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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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Research report
Understanding and Monitoring the Cromer Forest-bed Formation
The Cromer Forest-bed Formation that is exposed on the foreshores of the Suffolk and Norfolk coasts is of critical importance in understanding the earliest human occupation of northern Europe, but is under continual destruction from coastal erosion. This report is the culmination of a four year programme to monitor and...Ashton, Nick ; Lewis, Simon G. ; Parfitt, Simon A. ; Bates, Martin R. ; Bates, Richard …
coastal; environmental studies; geoarchaeology; palaeolithic
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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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Journal article
Rethinking Human Responses to Sea-level Rise: The Mesolithic Occupation of the Channel Islands
This work provides new insights into human responses to and perceptions of sea-level rise at a time when the landscapes of north-west Europe were radically changing. These issues are investigated through a case study focused on the Channel Islands. We report on the excavation of two sites, Canal du Squez...Conneller, Chantal ; Bates, Martin ; Bates, Richard ; Schadla-Hall, Tim ; Blinkhorn, Edward …
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Journal article
Handaxe and non-handaxe assemblages during Marine Isotope Stage 11 in northern Europe: Recent investigations at Barnham, Suffolk, UK
Britain has an important geological, environmental and archaeological record for Marine Isotope Stage 11 (MIS 11), which makes a major contribution to understanding of the human occupation of northern Europe. New fieldwork at Barnham, Suffolk, UK, has identified through improved geological resolution the change in assemblages from simple core and...Ashton, Nick ; Lewis, Simon G. ; Parfitt, Simon A. ; Davis, Rob J. ; Stringer, Chris
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Journal article
' A Shield Loaded with History: Encounters, Objects and Exhibitions
This article discusses an Aboriginal shield in the British Museum which is widely believed to have been used in the first encounter between Lieutenant James Cook's expedition and the Gweagal people at Botany Bay in late April 1770. It traces the ways in which the shield became ‘Cook-related’, and increasingly...Nugent, Maria ; Sculthorpe, Gaye
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Journal article
Identification, Geochemical Characterisation and Significance of Bitumen among the Grave Goods of the 7th Century Mound 1 Ship-Burial at Sutton Hoo
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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Journal article
Ancient encaustic: An experimental exploration of technology, ageing behaviour and approaches to analytical investigation
The composition of the ancient wax-based painting technique known as encaustic has long been the subject of debate. Ancient sources provide few details of the technology, and modern understanding of the medium is restricted to theoretical interpretation and experimental observation. In this multi-analytical collaborative study, a number of analytical approaches...Stacey, Rebecca J. ; Dyer, Joanne ; Mussell, C. ; Lluveras-Tenorio, A. ; Colombini, M.P. …
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Journal article
Human occupation of Northern Europe in MIS 13: a response to comments by Gibbard et al. (2019)
In a recent paper (Lewis et al., 2019) we reported the results of geological and archaeological investigations at Happisburgh Site 1. We also considered the significance of the site for understanding the human occupation of northern Europe during the early Middle Pleistocene. In a comment on the paper, Gibbard et...Lewis, Simon ; Ashton, Nick ; Hoare, Peter G. ; Parfitt, Simon
Happisburgh; human footprints; Lower Paleolithic; Early Pleistocene; Britain; Europe
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Journal article
Shashotep-Shutb: An Ancient City Rediscovered
The British Museum Asyut Region Project aims at reconstructing and preserving the deep history of the Asyut region through survey and documentation of its pharaonic and post-pharaonic heritage, including the varied responses of local communities who live atop the layers of history below. Two initial field seasons have concentrated on...Regulski, Ilona ; Bunbury, Judith ; Marchand, Sylvie ; Gabel, Ann-Cathrin ; Chauvet, Barbara
Asyut; augering; Middle Egypt; settlement archaeology; survey
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Journal article
A multi‑scalar investigation of the colouring materials used in textile wrappings of Egyptian votive animal mummies
Commonly exhibited in museum galleries, animal mummies have been the focus of interest of both visitors and researchers alike. The study of these animal remains not only provides new insights into embalming techniques, but also brings a unique perspective on religious, social and economic practices. Twenty animal mummies are discussed...Tamburini, Diego ; Dyer, Joanne ; Vandenbeusch, Marie ; Borla, Matilde ; Angelici, Debora …
animal mummies; archaeological textiles; organic dyes; tannins; ancient Egypt
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Book chapter
Steps from history. The Happisburgh footprints and their connections with the past
Human footprints were discovered at Happisburgh, UK, in 2013. This paper describes their discovery and the difficulties of recording such enigmatic remains in a coastal environment.Ashton, Nick
Happisburgh; human footprints; Lower Paleolithic; Early Pleistocene; Britain; Europe
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Book
Ancestors, Artefacts, Empire: Indigenous Australia in British and Irish Museums
Museums across Great Britain and Ireland hold Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (collectively referred to as ‘Indigenous’) cultural heritage of exceptional value which is largely unknown, rarely seen and poorly understood. Gifted, sold, exchanged and bartered by Indigenous people, and accepted, bought, collected and taken by travellers, colonists, explorers, missionaries,...Sculthorpe, Gaye ; Nugent, Maria ; Morphy, Howard
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Journal article
Successes and challenges in laser cleaning metal artefacts: A review
Over the past fifty years, laser cleaning has progressively become an established conservation cleaning treatment for a range of artefacts, including stone, ceramics and paintings. While its application to metal is not widespread, there have been several reports of laser cleaning on metal artefacts. However, the findings of these studies...Bertasa, Moira ; Korenberg, Capucine
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Book chapter
Sex and Sensitivities: Exhibiting and Interpreting Shunga at the British Museum
Sexually explicit paintings, prints, and illustrated books known as shunga (“spring pictures”) were produced in Japan in considerable quantities between 1600 and 1900. For most of the twentieth century, although shunga was actively collected and represented in major museum collections, it was rarely exhibited publicly, particularly the more explicit works....Frost, Stuart
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Book
Hokusai: The Great Picture Book of Everything
The accompanying hardback title to the British Museum exhibition Hokusai: The Great Picture Book of Everything. This landmark publication documents a major new discovery of over 100 drawings by the foremost Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai. Acquired by the British Museum in 2020, these previously unpublished drawings had been forgotten for...Clark, Tim
drawings, Japanese art, and Hokusai
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Book
Hokusai: Beyond the Great Wave
The accompanying title to the major British Museum exhibition Hokusai: beyond the Great Wave. Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) is widely regarded as one of Japan’s most famous and influential artists. This publication casts fresh light on the sublime paintings and prints Hokusai created in the last thirty years of his life,...Clark, Tim
Japanese art, Hokusai, drawing, painting, woodblock printing, and British Museum
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Book chapter
A visitor-focused approach to interpretation and learning
An illustrated overview of the British Museum's interpretation and learning programme centred around the Albukhary Foundation Gallery of the Islamic World that opened at the British Museum in 2018. The chapter discusses new way of interpreting objects in the Museum's collection based on years of visitor research as well as...Frost, Stuart