In the history of ancient Greece, the Archaic period is usually dated to between ca. 800 and 500 BC. Often, the date is extended down to around 480 BC Some authors hold that the Archaic period proper starts with the first supposedly historic event, the Olympic Games of 776 BC. Others have the Archaic period start at around 700 BC.

Understanding Greek Warfare
A new book by Matthew A. Sears
It is not easy to summarise Greek warfare in a single work. Matthew Sears’ Understanding Greek Warfare pulls it off by not rattling any cages.

An elaborate romance?
The Etruscan reputation for piracy
The Etruscans were reputed to be tenacious pirates. Is this reputation deserved? The answer requires a look at the ancient sources.

Names of ancient Greek ships
Did the ancient Greeks name their ships? The answer to that is yes. And with rare exception, the ships were given female names.

A noble bastard and a globalizing world
Few Greek vases have spawned as much discussion as one found in Cerveteri and dating to the seventh century BC.

The ancient Greek hydria
Form and function
There were all sorts of different types of ancient Greek pottery. Let’s examine the hydria, a vessel used for transporting and pouring water.

When two sites go to war
Settlement destruction in the late eighth century BC
After the collapse of the Mycenaean palaces in ca. 1200 BC, there is little evidence for destruction on this scale until the late eighth century.

Networks in the ancient Mediterranean
Special guest Lieve Donnellan joins the regular team to talk about networks in the ancient Mediteranean, with special reference to Cyprian Broodbank’s book, The Making of the Middle Sea.

Ancient Greek heroes at play
An Attic black-figure amphora by Exekias
A scene on an Attic amphora depicts the ancient Greek heroes Achilles and Ajax playing a game to while away the hours at Troy. But what kind of board game are they playing?

Wine culture in the Hellenistic Mediterranean
What is true now was true in antiquity, too: wine is always good business. Tracing Mediterranean wine culture, this article focuses especially on the last three centuries BC.

Ancient Greek shield blazons
Greek shields from at least the later eighth century BC onwards were often decorated with abstract or figurative blazons.