Researchers at Durham University have brought together, for the first time, the archaeology of the guerrilla wars, insurgencies and asymmetrical conflicts that shaped twentieth-century Europe. Led by Dr Rui Gomes Coelho of the Department of Archaeology, the collection argues that the Europe we live in today was never inevitable, and that its future remains open.

A new research from Professor Lisa-Marie Shillito in our Archaeology Department is highlighting how insects have been part of human diets for thousands of years despite seeming unusual to many people.

Our archaeologists have uncovered how a border community once sheltered strangers fleeing violence, a stark contrast to the difficult experiences faced by many refugees and people on the move at Europe's borders today.

Historical archaeology as a discipline, grew from many different traditions, not from a single Western source. That is according to new research led by Dr Sanja Horvatinčić, an Honorary Fellow in our Department of Archaeology. Dr Sanja Horvatinčic’s study traces one of these overlooked traditions of knowledge through the heritage practices of socialist Yugoslavia. What she found was an area of study that weaves together history, art, architecture and the knowledge of local communities.

Iraq’s archaeologists are often portrayed as recipients of support, rather than equal partners in shaping future research of this important part of the world. Professor Jaafar Jotheri, Honorary Research Fellow in our Department of Archaeology, and Claudia Glatz and Daniel Calderbank, of the University of Glasgow, tell us more about how the narrative is being shifted.

From climate change to political unrest – the threats to cultural heritage are real and often urgent. So, how do we protect cultural heritage in a rapidly changing world? A partnership between our Department of Archaeology and the Varendra Research Museum in Bangladesh is helping to answer this.

We’ve secured over £700,000 from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) to help more young people access technical careers in environmental science.

Slavery did not end with abolitionism in the 19th century. Instead it was rebuilt, again and again, into new forms of unfree labour that still shape the world today

Bronze Age rock carvings suggest communities across Europe were far more connected than previously thought.

Archaeologists are shedding fresh light on the origins of infant remains held in anatomical museums, revealing a troubling history of stigma, inequality and eugenic thinking. 

In a new study, Dr Qian Gao explores the interaction of heritage conservation and social values at two Buddhism-inspired rock carvings (Dazu and Anyue) in southwest China.

A new international study has challenged long-held assumptions about the origins and history of democratic practices.