The Thracians made a keen impression on both their neighbours and the archaeological record, but how much do we really know about…
It started with the soil. The thick yellow loess that blankets much of northern China proved perfect for building city walls and…
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…
Below the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico lies a submerged world of extraordinary beauty. Caves once created a subterranean labyrinth that the earliest…
Perpetually basking in a blazing luminous light, Ithaca boasts fine if unexceptional archaeological sites. With its well-signposted walking trails and numerous fish…
It was the railways that first fired public interest in Old Oslo back in the 19th century. Although the crumbling ruins of…
The small size of the Cycladic island of Delos belies its significance in the ancient world, both as a major sanctuary and…
More than a decade ago I took a holiday on Naxos. This Cycladic island is a paradise for walkers and those who…
Sami Redux …I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium. W B Yeats, ‘Sailing to Byzantium’ (1928)…
What is it? This masterpiece in miniature is an engraved agate sealstone, measuring only 3.6cm in length. Carved with exceptional skill onto…
Seeking a Byzantine rebirth All Greece is absorbing and rewarding. There is hardly a rock or stream without a battle or a…