Category: Antiquarian
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Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Buckets
Online Corpus of Anglo-Saxon buckets ‘Buckets’ are an enigmatic and relatively rare type of object found in 5th to 7th-century Anglo-Saxon graves. The term ‘bucket’ suggests a utilitarian vessel holding c. 10 litres of liquid, and therefore is misleading in more than one respect. The Anglo-Saxon vessels are constructed of wooden staves and copper-alloy or…
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Chester Amphitheatre
Gladiators ‘fought in Cheshire’ Gladiatorial games, the bloodiest of ancient Rome’s traditions, were probably held in the heart of genteel Cheshire, archaeologists say. Experts have unearthed evidence in the remains of Chester Amphitheatre which suggests gladiators appeared there. It was previously thought the arena was only used for ceremonial activities. REVEALED – NEW DISCOVERIES AT…
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Cleopatra’s nose
“Had Cleopatra’s nose been shorter, the whole face of the world would have been different.” Blaise Pascal A recent news item resurrects an age-old question concerning Cleopatra VII, the last Queen of Egypt: “What did she look like?” “Roman writers tell us that Cleopatra was intelligent and charismatic, and that she had a seductive voice but, tellingly,…
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The Vindolanda tablets Online
The Vindolanda tablets, excavated from the Roman fort at Vindolanda in northern England, were remarkably preserved in waterlogged conditions, in the pre-Hadrianic fort, which lies a couple of miles behind Hadrian’s Wall. There are more than 400 tablets, made from thin slivers of postcard-sized, 1-3mm thick wood. The majority of them date from the period AD 97-103.They…
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The Dark Sub-Roman Ages
I am fascinated by the enigmatic, transitional period between the end of the Roman occupation of Britain and the ascendancy of the Anglo-Saxons in the late sixth century. This period, sometimes called the Dark Ages, sometimes the Sub-Roman, extends approximately from AD 400 to 600.The term Sub-Roman arose from archaeologists’ classification for pottery from sites…
Antiquarian's Attic 