There can be a certain familiarity to Roman towns. During the heyday of the Empire, such settlements were essential for administering conquered…
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…
Supplying Constantinople with water was a monumental challenge that received a monumental solution. Examining the extraordinary remains of aqueducts, bridges, and cisterns…
Constantinople came with a problem. This ‘new Rome’ served as Constantine the Great’s imperial capital and held a commanding position on the…
I came upon him unexpectedly. He was not alone. To be fair, my mind was mulling over the previous room, which explained…
On Thursday 19 September 1991, two hikers made an alarming discovery high in the Alps. Travelling off the beaten track, they saw…
Numerous ancient stone circles are known in Japan, but how and why were these monuments built? Simon Kaner examines what these enigmatic…
The stone circles of Japan are enigmatic monuments. These structures were created by Jomon hunter-gatherers, mostly from roughly 2500-300 BC, and can…
The Spanish invaders of Mexico called them cenotes. This came from a mishearing of the Maya word tz’onot, which was used to…