From war-torn Beirut and Ukraine to countries including Russia, Armenia and Brazil, women across the world are developing sacred art to bring messages of peace and solidarity, as well as preserving their cultural heritage.

And now, the first ever digital archive of women's iconography will be launched officially on March 10 as part of a series of events at Lancaster University Library to mark International Women’s Day (March 8).

Iconography is the oldest sacred art practice in the Christian tradition and was the only artform in use across the global Christian church until the Great Schism, the split between the East and West and the Catholic and Orthodox churches in 1054.

Most Bronze Age settlements have been documented in European territory. Despite its geographical proximity, the Maghreb has always been absent from these historical narratives, erroneously characterized as an ‘empty land’ until the arrival of the Phoenicians around 800 BC. Now, a research study led by Hamza Benattia Melgarejo ( University of Barcelona) has uncovered the first Bronze Age settlement in this geographical area, predating the Phoenician period. This discovery is of great significance for the history of Africa and the Mediterranean.