Jan / Feb 2018

Volume 29, issue 1

Muggles, mandrakes and magic

The world of Harry Potter is full of witchcraft, potions, incantations and alchemy and much of it is based on historical evidence – as the spell-binding exhibition at the British Library reveals. Julian Harrison

The face of power

Pharaohs of Egypt chose a particular iconography to strengthen their image, establish their authority and safeguard their legacy, as can be seen at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen. Tine Bagh

When women ruled the world

American Egyptologist, archaeologist and author Dr Kara Cooney explains how some of the queens of the Nile managed to wield power in what was definitely a man’s world. Richard Marranca

City of water, city of fire

At the vast site of Teotihuacan there are remarkable temples and great pyramids, decorated by deeply carved sculpture and colourful murals, examples of which are on show in San Francisco. Murray Eiland

Shining a light on the Lombards

Little is known about this Germanic people, who ruled an extensive kingdom in Italy from AD 568 to 774; now, an exhibition in Naples puts the spotlight on their rich artistic and architectural legacy. Dalu Jones

The examined life

Philosophers, such as Socrates, often stopped to talk to craftsmen in the agora and this was not unusual in Ancient Greece – as can be seen in a new gallery in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Dominic Green

A sense of place

Archaeologists can act as today’s placemakers by creating sites that receive thousands of visitors every year – one such is Butrint in Albania, which tells a human story that echoes down the ages. Richard Hodges