Minerva Magazine - March/April 2017

In this issue

Defend or destroy?
The Praetorian Guard was the elite military corps paid handsomely to protect Roman emperors, but their masters had to be on their guard in case these too powerful men turned against them. Guy de la Bédoyère

Under the volcano
From Etna and Krakatoa to a tale of Gothic horror, a new exhibition in Oxford shows the effects of volcanoes, how they have long fascinated us and how volcanology developed as a science. Theresa Thompson

Rendlesham revealed
Archaeologists, four metal-detectorists and a local landowner, have worked together to uncover the site of a 7th-century royal Anglo-Saxon settlement in south-east Suffolk. Faye Minter, Jude Plouviez and Christopher Scull

The ship of death
The burial mounds at Sutton Hoo by the River Deben in Suffolk were first excavated in 1939 to reveal a haunting ship burial and some of the greatest Anglo-Saxon treasures ever found in England. Martin Carver

Cultural connections
Professor Lukas Nickel of the University of Vienna talks about the links between Ancient China and the Hellenistic world, which he deduced after studying warriors from the 3rd-century BC Terracotta Army. Dalu Jones

Megalith mania
Stonehenge, England’s most famous prehistoric monument, has inspired artists, writers, advertisers, fashion photographers, comic-book heroes and a wealth of wonderfully odd souvenirs. Julian Richards

This mysterious monument
The latest crop of books about Stonehenge brings the story of our most famous megaliths up to date but, although more is now known of its origins and purpose, it is still something of an enigma. David Miles

Defend Or Destroy?

Guy de la Bédoyère charts the rise and fall of the formidable and privileged Praetorian Guard who were paid to serve as the elite bodyguard of Roman emperors but who might equally well turn on their masters if, and when, they chose to do so.

9 mins

Under The Volcano

Theresa Thompson investigates the history of a very hot subject, which can have cataclysmic results, at a new exhibition in Oxford.

10 mins

Rendlesham Revealed

Archaeologists Faye Minter, Jude Plouviez and Christopher Scull have worked, together with four tireless detectorists, to locate, uncover and excavate the site of an important 7th-century Anglo-Saxon royal settlement in south-east Suffolk.

10 mins

This Mysterious Monument

David Miles leafs through recent books on Stonehenge to see what’s new and what’s not.

9 mins

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Minerva Magazine Description:

Now available for iPad, Minerva magazine gives anyone with an interest in archaeology and antiquities a compelling insight into the ancient world. Minerva explores the lost civilisations of the past, from Ancient Egypt to Greece, Rome and the mighty empires of the Middle East and Asia.

For over 25 years, Minerva has revealed record-breaking auction results, exciting new finds, and untold stories of the distant past, spanning the Stone Age to the Dark Ages and beyond.

Each issue includes:
• News of finds and research from around the world
• Original research by international experts
• Reviews of major new exhibitions
• Latest trends and auction reports from the antiquities market
• In-depth features on history’s most fascinating people and events
• Profiles of leading figures from the world of archaeology
• Reviews of new publications and a must-have events diary