Archinect - News

Anglo-Saxon burial ground uncovered during work on Britain's HS2 railway

2022-06-17T16:57:00-04:00

“A vast Anglo-Saxon burial site containing 138 graves has been unearthed by archaeologists working on the HS2 cross-country rail route under construction across the UK. The site, near Wendover in Buckinghamshire, contains the remains of more than 140 people, some of which were buried with jewellery, knives and a personal grooming kit. “It is one of the best and most revealing post-Roman sites in the country,” says the historian Dan Snow.”

According to a statement by HS2, the site contained 138 graves, with 141 inhumation burials and five cremation burials, making it one of the largest Anglo-Saxon burial grounds ever uncovered in Britain. According to Rachel Wood, the lead archaeologist for Fusion JV, the company behind the fieldwork, Anglo-Saxon cemeteries are rare. The items uncovered date back to the 5th and 6th century, a period in which there are gaps in historical and archaeological record. Nearly three quarters of the graves contained high quality items, including jewelry, swords, shields, spears, and personal grooming items such as ear wax removers and tweezers, suggesting the site was the resting place for a wealthy community.

Additionally, nearly all of the burials were found with decorated brooches on their collarbone, indicating they were holding up garments such as cloaks or peplos, a long garment worn by women with shoulder brooches. This archaeological find was discovered similarly to that of a well-p...

Archaeologists unearth 'lost' 8th-century monastery ruled by prominent Anglo-Saxon queen

2021-08-19T17:11:00-04:00

Archaeologists at the University of Reading and local volunteers have discovered a long-lost 8th-century Anglo-Saxon monastery in the historic village of Cookham in Berkshire, England. The finding provides unique insight into one of the most prominent women of the early middle ages and potentially her final resting place.

The location of the site has been a long-debated mystery until now. Written records indicate that it was once under the rule of Queen Cynethryth, the widow of the powerful King Offa of Mercia, one of the main Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. She is the only Anglo-Saxon queen known to have been depicted on a coin.

Excavating the grounds of Holy Trinity Church, one of the rumored locations of the monastery, the team uncovered the remnants of timber buildings, which would have housed the inhabitants of the space. They also unearthed a collection of artifacts including food remains, pottery vessels used for cooking and eating, a delicate bronze bracelet, and a dress pin, presum...

Laser scans uncover thousands of ancient Mayan structures

2018-02-05T14:06:00-05:00

In what’s being hailed as a “major breakthrough” in Maya archaeology, researchers have identified the ruins of more than 60,000 houses, palaces, elevated highways, and other human-made features that have been hidden for centuries under the jungles of northern Guatemala. Using a revolutionary technology known as LiDAR (short for “Light Detection And Ranging”), scholars digitally removed the tree canopy from aerial images of the now-unpopulated landscape [...]

New pyramid, older than Giza, discovered 20 miles south of Cairo

2017-04-04T13:48:00-04:00

Archeaologists have discovered what appears to be the first attempt at a smooth-sided pyramid in Egypt. The pyramid is estimated to be 3,700 years old (about 200 years older than Giza), and although no elaborately-outfitted burial chambers have been found yet, the team is still excavating in an attempt to determine the full size of the pyramid. According to the Associated Press, it's located 20 miles south of Cairo in the sleepy burial community of the Dahshur necropolis, which has long been home to graves of royal courtiers and other high-society movers and shakers.

Huge groundwater reserves discovered deep below California's Central Valley

2016-06-28T13:49:00-04:00

In a surprising new study, Stanford researchers have found that drought-ravaged California is sitting on top of a vast and previously unrecognized water resource, in the form of deep groundwater, residing at depths between 1,000 and nearly 10,000 feet below the surface of the state’s always thirsty Central Valley. [...] new research could prove controversial among scientists trying to interpret what it means for a state that has battled over water, and its distribution, going back many decades.

Other drought-related stories in the Archinect news:

Archaeologists discover hidden ancient cities in Cambodia, some as big as Phnom Penh

2016-06-13T16:07:00-04:00

Archaeologists in Cambodia have found multiple, previously undocumented medieval cities not far from the ancient temple city of Angkor Wat...Some experts believe that the recently analysed data – captured in 2015 during the most extensive airborne study ever undertaken by an archaeological project, covering 734 sq miles (1,901 sq km) – shows that the colossal, densely populated cities would have constituted the largest empire on earth at the time of its peak in the 12th century.

“That survey uncovered an array of discoveries, including elaborate water systems that were built hundreds of years before historians believed the technology existed. The findings are expected to challenge theories on how the Khmer empire developed, dominated the region, and declined around the 15th century, and the role of climate change and water management in that process.”

Massive tomb complex unearthed in Beijing suburb

2015-05-05T16:34:00-04:00

Archeologists have unearthed a massive tomb complex in a southwest suburb in Beijing, according to the Beijing Institute of Cultural Heritage on Monday. They said the complex is a rare discovery given its size, time span and location. The 70 hectare archeological site consists of 129 tombs built over 1,100 years, spanning from the East Han Dynasty (25-220) to Tang Dynasty (618-907) and Liao (907-1125).

Shuttle LOVE

2011-07-21T21:25:35-04:00

People from plumbers to astronauts, thanks for the ride

UltimateCubicle: Space Shuttle Discovery Flight Deck 360