This volume was prompted by the recent discovery in Britain of two large coin hoards dating from the first decade of the fourth century AD – Wold Newton and Rauceby. Coins of this early Tetrarchic period are relatively uncommon finds in Britain and elsewhere, due mainly to the brevity of their periods of issue followed by successive reductions in the weight of the coinage. The book also republishes the 1944 Fyfield hoard within the context of these more recent finds and contains preliminary reports on two very large hoards of coins of the same period that have been found in recent years in France (Juillac) and Spain (Tomares). The Tetrarchic system of rule (AD 293−c. 313) was initiated by the Roman Emperor Diocletian to stabilise the Roman Empire, with the rule of the western and eastern Empire being split between two senior emperors and their two junior colleagues. The transition from the third to fourth century AD is a pivotal phase in the history of Roman Britain, with Britain coming once again under the control of the Empire following periods of turbulence and usurper rule between AD 260−296. Under the Tetrarchy, Britain was subjected to the extensive monetary reforms undertaken by Diocletian which saw the introduction of the denomination now referred to as the nummus. The period is of particular interest to numismatists as during this time Roman coinage was minted in Britain at the mint of London. The volume therefore covers not just the hoards themselves, but also considers the wider significance of these hoards for Britain and the early fourth century monetary economy, particularly in the western empire.

Des spécialistes de l’ensemble de l’Europe décrivent les enjeux politiques et scientifiques auxquelles a présidé la fondation des musées d’archéologie entre 1848 et 1914. Au travers de personnalités éminentes, le livre restitue un tour d’horizon européen des institutions muséales abritant les vestiges issus du sol. Au-delà d’une histoire de l’institution, il s’agit de montrer comment une pensée politique et des conceptions historiques se sont retrouvées reflétées dans les musées, en retraçant aussi bien une histoire scientifique que toute une société savante et l’esprit d’une époque. Entre hier et aujourd’hui, quels musées au sein d’une même nation, quelles réalités et quelles politiques ? Les musées d’archéologie doivent-ils toujours raconter l’histoire de la nation, et quelle histoire ? Comment gèrent-ils la contradiction qui pèse entre la recherche scientifique, en perpétuelle interrogation, et le désir de se rattacher à des racines ancrées dans un socle identitaire stable ? Aujourd’hui au cœur d’un nouveau paysage des musées d’archéologie, réel ou idéal, ces questions sont également abordées.English abstractSpecialists from across Europe describe the political and scientific challenges that accompanied the foundation of archaeological museums between 1848 and 1914. Through eminent personalities, the book provides a European overview of museum institutions housing artifacts derived from the ground. Beyond the history of the institution, the aim is to demonstrate how political thought and historical conceptions found reflection in museums, tracing not only a scientific history but also an entire scholarly society and the spirit of an era.Between the past and the present, which museums exist within a nation, what realities, and what policies? Should archaeological museums always narrate the history of the nation, and which history should that be? How do they manage the contradiction that arises from the perpetual questioning of scientific research and the desire to connect with roots firmly entrenched in a stable identity? Today, at the heart of a new landscape of archaeological museums, whether real or ideal, these questions are also addressed.

Byblos has played an extraordinary role in the history of the Mediterranean. From c. 3200 BC, it developed into the preeminent port of the region due to its strategic location at the foothills of the cedar forests of Mount Lebanon and its unique ties with the pharaohs of Egypt. An important religious center, Byblos was referred to as a Holy City in Hellenistic and Roman times. The city is synonymous with writing, a legacy that lives on through the Greek word for book. With a history that reaches back nearly 8900 years, this Lebanese coastal city is among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.Byblos: A Legacy Unearthed is the first anthology to be published on this remarkable city. This lavishly illustrated volume encompasses an extensive range of scholarly research, from the earliest archaeological expeditions to the latest discoveries. Its 43 chapters written by leading international experts, examine the city’s history from its Neolithic origins to the Medieval era.This book is a coproduction between the National Museum of Antiquities (The Netherlands) and the Ministry of Culture/Directorate General of Antiquities (Lebanon).

The research presented in this book results from an international interdisciplinary research program in Hayonim cave (Israel) from 1992 to 2000, directed by Prof O. Bar-Yosef (Harvard University) and L. Meignen (CNRS, France), and focusing on a long archaeological sequence dated to circa 300-140 000 years ago. The intensive fieldwork and research following it allowed us to document an essential period of human history in the Levant: the end of the Lower Palaeolithic and Early Middle Palaeolithic, during which recent discoveries showed that the early H. sapiens, expanding out of Africa, reached SW Asia around 180-190 000 y ago.This book brings together the impressive findings of nine years of excavations and analysis by an interdisciplinary team of well-known scholars from US universities (Harvard, Boston, University of Arizona), Weizmann Institute (Israel) as well as from the French CNRS.Several complementary approaches are implemented to understand early human economic, cultural and behavioral changes observed at this crucial period. It is based on detailed studies of lithic artifact technology, the remains of systematic fire use and cave occupation by early humans, and foraging strategies that include the early development of human adaptations for hunting large prey. In the context of the highly debated cultural break observed at the end of the Lower Palaeolithic, we propose new interpretations based on these innovative results.This volume will provide a cornerstone for the history of humankind in a critical geographic region, at the crossroads between Africa and Eurasia.

This facsimile edition of Flinders Petrie’s 1937 typo-chronological catalogue of Egyptian stone vessels and Egyptian and Greaco-Roman metal vessels has been long out of print. It was a first attempt by Petrie to take an overview of the vessels recovered from numerous locations housed in major collections of the time, principally his own in University College London and over 700 items in Cairo Museum. Dating was derived from a variety of sources, the most important being that of royal names either on the vessels themselves or on associated materials in tombs. Examination of large, closed groups of objects from major royal tombs, each fixed to one reign, enabled development of a robust chronology for quite detailed changes at least for earlier dynasties, which could be extended by careful analysis of key traits. Each part is therefore arranged by major typological form with a discussion on derivation, chronological development in form and decoration and modes of manufacture. Both catalogues are fully illustrated with comparative charts of key features, line drawings and photographs of nearly 1000 stone and over 100 metal objects.

Amin Amer’s 1999 study of the Gateway of Ramesses IX at Karnak, Egypt, is presented here in a facsimile reissue. The Gateway is a little-known major work, part of the great temple at Karnak, built by one of the last kings of the Egyptian empire after a long period that saw little building work in the temple complex. The rather modest, by Karnak’s standards, construct lies at the northern end of the court ‘of the Cachette’, north of Pylon VII, and leads into the southern end of the narrow court of Pylons III and IV, presenting an impressive entrance to the main temple of Amun. A prominent stela of Ramesses IX and Amun lies beyond it. The Gateway was part of a building programme, decorated with statues and building-texts, undertaken by the high priest Amenhotep who clearly sought to emphasise the importance of the contributions of the king and himself to the temple and worship of Amun.A brief introduction to the works of Ramasses IX at Karnak is followed by a detailed description of the scenes adorning the Gateway with a translation of the inscriptions and a discussion of the role of the Gateway and its decoration. The descriptions are accompanied by drawings of the hieroglyphic texts and photographs and line drawings of the entire gateway and its facade.

Various attempts have been made to systematize the mammals depicted in Egyptian tomb paintings, inscriptions, carvings, figurines and other objects, and as mummies, but there are many discrepancies, variable spellings and names, including now obsolete Latin names, and mis-identifications. The Egyptian artists themselves sometimes used the wrong hieroglyph or drew some parts of animals incorrectly. Dale Osborn’s comprehensive reassessment, presented here in a facsimile reissue, catalogues around 100 separate species, ranging from hedgehogs to hippopotami, Anubis Baboons to Zebu cattle, that can be identified in Egyptian art from prehistoric, through Pre-Dynastic to Late Kingdom times. Profusely illustrated, the catalogue is arranged by Order, then species, each entry providing the relevant hieroglyph, a brief description of the animal, its natural habitat and distribution, and a narrative on its depiction in Egyptian art through time, by location, types of illustration or object, and context (tomb etc). Known errors and discrepancies, either in original scripts or classical and/or modern literature, are listed.Mammals are abundantly depicted in tomb paintings and inscriptions. Common scenes include hunts, processions, wild animals being led on chains, domesticated animals in household and working environments, and satirical scenes. Such scenes provide many insights into the lives of Egyptians and their relationships with animals, that are further enhanced by many decorative figurines and statues and, often poignantly, by the mummies of mostly small animals including cats and dogs.

As central places of human interaction, cities influence the reality of our lives like no other phenomenon. They are in a highly complex, reciprocal relationship with changing environmental, social, political, economic and religious constellations. Accordingly, the demands placed on cities and the ideas associated with them are often subject to highly dynamic change. Especially against the backdrop of increasingly rapid urbanisation, shaping this change is one of today’s central challenges and it deserves a prominent position in public discourse.The booklet “Urban Design” aims to show the complexity of this discourse. It invites reflection on the possibilities of designing cities and their impact on the present and the future. To this end, it brings together contributions from very different disciplines, each of which provides their own perspectives on the phenomenon of the city.A basic idea here is that contemporary cities cannot be designed without a deeper understanding of their historical dimension. On a practical level, this entails the (selective) visualisation of the archaeological cultural heritage, with its implications for identity politics. But its is also concerned with the dependence of historical city images on contemporary discourses, for example, religious ideas and their political utilisation or literary imaginations of the urban.Moreover, the booklet also wants to inquire about the direct effects of material urban design on the residents. For instance, design characteristics influence orientation and movement in urban space and thus determine the movement options of handicapped and elderly people. The urban environment also has a direct impact on human health.The extent to which current discourses on environmental problems and climate change are changing the requirements for urban design is exemplified by contributions on the topics of transport and climate-neutral construction. It is to be expected that innovative ideas in these areas, in particular, will change the appearance of the cities of the future in the long term.

The period of Anatolian history between the death of the semilegendary king Midas of Gordion ca 700 BC and the advent of the Achaemenid Persian Empire ca 550 BC is dominated by certain narratives: the rise of the Mermnad Lydian Kingdom, from Gyges to Croesus; the demise of the Urartian Kingdom and ‘NeoHittite’type culture and polities; and the invasion of shadowy forces from the Steppe: Cimmerians, Scythians and Medes. The discoveries of Geoffrey and Francoise Summers’s project at the massive walled city on Kerkenes Dağı have changed the cultural history and texture of Anatolia during this time period, opening up insights into the spread of Phrygian culture and language and inviting further discussion of how the period is framed. This book honours their accomplishments by presenting papers addressing the dynamics and events of that period from various angles, and in various regions and places, as well as other interventions on Iron Age Anatolia, from dating of kings to rare and potentially influential medical techniques. The volume sheds light on and also advocates for further synthesis of the regional dynamics affecting the Mediterranean, Near East and Anatolia together, toward the production of revised, more nuanced narratives.

Silchester (Calleva) experienced major disruption in the late first century A.D. as the Iron Age oppidum was transformed into the Roman city responsible for the administration of the civitas of the Atrebates. Aligned on the cardinal points, a rectilinear street grid was laid across the settlement replacing the late Iron Age network of streets and lanes oriented north-west/south-east and north-east/south-west. While the pre-existing property boundaries within Insula IX were retained there was a total re-build within them. The excavated area contained one complete property and fragments of three of its neighbours. Rather than conform to the new grid all the buildings were constructed at 45 degrees to it, reasserting the late Iron Age orientations. The timber-framed buildings within the complete property consisted of a row of three — a rectangular kitchen, a town-house and a roundhouse — separated by a yard from a re-built taberna, also diagonal to the street on which it fronted. The surgical and writing instruments associated with the circular building suggested it functioned as a healer’s and/or teacher’s house. This volume completes the publication of the excavations in Insula IX, 1997–2014.

Hala Ghellali was eighteen years old when her father first took her to the market to buy her first silver bracelets. They visited traditional jewelers in the madina al-qadima, the old walled city of Tripoli. This single event in 1975, ignited her lifelong passion for traditional jewelry and costume items and she has been collecting objects and stories ever since. Her unique stories, personal observations, research and firsthand information about jewelry design and silversmithing fill this book. ‘Jewelry and adornment of Libya' aims to share with its readers a lifetime passion for the jewelry made in Tripoli and other areas of Libya. It includes a section dedicated solely to the role of jewelry and costume in Tripoli with narratives of traditional weddings, and traditions linked to jewelry gifting in the city. The book is dedicated to the local jewelers and masters of weaving and embroidery who have almost all disappeared, their art and skills not being passed on to the present generation.

A prequel to his ‘World’s end’: British military outposts in the ‘ring fence’ around Australia 1824–1849, this book by prize-winning historian and keen sailor Alan Powell celebrates the small ships of Australia’s colonial navy. Brigs, cutters, schooners and sloops were pressed into service in a rag-tag assembly of ‘seagoing maids of all work’, cramped and overloaded with provisions, building materials, livestock and even convicts. The crews of these ‘doughty little craft’ sailed with courage and often blind faith in their ultimate survival as they toiled through some of the world’s most treacherous seas to deliver life-preserving supplies to the military outposts that ringed Australia in the early nineteenth century.

This volume provides an authoritative and systematic account of the coins minted for Roman Egypt between AD 138 and 192. It is the first of four volumes, which will cover the provincial coinage of this crucial period of Roman history in its entirety.The coinage in this volume was produced at Alexandria, the commercial and cultural capital of the eastern Mediterranean. It is dated by the year, making it an invaluable guide to imperial presentation and to economic developments during this transitional period. Its iconography is of exceptional interest to scholars and collectors, combining fascinating aspects of Greek, Roman and Egyptian culture.The book gives a complete picture of the material, meeting the needs of numismatists and providing an essential reference for historians, archaeologists and other students of the Roman empire. The introductory chapters and extensive catalogue are accompanied by illustrations of virtually all known types.

The Beaker People: isotopes, mobility and diet in prehistoric Britain presents the results of a major project that sought to address a century-old question about the people who were buried with Beakers a – the distinctive pottery of Continental origin that was current, predominantly in equally distinctive burials, in Britain from around 2450 BC. Who were these people? Were they immigrants and how far did they move around? What did they eat? What was their lifestyle? How do they compare with Britain’s earlier inhabitants and with contemporaries who did not use Beaker pottery? An international team of leading archaeologists and scientists, led by Professor Mike Parker Pearson, was assembled to address these questions.Around 300 skeletons were subjected to isotope analysis to explore patterns of mobility and diet, and 150 new radiocarbon dates were obtained. Dental microwear was examined for 64 individuals to provide further information about the food they had eaten, and new information on the sex and age of 201 people obtained. A comparative study was undertaken of the shape and size of Beaker users’ skulls and those of Neolithic people in the Peak District of England, to examine the long-held claim that there was a switch from long-headed to round-headed people with the appearance of Beakers. Tantalizing evidence for head-binding among Neolithic people was found. The range of objects found in Beaker graves was reviewed.In addition, the Beaker People Project was able to incorporate the results of another project, focusing on Beaker users in north-east Scotland (The Beakers and Bodies Project) along with other recently obtained data, including ancient DNA results. Overall, new light has been shed on 369 people: 333 Beaker and non-Beaker users from the core 2500–1500 BC period, along with 17 from the Neolithic and 19 from after 1500 BC. While the genetic data provide convincing evidence for immigration by Continental Beaker users, the isotopic data indicate a more detailed picture of movements, mostly of fairly short distances within Britain, by the descendants of the first Beaker users. This lavishly illustrated book presents a body of data that will be vital to studies of Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age Britain for decades to come.

The Hadrian’s Wall Community Archaeology Project (WallCAP) conducted a series of fieldwork projects along the Hadrian’s Wall corridor between 2019 and 2021. The work focused on sites that were poorly understood or under particular threat and aimed to improve understanding of them so they could be better managed in future. At several sites excavation was followed by conservation and consolidation work. This volume brings together the final reports of these excavations, at seven Roman sites in the Wall corridor. As the sites were spread along the length of the Wall the character and afterlife of the Wall in very different landscape locations could be compared. An assessment of the Vallum at Heddon on the Wall identified how earthwork archaeology survived in a sloped, heavily ploughed landscape. Three excavations investigated the condition of the stone Wall curtain at Port Carlisle, Walltown Crags, and Steel Rigg and Cats Stairs. At each site the Wall builders had responded to the demands of the local terrain and made use of local resources. It is also clear how at each site the Wall had a different post-Roman history. Excavations at the bridging point of the Cam Beck revealed for the first time how the Wall was carried over a ‘minor’ watercourse, and discovered traces of the Turf Wall. Small buildings were also identified just south of the Wall as it approached the bridge. At Corbridge Roman town, excavations on the northern periphery of the settlement demonstrated that from early in its history the most northerly town in Europe was of considerable extent. The area investigated showed that, even at the edge of town, shops lined the roads alongside well-appointed houses with bustling yards. Later on in the Roman period the town contracted behind walls and cremation burials were inserted by the road.Each site is reported on independently, presenting the primary data for each investigation. The volume concludes with a synthetic analysis of what the results of these excavations together reveal about Hadrian’s Wall, considering, amongst other things, construction details and the decay and destruction of the monument in the centuries following Roman occupation.

Initial remote sensing survey at Tlachtga, Co. Meath in 2011–12 highlighted the presence of multiple, partially overlapping phases of enclosure at the site. Three subsequent seasons of excavation provided critical interpretive evidence, with over 15,000 fragments of animal bone, human remains, charred plant material, evidence of metalworking, and a hoard of Anglo-Saxon silver coins dating to the late 10th century AD. The main activity at the site spans four broad periods and two main phases of monumental construction: a late Bronze Age to early Iron Age ‘Hillfort Phase’ (1100–400 BC) and a late Iron Age to early medieval (AD 400–600) ringfort phase associated with a smaller foundation enclosure – the ‘Southern Enclosure’. This ringfort phase was remodelled later in the early medieval period (9th–10th century AD) and augmented by a phase of mound construction in the mid-10th century AD. This is contemporary with the deposition of the coin hoard east of the main complex in an apparent craft-working area. The final phase of the central mound indicates the construction of a timber stockade, most likely in the 12th century, again with significant craft activity.This volume represents the excavation of at least four loci within the broader monumental landscape of Tlachtga, charting its progression from Bronze Age hillfort to pre-Anglo Norman power display mound.The excavations at the Hill of Ward and this publication were made possible through funding by the National Monuments Service via the Royal Irish Academy archaeological research excavation grants, and by Meath County Council, with additional support by the Office of Public Works and the Heritage Council.