Revealing the Ancient World

Find out about Neanderthal life, love, death and art, and discover how Rome’s Great Fire inflicted lasting harm on the Roman Empire.  Learn how the world re-discovered Tutankhamun in the 1960s and ’70s.

 

Kindred: Neanderthal life, love, death and art


Discover how archaeologist Rebecca Wragg Sykes uses her experience at the cutting-edge of Palaeolithic research to share new understanding of Neanderthals.

Rome is Burning


Drawing on new archaeological evidence, author Anthony Barrett explores the history of Rome’s Great Fire and explains how it inflicted lasting harm on the Roman Empire.

Life and Death in the Shadow of Vesuvius


Find out about recent groundbreaking research on the victims of the eruption of Vesuvius in 79AD with archaeologists Oliver Craig, Silvia Soncin and Tim Thompson.

Tutankhamun: From boy-king to blockbuster


Historian Christina Riggs explores how the world re-discovered Tutankhamun in the 1960s and ‘70s, turning an icon into an industry.

Egyptologists' Notebooks


Join Egyptologist Chris Naunton for a gorgeous presentation of intimate diaries and journals that capture the excitement of the golden age of Nile exploration.

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Calendar

View our packed programme of over 150 events.

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Themes

Find an event that's right for you from our 15 broad themes.

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Festival Focus

A number of themed events on some of today’s most pressing issues.

Festival Focus