guy

It is good to see that life is returning to normal post-pandemic. This looks like an interesting exhibit: Fresco of Leda and the swan Archaeological Park of Pompeii https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-was-erotic-art-so-popular-in-ancient-pompeii-180979988/ http://pompeiisites.org/en/comunicati/art-and-sensuality-in-the-houses-of-pompeii-an-exhibition-to-recount-the-central-position-occupied-by-sensual-and-erotic-images-in-the-domus-of-pompeii/

It looks historically accurate to me.

A skeleton and a caltrop [a Roman era device similar to police spikes possibly used to stop advancing troops and horses]. Both were unearthed at Grange Paddocks by archaeologists (Image: East Herts District Council) A small, but interesting find at Grange Paddocks: https://www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/news/hertfordshire-news/roman-skeletons-weapons-discovered-during-7004357 Summary: It shouldn’t be too much of a surprise to find Roman ruins buried in a modern frequently-used sports complex. It does, however, reflect the extensive Roman development in the area. I had never considered the use of caltrops in ancient warfare in Britain, probably to slow advance of troops, horses, and even chariots. Here is further information on the use of caltrops in ancient warfare: (Picture from Trimontium Museum archive) https://www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/news/hertfordshire-news/roman-skeletons-weapons-discovered-during-7004357 https://www.trimontium.co.uk/archive-item/caltrop-replica/

(Proposed renovation of Britains only-known Roman circus in Colchestor.) The Roman circus served many purposes: It was the venue for chariot races, horse races, gladiatorial performances, as well as the site for public celebrations. There have been previous posts about the excavation of Roman ruins in Cholchester. (See post below.) There has been a partial excavation of the only known Roman circus in Britain at Cholchester. There are now plans to reroute a busy highway to unearth the rest of the circus. “Experts want to bring the footprint of Colchester’s Roman Circus, which is more than 2,000-years-old, to the forefront of the town’s historic attractions. Only a small segment of the circus’ remains can be spotted within the site of the former garrison, off Roman Circus Walk, as it stands. Colchester Archaeological Trust now wants to excavate along the line of remains, which has already been exposed, to recover the plan of the monument’s foundations.” https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/20092058.colchester-roman-circus-calls-made-remove-busy-road/

Here is an excellent summary of the find: http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/63924

An ancient Roman and Byzantine bathhouse unearthed in Tiberias lies neglected, under piles of garbage and housing a homeless person, October 19, 2021. (Michael Bachner/Times of Israel) Many Roman ruins throughout the Roman Empire have yet to be excavated. The city of Tiberius, Israel is no exception. Tiberius was established in 20 AD and named after the Emperor Tiberius. The city became increasingly important in Ancient Judea, especially after the first Jewish War (66-73 AD) when the city stayed neutral in the conflict. Unfortunately, until recently, this important cultural and historical site has been ignored. Many of the ancient artifacts have been vandalized and stolen. Funding is now planned to make this area into a national park and international tourist destination like Caesarea. The stage of the newly excavated Roman theater at Tiberias. The theater, which seated 7,000, was one feature of the Roman metropolis built here two millennia ago. (photo credit: Matti Friedman/The Times of Israel) https://www.timesofisrael.com/after-years-of-neglect-rare-opportunity-opens-up-for-tiberias-archaeological-gems/ https://www.timesofisrael.com/long-neglected-ancient-tiberias-comes-back-to-life/amp/

Here is an interesting article that looked at the soil surrounding skeletons found in Britain. More specifically, they looked at the soil from the pelvic region in search of intestinal parasites. Note: Ascaris was the most common intestinal parasite found. Ascaris is a type of parasitic roundworm and the infection is called ascariasis. It can grow to more than a foot (30 cm) long. Most people infected (85%) have few or no symptoms. It is not transmitted human to human. The person usually has to come in contact with soil that has been contaminated by pig or human feces. Children can get the infection by playing in contaminated dirt and not washing their hands. Unwashed fruits or vegetables in contaminated soil can also transmit the infection. Although the disease infects up to a billion people in the world, it is rare in developed nations. Ascariasis is considered a neglected tropical disease. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220421141542.htm https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0010312# Here is a previous post on the parasite infection in Vindolanda:

If I read this post correctly, Longinus was originally from Bulgaria and was stationed in Britain. The distance between these two places is about 1740 miles (2800 km). This is farther than the distance between Montreal, Canada and Miami, Florida: It is amazing the great distances traveled with relative ease within the Roman Empire. The efficient and reliable road system in the Empire would have facilitated movement over long distances. As mentioned before in previous threads, this extensive road system would have facilitated the movement and spread of many things: troops (both to defend and attack the Empire), ideas (such as Christianity), diverse goods and commodities, as well as disease (including the many plagues that devastated the Empire). Obviously, an extensive transportation system and a common language (either Latin or Greek) would have been some of the keys to the Empire’s success and longevity.

That is a horrifying thought, indeed. (Scene from the movie “Gladiator” during the battle in Germania.) Did you make a video of the test shots?

(The expansion and splintering of the Mongol Empire from 1206-1294 AD.) Here’s a nice quick review of the Mongol Empire. “The Mongol Empire was a huge but short-lived empire that at its peak stretched from the Pacific Ocean to central Europe. But while vast — it was the largest contiguous land empire in history — it was united for only a few decades, before breaking apart into smaller empires in the 1260s as a result of civil war.” Climate changes may have impacted Mongol expansion: “Genghis Khan's campaigns may have been helped by good environmental conditions in Mongolia. A study published in 2014 in the "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences" found that from 1211 to 1225 the climate in Mongolia was unusually moist — leading to more grassland activity. This may have helped fuel Genghis Khan's conquests as his army relied heavily on cavalry, which necessitated good pasture for horses.” https://www.livescience.com/the-mongol-empire https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1318677111

The Nok culture thrived in central Nigeria from 1500 BCE to 500 AD. The were well known for their terracotta figurines and iron working. Little is known about their diet, however. The acidic soil in the Nok territories did not preserve much organic material. Fortunately analysis on ancient pottery has shed new light on their diets. Summary: The use of chemical analysis on pottery vessels has yielded new insights into ancient cultures. [See posts below.] https://phys.org/news/2022-04-chemical-ancient-west-african-pots.html

Wow. T-Rex! I haven’t thought about them for more than a decade. They were early glam rock, punk rock pioneers. Here is an entertaining video of their jamming with Elton John.

(The Library of Ephesus, Turkey) The menorah is a symbol of the Jewish diaspora. An early depiction of the menorah is on the Arch of Titus (81 AD). The arch commentates the victory of Titus and his father Vespasian after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. The arch contains panels depicting the triumphal procession of 71 AD. The menorah is depicted on the modern symbol of the State of Israel. (Menorah on the Arch of Titus in Rome) The menorahs of Ephesus, Turkey are more mysterious. King Attalos of Pergamum had left the city of Ephesus to Rome in his will in 129 BCE. Augustus later made Ephesus the capital of proconsular Asia. So far 3 menorahs were discovered in Ephesus. Here are their locations; The first menorah of Ephesus is located on the street connecting Celsus Library to the Grand Theater of Ephesus. The second menorah of Ephesus is located on the steps of the Celsus Library. The third menorah of Ephesus is located on the interior of the Mazeus and Mithridates Gate. Menorah carved in a column Menorah found on steps of Celsus Library Menorah on the Mazeus and Mithridates Gate These menorahs probably reflect a large Jewish community that existed in ancient Ephesus. https://www.google.com/amp/s/m.jpost.com/archaeology/article-704514/amp

There was an interesting late Roman coin hoard found in Switzerland. Although not a major news event, it was interesting that imaging with a CT scan was used to more closely assess the hoard. (Translations are from Google Translate and I’m not certain of their accuracy): Although the link is in German, the photos in the article are exceptional. Be sure to look closely at the embedded 3D image in the link. This article shows the new archaeological insights gained with modern technological analysis of ancient findings: https://www.archaeologie.bl.ch/entdecken/fundstelle/155/jackpot/

Here’s a nice review of the Emperor Caracalla: Above image of Caracalla came from this video:

“A floor mosaic believed to be part of a villa once owned by sixth-century AD Ostrogothic 'emperor' Theodoric the great has been unearthed outside Verona, local sources said Wednesday. Experts said the size and richness of the mosaic features indicated ownership by Theodoric (454-526) or one of his highest ministers. The find was made during digging to replace gas pipes at Montorio outside Verona“ https://www.ansa.it/english/news/lifestyle/arts/2022/04/13/theodoric-the-great-villa-mosaic-found-near-verona_f092783e-10af-4d05-92c0-6392fdf676a8.html

(The ruins of the Roman city walls and amphitheatre in Silchester are still visible.) A proposed 200 acre solar farm near a Roman city in Silchester, UK is causing controversy. There are challenges meeting both energy needs and preserving historical sites. https://www.hampshirelive.news/news/hampshire-news/hundreds-oppose-plans-solar-panel-6953454

There is now a campaign to conserve this wonderful Pictish stone in Alberlemno, Scotland https://www.deadlinenews.co.uk/2022/04/14/pictish-stone-discovered-in-scots-field-prompts-campaign-for-conservation/ There have been previous posts on Pictish stones:

I always knew that the Roman province of Illyricum was the origin of many Emperors, especially during the Crisis of the Third Century. (The Roman province of Illyricum included Serbia, but also parts of today’s Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Slovenia.) I was surprised to learn more specifically that modern-day Serbia was the second most common origin of all Emperors. Italy, of course, was the most common origin. (Thanks MM@Milosevic for this factoid.)

This is a small, but interesting find outside of Alexandria, Egypt: https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/41/464431/Antiquities/GrecoRoman/GraecoRoman-pottery-workshop,-storage-facility-une.aspx

Here is a fun video on food in Ancient Rome:

(Inca child from earlier study of ancient Inca ritual sacrifice victims.) Child sacrifices were a part of ancient Inca culture. Toxicology reports of the nails and hair belonging to two young victims found in Peru have recently found cocaine and the hallucinogen ayahuasca inside the bodies. Comment: This must have been a horrible ending for these children. I'm not sure that the drugs cocaine and the hallucinogen ayahuasca would have helped much to diminish the fear and suffering of these victims. Here are older threads and videos about other well-preserved Incan children who were sacrificed: https://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/50311/20220407/ritual-drug-sacrificed-children-found-cocaine-ayahuasca-bodies-during-inca.htm https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352409X22000785

The 'heads' of a contemporary coin, with a head of the god Bacchus, that was sampled as part of the project. Credit: University of Warwick This is an interesting article that gives evidence of an any early coin debasement In 86 BCE. This debasement probably resulted from the pressures that threatened the Republic at this time: 88 BCE: The bloody Social War ends, but Mithradates VI of Pontus massacres tens of thousands of Italians in the East. The struggles of Marius and Sulla soon escalated. This is just one early example of the many coin debasements that occurred throughout ancient Roman history. I think that the article goes too far in tying a quote by Cicero, however, to this debasement. The quote is from “De Officiis” that was written in 44 BCE, forty years after the debasement: https://phys.org/news/2022-04-analysis-roman-coins-uncovers-evidence.html

Although brief, this is a wonderful video about road construction in Ancient Rome: