ICAHM/ICOMOS

The Summer 2026 issue of Archaeology Ireland features Jordan Hanson’s account of the discovery, excavation and conservation of an exceptionally well-preserved Bronze Age food vessel recovered from the River Shannon.

Discovered during underwater archaeological investigations by the National Monuments Service, the vessel dates to approximately 2200–1800 BC. Preserved beneath the river’s silty bed for almost four millennia, it provides valuable evidence for Bronze Age ceramic technology, funerary practices and the depositional history of Ireland’s waterways.

The article traces the vessel’s recovery, conservation and analysis, while also considering the possible circumstances that led to its deposition in the Shannon.

📖 Read the full article in the Summer 2026 issue of Archaeology Ireland.
https://reader.exacteditions.com/issues/156874/spread/45

Images: The food vessel in situ and following recovery. Courtesy of the National Monuments Service (Photographic Archive, National Monuments Service).

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The prolonged hot and dry weather has brought to light a range of hidden archaeological remains, including Roman buildings and practice trenches from World War One.

📸 Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales

Mohenjo-Daro was a major city of the Indus Valley Civilisation (c. 2600–1900 BC).

As housing grew and the city expanded, inequality appears to have declined, indicating Mohenjo-Daro prospered as an example of egalitarian urbanism.

Learn more 🆓 via the link in our comment 👇

🔵 Busan Declaration on World Heritage 🔵

On 20 July, the on World Heritage was officially adopted on the first day of the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.

ICOMOS President Teresa Patrício and Tina Paterno (ICOMOS Philippines) had previously joined the "International Expert Meeting on the Drafting of the Declaration of the 48th World Heritage Committee Session" (14–15 May 2026) alongside experts from the 21 World Heritage Committee Members, ICCROM, and IUCN.

🔷 The Declaration highlights how collaboration is key to tackling the many challenges facing World Heritage today, from armed conflict to climate change to development pressures.

➡Read the press release: https://buff.ly/DI1xX27

📷© UNESCO

El pectoral de oro de Monte Albán

La extraordinaria tradición orfebre de los pueblos mixtecos se refleja en este pectoral de lámina de oro, una pieza procedente de Monte Albán que destaca por la complejidad de su manufactura y la riqueza de su iconografía.

En su diseño pueden apreciarse elementos como un yelmo adornado con plumas, rosetones laterales, orejeras con serpientes, una máscara bucal descarnada y dos placas decoradas, una con la representación del dios Cocijo y otra con una fecha calendárica, detalles que revelan la maestría técnica y el simbolismo presentes en el arte prehispánico.

Conoce más sobre esta pieza y descubre algunos de los elementos que la convierten en una de las obras más representativas de la orfebrería mixteca.
🏛️ Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca

This remarkable human molar, discovered in a Maya burial, features a carefully shaped piece of jade expertly inlaid into the tooth. Dating to the Classic Maya period, it demonstrates that Maya dental specialists possessed advanced technical knowledge centuries before modern dentistry. Such modifications were often associated with elite status, beauty, or cultural identity.

Creating the inlay required exceptional precision. The dentist carefully drilled a cavity into the living tooth while avoiding the sensitive pulp, then secured the polished jade using natural plant-based adhesives or resins. The success of these procedures suggests a detailed understanding of dental anatomy and highly refined craftsmanship.

Archaeological evidence shows that decorative dental inlays were practiced throughout parts of the ancient Maya world, using materials such as jade, turquoise, pyrite, and hematite. Today, these modified teeth offer remarkable insight into Maya medicine, artistry, and social customs, revealing a civilization that combined aesthetic expression with impressive practical skill thousands of years ago.