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Journal article
A revised terrace stratigraphy and chronology for the early Middle Pleistocene Bytham River in the Breckland of East Anglia, UK
The Bytham River was one of the major pre-Anglian (MIS 12) rivers of eastern England. Flowing from the Midlands to the East Anglian coast, it has been recognised at numerous sites by its distinctive lithological suite, containing significant quantities of quartzite, quartz and Carboniferous chert that originate from central England....Bytham River; early Middle Pleistocene; UKESR dating; Lower Palaeolithic
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Journal article
New radiocarbon dates and environmental analyses of finds from 1903 excavations in the eastern plot of the Tashtyk cemetery of Oglakhty
The early Tashtyk cemetery site of Oglakhty in Minusinsk basin is best known because of the exceptional state of preservation of some of the organic objects found there in excavations in 1903 and 1969. The chronological and spatial development of this extensive cemetery have not been clearly explored until now....Cartwright, Caroline ; Simpson, St John ; Makarov, Nikolay ; Pankova, Svetlana
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Journal article
Conserving, analysing and studying the ‘Hay cookbook’: Revelations from ancient ‘magical’ texts on leather
Seven early medieval leather documents were conserved and studied as part of a small British Museum Research project. Thought to be from the Theban Necropolis (Upper Egypt) and dating to c. 740-810AD, they are written in Coptic. The largest extant manuscript is known today as the ‘Hay Cookbook’, which, together...Wills, Barbara ; Zellmann-Rohrer, Michael ; Skinner, Lucy ; O'Connell, Elisabeth R. ; Stacey, Rebecca …
Manuscript, Leather, and Conservation
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Journal article
Establishing the production chronology of the iconic Japanese woodblock print ‘Red Fuji’
First printed in 1831, ‘Red Fuji’ by Hokusai is one the most iconic Japanese woodblock prints and thousands of impressions were printed from its original set of woodblocks, often in different colour schemes and using different printing effects for different editions. The aim of our research was to systematically study...Korenberg, Capucine ; Derrick, Michele ; Pereira-Pardo, Lucía ; Matsuba, Ryoko
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Journal article
Revealing relationships: colonial photograph albums of the Niger Delta at the British Museum: a case study
The focus of this paper is a collection of photographs currently housed in the British Museum. Two albums (British Museum reference numbers Af,A46 and Af,A47) are identified as belonging to Arthur Purt, thought to be a European trader in the Niger Delta in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries....Anderson, Helen
Nigeria, Photographs, and Colonial
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Journal article
Шкатулки бронзового века: экзотические импорты,подражания-скевоморфы и локальное производствоот Центральной Азии до Шумера
Discusses archaeological finds of inlaid boxes at Bronze Age sites in Iraq, shows how some originated in the Indus Valley and how other types of box were carved from stone or made from fired clay in Arabia, Iran and Central Asia, probably as imitations of ones in organic materials that...Simpson, St John
box, Ancient Near East, and Bronze Age
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Journal article
Assyrian palaces: from their foundation to their destruction in antiquity
The more recent synthesis in English to explore all aspects of Assyrian palaces and their decorationSimpson, St John
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Journal article
The haunting of Assyria: a chilling new detail from the Sack of Nimrud
Discusses a previously unrecognised ancient graffito on an Assyrian sculptureSimpson, St John
iconoclasm, graffiti, and Assyria
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Journal article
Some weapons to take away: the spread of decorated projectile points across Magdalenian societies
This paper presents a consideration on the spread of decorated weapon tips across Magdalenian societies. Based on a comprehensive review of the ten types of decorations identified on weapon tips from south-western France, the comparative analysis of their distribution shows their value to document both short and long distances relationships,...Lucas, Claire
Weapon, Magdalenian, and Portable art
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Journal article
Tantra: Enlightenment to Revolution
A scholarly overview of the British Museum's 2020 exhibition, Tantra: enlightenment to revolution.Ramos, Imma
British Museum, Tantra, and exhibition
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Journal article
An old problem in a new light: elemental and lead isotopic analysis of Luristan Bronzes
The emergence and provenance of the Luristan Bronzes has been a subject of interest for many decades. This paper presents the results of elemental and lead isotopic analysis of a series of Luristan Bronzes discovered from recent excavations in the Sangtarashan sanctuary, as well as an extensive comparative study on... -
Journal article
Heavy metal and the beauty industry: an unexpected connection from ancient Afghanistan
Explores the relationship between facial whiteners, cosmetic containers and by-products of the metal industry by reference to archaeological finds from Afghanistan and objects seized by UK law enforcement and now in the National Museum of AfghanistanSimpson, St John
Afghanistan, cosmetic, and Bronze Age
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Journal article
The art of gardens: an introduction
This volume argues that looking at gardens through the lens of art and aesthetics generates new insights into the role that gardens have for those who make and depend on them. Drawing on some of the debates around the anthropology of art, we suggest that aesthetics provides a rich analytical...Bolton, Lissant ; Mitchell, Jean
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Book
Thomas Becket: murder and the making of a saint
The murder of Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral on 29 December 1170 sent shockwaves across medieval Europe. He rose from ordinary beginnings in London to become chancellor to King Henry II and then Archbishop of Canterbury, making him one of the most powerful men in England. Becket’s fortunes changed when...de Beer, Lloyd ; Speakman, Naomi ; Koopmans, Rachel
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Book
Peru: a journey in time
The accompanying catalogue to the British Museum exhibition Peru: a journey in time. The environments of the Central Andean region in Peru, South America, are some of the most geographically rich and diverse in the world. This publication highlights the history, beliefs and cultural achievements of the different peoples who...Cooper, Jago ; Pardo, Cecilia
archaeology, Peru, and material culture
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Book
Nero: the man behind the myth
One of the best known figures from Roman history, Nero (r. AD 54–68) is most often characterised as a tyrannical and ineffectual ruler, who fiddled while Rome burnt. Such a reputation has, however, been shaped by ancient literary sources written by his adversaries and enemies and, in light of new...Opper, Thorsten
Nero, Roman empire, and history
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Book
Museum, Magic, Memory: Curating Paul Denys Montague
An investigation of the work of curation and of reactivating a colonial era collection by working with communities of origin, told through the lens of a particular collection made by Paul Montague in New Caledonia in 1914.Adams, Julie
Curation, Museum, and Anthropology
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Book
Making Change: The Decimalisation of Britain’s Currency
On a grey, drizzly Monday, 15 February 1971, Britain went decimal. Ten years in the planning, ‘D-Day’ upended a currency system that had been unchanged for more than a millennium. A national effort requiring cooperation at every level of society, many expected decimalisation to be a disaster. This is the...Hockenhull, Tom
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Book
The Story of the Bayeux Tapestry: Unravelling the Norman Conquest
Political intrigue and treachery, heroism and brutal violence, victory and defeat - all this is depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry, an epic account of one of the pivotal episodes in English history embroidered on a strip of linen. Famously, it shows the stricken Anglo-Saxon king Harold dying on the battlefield...Musgrove, David ; Lewis, Michael
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Book
Journal Special Issue: The Art of Gardens: Views from Melanesia and Amazonia
This volume argues that looking at gardens through the lens of art and aesthetics generates new insights into the role that gardens have for those who make and depend on them. Drawing on some of the debates around the anthropology of art, we suggest that aesthetics provides a rich analytical...Mitchell, Jean ; Bolton, Lissant
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Book chapter
Visitors to the rainforest: Engagements with environments and outsiders in far north Queensland.
The chapter discusses a series of objects in UK museums (including the British Museum) from the Queensland tropical rainforest region. The discussions are linked by ideas of visitors to the rainforest, both European and Pacific Islander. The chapter proposes that the barkcloth made in the region may have been introduced...Bolton, Lissant
bark blanket, bicornual basket, sword club, fire drill (bagu), painted shell. and Anthropology, material culture. Queensland, Vanuatu.
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Book chapter
Buried archaeological materials
Ceramics, stones, metallic objects, bones, leather, wood and textiles are among the most important categories of archaeological remains. The information carried by these materials is often invaluable, as they represent precious and sometimes unique windows into past civilizations and into the evolution of humankind. Scientific research has the aim of...Tamburini, Diego
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Book chapter
Sîn city: new light from old excavations at Ur
The city of Ur first commanded serious Assyriological attention in 1850s. A series of explorations by British consul Taylor showed the promise held the by site and would reveal the city’s ancient name. Ur was soon enthusiastically connected with Ur of the Chaldees, known from the Bible as home to...Taylor, Jonathan
Iraq, Excvations, and Archives
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Book chapter
The Ashurbanipal Library project at the British Museum
It was a remarkable stroke of luck that the first large corpus of cuneiform texts to be rediscovered in Mesopotamia was the Library of Ashurbanipal, King of Assyria (668–c. 630 BC). It quickly became the foundation stone on which the modern study of Assyriology was built. The Library remains a...Taylor, Jonathan
cuneiform, library, and digitisation
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Book chapter
The Roman coins from Exeter and its hinterland
An analysis of Roman coins finds from Exeter, set against the context of other Roman towns and Roman Devon and the South-WestMoorhead, Sam ; Brown, Andrew
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Book chapter
Use of decorated silver plate in Imperial Rome and Sasanian Iran
This chapter explores the production of silver plate in the late Roman and Sasanian Empires as luxury tablewares for both secular and religious use and suggests that parallels between forms and decoration may provide clues for links (e.g. trading and diplomacy) between the two respective imperial courts during late Antiquity.Hobbs, Richard
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Book chapter
Divine depictions: first representations of gods in Egypt
Ancient Egyptian iconography is characterised by the depictions of gods and goddesses. The number of deities appearing on tomb and temple walls and in religious literature grew steadily throughout the Pharaonic period. As foreign influences shaped, consolidated and altered the Egyptian identity, assimilations and comparisons with foreign gods enriched the...Regulski, Ilona
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Book chapter
The new mint under Nicomedes I (c. 278-255 BC)
This paper examines the foundation of the royal Bithynian mint under Nicomedes I (c. 278-255 BC). It analyses the silver and bronze coinages produced through die studies and metrology, and considers the evidence for the location of the mint and the date of first production.Dowler, Amelia
numismatics, Nicomedes I, and Bithynia
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Book chapter
A technical study of the Royal Clock Salt
The cameo heads on the base of the Clock Salt were examined using digital microscopy. . It was possible to take high-magnification images of the heads and use them for investigating potential materials from which they might have been created. The aim was to discover whether they were made from...Meek, Andrew ; Cooke, Oliver ; Shearman, Fleur ; Ling, Denise ; Cartwright, Caroline …
digital microscopy, marine shell cameos, and scientific research
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Book chapter
The Macabi Island wooden sculptures
Scientific identification using scanning electron microscopy revealed that wood from the algarrobo tree had been selected for making the iconic Macabi Island sculpturesCartwright, Caroline
scanning electron microscopy, Macabi Island, and wood anatomy
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Book chapter
The coffin of Takabuti
Description of coffin belonging to ancient Egyptian mummy of a woman named Takabuti, dating to the 25th Dynasty.Taylor, John
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Book chapter
Systems of value in Vanuatu: reflections on the Ambae textile complex
This chapter discusses the diverse forms of value attached to plaited pandanus textiles on Ambae, an island in the south-western Pacific nation of Vanuatu. I explore their cultural and historical contexts and show the dynamic nature of textiles both as types or categories, and as individual items. Textiles are made...Bolton, Lissant
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Book chapter
Le trésor de l’Oxus
Short essay describing the circumstances of the discovery and later history of displays of the Oxus Treasure in the British MuseumSimpson, St John
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Book chapter
The visual representation of ghosts in Early Modern Japan
An examination of representations of ghosts in early modern Japan, including paintings, woodblock prints and books, kabuki theatre and martial ghosts.Buckland, Rosina
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Book chapter
Word and image in the drawings of Unica Zürn
An investigation of the interaction between word and image in the composite anagram poem-drawings of the Surrealist artist Unica Zürn.Seligman, Isabel ; Seligman, Isabel ; Mason, Louis ; Kivland, Sharon ; Newman, Michael ; Macfarlane, Kate …
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Book chapter
Early medieval industries of Khurasan and evidence for the mining, working and export of talc cooking pots, and small items of jet and turquoise
Discussion of textual evidence for the exploitation of different resources in Khurasan, and how archaeological evidence from Merv shows the import of talc cooking pots, and small items of jet and turquoise from neighbouring highland Iran in the early medieval period, with the implications that they raiseSimpson, St John
archaeology, Khurasan, and Merv
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Book chapter
Site-by site research on first millennium AD textiles from Egypt at the British Museum: conservation and documentation of archaeological collections
The chapter outlines recent approaches to conservation of and research on First Millennium AD textiles excavated in the early 20th century under the auspices of the Egypt Exploration Fund, Byzantine Research Fund and British School of Archaeology and now held in the British Museum. Systematic documentation and publication of First...Harrison, Anna ; O'Connell, Elisabeth ; Pritchard, Frances
research, conservation, and Textiles
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Book chapter
A carrier bag theory of drawing
This essay examines drawing as a technology, using the lens of author Ursula Le Guin's 1986 essay 'A Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction' to reflect on many of the drawings exhibited as part of the Drawing Room's 'Drawing Biennial 2021'.Seligman, Isabel
biennial, carrier bag, and drawing
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Conference paper (published)
Remote monitoring for museum pests ‐ a 21st century approach
Monitoring insects is a fundamental element of Integrated Pest Management, and advanced planning is crucial to enable staff suitable time to replace monitors, identify insects and respond to concerns. As is fairly standard in Museum and other heritage collections, the British Museum, undertakes quarterly monitoring and teams of trained collections...Austin Gonzalez, Carlos ; Marasco, Tatiana ; Portoni, Fabiana ; Kelley, Patrick ; Doyle, Adrian
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Book chapter
An analysis of coca leaves
Six Paracas/Nasca textiles with embroideries were scientifically examined not only to identify the fibres, but also to see if any of the textile bags contained traces of coca leaves. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed that one of these bags still contained tiny traces of coca leaves.Cartwright, Caroline
coca leaves, textile bags, and Peru
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Exhibition catalogue
Ancient Greeks: Athletes, Warriors and Heroes
This is the catalogue to accompany the British Museum's International Touring exhibition Ancient Greeks: Athletes, Warriors and Heroes currently in Australia, moving to Auckland, New Zealand next year. It features text by Dr Peter John Higgs, Curator, British Museum, with an introductory essay by Professor Alastair Blanshard, University of Queensland,...Blanshard, Alastair ; Burton, Diana ; Higgs, Peter John
Sport, Greeks, and Competition
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Journal article
Weathering climate change in archaeology: conceptual challenges and an East African case study
Research on the social dimensions of climate change is increasingly focused on people's experiences, values and relations to the environment as a means to understand how people interpret and adapt to changes. However, a particular challenge has been making seemingly temporally and geographically distant climate change more immediate and local...Petek-Sargeant, Nik ; Lane, Paul J.
Weather, Climate change, Kenya, Environmental humanities, East Africa, and Ilchamus