Malta 2025

Malta

Date of Issue: 9th May 2025

two stamps (1.91 & 2.- €)

 

both stamps are issued in mini-sheets of 11 stamps + 1 vignettes

the 1.91 € value stamp is also issued in a booklet of 5 stamps + 1 vignette

The MaltaPost issue consists of two new stamps showing artefacts found within Phoenician rock-cut tombs excavated at GKlieb and GQajjet in the outskirts of Rabat, in an area that served as a cemetery for the first Phoenicians who settled in Malta around 2,700 years ago. The Phoenicians were renowned seafarers from the Eastern Mediterranean, who set their sights on Malta's strategic location and established settlements to serve as crucial points along their expansive trade routes - these stretched from the Levant to the Western edges of the Mediterranean.

The three newly discovered Phoenician tombs each consist of a rectangular or oval shaped shaft cut into the rock, which leads to a rectangular or oval burial chamber, where human remains and objects were buried. These tombs shed light on the burial rituals of the earliest Phoenicians on the Islands. The 1.91 stamp shows pottery vessels used as drinking cups, jugs and storage jars. The majority of pottery items were clearly made in Malta as is evident from the distinct local style. The stamp, carrying a denomination of 2.00, portrays personal jewellery items including earrings, bangles, rings and beads found within large storage containers, together with cremated human remains. Such prized objects could have been heirlooms, passed on from one generation to the next. Both the pottery and jewellery items can be dated to the 7th century Before the Common Era (BCE).

the Netherlands 2025

the Netherlands

Date of Issue: 9th May 2025

one stamp (International 1 value = 1.90 €)

this stamp is issued in a mini-sheet of 6 stamps

One of the most famous archaeological finds in our country is the 8.5 cm fibula of Dorestad. The cloak pin was made around 800 AD. In 1969, the fibula was found in a well from the time of Dorestad, where Wijk bij Duurstede is now located. During the reign of Charlemagne of the Franks (768-814), Dorestad was the largest and richest trading city in the Netherlands. The golden fibula is inlaid with various colours of glass, gemstones of almandine, pearls, and enamel. Over time, some stones have disappeared, as has the pin on the back. Various shapes can be recognised in the inlay work, such as crosses, volutes, and a small tree with leaves and fruits. The crosses of the gemstones and pearls probably indicate that the brooch was worn as subtle propaganda for the increasingly popular Christianity in the Netherlands. Round fibulae were mainly worn by ladies, and especially high-ranking ladies promoted the new faith. The style of the fibula of Dorestad is that of ecclesiastical goldsmithing, made in Burgundian workshops from the time of Charlemagne. The fibula, one of the masterpieces of the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, is included in the Canon of the Netherlands under the theme Charlemagne.

Armenia 2025

Armenia

Date of Issue: 29th April 2025

one stamp (400.- AMD)

this stamp is issued in a mini-sheet of 10 stamps

 

The postage stamp depicts a Libation vessel dated XIX-XVIII cc. B.C. and discovered during the excavations of Karashamb Necropolis, located in Kotayk Region of the Republic of Armenia. The vessel was used for pouring wine during ritual ceremonies.

Gibraltar 2025

Gibraltar

Date of Issue: 8th May 2025

two stamps (1.96 & 3.16 GBP) and one souvenir-sheet of 2 stamps (1.96 & 3.16 GBP)

those stamps are issued in mini-sheets of 6 stamps

 

The Gibraltar Neanderthal skulls are among the most significant fossil discoveries related to Neanderthals. The first skull, known as the Forbes’ Quarry Skull or Gibraltar 1, was discovered in 1848 at Forbes’ Quarry, on the northern face of the Rock of Gibraltar. This find predated the famous discovery of Neanderthals in Germany’s Neander Valley (1856), but its importance wasn’t fully recognised at the time. The skull is that of an adult female and exhibits classic Neanderthal features such as a large brow ridge, a long, low skull, and a robust build. It remains one of the best-preserved Neanderthal skulls ever found.

A second skull, Gibraltar 2, was found in 1926 close to Forbes’ Quarry, at Devil’s Tower Cave and belonged to a Neanderthal child. This discovery provided valuable insights into the growth and development of Neanderthals. Studies of the Gibraltar Neanderthals suggest they were among the last surviving populations of their species, with evidence indicating that Neanderthals lived in the region until around 32,000 years ago, long after they had disappeared from much of Europe.

Gibraltar’s caves, particularly Gorham’s Cave, on the Rock’s eastern side, have provided further evidence of Neanderthal life, including hearths, tools, and even possible engravings that suggest symbolic behavior. The region’s mild climate and rich marine resources may have contributed to the Neanderthals’ prolonged survival. Today, the Gibraltar skulls are housed in the Natural History Museum in London, and Gorham’s Cave is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognised for its importance in understanding Neanderthal history.

Recent research on the Gibraltar Neanderthals has shed light on their diet, behavior, and cognitive abilities. Isotopic analysis of remains from Gorham’s Cave suggests that these Neanderthals had a diverse diet, including marine resources such as shellfish, fish, and seals, challenging earlier notions that Neanderthals were primarily big-game hunters. Additionally, discoveries of charred plant remains indicate they also consumed roasted vegetables. Perhaps most intriguingly, an engraving found in Gorham’s Cave, a cross-hatched pattern etched into the rock, has been interpreted as possible evidence of symbolic or artistic behavior, suggesting that Neanderthals were capable of abstract thought. These findings contribute to the growing understanding that Neanderthals were not the brutish, primitive beings they were once thought to be, but rather intelligent and adaptable hominins capable of complex survival strategies.

Slovenia 2025

Slovenia

Date of Issue: 9th May 2025

two stamps (1.79 & 2.06 €)

both stamps are issued in mini-sheets of 8 stamps + 1 vignette​

Bronze Apollo statuette  

This 11.5 cm high statuette was found in the river Ljubljanica near the village of Blatna Brezovica. It depicts a naked male figure with a hairstyle typical of Classical/Hellenistic depictions of the Greek and Roman god Apollo. The collar, however, does not match traditional depictions of Apollo and is a distinctly Celtic element. The pose of the body and the position of the arms are reminiscent of Italo-Etruscan statuettes. This statuette is assumed to have been made in north-eastern Italy or its eastern hinterland, including the wider surrounding area of the site where it was found. It was probably made during the period of the Romanisation of the Vrhnika and Ljubljana areas in the middle or second half of the first century BC. It represents a non-Roman deity who, under the influence of Roman culture, was identified with Apollo. This deity could be the god Belenus, whose cult extended across north-eastern Italy and the region known as Noricum (mainly in present-day Austria), and who was of pre-Roman origin. There are no known depictions of Belenus – with the possible exception of this statuette from the Ljubljanica – but he is known of from Roman-era inscriptions, in which he is referred to as Apollon Belenus.  The statuette is thought to have been thrown into the river as a votive offering.

Centaur archer

Round brooches made of plated bronze over an iron core are relatively common finds in Slav cemeteries from the eighth and ninth centuries in Slovenia's Gorenjska region. Notable among them, for the quality of workmanship and, above all, for the depiction of a centaur archer, is this brooch from the Brda cemetery near Bled.

In stylistic terms it belongs to Carolingian art, which drew on illuminated manuscripts. Most comparable artefacts are from sites in the Upper Danube basin and the Rhineland. The figure of the centaur archer developed in Babylonian art before 1000 BC as a symbol of the zodiac sign Sagittarius. It entered Roman and medieval astrological depictions of Sagittarius via Egypt and was later adopted in Christianity.

We will probably never know exactly how this brooch ended up in a Slav grave in the Brda cemetery near Bled. It may have been made by a Christian who based the design on an illustration from an illuminated manuscript. On the other hand, the Slavs, who were pagans when they settled this area in the sixth century and whose Christianisation under the Carolingians had only just begun in the eighth century, probably did not see this design as a Christian symbol but as a pagan one. The centaur archer may have reminded them of Perun the Thunderer, the supreme god of the Slavs, who could also be depicted as a horseman with a thunderbolt or bow in his hand.

Lithuania 2025

Lithuania

Date of Issue: 25th April 2025

two stamps (2x 2.10 €)

this stamp is issued a mini-sheet of 10 stamps

The study and research of mounds in Lithuania has been going on since the second half of the 19th century, during which time a great deal of diverse material has been collected about them. Recently, the most important data have been obtained from the study of the most beautiful castle mounds in western Lithuania, which were previously known only for their expressive forms in the landscape and legends. The Medvegalis mound complex and the Bilioniai mound in Šilalė district are the pearls of the Samogitian land, whose cultural layers conceal marketplaces dating back to the times of the Roman Empire, the traces of battles with the Crusaders, the hitherto unknown custom of burying people in mounds, and many other mysteries of the knowledge of our ancient and distinctive culture," says archaeologist Assoc. Prof. Dr Gintautas Zabiela.

Bosnia and Herzegovina (Serb post) 2025

Bosnia and Herzegovina (Serb post)

Date of Issue: 24th April 2025

two stamps (2x 3.30 BAM) & 1 souvenir-sheet of 2 stamps (2x 3.30 BAM)

both stamps are issued in two mini-sheets of 8 stamps + 1 vignette

At the one hundred and fifty-ninth kilometer from the confluence of the Piva and Tara rivers and the source of the Drina River, on the bend that the river makes around the Osata mountain range in the middle Podrinje, is the town of Skelani. The region is rich in natural and mineral resources, which contributed to the development of a Roman settlement here from the 1st to the 4th century. Excellent urban planners, builders and craftsmen, the Romans, left behind numerous buildings and monuments, the remains of which can still be seen today. One of the inscriptions mentioning the city council "ordo decurionum" was found in Skelani, which suggests that this was the center of the Roman Municipium Malvesiatium.

The first archaeological excavations in Skelani were carried out by Karl Pach back in 1896. On that occasion, he discovered and explored two early Christian churches, a necropolis and a brickyard, and in the wider area of ​​Skelan he collected over 80 Roman monuments. His further efforts were prevented by the Drina River, which in a major flood buried everything he had collected and excavated.

A hundred years later, archaeologists returned to Skelan. Under the leadership of Mirko Babić in 2008, excavations were carried out at four locations: “Zadružni dom”, “Branko’s Field”, “Baba Ankino dvorište” and in the “Porta of the Serbian Orthodox Church”. Remains of ancient buildings were discovered at all four locations, and the finds of Roman floor mosaics at the “Zadružni dom” site and 30 Roman monuments at the “Baba Ankino dvorište” site were particularly valuable. After these discoveries, the National Assembly of the Republic of Srpska declared the archaeological complex in Skelani a cultural asset of exceptional importance. The Public Institution Archaeological Museum "Rimski municipium" Skelani was soon established, with the task of taking care of the protected complex.

In the following period, the villa urbana was almost completely explored, in which a corridor with floor mosaics, dominated by floral and geometric motifs, was discovered. While in a room that has been interpreted as a dining room, a mosaic was discovered whose central motif is a medallion with the image of the Gorgon Medusa.

Norway 2025

Norway

Date of issue: 24th April 2025

two stamps (2x Europa 20g. value = 33.- NOK)

Dog and collar from the 16th century & Pair of skis from the 8th century

Poland 2025

 Poland

Date of Issue: 28th of April 2025

one stamp (4.90 PLN)

this stamp is issued in a sheet of 12 stamps

The stamp shows a photo of the entrance to the defensive settlement of the archaeological reserve of the Biskupin Archaeological Museum. 

The Archaeological Museum in Biskupin is one of the largest and most recognizable archaeological reserves in Europe. Thanks to its exceptional value for Poland's cultural heritage, it has been declared a Monument of History. It covers an area of about 38 hectares and contains numerous traces of ancient settlement - from the Stone Age to the early Middle Ages. The most famous of these is the site on the peninsula of Biskupinskie Lake, where there are remains of a defensive settlement from the turn of the Bronze and Iron Ages (about 2,700 years ago). The history of the discovery and first excavations dates back to the 1930s. At present, the museum's grounds include reconstructions of prehistoric and early medieval settlements, a petting zoo or an exhibition pavilion.

Jersey 2025

Jersey

Date of Issue: 5th May 2025

two stamps (1.20 & 3.- GBP) out of a set of 6 stamps & one souvenir-sheet of 2 stamps (1.20 & 3.- GBP)

both stamps are also issued in a larger souvenir-sheet of 6 stamps (only the values 1.20 & 3.- GBP are bearing the Europa logo) 

Both stamps are issued in mini-sheets of 10 stamps

Despite Jersey’s geographical size, it’s location within the channel and close connection to France during the Ice Age makes it a hidden treasure chest filled with extraordinary archaeological finds, some of which are featured within the issue. 

Coin Hoard  

Considered to be the largest coin hoard discovery within the British Isles and consists of Europe’s largest assortment of torque rings, along with gold and silver jewelry. The coins include various Celtic symbols. The hoard consist of coins from various tribes, including those from southern Britain around 40BC. The discovery was made in 2012 by two local detectorists. 

Mammoth Bones

Two bone piles containing mammoth and woolly rhino bones were found by two archaeologists in 1966. The discovery was made within La Cotte and provided an insight into potential neolithic hunting techniques due to the state of the bones.

Andorra (French post) 2025

Andorra (French post)

Date of Issue: 11th May 2025

one stamp (2.10 €)

this stamp is issued in a mini-sheet of 9 stamps

The stamp depicts two blown-glass ointment jars found in the Roc d'Enclar archaeological site, located on a rocky promontory above the town of Santa Coloma, during excavations carried out between 1979 and 1982.4 cm high, this type of jar was used to hold medicinal or cosmetic products such as oils, essences or perfumes. The coins were found in burials and date from between the 8th and 10th centuries. From their shape (pear-shaped belly and long neck ending in a rounded lip) and material, we can conclude that they were made in Islam, probably during the Emirati period.

Greece 2025

Greece

Date of Issue: 7th May 2025

two stamps se-tenant (2.- & 3.- €)

both stamps are also issued in one booklet of 4 stamps (2 of each) - the stamps from the booklet haven't a perforation on two sides

The two stamps feature Philip II of Macedon and Alexander the Great.

The frieze from the royal tomb at Vergina depicts Philip II of Macedon, highlighting the strength and grandeur of a ruler who unified Greece and paved the way for his son's conquests.

A few decades later, Alexander the Great appears on a gold stater minted by Lysimachus of Thrace, deified, with the horn of Ammon Zeus and the royal diadem—symbols of divine kingship and lasting influence.

These two objects reflect the Macedonian legacy of power, as expressed through art and the image of the king.

1. Philip II of Macedon From the large frieze on the gold and ivory couch in the chamber of the King’s tomb 336 B.C. (Polycentric Museum of Aigai / Royal Tombs / Treasures Exhibition) 

2. Alexander the Great Gold stater of Lysimachus of Thrace, 297/6 - 282/1 B.C. Head of the deified Alexander to the right, wearing a diadem and the horn of Ammon Zeus Athens, Numismatic Museum, Saroglou Collection 8154

Slovakia 2025

Slovakia

Date of Issue: 30th April 2025

one stamp (2.40 EUR)

this stamp is issued in a mini-sheet of 8 stamps

this stamp is also issued in a booklet (6 stamps) - NOTE the stamps from the booklet are self-adhesive

 

 

In the Late La Tène Age, in the 1st century BC, the acropolis of the Celtic oppidum was located on Bratislava Castle hill. Between 2008 and 2014, archaeological research brought the discovery of rare Celtic-Roman architecture built for Celtic nobility. A pavement of a late-Republican type, a so-called opus signinum with a floral carpet motif, was discovered directly beneath the courtyard of the palace. Similar types of pavements from this period have only previously been found around the Mediterranean. A total of seven Celtic-Roman buildings were found on the northern terrace of the Castle and under the 18th-century Winter Riding Hall. Today, three of these buildings and the opus signinum pavement are preserved and presented in situ.

Roman Building I which, by a miracle, escaped construction activity that took place in the Castle in the 15th century, is located under the Winter Riding Hall. In 2009, a precious find was made: 22 Celtic gold staters and silver coins with the inscriptions Biatec and Nonnos were found on the pavement of the building. For the first time, a golden coin with the inscription NONNOS was found. The treasure had been lying in a glass Hellenistic jar the shards of which laid among the coins. Near the coins, there was also a Roman bronze sealing box of the Alesia type which was used to secure transport of writing documents. These original finds may be seen in the exhibition: Celts from Bratislava, at Bratislava Castle and copies can be seen in “The BIATEC: Celtic Mint exhibition” at the Bratislava City Gallery at 19 Panská Street. 

The best preserved of the seven buildings is Roman Building II, probably the house of a merchant of rare goods. In addition to Celtic pottery and small metal decorative objects, imported goods were also found here: Roman wine and oil amphorae, a 12kg brass ingot, a bronze bell, glass, gold foils, Baltic amber, coins and many others. Wine and olive oil were imported in amphorae directly from Italy and the Mediterranean. By the western bastion of the Castle, a massive rectangular building, Roman Building VII was discovered, with 17m-long walls and two massive pillars. It might have been used as a warehouse for precious goods. Its preserved remains can be seen in the foyer in front of the Winter Riding Hall.

These finding tell us that the Celtic social elite was Romanised as early as the 1st century BC. It puts the territory of Bratislava and its wide hinterland at the centre of interest of the Roman Empire in the period when the Limes Romanus borders on the Danube did not yet exist. Finds of gold and silver coins, wine amphorae, amber and other objects testify to the luxurious lifestyle on the Celtic Acropolis. The stone architecture discovered at Bratislava Castle was built by Roman builders, probably between 50 to 40 and 30 to 20 BC. They did not exist for very long. The final destruction of the Celtic oppidum might have been a consequence of the invasion of Germans from the north, sometime around the turn of the century.

 Margaréta Musilová