In our previous Ancient World in London video, history enthusiast Ian Smith showed adventurer Nicole Favish round the Thames and London Wall on the first leg of their Londinium tour. This stop sees them dive right into the heart of the ancient city, to the church of St. Peter-upon-Cornhill. “This is the original site of Christianity in Britain,” says Ian outside the 17th century church, which is allegedly the spot where Romans paid their respects from the 2nd century AD. But there’s much more to the area than religion: this is also the site of the Roman Basilica and Forum.…
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Fellow residents of our Early-Medieval Britannia! Many of you will have become aware of strange men coming from oversees to our green and pleasant island home. You may be wondering who these people are, what they have come for and how long they plan to stay. To we Britons, their barbarian and guttural languages all sound very much the same… but let me inform you that in fact these visitors actually come from different places and each have different cultures- though they share many traits, they will be offended if you should accidentally confuse them for one another. So how…
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My recent travels in India took me to Ajanta, about two hours’ drive outside of Aurangabad, in the Indian state of Maharashtra (where they’re making perfectly drinkable wine these days, by the way). The nearby small town of Ajanta gives its name to the collective of 29 caves carved out of a sheer wall of rock in a horseshoe-shaped river canyon, completed in the period 200BC to 500AD in the name of Buddhism. Several are temples, but most are dormitories originally built for temporarily housing Buddhist monks, as well as travellers and itinerant spice traders. The spice route passed through…
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Roman London is mostly intangible, hidden and largely forgotten. Today it’s buried under tons of concrete and glass in the shape of the City of London London’s financial district with its busy streets, packed offices and underground networks. It’s not surprising that getting a peak at the remains of the Roman city founded soon after 43 AD is not easy, but archaeologists have excavated several large areas, often when construction projects and post-war reconstruction have provided opportunities to open up the ground. However, areas remain that have yet to be studied by a professional archaeologist, so what Roman structures could…
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We have partnered with Turkey holiday specialist HolidayMate to offer you a grand prize – a week’s holiday for two in Turkey. One lucky competition participant will win the prize at the end of our 12 week Ancient World in London series. For those of you suffering the grey London weather, here are some details to mull over: The prize is a breathtaking holiday for 2 people for 7 nights on the sunny shores of Dalaman, Turkey. The lucky winners will be treated to 4 star bed and breakfast accommodation at Green Anatolia Hotel, Fethiye – Ovacik. All flights from…
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Attribution: matman73072 London United Kingdom Key Dates Southwark was first founded as part of Roman London sometime during the 1st century AD, then abandoned after Roman withdrawal from Britain in 410. It was re-founded as a “burh” during the Anglo-Saxon period, in approximately 886. The Anglo-Saxon London Bridge was built between Southwark and the City of London by at least 1000. Southwark’s defenses repelled Viking attacks in 1014, then later the Norman army in 1066. It features heavily in the Domesday Book of 1086, by which point we can see a thriving community emerging at Southwark. Key People Southwark was…
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I think it is important to note that having an interest in archaeology and then working in it are two polar opposed situations. With an interest or a hobby you can choose an area of interest, lets say 2010 is going to be ‘Egypt’. You can read till your heart’s content on these areas of fascination and in the summer take the family on a holiday to look at the sites and breathe in the history. Bish Bash Boom, the Egypt box is ticked. Pompeii will be 2012. For the commercial archaeologist in Britain, these dreams die shortly after graduation.…
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This Friday promises a feast for archaeology lovers in the Toronto area. The Archaeology Centre, at the University of Toronto, is holding Archaeology Research Day. It takes place from 10 am to 4 pm at Koffler House, 569 Spadina Ave., Room 108. Fifteen presentations will be given on archaeology research happening all around the world. Its a free event and theres no registration. If youre interested in research involving ancient times, you will not be disappointed. Much of the research that is going to be presented dates to that era. Here are some of the highlights: News From Syria This…
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They came. They saw. They brought affordable self-assembly flat-pack furniture. Okay, so the Scandinavian contribution to the fabric of modern London might not be any more obvious than a few IKEA stores and a scattering of ubiquitous blonde-haired tourists, students, au pairs and bar workers. But without both the influence and menace of outlanders from Denmark, Norway and Sweden in the Anglo-Saxon period, Britains iconic capital wouldnt be the city it is today. Thats why I reckon theyre the invaders that had the biggest influence on London. The Vikings burned, raped, pillaged, ransacked and generally terrorised London frequently between 842…
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Learning about ‘alternative’ sexualities through time is often a murky business, beset with the prejudices and right-leaning morals of almost every culture in history. And when you’re looking as far back as ancient Egypt, the task becomes infinitely harder. This makes the Petrie Museum’s latest endeavour all the more impressive, as it falls in line with LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) Month, a UK-wide event running throughout February. Watch our special AWiL video on Love & Sex in the ancient world here. Like lesbian or gay history in general, you’ll have to do more than scratch at the museum’s…