guy

Thank you for reading my post. I guess I’d never seen lids, either. Here are pictures from the last article: See the video below:

Excavation continues on an ancient winery in Yavneh, Israel. https://www.dailysabah.com/life/history/archaeologists-discover-worlds-largest-ancient-winery-in-israel https://hamodia.com/2021/10/11/massive-ancient-wine-factory-unearthed-in-yavneh/ https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2021/10/11/israeli-archaeologists-discover-ancient-winemaking-complex Great pictures in the article below: https://baltimorejewishlife.com/news/print.php?ARTICLE_ID=148611

The mystery of the strength of Roman concrete is being unraveled. Investigators looked at the unusual strength of the concrete used for the tomb of the noblewoman Caecilia Metella. This is a scientific article that is written for those of us with no engineering background: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/10/211008134107.htm Here is a recent post on the unusual strength of Roman concrete:

For us non-numismatists, this is an excellent review video of the coinage system during the time of Augustus:

New aerial archaeology mapping tool allows history buffs to 'fly' across England and explore its rich history The interactive laser map, created by Historic England, brings ancient hidden settlements back to the surface It takes all the discoveries of past 30 years and superimposes them on 500,000 high-resolution photographs Lidar technology reveals Iron Age hillforts, neolithic burial sites and Second World War anti-invasion defences The Aerial Archaeology Mapping Explorer, which covers over half of England so far, can be accessed here https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-10072039/Stunning-aerial-archaeology-mapping-tool-lets-fly-England-explore-rich-history.html

“This image, captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission on September 30, 2021, shows the flow of lava from the volcano erupting on the Spanish island of La Palma. The cascade of lava can be seen spilling into the Atlantic Ocean, extending the size of the coastline.“ https://www.google.com/amp/s/scitechdaily.com/stunning-satellite-image-shows-lava-burning-a-path-to-the-sea-from-la-palma-volcano/amp/

These are exciting times for archaeology. Through the use of DNA analysis and stable isotope studies, for example, we are getting insights into the daily life of the ancient individual. Through the use of LiDAR and other methods of aerial study, we might rediscover ancient communities. Potentially, many ancient sites will be uncovered. https://www.heritagedaily.com/2021/10/120-archaeological-sites-identified-through-aerial-lidar-mapping/141612?amp https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-58817448 Here’s a previous thread on the use of LiDar in studies of ancient Roman communities in Portugal:

Hopefully, further DNA analysis on the “remains” will shed some light on ancient diets. Here’s another article with some added information: The ancient palace where the toilet was found would have had an impressive view of the Temple Mount. Yoli Schwartz / Israel Antiquities Authority https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/2700-year-old-toilet-found-in-jerusalem-180978813/ Excellent video on the find:

Here is an article touting the Spartan courage and resilience. Interestingly, much of Sparta’s success has been attributed to the Spartan females: https://greekreporter.com/2021/10/07/spartans-ancient-war-machine/

“Sources from antiquity state that ancient Queen Cleopatra used to bathe in donkey milk to keep her skin soft and glowing. It is said that the milk of 700 donkeys was used to fill her tub. Ancient Roman poet Ovid also suggested women use donkey milk on their faces to improve the health an appearance of their skin.“ https://greekreporter.com/2021/10/06/donkey-milk-a-secret-from-the-antiquity-that-became-a-prosperous-business/ I never thought about the benefits of donkey milk. It is hard to get and expensive, however. Here is an interesting video:

https://m.dw.com/en/israeli-archaeologists-unearth-2700-year-old-toilet/a-59411188

Nice article (and photos) from the Gloucestershire find: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/roman-statuette-of-venus-discovered-at-english-construction-site-180978816/

Here is a short (16 minutes) film on the Goths. It was well done.

I have little understanding of the late Roman Empire; less of the Byzantine Empire. And I have no understanding of the development of the Byzantine military. The Byzantine army was able to absorb foreign influences to become a formidable force. After the Hunnish Empire defeat of the Fifth century, many barbarian horsemen from the Steppes joined the Byzantine Empire. The Heruli, for example, were among those who joined the Byzantines. Here’s a great video on the early Byzantine military development. It stresses the ability of the Byzantine army to adapt to invaders by adopting foreign weapons, tactics, and troops: As the Byzantine Empire began to falter, it became increasingly reliant on foreign mercenary troops. It became, nevertheless, a very formidable multi-ethnic force. Here’s an interesting article on the development and diversity of the Byzantine army: https://greekreporter.com/2021/10/03/byzantine-army/ The Byzantine emperors were also a diverse group: https://balkaniumblog.wordpress.com/2017/08/13/the-ethnic-backgrounds-of-byzantine-emperors/

I needed to put Colchester in historical perspective. The ancient Roman city (Camulodunum) was the first legionary fortress established after the Roman invasion of Britain in 43 AD. It was attacked and destroyed by Boudicca in 61 AD. It was later rebuilt. It has the only Roman Circus (chariot racetrack) in Britain. It also has two of Britain’s five Roman theaters, including Britain’s largest with 5000 seats. By the Second and Third centuries AD it may have had 30,000 inhabitants. Two great videos on Roman Colchester: This next video is more in-depth, but fascinating: Colchester might have the oldest surviving Roman Christian church on display in Britain (16:30). Many Roman graves were excavated in Colchester. Here is a young female buried with copper pins to keep her hair in place. (21:21) The excavation of the Roman Circus track (33:49). It is estimated to have been a quarter mile long with up to 15,000 spectators. Medical tools found in a pre-Christian grave. (28:28)

I don’t know the accuracy of this claim, but it is unfortunate, if true: Discovery - a section of Roman road was uncovered at the former Essex County Hospital site, off Lexden Road https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-58752445 https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/19613644.ancient-roman-ruins-discovered-ex-hospital-site/

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2021/09/archaeologists-excavate-roman-temple-complex-in-tyre/141542?amp

This is a wonderful tour of a necropolis in Tyre, Lebanon. If you can find this on YouTube, this becomes a virtual reality tour. You can adjust your vantage point (but you will have to go to the YouTube platform). Look for VR Tour | Roman Necropolis | Tyre, Lebanon

Another article on the find: The buried warrior’s head was located next to the skeleton of a five-year-old child. No one knows if there was a kinship relationship between the two. Credit: Anagnostis Agelarakis https://greekreporter.com/2021/10/02/byzantine-warrior-gold-threaded-jaw-greece/

Please post some of your research and insights. Sounds interesting. I know very little on the subject. Here’s the small bit I know about astrology and Roman history: Augustus Denarius. Spanish mint, ca 17 BC. CAESAR AVGVSTVS, head left in oak wreath / DIVVS – IVLIVS across field, comet with eight rays & tail. RSC 97. (Photo and attribution from Wildwinds.com) This is the famous Augustus comet coin. The background information about this comet coin was discussed on cointalk.com. Great link: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ancients-caesars-comet.254853/

Here’s an interesting article that dismantles the myth of Spartan military prowess and courage: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/sparta-much-more-army-warriors-180978583/

Here is what I believe to be the original article. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abi7673 Reviewing this article, I found it incredibly difficult to follow at times. There could be a few challenges with the article. Part of the difficulty for me might come from the fact that this is from an international group of brilliant scientists for whom English might not be a primary language. Another problem is that many conclusions are made based on the analysis of only 82 ancient individuals. Here is a quote from the article: Based on this small study, it would be difficult to draw conclusions on ethnic origination, ancient migration, and linguistic development. Finally, the problem may be only me. After reading scientific articles almost daily for more than three decades, I now lose my patience for more abstruse articles. Early-onset dementia?

X

Although found in Vienne, France, this Roman Venus statuette is very similar to the one above found in Britain: Vienna, France https://www.archaeology.org/issues/401-2011/digs/9120-digs-france-roman-vienna