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Book
India: A History in Objects
India: A History in Objects is a beautiful exploration of India's past, which highlights objects from the British Museum collection. Arranged chronologically, and abundantly illustrated with expertly selected objects, this superb new overview connects today’s India with its past. Early chapters uncover prehistoric objects from 1.5 million years ago, examine...Blurton, Richard
material culture, history, and India
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2022
Book
Feminine Power: The Divine to the Demonic
Divine women – in many guises – have featured in every world faith, from deep history until the present day, inspiring people and cultures across the world. In a cross-cultural and global approach, this book discusses Eve alongside Inanna, Radha and Aphrodite in the context of sex and desire, while...Crerar, Belinda
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2022
Journal article
Studying Saraha: technical and multi-analytical investigation of the painting materials and techniques in an 18th century Tibetan thangka
Scientific analyses of the traditional materials and methods in thangka production are uncommon, as thangkas are sacred objects, the sampling of which is discouraged, in order to preserve their integrity. This study builds on this important ethical challenge and presents a three-stage methodology that systematically delves deeper into each layer... -
2022
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2022
Journal article
Displays of money and medals at the British Museum, 1759 to 2022
The aim of this paper is to give a survey of displays of money and medals at the British Museum from 1759 to 2022. It takes as its starting point Joanna Bowring’s Chronology of Temporary Exhibitions at the British Museum (2012), which is, to date, the only published list of...Wang, Helen
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2022
Book
The Hay Archive of Coptic Spells on Leather: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Materiality of Magical Practice
The Hay archive of Coptic manuscripts consists of seven fragmentary sheets of leather bearing spells for divination, protection, healing, personal advancement, cursing and the satisfaction of sexual desire. Purchased from the heir of the Scottish Egyptologist and draftsman, Robert Hay (1799–1863), the manuscripts arrived at the British Museum in 1869....O'Connell, Elisabeth
papyrology, religious studies, Coptic studies, and Egyptology
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2022
Book
Munch and his World: Graphic Arts and the Avant-garde in Paris and Berlin
Munch and his World: Graphic Arts and the Avant-garde in Paris and Berlin is a visually stunning publication which offers new insights into the life and world of the artist Edvard Munch. The art of Edvard Munch is striking for the originality and universality of its themes, which cross moments...Bartrum, Giulia
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2022
Journal article
Coin hoards from England, Scotland and Wales, 2022
Annual round up of coin hoards studied for the Treasure Act 1996Andrews, Murray ; Ghey, Eleanor
Iron Age, numismatics, and Roman
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2022
Journal article
An Iron Age coin hoard from Nursling, Hampshire
The article outlines the contents of an Iron Age coin hoard found in 2018 and discusses the significance of the coinage and the broader archaeological context of the find.Ghey, Eleanor ; Talbot, John
numismatics and Iron Age
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2022
Book chapter
Characterising transformation in religious material culture AD 1000-1700: through the study of archaeological finds discovered by the public in England and Wales
This paper puts forward an archaeological approach to examining changes in material culture, through time and across boundaries, here focusing on what might be termed (though maybe not very precisely) ‘religious objects’. Pilgrim ‘souvenirs’ are clearly important in this regard, not least because they travelled between places, and were owned...Lewis, Michael
medieval, religion, and material culture
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2019
Book
Roman Imperial Coinage II.3: From AD 117 to AD 138 Hadrian
The standard reference work for Roman Imperial coinage of Hadrian now occupies a fully revised and greatly expanded standalone volume to cover the last epoch of what many consider the apogee of Roman coinage – begun with Nero’s reform of AD 64 when great effort was taken over their iconographic...Abdy, Richard
numismatics and Hadrian
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2022
Book
Hieroglyphs: unlocking ancient Egypt
Today the history of ancient Egypt is known around the world, recognizable in precious museum collections and countless retellings from popular culture. Yet for hundreds of years, from the late Roman Empire to the 19th century, the wonders of this ancient civilisation were frozen in time, locked in artefacts that...Regulski, Ilona
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2022
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2022
Journal article
Protecting Three-Dimensional Museum Collections During Transport: Engineering and Evaluation of Transport Crates Featuring Wire-Rope Isolators for Improved Vibration Mitigation
Shock and vibration generated during transport can lead to overload failure and fatigue fracture in museum objects. Damage can be prevented using transport packing providing both adequate shock absorption and vibration isolation. This research demonstrated that standardized packing with enhanced vibration mitigation is achievable for three-dimensional objects in a busy...Kotonski, Verena ; Kracht, Kerstin ; York, Evan ; Barton, Caroline
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2021
Journal article
Coin hoards from England, Scotland and Wales 2021
Early Medieval, archaeology, hoards, Post-Medieval, numismatics, coins, Medieval, Iron Age, and RomanGhey, Eleanor ; Andrews, Murray
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2022
Book chapter
Hoarding in Roman Britain: an archaeological and contextual approach
An overview of the approach and results of the British Museum / Leicester University AHRC funded project studying Iron Age and Roman hoards from Britain.Ghey, Eleanor
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2022
Book
Chinese Numismatics: The World of Chinese Money
This is the first book to explore the history of the field of Chinese numismatics from both Eastern and Western perspectives. Consisting of four papers that complement each other beautifully, it gives a sound introduction to the study of Chinese numismatics, focusing on the 19th century and, crucially, how to...Wang, Helen ; Thierry, Francois ; Jankowski, Lyce
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2022
Book
Egypt and Empire: The Formation of Religious Identity after Rome
Across Eurasia and North Africa in the First Millennium AD, empires rose and fell, each adopting a universalizing faith which distinguished it broadly from its neighbours. In Egypt, our sources are particularly rich, owing to the land's arid climate and the unparalleled survival not only of stone, ceramic and metalwork,...O'Connell, Elisabeth R.
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2020
Journal article
The British Museum and the State Hermitage Museum: collaboration, exhibitions, research
Explores the long history of collaboration between these two museums through exhibitions, conferences, research, scientific exchanges and archaeological excavations over the course of the 20th and 21st centuries, and shows how museums exercise soft power and maintain dialogues even in challenging political timesSimpson, St John
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2021
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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2021
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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2021
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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2018
Journal article
A corroboree for the Countess of Kintore: enlivening histories through objects
This paper discusses a corroboree performed in Darwin in 1893 to illustrate the potential of British ethnographic collections for researching overlooked historical events. The performance was brought to light after a collection of Aboriginal artefacts used in it was noted and examined by the author in the collections of Marischal...Sculthorpe, Gaye
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2016
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2020
Book
The Italian coins in the British Museum volume 1: South Italy, Sicily, Sardinia
A catalogue of the British Museum's collection of coins of South Italy, Sicily and Sardinia between 610 and 1860, with introductions on the history of the coinage and the provenance of the collection.Cook, Barrie ; Locatelli, Stefano ; Sarcinelli, Giuseppe ; Travaini, Lucia
British Museum, coinage, Italy, monetary history, and Sicily
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2020
Journal article
Peasants, produce and tractors: farming scenes on Communist banknotes
Communist regimes in the twentieth century deployed a common visual language through banknote imagery, forging new narratives framed within the context of shared political and economic goals. In particular, farming imagery came to dominate banknote design. All communist regimes pursued extensive agricultural reform, from the ownership of land to the...Hockenhull, Tom
communism, currency, and agriculture
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2021
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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2021
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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2022
Journal article
Putting the pieces back together: Rembrandt's Lamentation drawing under the microscope
A thorough examination of Rembrandt’s early drawing of the Lamentation at the Foot of the Cross in the British Museum (Benesch 154; registration number Oo,9.103) using magnification (x10), transmitted light, infrared imaging and Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI), in order to conclusively establish the construction of the paper and the different...Horbatsch, Olenka ; Snow, Rebecca ; Taylor, Samantha
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2022
Book chapter
The small finds
Part of a multi-author chapter discussing late and post-medieval finds from excavations on the island of Kinolhas, illustrating links with South Asia, the Middle East and East Africa, and illustrating the importance of the Maldives within Indian Ocean networks.Abe, Yoshinari ; Dussubieux, Laure ; Wood, Marilee ; Haour, Anne ; Simpson, St John
archaeology, Indian Ocean, and Maldives
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2021
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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2021
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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2021
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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2021
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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2015
Book
Hoards: Hidden History
Every so often a remarkable discovery hits the headlines - often an account of treasure hunters striking lucky after years of searching the land, or perhaps a chance find made by a farmer after ploughing. With each new hoard comes a story, or a number of possible stories and unanswered...Ghey, Eleanor
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2021
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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2020
Journal article
The Great Wave: how to identify reproductions
Korenberg, Capucine
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2020
Book chapter
Defining a Romano-Egyptian painting workshop at Tebtunis
The collections of the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley, include eleven mummy portraits excavated between 1899 and 1900 from Tebtunis, Egypt. This group constitutes one of the largest assemblages of Roman-period mummy portraits to remain both together and unrestored since excavation; as such, it presents...Williams, Jane ; Cartwright, Caroline ; Walton, Marc
painting, Egypt, Tebtunis, mummy portraits, scientific research, wood anatomy, and pigments
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2020
Journal article
Forgeries of Hellenistic bronze coins of Ithaca
This article examines the stylistic and metal composition differences between two variants of the bronze Odysseus/Cock type from Ithaca. It posits that Variant 2 is a forgery, which must have been produced after the Hellenistic period but before the end of the 19th century. It also identifies a historic substitution...Dowler, Amelia ; Perucchetti, Laura
British Museum, copper, metal composition, Hellenistic, X-ray fluorescence, copper alloy, numismatics, tin, coins, bronze, forgery, zinc, and Ithaca
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2020
Book
Arctic: culture and climate
For more than 25,000 years, Arctic peoples have made warm and hospitable homes in diverse and innovative ways out of ecosystems of ice. For the first time in their long history, however, Arctic communities are facing the real possibility that the foundations of their way of life—sea ice and permafrost—will...Lincoln, Amber ; Cooper, Jago ; Jan Peter, Laurens Loovers
archaeology, museum collections, Indigenous Arctic People, Arctic, climate change, and anthropology
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2020
Book
Mummy Portraits of Roman Egypt: Emerging Research from the APPEAR Project
This research has revitalized scholarly and scientific research into Roman Period Egyptian mummy portraits and provided a critical tool for understanding their production and influence on the history of art.Svoboda, Marie ; Cartwright, Caroline
science, Roman Period, pigments, multispectral imaging, wood, mummy portraits, painted panels, and Egypt
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2020
Book chapter
Touching the past: the Breadalbane Brooch and its bearers
The Breadalbane Brooch is a highlight of the British Museum’s early medieval Insular collection. A lavish accessory, it writhes with interlace and glitters with gold and glass gems. Encountering it on display, its first impact is as an art object rather than something that was made and used by real...Brunning, Sue
Symbolism, Zoomorphic, Pictish, Insular, Scotland, Irish, Picts, Celtic, Modification, Brooch, Early Medieval, Ireland, Dress, Use-wear, and Metalwork
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2020
Journal article
A coin of Augustus struck at Butrint
This article discusses a coin of Augustus struck at Butrint, found on excvations at Butrint, which possibly shows either Aeneas or Ascanius (Julius). It is appended to an article about related sculpture found at ButrintMoorhead, Sam
Coin, Aeneas, Augustus, Ascanius, Roman Provincial, Roman, and Butrint
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2020
Book
The social context of technology: non-ferrous metalworking in later prehistoric Britain and Ireland
The Social Context of Technology explores non-ferrous metalworking in Britain and Ireland during the Bronze and Iron Ages (c. 2500 BC to 1st century AD). Bronze-working dominates the evidence, though the crafting of other non-ferrous metals – including gold, silver, tin and lead – is also considered. Metalwork has long...Adams, Sophia ; Brück, Joanna ; Webley, Leo
Prehistoric Britain and Ireland, Metalworking, and Technology
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2020
Journal article
The art of hunting: coordinating subsistence laws with Alaska native harvesting practices
This paper explores the socioeconomic relationships between Alaska Native harvesting practices, the laws that regulate those practices, and Alaska Native art. In the 21st century, indigenous residents of northwestern Alaska incorporate harvesting activities into their travels between small rural communities, regional centers, and larger Alaskan cities. These harvests efficiently coordinate...Lincoln, Amber
art, markets, Arctic, Inuit, and anthropology
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2020
Book chapter
A passion for prints: Netherlandish engravings in an early sixteenth-century prayer book
An extraordinary prayer book manuscript dated c. 1530, recently acquired by the Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam), shows that printed images became recognized as a collectible category of art much earlier than is commonly understood. The manuscript includes 16 masterfully hand-coloured engravings by Netherlandish printmakers, including Lucas van Leyden’s 12-print series, the Engraved...Horbatsch, Olenka
Lucas van Leyden, manuscript, hand-coloured, engravings, Netherlandish, modified prints, etchings, Frans Crabbe, and prints
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2020
Journal article
Manufacturing techniques of Eastern Zhou bronze ding vessels with short legs: a case study of bronze ding (1949,0711.1) in the British Museum collection
This paper presents a detailed technical study of a Chinese bronze ding vessel with a bulging body, three short legs and a lid in the British Museum collection (1949,0711.1). It is a representative product made by the pattern-block method of the Houma foundry, the largest foundry site of the Eastern...Wang, Quanyu ; Su, Rongyu ; O'Flynn, Daniel ; Chen, Yi
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2020
Book chapter
Two sides of the coin: from Sophytes to Skanda-Karttikeya
This volume provides a thorough conspectus of the field of Graeco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek studies, mixing theoretical and historical surveys with critical and thought-provoking case studies in archaeology, history, literature and art. The chapters from this international group of experts showcase innovative methodologies, such as archaeological GIS, as well as providing...Jansari, Sushma
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2020
Book chapter
The sound of little feet at the British Museum
The British Museum is an iconic space housing objects from across time and around the world. As part of the public programme the Schools and Young Audiences Team run under 5s provision using different spaces and objects as inspiration for activities which encourage participation, exploration and enjoyment. In this chapter...Kelland, Kate ; Hoare, Katharine
learning, under5s, creative, activities, Museum, and galleries
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2021
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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2020
Book
Edmund de Waal: Library of Exile
Edmund de Waal: library of exile has been published to accompany the British Museum and Edmund de Waal’s art installation of the same name. A preface by Booker Prize-nominated author Elif Shakef considers the importance of literature and its capacity to transcend language and borders. The introduction from British Museum...de Waal, Edmund
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2020
Book
Tantra: enlightenment to revolution
Published to accompany the British Museum exhibition Tantra: enlightenment to revolution explores the radical philosophy that transformed the religious, cultural and political landscape of India and beyond. Originating in early medieval India, Tantra has been linked to successive waves of revolutionary thought; from its 6th century transformation of Hinduism and...Ramos, Imma
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2020
Book
Rivalling Rome: Parthian Coins and Culture
One hundred years after the conquest of the Persian Empire by Alexander of Macedon, we see the emergence of a new Iranian dynasty that, by 140 BC, has extended its rule to Western Iran and Mesopotamia. The Arsacid Parthians, famous for their riding and archery skills, became Rome’s most dangerous...Sarkhosh Curtis, Vesta ; Magub, Alexandra
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2020
Book
Reflections: Contemporary Art of the Middle East and North Africa
The contemporary art of the Middle East and North Africa is rich and vibrant. Whether living in their countries of birth or in diaspora, the featured artists are part of the globalised world of art. Here we see artists responding to and making work about their present, histories, traditions and...Porter, Venetia ; Tripp, Charles ; Morris, Natasha
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2020
Journal article
Coin hoards from England, Scotland and Wales 2020
An annual summary of coin hoards from England, Scotland and Wales found up to the end of the year before the year of publication of the journal.Ghey, Eleanor ; Andrews, Murray
Medieval, Iron Age, hoards, coins, archaeology, Early Medieval, Roman, Post-Medieval, and numismatics
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2020
Journal article
The Beau Street Hoard - what happened next?
Interpreting over 17,000 Roman coins Since the discovery of the Beau Street Hoard in Bath in 2007, years of research have illuminated the contents of this huge collection of late 3rd-century Roman coins, revealing new clues to why it might have been buried.Ghey, Eleanor
archaeology, numismatics, and Roman
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2019
Book
Inspired by the East: How the Islamic world Influenced Western Art
A broad view of the West's complex relationship with the Middle East and North Africa, told through a selection of exquisite art objects. This publication accompanies the exhibition 'Inspired by the East: how the Islamic world influenced Western art' organized by the British Museum and the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia.Greenwood, William ; de Guise, Lucien
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2019
Book chapter
Money and representation: text, image and message
An examination of the roles of text and image in the three major traditions of world coinage in the period 1400-1700.Cook, Barrie
text, coinage, Coin, authority, and numismatics, image
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1980
Book
Sutton Hoo Excavations 1966, 1968–70
A report of the British Museum excavations at Sutton Hoo in 1966 and 1968-70.Longworth, I.H.
Sutton Hoo, archaeology, and Anglo-Saxon
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2020
Book chapter
Understanding wood choices for ancient panel painting and mummy portraits in the APPEAR project through scanning electron microscopy
In Roman-period Egypt, it is clear that despite maintaining the traditional practice of mummification, there was a fashion for funerary portraiture that echoed Greek and Roman traditions in the Mediterranean region. The excellent condition of preservation of the wood anatomy of these mummy portraits enabled an unexpected revelation from their...Cartwright, Caroline
Egypt, scanning electron microscopy, timber, Roman period, wood anatomy, and mummy portraits
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2020
Book
Piranesi Drawings: Visions of Antiquity
The British Museum's collection of 51 drawings by the Venetian 18th-century artist is published and analysed for the first time with new findings about their dating, function and provenanceVowles, Sarah
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2019
Exhibition catalogue
Troy: Myth and Reality
Published to accompany a major exhibition at the British Museum, this beautifully illustrated book searches for the reality behind both the legends and the site of the ancient city itself. It introduces the storytellers who set down the original narrative, and recounts the fateful course of events – from the...Villing, Alexandra ; Fitton, J. Lesley ; Donnellan, Victoria ; Shapland, Andrew
Greek myth, Reception of antiquity, Classics, Troy, Trojan War, Homer, and Classical reception studies
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2020
Journal article
A conversation with Roger Keyes
Impressions asked Timothy Clark, newly retired Head of the Japanese Section, Asia Department at the British Museum, to ask Roger Keyes about his work and his recollections. They sat down together in the Asia Study Room at the British Museum on March 26, 2019.Clark, Timothy ; Keyes, Roger
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2020
Book chapter
The Early Middle Palaeolithic of Britain and Jersey: reconnecting the Saalian occupations of the Channel Region
The Early Middle Palaeolithic of southern Britain is best represented by the record recovered from within the terraces of the Thames, within which some attempt has been made to correlate particular sites to substage level within MIS 7. It has been suggested that there are particular features of the British...Scott, Beccy ; Ashton, Nick ; Shaw, Andrew ; Pope, Matthew
Jersey, Lithic industry., Early Middle Palaeolithic, Channel River, and Southern England
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2020
Book
Living with Art: The Alexander Walker Collection
In 2004 the British Museum received a bequest of 211 modern and contemporary prints and drawings from the London-based film critic Alexander Walker (1930–2003). Undoubtedly one of the most important bequests in recent years, the acquisition of these works has transformed and significantly expanded the Museum’s collection of modern and...Daunt, Catherine
British Museum, collection, art, contemporary, modern, collector, private collection, London, critic, collecting, film, prints, artists, drawings, and art market
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2020
Book chapter
Foreword to Living with Art
This foreword to the publication by Catherine Daunt outlines how the author became involved with the collector Alexander Walker (1930-2003) and the circumstances leading to his Bequest of his collection of modern works on paper to the British MuseumCoppel, Stephen
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1982
Book
A Romano-British Village at Grandford, March, Cambridgeshire
Publication of excavations at Granford, in the Cambridgeshire fens undertaken between 1958 and 1964. The authors excavated a very large Romano-British settlement which seems to have been initially occupied around AD 65-75, and grew to a substantial size, subsisting mainly on agriculture, but evidence for weaving, and pottery production was...Potter, T.W.
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2021
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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2020
Journal article
Khirbet Ghozlan
The site of Khirbet Um al-Ghozlan sits on a steep knoll overlooking the Wadi Rayyan in north Jordan. Because it is only 0.4 ha in size, most surveys would classify the site as a hamlet or village. In this respect, Khirbet Ghozlan sits comfortably within our traditional understanding of the...Fraser, James ; Cartwright, Caroline
olive oil, olives, Jordan valley, Early Bronze Age IV, Olea europaea, and Khirbet Um al-Ghozlan
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2019
Journal article
Insights from nondestructive geochemical analyses of Hacienda Grande (Puerto Rico) and Salt River (Virgin Islands) Saladoid and Ostionoid ceramics
After decades of archaeological excavations, legacy collections present us with vast reservoirs of untapped research potential. By studying Ceramic Age (ca. 500 bc–ad 600) Caribbean pottery from Hacienda Grande (Puerto Rico) and Salt River (St. Croix), this exploratory study devised a method for the use of nondestructive geochemical analyses (portable...Van Thienen, Vince ; Martínez Milantchí, María Mercedes
legacy collection, ceramic practice, Caribbean archaeology, cultural interaction, and geochemistry
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2020
Journal article
A scientific study of Eastern Zhou bronze weapons with tin-rich surface decoration
In this paper we examined three bronze weapons with tin-rich surface decoration from the Eastern Zhou period: a sword (1966,0222.1) with a trellis pattern, a spearhead (1947,0712.426) with a hexagonal star pattern in the British Museum collections, and a sword (GT698) with a trellis pattern from a private collection. These...Wang, Quanyu ; Chen, Yi ; O'Flynn, Daniel
bronze weapon, tin-rich decoration, trellis pattern, and Eastern Zhou
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2020
Book
Arctic: culture and climate
Often imaged as one of the most inhospitable places on Earth, the Arctic has in fact been inhabited for nearly 30,000 years. The various communities that call the region home have found ingenious ways to harness and celebrate the environment, and to co-exist with its wildlife. Today, man-made climate change...Lincoln, Amber ; Cooper, Jago ; Laurens Loovers, Jan Peter
Arctic and climate change
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2020
Book chapter
The results of new scientific analyses of gold bracelets from Taksai-1 and an iron sword from Issyk in the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan
The British Museum held the BP exhibition Scythians: warriors of ancient Siberia from September 2017 to January 2018. Among the many exhibits were several important objects dating from the early Iron Age on loan from the collection of the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, including two gold bracelets...Lang, Janet ; O'Flynn, Daniel ; Mongiatti, Aude ; Yarygin, S. A. ; Satubaldin, A. K.
gold, Issyk, bracelets, akinakes, scientific research, Taksai-1, and Early nomads
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2020
Journal article
Objectifying processes: The use of geometric morphometrics and multivariate analyses on Acheulean tools
Nowadays, the fruitful discussion regarding the morphological variability of handaxes during the Middle Pleistocene has reached a decisive moment with the use of more accurate statistical methods, such as geometric morphometrics (GM) and multivariate analyses (MA). This paper presents a preliminary methodological approach for checking the utility of these new...García-Medrano, Paula ; Maldonado-Garrido, Elías ; Ashton, Nick ; Ollé, Andreu
Boxgrove, Middle Pleistocene, handaxes, multivariate analyses, geometric morphometrics, Swanscombe, and Acheulean
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2020
Book
Iron Age and Roman Coin Hoards in Britain
More coin hoards have been recorded from Roman Britain than from any other province of the Empire. This comprehensive and lavishly illustrated volume provides a survey of over 3260 hoards of Iron Age and Roman coins found in England and Wales with a detailed analysis and discussion. Theories of hoarding...Bland, Roger ; Chadwick, Adrian ; Ghey, Eleanor ; Haselgrove, Colin ; Mattingly, David J.
archaeology, hoards, artefacts, numismatics, Roman, Iron Age, and landscape
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2020
Book chapter
Scientific study of the etching process used on ancient carnelian beads
Etched carnelian beads are a striking example of the very high level of technological skills developed by ancient civilisations to create ornament and jewellery. This study combines the characterisation of etched areas of archaeological beads from the British Museum collection with the experimental etching of modern carnelian in laboratory conditions,... -
2019
Journal article
The curation and display of Lindow Man
Lindow Man is one of the best-preserved Iron Age bog bodies from Europe. Since his discovery in August 1984, he has been on almost permanent display to the public and the subject of close scientific scrutiny. This article focuses on the life of Lindow Man since his discovery, charting how...Joy, Jody ; Farley, Julia
display, ethics, preservation, wetlands, museum, curation, human remains, and Bog body
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2020
Journal article
Enlightenment architectures: the reconstruction of Sir Hans Sloane’s cabinets of ‘Miscellanies’
Focusing on Sir Hans Sloane’s catalogue of ‘Miscellanies’, now in the British Museum, this paper asks firstly how Sloane described objects and secondly whether the original contents of the cabinets can be reconstructed from his catalogue. Drawing on a sustained, digitally augmented analysis – the first of its kind –...Sloan, Kim ; Nyhan, Julianne
British Museum, digitization, collections, cabinets, Sir Hans Sloane, digital humanities, and catalogues
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2012
Wang, Helen
China, sinology, and numismatics
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2020
Journal article
Bitumen from the Dead Sea in Early Iron Age Nubia
Bitumen has been identified for the first time in Egyptian occupied Nubia, from within the town of Amara West, occupied from around 1300 to 1050 BC. The bitumen can be sourced to the Dead Sea using biomarkers, evidencing a trade in this material from the eastern Mediterranean to Nubia in...Fulcher, Kate ; Stacey, Rebecca ; Spencer, Neal
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2020
Book
Model of a Summer Camp
The Model of a Summer Camp is a fascinating object with a range of stories to tell. Originating in the Sakha (Yakutia) region of far northeastern Russia, it depicts a yhyakh celebration – a festival of huge cultural importance to the region. This concise book takes a detailed look at...Argounova-Low, Tatiana ; Brown, Alison K. ; Jansari, Sushma
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2020
Book chapter
Sex and sensitivities: exhibiting and interpreting Shunga at the British Museum
For much of the British Museum's long history it has had a difficult relationship with sex, sexuality, and gender diversity. Most museums and galleries have been reticent to display publicly, or meaningfully interpret, objects that explicitly reflect these themes, or which challenge society’s heteronormative ideals. The museum’s special exhibition program...Frost, Stuart
British Museum, interpretation, exhibitions, shunga, gender, sexuality, and visitor research
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2019
Journal article
Investigating Asian colourants in Chinese textiles from Dunhuang (7th-10th century AD) by high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry – towards the creation of a mass spectra database
A broad palette of natural dyes is often mentioned with reference to dyed textiles from ancient China. However, few scientific works address the problem of correctly identifying these dyes, often referring simply to unidentified sources. The aim of this work was the creation of a database of mass spectra of...Tmaburini, Diego
HPLC-MS, Tandem mass spectra, Asian dyes, Chinese textiles, Dunhuang Silk Road
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2020
Journal article
Ethnobotany of Hawaiian figure sculpture
Anecdotal theories about traditional uses of Polynesian woods in relation to social and religious practices were tested using comparative wood identification. The woods used to make 135 figure carvings from the Hawaiian archipelago were identified and compared with 23 figure carvings from elsewhere in Polynesia (especially Tahiti and the Marquesas)....Rudall, Paula J. ; Cartwright, Caroline
ethnobotany, Polynesia, and wood anatomy
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2020
Book chapter
Change and transformation: Picasso the printmaker
An analysis of Picasso's activities as a printmaker being dependent on his proximity to printers and their workshops at different periods during his career.Hincelin, Emmanuelle ; Andres, Violette ; Lloyd, Christopher ; Philippot, Emilia ; Robinson, William H. …
collaboration, Picasso, printmaking, and printers
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2019
Book
Statues in Context: Production, Meaning and (Re)Uses
Moving beyond typological and stylistic discourses on Egyptian statuary, the papers gathered here seek to explore the architectural, cultic and production contexts of statuary, to shed light on religious or cultural practices, and the political or economic agenda behind the display or hiding of these sculptures. How and why were...Masson-Berghoff, Aurélia
archaeology, Egyptology, statues, Egyptian sculptures, and Egyptian bronzes
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2018
Journal article
Museological approaches to the management of digital research and engagement: The African Rock Art Image Project
The African Rock Art Image Project at the British Museum has documented and disseminated c. 24,000 digital images of rock art from throughout the continent, donated by the Trust for African Rock Art (TARA). The images were registered into the British Museum’s permanent collection and treated as objects in their...Anderson, Helen ; Galvin, Elizabeth ; de Torres Rodriguez, Jorge
archaeology, Museum studies, and Africa
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2020
Journal article
The palm tree ryal of Mary Queen of Scots revisited
An investigation of the unusual design of this coin, a tortoise climbing up a palm tree.Cook, Barrie ; Archibald, Marion
palm tree, coinage, tortoise, ryal, and Mary Queen of Scots
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2019
Journal article
The potential of triterpenoids as chemotaxonomic tools to identify and differentiate genuine, adulterated and archaeological balsams
Plant exudates have been extensively used in the past for different applications related to their olfactory, physical or medical properties. Their identification in archaeological samples relies, notably, on the characterisation of chemotaxonomic molecular markers but is often hampered by the severe alteration of their typical genuine molecular signature due to...Courel, Blandine ; Adam, Pierre ; Schaeffer, Philippe
Styrax, Liquidambar, Myroxylon, GC/MS, 6‑oxygenated oleanolic acid, 3-epi oleanolic acid
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2019
Journal article
Twisted handaxes in Middle Pleistocene Britain and their implications for regional-scale cultural variation and the deep history of Acheulean hominin groups
A better understood chronological framework for the Middle Pleistocene of Britain has enabled archaeologists to detect a number of temporally-restricted assemblage-types, based not on ‘culture historical’ schemes of typological progression but on independent dating methods and secure stratigraphic frameworks, especially river-terrace sequences. This includes a consistent pattern in the timing...White, Mark ; Ashton, Nick ; Bridgland, David
ovate handaxes, social networks, Middle Pleistocene, hominin settlement, and Acheulean
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2019
Journal article
From site to museum: a critical assessment of collection history on the formation and interpretation of the British Early Palaeolithic record
The British Lower and Middle Palaeolithic record makes an important contribution to understanding the early occupation of northern Europe, in particular, through the detailed, systematic and multidisciplinary excavations of key sites. However, it is the historic collections, amassed by a large number of collectors over a 100-year period from the...Harris, Claire R.E. ; Ashton, Nick ; Lewis, Simon G.
Collecting, UK, Museum, Early Palaeolithic, and Handaxes
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2016
Journal article
Identification, geochemical characterisation and significance of bitumen among the grave goods of the 7th century mound 1 ship-burial at Sutton Hoo (Suffolk, UK)
The 7th century ship-burial at Sutton Hoo is famous for the spectacular treasure discovered when it was first excavated in 1939. The finds include gold and garnet jewellery, silverware, coins and ceremonial armour of broad geographical provenance which make a vital contribution to understanding the political landscape of early medieval...Burger, Pauline ; Stacey, Rebecca J. ; Bowden, Stephen A. ; Hacke, Marei ; Parnell, John
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2020
Journal article
Harold-as-Aeneas? The influence of the Aeneid on a rescue scene in the Bayeux Tapestry
This article examines a particular scene in the Bayeux Tapestry where Earl Harold of Wessex rescues Normans from the River Couesnon (Brittany/Normandy) in reference to a similar scene in the Aeneid. It considers the qualities of the 'heroes' in both scenes - Harold and Aeneas - and considers the a...Rollason, Nikki K. ; Michael, Lewis
art, Aeneas, Harold of Wessex (Harold II), Aeneid, and Bayeux Tapestry
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