginnings to the present day. See About Us for more details. Regular subscriptions are FREE. Access to all premium level content (our best articles, including all back-issue premium articles) is only $9.00 annually.

Travel and learn with Far Horizons.

Cover Stories

The Venetian Republic Offers Powerful Lessons to an American One in Need of Repair

The Venetian Republic’s political system, emerging alongside those of other Italian city-states, was founded on collaboration and power distribution. Its rise and decline highlight the importance of adaptability in the face of shifting global...

Major hoard of Roman-British coins found near Utrecht (the Netherlands)

Discovery confirms crucial role of Lower German Limes in Roman conquest of Britannia.

New evidence suggests early human ancestor presence in Eurasia by at least 2 million years ago

A new chapter in Roman administration: Insights from a late Roman inscription

How Archaeologists Can Solve the Earth’s ‘Wicked Problems’

Three million years ago, our ancestors were vegetarian

Nitrogen isotopes in tooth enamel show no evidence of meat consumption in Australopithecus.

Volcanic eruption caused Neolithic people to sacrifice unique “sun stones”

Archaeologists and climate scientists from the University of Copenhagen can now show that ritual sacrifices of sun stones coincided with a large volcanic eruption that made the sun disappear throughout Northern Europe.

Human ancestor thrived longer in harsher conditions than previous estimates

Ancient genomes reveal an Iron Age society centered on women

A groundbreaking study finds evidence that land was inherited through the female line in Iron Age Britain, with husbands moving to live with their wife’s community.

Texts to Textiles: Reconstructing Mycenaean textile production through Linear B

See the full Cover Articles archive →

Other Stories

The Pompeii of Bronze Age Greece

Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) partners with luxury hotel operator GHM to develop The Chedi Hegra within the Hegra UNESCO World Heritage Site

Rare Roman wooden figure uncovered by HS2 archaeologists in Buckinghamshire

Earliest human remains in eastern Africa dated to more than 230,000 years ago

HS2 archaeologists uncover vast Roman trading settlement in Northamptonshire

Mysterious ancient tombs reveal 4,500-year-old highway network in north-west Arabia

Research reveals ancient Maya lessons on surviving drought

Huge variety of plant foods made their starvation unlikely.

Nits on ancient mummies shed light on South American ancestry

New technique means head lice can provide clues about ancient people and migration.

Scientists digitally ‘unwrap’ mummy of pharaoh Amenhotep I for the first time in 3,000 years

Study shows that 21st dynasty restorers ‘lovingly restored’ mummy, dispelling theory that they were bent on reusing old royal burial equipment.

Tsunami debris from Late Bronze Age eruption

Preservation of ancient DNA in sediments

Ancient DNA reveals the world’s oldest family tree

New dates for Viking trade

Solar flare throws light on ancient trade between the Islamic Middle East and the Viking Age.

Ostrich eggshell beads reveal 50,000-year-old social network across Africa

Humans Reached Remote North Atlantic Islands Centuries Earlier Than Thought

Faroes Settled Well Before Vikings Arrived, Lake Sediments Show.

Europe’s earliest female infant burial reveals a Mesolithic society that honored its youngest members

2,700-year-old leather armor proves technology transfer happened in antiquity

Mystery solved: Footprints from site A at Laetoli, Tanzania, are from early humans, not bears

Findings provide conclusive evidence that multiple species of hominins co-existed on the landscape.

Canine tooth sexual dimorphism in human evolution

Volcanic eruptions contributed to collapse of China dynasties

Eruptions create sulfuric acid clouds in the upper atmosphere and can cool the climate.

Siege ramps and breached walls: Ancient warfare and the Assyrian conquest of Lachish

A Child of darkness

The first partial skull of a child of Homo naledi begins to give us insight into all stages of life of this remarkable species.

Rediscovering the ancient social networks and industries of Indus Civilization villages

Experts name new species of human ancestor

More than ceremonial, ancient Chaco Canyon was home, new study says

Early puebloans impacted the ecosystem around Chaco Canyon earlier than previously believed.

See the full archive for Other Articles →