Social Items


The last decade had major archaeological discoveries, from the 10-month excavation of a Bronze Age settlement in England to what could be the world’s oldest figurative artwork, which was found in Indonesia last year. To find out more, nine archaeologists and scholars share their thoughts on which of these finds was the most the most significant?

Peggy Brunache
Lecturer in the history of slavery, University of Glasgow

In 2017, the domicile room of Sally Hemings at Thomas Jefferson’s historic Virginia mansion, Monticello, was discovered. Hemings, an enslaved woman, is believed by many to have given birth to several children of one of America’s beloved Founding Fathers. (The theory is supported by DNA evidence.) This discovery once again puts a focus on the entangled roles of enslaved people in the founding of the United States and, more importantly, on the private life of the man who famously wrote “All men are created equal,” and yet, over the course of his life, was a slaveholder of hundreds of Black lives.

Catherine Frieman
Associate professor of European archaeology, Australian National University

There have been many spectacular finds over the last decade. But, the one I personally consider most significant is the (beautifully excavated) waterlogged, burnt-down Bronze Age village at Must Farm in Whittlesey, England. The combination of conflagration and water logging means that organic preservation is unbelievable, offering a richly textured, tangible vision of daily life 3,000 years ago. Usually, our stories of the Bronze Age concern chiefs, swords, gold, and war; but Must Farm’s data lets us explore sewing, cooking, carpentry, and the sort of day-to-day existence that would have been familiar to most Bronze Age people.

Roland Enmarch
Senior lecturer in Egyptology, University of Liverpool

For me, the most remarkable archaeological discovery of this decade was the finding of the oldest known inscribed papyri at the ancient port of Wadi el-Jarf on the Red Sea. Almost 4,600 years old, they are the administrative archive of one of the officials who controlled the gangs who quarried and ferried stone for the Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It’s amazing to have even a fragmentary glimpse of the day-by-day records of the work of the pyramid builders.

Sofia Samper Carro
Lecturer in archaeology, Australian National University

During the last decade, several findings have shaken up our previous knowledge or assumption in palaeoanthropology and prehistoric archaeology disciplines. I reckon the most significant discovery has been the evidence that there were more hominins sharing the world at the same time, such as Denisovans or the recently found H. luzonensis. This makes research in prehistoric archaeology much more complex and exciting than what it was previously, pushing for more systematic and scientifically-based interpretations of human evolution paths.

Most Significant Archaeological Discoveries of the last Decade according to Four Historians


The last decade had major archaeological discoveries, from the 10-month excavation of a Bronze Age settlement in England to what could be the world’s oldest figurative artwork, which was found in Indonesia last year. To find out more, nine archaeologists and scholars share their thoughts on which of these finds was the most the most significant?

Peggy Brunache
Lecturer in the history of slavery, University of Glasgow

In 2017, the domicile room of Sally Hemings at Thomas Jefferson’s historic Virginia mansion, Monticello, was discovered. Hemings, an enslaved woman, is believed by many to have given birth to several children of one of America’s beloved Founding Fathers. (The theory is supported by DNA evidence.) This discovery once again puts a focus on the entangled roles of enslaved people in the founding of the United States and, more importantly, on the private life of the man who famously wrote “All men are created equal,” and yet, over the course of his life, was a slaveholder of hundreds of Black lives.

Catherine Frieman
Associate professor of European archaeology, Australian National University

There have been many spectacular finds over the last decade. But, the one I personally consider most significant is the (beautifully excavated) waterlogged, burnt-down Bronze Age village at Must Farm in Whittlesey, England. The combination of conflagration and water logging means that organic preservation is unbelievable, offering a richly textured, tangible vision of daily life 3,000 years ago. Usually, our stories of the Bronze Age concern chiefs, swords, gold, and war; but Must Farm’s data lets us explore sewing, cooking, carpentry, and the sort of day-to-day existence that would have been familiar to most Bronze Age people.

Roland Enmarch
Senior lecturer in Egyptology, University of Liverpool

For me, the most remarkable archaeological discovery of this decade was the finding of the oldest known inscribed papyri at the ancient port of Wadi el-Jarf on the Red Sea. Almost 4,600 years old, they are the administrative archive of one of the officials who controlled the gangs who quarried and ferried stone for the Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It’s amazing to have even a fragmentary glimpse of the day-by-day records of the work of the pyramid builders.

Sofia Samper Carro
Lecturer in archaeology, Australian National University

During the last decade, several findings have shaken up our previous knowledge or assumption in palaeoanthropology and prehistoric archaeology disciplines. I reckon the most significant discovery has been the evidence that there were more hominins sharing the world at the same time, such as Denisovans or the recently found H. luzonensis. This makes research in prehistoric archaeology much more complex and exciting than what it was previously, pushing for more systematic and scientifically-based interpretations of human evolution paths.

Archaeology