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In Hemmaberg, Austria, archaeologists excavating a cemetery associated with an early Medieval church discovered the remains of a middle-aged man whose left foot had been amputated. In its place, a unique foot prosthesis was found. Through analysis of the burial and the bones, the researchers tried to figure out who this man was and whether his foot was amputated for medical reasons, accidentally, or as punishment for a crime. Heavily occupied in the Late Roman to Early Medieval periods, Hemmaberg was a site of early Christian pilgrimage due to its abundance of churches. Archaeological excavation of graves near the Church of St. Hemma and Dorothea revealed early Christian burial practices as well: east-west aligned pits with few grave goods and little evidence of clothing. But one grave in particular piqued researchers’ interest. Situated close to the church, buried with a short sword and an ornate brooch, was a man who likely died during the Frankish reign in the area, the mid- to late-6th century AD, but who had clearly survived a foot amputation. ...via Forbes

Spoiler alert! In the very first sentence of the Introduction, Ian Hughes mentions a shocking fact – the Western Roman Empire will fall! “Right. And I can save 15% on car insurance. Everybody knows that!” However, as the author mentions several times throughout the book, everybody doesn’t know that. Or rather, everybody didn’t know that. The characters who appear in the book, who operated during the final forty years or so of the existence of the Western Roman Empire, didn’t know that. I’m glad he pointed this out, obvious though it may be. I felt a certain sense of, I don’t know, decay (?) while reading the book – like watching flowers lose their bloom and knowing that they will be short-lived. Likely I’m superimposing a sense of dread that the participants didn’t always or necessarily feel, not knowing the outcome as we do. But times were rather bleak, it seems, for the most part. ...continue to the full review of Patricians and Emperors: The Last Rulers of the Western Roman Empire by Ian Hughes

After two years of analysis, a carved gold ring found by an amateur metal detectorist in the United Kingdom has been confirmed to bear an engraved depiction of Cupid on an onyx stone made of nicolo, LiveScience reports. Researchers have dated the ring back 1,700 years, around the fourth century A.D., during a time when the Roman Empire ruled over England. In the engraving, a disrobed Cupid is shown leaning on a small spiral column with a torch in his hands and short wings sprouting from his shoulders. via Philly Voice

File Name: THE ROMAN WALL File Submitter: Viggen File Submitted: 12 Dec 2015 File Category: Free Classic Works in PDF Brought up in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, John Collingwood Bruce (1805-92) was fascinated by the antiquities of the north of England, and made an especial study of the impressive ruins of the 'Roman Wall'. He published this work in 1851, using both the writings of medieval and recent historians, and his own and others' field surveys and excavations. It describes the route of the wall from the Solway to Wallsend, and the surviving structures such as forts and milecastles along its length. Bruce also discusses and illustrates the Roman artefacts discovered around the wall, from pottery and nails to funerary monuments, which give insights into the lives of the soldiers from across the Roman empire who were stationed at this northern outpost. His argument that Hadrian was the builder of the wall reminds us that, until the mid-nineteenth century, it was thought to have been the idea of the later emperor Septimius Severus. Click here to download this file

Dutch archaeologists claim they have proof Roman emperor Julius Caesar spent time in what is now present day the Netherlands, after finding remains of a battle site near Oss in Brabant. They say they have found the location where Caesar fought against two German tribes in 55 BC and that this is the first battle field in the Netherlands. Archaeologist Nico Roymans of Amsterdam’s VU University, says this is the first time the presence of Julius Caesar on Dutch soil has been proved. Until now, the site of the battle, which Caesar describes in his account of the Gallic wars, De Bello Gallico, was unknown... ...via DutchNews

A hoard of silver coins, some of which were issued by Roman general Mark Antony, have been discovered in a Welsh field more than 2,000 years after they were buried. While they have yet to be valued, the 91 coins have been hailed by history experts as 'a significant find' and could be worth 'tens of thousands of pounds.' The coins were issued by Roman rulers spanning 200 years, with the earliest dating back to when Mark Antony was general in 31BC, through to the rule of Emperor Nero between 54 and 68AD and Marcus Aurelius, who headed the Empire from 161AD to 180AD. via Daily Mail

A DNA analysis of four ancient Roman-era skeletons found in London shows the early inhabitants of the city were a multi-ethnic mix similar to contemporary Londoners, the Museum of London said on Monday. Two of the skeletons were of people likely born outside Britain - one of a man linked genealogically to eastern Europe and the Near East, the other of a teenage girl with blue eyes from north Africa... ...via South China Morning Post

....this is the most epic interview we ever done, many thanks to all authors and Thomas A. Timmes for conducting the interview! Today, we are extremely fortunate to present an interview with all seven distinguished authors of A Year of Ravens. Each of the authors answers the same seven questions, and, in the process, reveals their personality, wit, and knowledge. I think you will enjoy this! ...continue to the full interview of the authors of A Year of Ravens

...for the average European, this is one hell of a scary picture, some of you guys are nuts, seriously lol (shes in Congress)

Yup, main stream media is not really what it once was, Twitter is much more "real", "live" and "raw" btw. whats up with the urge of US americans to shoot at each other with assault rifles??

...while I understands some of his points, I have difficulties when someone arguing about somethning he hasnt seen, ...unlike Ursus who watched it and wrote a brilliant review... http://www.unrv.com/book-review/agora-dvd.php

The Restoration of the Roman Forum in Late Antiquity by G. Kalas Book Review by Ian Hughes Recently, there has been a growth of interest in and publication of books about Late Antiquity. This has been stimulated to a large extent by a growth in the publication of many of the difficult primary sources concerning the period, usually with an accompanying commentary. However, there is one small problem that lies at the core of any study of the period: the sources contain a limited amount of information and what little there is has been analysed and debated for a very long time. The net result is that there is little new that can be found with which to reassess the events of the fourth and fifth centuries C.E. It may be possible to augment our knowledge with other evidence, and the most obvious alternative is archaeology. Yet there are problems with this, the most obvious and frustrating being that archaeology can rarely give dates within a small time frame, even less an exact year. Recent archaeological excavations in the Roman Forum and its surrounds are different... ...continue to the full review of The Restoration of the Roman Forum in Late Antiquity by G. Kalas

...thanks to Thomas A. Timmes we also had a chance to get an interview with all 7 authors. This interview will be online in a day or two! Thanks Thomas!

A Year of Ravens: a novel of Boudica's Rebellion by various authors Book Review by Thomas A. Timmes A Year of Ravens is one of those memorable books that will live on in your imagination for years to come. Each scene, written with exquisite skill, vivid imagery, and attention to detail, is reminiscent of the best motion picture moments that we enjoy over and over. Year of Ravens is written by seven distinguished authors (Ruth Downie, Stephanie Dray, Kate Quinn, Vicky Alvear Shecter, S.J.A. Turney, and Russell Whitfield) who among them have published over 130 books. Each author writes a single chapter, but rather than a disjointed and distracting change in style and wording, the chapters flow together seamlessly. Each chapter is a showpiece of imagery, composition, and imagination. The reader sees and feels the action as it unfolds... ...continue to the full review of A Year of Ravens: a novel of Boudica's Rebellion by various authors

We had a gap in our history story between Caracalla and Macrinus so we filled it with a great new article, with lots of titbits some would not associate Caracalla with, like he is one of the reasons that 1000 years later Byzantines would still call themselves "Romans".... Caracalla after the murder of Geta In the short term the death of Geta weakened rather than strengthened the rule of Caracalla. The people were upset both by the crime of fratricide, and by the fear that the divine punishment for that crime might involve the rest of the empire as collateral damage. The army were upset, because the soldiers had sworn allegiance to both brothers. The senate, while not deeply disturbed by the death of Geta, was dismayed by the loss of so many of its members in the subsequent purge. ...to the full article of Caracalla after the murder of Geta

I am happy to announce that finally forum notifications via email are working again. Whenever you get a private message or a reply to a subscribed thread, you will get an email notification (to your email adress you signed up to)!

Brutus: Caesar's Assassin by Kirsty Corrigan Review by caldrail Enough talk. The time to take action had arrived. Those involved in the conspiracy had plotted and schemed for some time, taking great care to weed out the unreliable or uncommitted. Now the Tyrant must be removed and if that meant his death, then so be it. One man approaches the Tyrant on petty business, and when dismissed haughtily, instead grabs him firmly.There is no going back. The Tyrant realizes something is dreadfully wrong. He'd been warned this would be a dangerous time; even his wife had implored him not to attend this meeting. But now the conspiracy rush forward with daggers drawn. A desperate scuffle breaks out as conspirators stab wildly, hurting each other in their frenzied assault upon their victim. Unable to fend off the attack, the Tyrant finally gives up and slumps to the floor, covering his face with his cloak in one last gesture of vanity. His body would be found beneath the statue of a murdered rival... continue to the full review of Brutus: Caesar's Assassin by Kirsty Corrigan

Archaeologist Sarah Parcak, a specialist in Egyptology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, has just been announced as the 2016 TED Prize winner. An annual award, the TED Prize goes to just one exceptional person who uses the funding to launch a high-impact project. And at the 2016 TED conference in February, Parcak will be discussing her project, which will include identifying and protecting archaeological sites in the Middle East and around the globe using satellite imagery... ...via Forbes