A previously unknown assemblage of Palaeolithic handaxes from Canterbury was discovered in a museum archive, by Durham Archaeology PhD researcher Pete Knowles. The assemblage contains one of the world's largest and probably finest examples of a ficron handaxe. The handaxe raises many questions about form and function: why did early Neanderthals need to craft such complex tools?

This 13 October is the UN’s International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction. Professor Robin Coningham and Dr Christopher Davis from our Department of Archaeology explain why sustainable access to water is so important and how Durham is helping.

During Black History Month 2023, the Department of Archaeology will be regularly releasing a news item relating to the life and work of a Black archaeologist. Watch this space for more articles as they are released.

Durham University Archaeology students have been part of an extraordinary archaeological discovery in Spain.

A psychological phenomenon where people see meaningful forms in random patterns, such as seeing faces in clouds, may have stimulated early humans to make cave art.

Archaeology PhD researcher Megan Olshefski completes a 95-mile walk in memory of the 17th century Scottish soldiers forced to march from Dunbar to Durham Cathedral after the 1650 Battle of Dunbar.

Dr Harriet Evans-Tang, a Post Doctoral Research Associate in our Department of Archaeology, and Dr Keith Ruiter from the University of Suffolk explore the connection between vikings and their horses.

Durham project 'Exploring cultural capital in local communities' wins Emerald Publishing Interdisciplinary Research Award project for 2022/3.

On 8 July, we welcomed a delegation from the Palace Museum Beijing, led by Senior Deputy Director Mr LOU Wei, to Durham.

From May to August 2023, we have partnered with the Palace Museum in Beijing, to host ‘Pearl by the Sea - The Comparative Exhibition of Ceramic Finds from Ras al-Khaimah and China’ at the Longquan Celadon Museum in Zhejiang, China.

At ALLEA (The European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities) our Professor of Archaeology Robin Coningham was a panelist for their recent General Assembly on Crises and the Importance of Research: "How Prepared Can We Be?"

The history of Chinese trade is sometimes still a bit of a mystery due to the lack of historical records. This is where archaeologists are relying on ceramics to tell the story.