Roff Smith

Aug 28, 2024 | scientificamerican.com | Roff Smith

The Neolithic farmers and herders who built a massive stone chamber in southern Spain nearly 6,000 years ago possessed a good rudimentary grasp of physics, geometry, geology and architectural principles, finds a detailed study of the site. Using data from a high-resolution laser scan, as well as unpublished photos and diagrams from earlier excavations, archaeologists pieced together a probable construction process for the monument known as the Dolmen of Menga.

Aug 23, 2024 | nature.com | Roff Smith

The Neolithic farmers and herders who built a massive stone chamber in southern Spain nearly 6,000 years ago possessed a good rudimentary grasp of physics, geometry, geology and architectural principles, finds a detailed study of the site. Using data from a high-resolution laser scan, as well as unpublished photos and diagrams from earlier excavations, archaeologists pieced together a probable construction process for the monument known as the Dolmen of Menga.

Aug 14, 2024 | nature.com | Nisha Gaind |Roff Smith

Stonehenge, the Neolithic stone circle on Salisbury Plain in southern England, has captivated archaeologists, antiquarians and sightseers for centuries. In the twelfth century, cleric Henry of Huntingdon described the haunting assemblage as one of the great wonders of England, adding that no one knew who built it or why.

Apr 29, 2024 | nationalgeographic.com | Roff Smith

By any reckoning the outing had already been a spectacular success. After a couple of hours tromping around a patch of muddy farmland in Staffordshire with their metal detectors, Jonathan Needham and his best friend Malcomb Baggeley had turned up a silver shilling from 1942 and, far more thrilling, a fourth-century Roman brooch. The men were ready to call it a day but decided to take a quick shuffle through the tall grass in an adjacent field to wipe the mud from their boots.