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An intact Roman ship, dating from AD 320 and discovered on the seabed in the Bay of Palma, Mallorca, has been raised. The vessel, known as Ses Fontanelles, was hidden until 2019, when a storm shifted the seabed. More than 300 amphorae loaded with products such as olive oil, wine, and fermented sauces (garum) were found. Among the findings are an oil lamp depicting the goddess Diana alongside amphorae marked with the Christian symbol of the Chi-Rho. These findings reveal a pagan culture coexisting with an emerging Christian culture. https://forbes.es/en/nautik-magazine/968797/an-intact-roman-shipwreck-recovered-in-mallorca/ https://en.as.com/latest_news/roman-ship-raised-intact-to-the-surface-in-spain-for-the-first-time-in-history-f202607-n-2/?outputType=amp

Most of us know the above Arch of Titus in Roman Forum. Most of us don’t know about the other Arch of Titus at the Circus Maximus in Rome. This excellent short video about the Circus Maximus depicts the older Arch of Titus, now mostly obliterated by time. Very little remains of this earlier Arch of Titus (seen below). Rome once had two arches dedicated to Titus: the well‑known arch in the Forum, which still stands, and a second, larger arch at the eastern end of the Circus Maximus that was dismantled centuries ago. Excavations in 2015 uncovered more than 300 marble fragments, including column bases and pavement remains, which allow archaeologists to reconstruct its scale and design. The Circus arch was a triple‑bay structure, about seventeen meters wide and fifteen meters deep, with columns nearly ten meters tall. It was originally built in AD 80–81 by the Senate to commemorate Titus’s victory in Jerusalem, and later reused in aqueduct construction and medieval fortifications. The Circus Maximus arch was a ceremonial gateway, replacing the porta Pompae and serving as a monumental entrance to the circus while also celebrating the victory. The Forum arch, still intact, was built by Domitian in AD 81–82, functioned as a triumphal arch marking the Via Sacra and the triumphal route. Its reliefs vividly depict the triumphal procession, including Roman soldiers carrying the treasures of the Temple of Jerusalem and Titus crowned by Victory. https://roma.repubblica.it/cronaca/2015/05/28/news/circo_massimo-115493901/#gallery-slider=115510532 http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/36814

The Torlonia collection is on its final stop of North America in Montreal this month. The Torlonia collection contains 622 ancient marbles, assembled in the 19th century from aristocratic Roman families (Giustiniani, Albani, Cavaceppi) and Torlonia estate excavations. For decades it was inaccessible, making this tour a landmark event. The Torlonia sculptures now on exhibit form one of the most important Roman sculpture showings in decades: 57 masterpieces from the Torlonia Collection, touring North America for the first time and currently on view at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) until July 19, 2026. The exhibition is historically significant: the Torlonia Collection—long considered the greatest private collection of Roman sculpture—was inaccessible for most of the 20th century, stored away since WWII and known mainly through 19th‑century catalogues. Its recent restoration and release to the public is one of the major events in Roman art scholarship. Here is a good video review about the exhibit while previously in Fort Worth at the Kimbell Art Museum earlier this year: Here is a short video of the exhibit now in Montreal:

The article below about the reopening of the House of Carbonized Furniture at Herculaneum made me wonder: Why were wooden objects preserved at Herculaneum in AD 79 (and not at Pompeii)? Pictured above and below are some of the wooden objects preserved there. The wood did not burn because the pyroclastic surge that hit Herculaneum was not the same type that destroyed Pompeii. Instead of open-air ash fall, Herculaneum was engulfed by a 20‑meter‑deep mass of superheated pyroclastic mud. Temperatures reached ~400 °C, hot enough to carbonize wood but—critically—oxygen was almost completely absent. At Herculaneum, when the first pyroclastic surge struck the town, it produced carbonized wood. The surge raised temperatures to around 300–500 °C, but it contained almost no oxygen. In such conditions, wood doesn’t burn; instead, it undergoes a process called carbonization. This is a chemical change that drives off volatile compounds, leaving behind a stable, charcoal-like material. Because the surge quickly buried the buildings and sealed them beneath meters of hot material, beams, doors, furniture, shelving, and even architectural panels were remarkably preserved in their original shapes, only transformed into carbon. This process accounts for the incredible preservation of many wooden objects at the site. On the ancient shores of Herculaneum, a different preservation process took place (see the picture below). Waterlogged wood creates a very unique environment for preservation. In several parts of the site, especially where volcanic mudflows and wet deposits settled, timber was buried in saturated, oxygen-poor layers rather than being heated enough to turn into charcoal. When submerged in this special anaerobic environment, decay-causing organisms couldn't thrive, allowing the wood to stay chemically 'alive.' It kept its cellular structure, species features, and even tiny growth rings. That's why archaeologists can tell the difference between fir, cypress, and spruce at the site: the wood wasn’t burned or charred but preserved through long-term saturation. Above are a boat prow painted red and a vertical winch (used to pull boats ashore), both wonderfully preserved. Pompeii’s wood mostly burned or decayed over time, but Herculaneum’s unique circumstances—such as higher temperatures, deeper burial, and lack of oxygen—preserved the world’s largest collection of Roman wooden artifacts. You can find doors, beds, shelves, roof beams, furniture, and even carbonized scrolls there. https://www.ansa.it/english/news/2026/07/10/herculaneums-house-of-the-carbonized-furniture-reopens-after-30-years_26911e38-10bd-434f-8f29-da719b60a565.html https://the-past.com/feature/wooden-wonders-of-herculaneum/ Below is an interesting video from Darius Arya highlighting the wooden objects preserved at Herculaneum.

Where did Carthaginian General Hannibal cross the Alps with his elephants in 218 BC? This study concludes that Col de la Traversette (pictured above and below) is the most plausible route Hannibal used to cross the Alps, based on detailed energy‑expenditure modeling for soldiers, horses, and elephants. Note: The Col de la Traversette is a mountain pass, not a peak. It’s a high crossing in the Cottian Alps, at about 2,950 meters (9,678 feet) above sea level, right on the modern French–Italian border. A pass is a natural corridor or saddle between mountains that allows travelers to cross from one valley to another. Traversette is particularly steep and narrow, which is why it matches ancient descriptions of Hannibal’s crossing: snow at the summit, a treacherous descent, and a gorge where ambushes could occur. Researchers developed a comprehensive bioenergetic and movement-ecology model for Hannibal’s army, including infantry, cavalry, and elephants. This model thoughtfully combines physiological energy consumption with terrain slope details, elevation profiles, and historically accurate marching speeds, offering a detailed understanding of their logistical capabilities. They then applied this model to four proposed Alpine passes—Col de la Traversette, Col du Clapier, Col de Montgenèvre, and Col du Mont Cenis—running full‑army simulations to estimate total energy expenditure across each route. By combining ancient sources from Polybius and Livy with modern terrain analysis, the team showed that Traversette required the least total energy and was the only pass short and efficient enough for elephants to cross without starving. Traversette is 11–19% more energy-efficient than the other options — a significant advantage when moving elephants and tens of thousands of men through snowy and steep landscapes. That's why only Traversette makes it possible for elephants to successfully cross the terrain described by Polybius. The model’s favorite route closely matches the descriptions kept by Polybius and Livy, mentioning a narrow gorge near the top, a high pass covered in snow, a steep and risky descent into Italy, a region with pale or “white” rock, and an exciting ambush spot that made the most of the tight terrain. These story details seem to fit best with the physical features of the Cottian Alps, especially the high elevation and unique geology of the Col de la Traversette, which at nearly 9,700 feet, aligns perfectly with the old accounts of snow, visibility into Italy, and the tough descent that made Hannibal’s army create a new path for the elephants. https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2612764123

Once again, modern DNA studies (see above) have clarified history. The latest results have helped clarify a 16th-century Renaissance controversy. The studies proved both Medici brothers — Giovanni (d. 1562) and Francesco (d. 1587) — died of malaria, not poisoning. A new ancient DNA analysis of their skeletal remains, published in iScience, extracted parasite DNA from rib samples taken from their tombs in the Medici Chapels in Florence. Giovanni carried a novel strain of Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest malaria parasite. Francesco carried both P. falciparum and P. malariae, confirming he died from malaria rather than the long‑rumored poisoning by his rival brother, Cardinal Ferdinando de Medici. Both brothers were prominent members of the Medici dynasty, the ruling family of Renaissance Florence, whose power shaped Italian politics, banking, and culture for centuries. Giovanni de’ Medici (1543–1562) was the teenage son of Duke Cosimo I, groomed for high office, while his older brother Francesco I de’ Medici (1541–1587) eventually became Grand Duke of Tuscany. Their deaths became legendary because they happened suddenly. For generations, rumors suggested that the brothers were murdered rather than dying from illness. Giovanni’s death at nineteen was thought to be caused by poisoning or court intrigue, especially since his mother and younger brother died simultaneously. Francesco’s death was even more controversial: he and his Venetian wife, Bianca Cappello, died within hours of each other, fueling centuries of speculation that Francesco’s ambitious brother, Cardinal Ferdinando de’ Medici, poisoned them to gain power. These stories became part of the politically motivated Medici legends and were perpetuated by historians for 400 years. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/medici-renaissance-murder-mystery-solved-b3006418.html?callback=in&code=ZJGZYZU5NTGTODQYMC0ZODMYLTG5NJGTMWUZYWM2ZGRJYTBL&state=947537500622478ca9c080907faae770

Gildas (AD 450 or 500-c570) is foundational for understanding the collapse of Roman Britain because he is the earliest surviving British voice describing the period after Rome withdrew. Every later medieval historian—Bede, Nennius, the Anglo‑Saxon Chronicle—depends on him. Without Gildas, our picture of 5th‑century Britain would be dramatically thinner. This article explains how medieval Britons remembered the fall of Roman Britain, focusing on the 6th‑century writer Gildas, whose account shaped all later narratives. It shows that medieval memory of Rome’s departure blended history, trauma, and legend, and that some of Gildas’s claims align with contemporary Roman sources. Gildas wrote De Excidio Britanniae (shown above) around AD 540, making him the first British author to describe the post‑Roman world from inside Britain rather than from Rome or Gaul. No earlier British chronicles survive from the period of AD 410–540. Gildas identifies the usurper Maximus (AD 383) as the figure who removed Britain’s troops, effectively beginning the end of Roman rule. He highlights the AD 410 message from Emperor Honorius telling Britons to defend themselves, marking the official end of Roman administration: Gildas writes that after repeated appeals for military help, “the Romans told them to look to their own defence, and no longer to expect help from them,” a line that marks the moment Britain was formally abandoned and forced to face Saxon pressure without imperial protection. Gildas describes the later Battle of Mount Badon (around AD 495 or 500) as a decisive victory in which the Britons defeated the Saxons, ending decades of warfare and ushering in a generation of peace. https://share.google/xievpPhoTFyOUWTmJ

Archaeologists at Heraclea Sintica in south-western Bulgaria have uncovered an extremely rare Roman bladder-stone surgical instrument—a lithoulkos—found beside the Temple of Hercules, offering direct physical evidence of advanced medical practices at the site. The find dates to the third century AD. Darn. That looks painful. https://www.heritagedaily.com/2026/07/ancient-bladder-stone-surgery-tool-discovered-at-bulgarian-roman-city/158530

Deversorium in Boardwalk emere volo. (Google Translate is my friend.)

Researchers in England used a 3D printer to recreate a playable version of Ludus Latrunculorum, the strategic board game that was widely played in Roman Britain. Their model is based on a carved stone board found at Vindolanda, a Roman fort near Hadrian’s Wall that housed several thousand people between the late first and early third centuries C.E. Although only a fraction of the site has been excavated, Vindolanda has produced an extensive archaeological record, including multiple gaming boards that shed light on everyday life. The particular board used for the reconstruction was discovered in 2019, buried between a bathhouse drain and a workshop wall beside a third‑century road. Broken into five pieces, it appears to have been reused as a flagstone, later incorporated into the foundations of a farm. Its location outside the fort suggests that civilians—including women and children—played the game, not just soldiers. Vindolanda itself seems to have been a center for ancient gaming culture, with more than a dozen sets of Ludus Latrunculorum found there alone. Visitors to Vindolanda will be able to try Ludus Latrunculorum themselves at the Roman Army Museum, using the newly recreated board. Although no complete rulebook survives, scattered descriptions suggest the game worked somewhat like checkers, with two players attempting to capture each other’s pieces by trapping them between their own. Ancient writers mention the pastime under several names, including “the game of little brigands,” “the game of little robbers,” and “soldiers,” reflecting its long‑standing association with strategy and conflict. https://share.google/o2uh98kIlD1ObCNTj

East West Rail’s archaeological trenching has uncovered a cluster of Roman‑period finds—notably coins, pottery, and a Late Iron Age vase—during early works for the new Oxford‑to‑Cambridge rail line. (Pictured above is a coin minted from the reign of Carausius AD 286-293.) Archaeologists are opening 1,000 exploratory trenches—with 6,000 more scheduled—along the future rail corridor to document buried heritage before construction begins. Each trench measures roughly 50 m long, 2 m wide, and 0.5 m deep (about 164 ft × 6.5 ft × 1.6 ft). https://www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/news/26246306.east-west-rail-unearth-roman-finds-1-740-year-ago/

New technology finally allows deciphering Assyrian tablets without breaking their seal. A new ENCI mobile CT‑scanner has been used to read sealed Old Assyrian cuneiform letters from Kültepe/Kaneš without breaking their clay envelopes. ENCI is a specialized mobile high‑resolution CT scanner (pictured above) designed specifically to read sealed cuneiform tablets without breaking their clay envelopes. It is the first device engineered for non‑destructive imaging of Old Assyrian tablets still encased in their original clay coverings. The Old Assyrian letters (pictured below) were written on a clay tablet, then wrapped in a second layer of clay — the envelope — which was sealed and stamped. Opening it destroys the seal, the archaeological context, and sometimes the tablet itself. The creators of the sealed tablets were Old Assyrian merchants, families, and scribes living in the early 2nd millennium BCE, roughly 2000–1750 BCE, during the period known as the Old Assyrian Trading Colonies. These people lived in Kültepe/Kaneš, in central Anatolia, and were part of a vast commercial network linking Assur (in northern Iraq) with dozens of Anatolian cities. They wrote letters on clay tablets and sealed them in clay envelopes to protect contracts, loans, shipments, and family correspondence. https://www.nature.com/articles/s40494-026-02568-7.pdf

There’re have been a few previous posts on the Roman baths. (Pictured above is the recreation of the Roman bath complex in Bath, England.) Below is a documentary by the fabulous Professor Darius Arya on “Why Bathhouses were the Heart of Roman Culture”

Archaeologists digging near Binyamina in Israel uncovered two remarkably well-preserved Roman marble statues dating to roughly 1,700 years ago. They were found in a collection pit used for a Roman–Byzantine winepress. Rather than being displayed as originally intended, they had been carefully laid face-down in the pit, suggesting they were intentionally buried after the winepress ceased operation. The sculptures are marble protomes—heads and upper torsos—depicting figures from the Greco-Roman era. One statue bears a Greek inscription with the name “Lycurgus,” and researchers are trying to determine whether it represents Lycurgus of Sparta or Lycurgus of Athens, both well-known historical figures. The statues were first noticed when an unusual object emerged from the soil; further digging revealed marble instead of the usual pottery fragments found at such sites. Their quality suggests a considerable investment in imported art, likely originally displayed in a public building or an elite household in Caesarea, where similar portrait sculptures have been discovered — although such finds are rare, with the last comparable discovery dating back to the 1990s. The statues are now undergoing cleaning, conservation, and detailed study, including efforts to determine their original placement and the reason they were deliberately hidden for nearly seventeen centuries. 1,700-year-old Roman marble statues found buried in ancient winepress near Caesarea | Archaeology News Online Magazine

Augustine was a North African Christian bishop and thinker from the late Roman world who became one of the most influential writers in Western history. Born in 354 CE, he spent years searching for truth through philosophy before converting to Christianity and eventually becoming bishop of Hippo. He wrote powerful works like Confessions and The City of God, where he explored human desire, sin, grace, and the nature of God. His ideas shaped Christian theology for more than a thousand years and still influence how people think about the self, morality, and faith today. Two previously unknown sermons by St. Augustine were identified in a 12th‑century manuscript (pictured above) held in the Diocesan Library of Pelplin (Poland). Scholars Christian Tornau and Clemens Weidmann argue that the texts are authentic based on linguistic, stylistic, and theological analysis. The sermons address 1 Samuel 28, where King Saul consults the Witch of Endor and the dead prophet Samuel appears. The sermons appear to be delivered on two different days—Sunday and the following Wednesday—showing Augustine thinking through the problem with his congregation in real time. Note: 1 Samuel 28 is the famous biblical episode known as the Witch (Medium) of Endor, where King Saul, abandoned by God and desperate for guidance, seeks out a forbidden necromancer to summon the dead prophet Samuel. Augustine thought 1 Samuel 28 was worrisome because it deals with forbidden magic, demonic deception, divine sovereignty, and the limits of human knowledge. The story was considered “dangerous” by Augustine because it can be misread in ways that justify magic, empower demons, or undermine God’s authority. Augustine thought this story was risky because people might get the wrong idea and think magic is real, demons can pretend to be holy people, or that God would speak through something He clearly forbids. The scene is confusing and easy to misread, and Augustine worried that ordinary believers might start trusting fortune‑tellers or trying forbidden spiritual shortcuts instead of turning to God. https://arkeonews.net/two-newly-discovered-sermons-by-st-augustine-tackle-a-dangerous-biblical-mystery/#google_vignette

A small rock‑cut Roman sanctuary dedicated to Minerva has been identified within an ancient sandstone quarry at Campos del Paraíso (Cuenca, Spain). The study, published in June 2026, indicates that the shrine was carved in the late 2nd century CE by Plotius Vigor, a member of a prominent Hispano‑Roman family. The shrine is an aedicula — a miniature temple façade — 24 inches wide and 20 inches tall, carved directly into the sandstone quarry wall. Minerva appears as a front‑facing armed goddess, wearing a long tunic and a crested helmet while holding a spear in her right hand and resting her left hand on an oval shield; she also bears the aegis across her chest, and an owl—her traditional companion symbolizing wisdom—stands beside her, making the identification unmistakably consistent with classical Roman portrayals of Minerva and her Greek counterpart Athena. The inscription beneath the relief is brief, formulaic, and typical of rural Roman cult sites. According to the published study, it reads: Minervae dominae — “To Minerva the Lady,” a respectful divine epithet. Plotius — The dedicator, identified as Plotius Vigor, a member of a wealthy Hispano‑Roman family. cum suo comitatu — “with his retinue/companions,” meaning he made the dedication together with the group under his authority (family, workers, or dependents). Recreation of the rock-cut sanctuary: https://elpais.com/cultura/2026-06-22/hallado-un-santuario-romano-dedicado-a-la-diosa-minerva-en-una-cantera-de-cuenca.html https://allthatsinteresting.com/campos-del-paraiso-spain-roman-minerva-shrine

Here is an interesting short video on the Albarracín Aqueduct in Spain. First the background information: The Albarracín–Cella aqueduct was basically one of the boldest underground water projects the Romans ever built in Spain. It ran for 25 km (about 15.5 miles), and almost the whole thing—98% of it—was hidden below ground. The system included a 5 km (3.1‑mile) tunnel and roughly 140 vertical shafts, all dug in the 1st century BCE to move water from one river basin to another and bring it to the small settlement at Cella. It probably wasn’t meant for a big city’s drinking supply but more for industrial and farming work, like fulling, metalworking, or mills. Here’s another video on the aqueduct:

Archaeologists in Aspendos (Antalya, Turkey) uncovered a rare Roman mosaic depicting Eurymedon, the personified river god of the ancient Eurymedon (modern Köprüçay). The mosaic dates from AD 200-250 and was exceptionally preserved. The high‑quality Roman mosaic shows a young Eurymedon, a youthful river god—an unusually local and specific depiction in Anatolian mosaic art. River gods appear in Greco‑Roman art, but local, identifiable river deities in mosaics are rare—making this depiction important. https://www.turkiyetoday.com/culture/rare-river-god-mosaic-uncovered-in-turkiyes-ancient-city-of-aspendos-3222205

An intact late-Roman sarcophagus has been unearthed in the coastal town of Cavtat, southern Croatia. It was discovered during excavations at part of the necropolis of the Roman colony of Epidaur. It dates to the 4th-5th centuries AD. It’s intact and in situ—still in its original position and sealed since antiquity. Epidaur was a Roman municipium and later a colony, likely founded in the 1st century BC during the wave of Romanization along the Dalmatian coast. It sat on a protected bay, making it a natural harbor and an administrative hub. https://www.heritagedaily.com/2026/06/rare-intact-roman-sarcophagus-unearthed-in-croatia/158407

Roman curse tablets (defixiones) were thin sheets of metal (usually lead or pewter ) inscribed with spells to bring harm, bad luck, or divine retribution upon an enemy. (There was a previous post below on curse tablets found in France.) Pictured above: Servilia inscribes a curse tablet against Atia of the Julii, her rival from the series “Rome.” Below is an article about a translated curse tablet (pictured below) found in the Netherlands. A 2nd‑century Roman curse tablet from ancient Coriovallum (modern Heerlen, Netherlands) has been deciphered, revealing a rare blend of Greek, Egyptian, and magical traditions. The tablet is an unusually hybrid magical object—Greek text, Egyptian‑style demons, and Roman ritual context—showing how deeply interconnected religious and occult practices were in the Roman Empire. These are the following findings: A thin lead curse tablet (defixio) inscribed with a Greek invocation calling on underworld deities and demons. The writing is accompanied by magical symbols, including Egyptian‑style figures and protective signs. It dates to the 2nd century AD, when Coriovallum was a thriving Roman settlement along the road between Cologne and Boulogne. The curse tablet is one of the northernmost examples of Egyptian‑style magical practice in Roman Europe. The tablet was deciphered using reflectance transformation imaging — a computer‑assisted photographic method that shows the microscopic surface details invisible to the naked eye. This allows the scholars to read the worn Greek text and magical symbols. https://www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2026/06/archaeologists-decipher-a-roman-curse-tablet-with-magical-symbols-found-in-ancient-coriovallum/

Here is the scholarly article on the Berlanga Cup. (See below for an earlier post.) The Berlanga Cup is a newly discovered Roman enameled bronze vessel found in Berlanga de Duero (Soria, Spain). It is only the second known example in Hispania of the famous Hadrian’s Wall pans—decorated souvenir‑type vessels that depict forts along the Wall. This cup is uniquely important because it is the first known example to list forts from the eastern sector of Hadrian’s Wall: Cilurnum (Chesters) Onno (Halton Chesters) Vindobala (Rudchester) Condercum (Benwell) The inscription and translation on the bowl are below: The cup survives in four fragments, about 80–90% complete, and is larger than most other Wall pans. It features: A hemispherical form with thin walls Multicolored enamel decoration (red, green, turquoise, blue) Three decorative friezes, including crenelated towers, interpreted as stylized representations of the Wall Archaeometric testing (pXRF and lead‑isotope analysis) shows the cup was made of leaded gunmetal typical of 2nd‑century Roman Britain, and the lead most likely came from northern English or Welsh mines—regions close to Hadrian’s Wall. This strongly supports manufacturing in northern Britain rather than in Hispania. The article argues the cup was likely a personal memento of military service on Hadrian’s Wall—either purchased or awarded. The most plausible owner: A soldier of the Cohors I Celtiberorum, an auxiliary unit recruited from Celtiberia (the region where the cup was found) and attested epigraphically at Wall forts including Cilurnum. This fits a broader pattern: other Wall pans have been found far from Britain, likely carried home by veterans. Because all four named forts were built by AD 124–130, and no later forts appear, the cup likely dates to AD 124–late 2nd century, with a probable window of 130–150. The Berlanga Cup: Provides the first epigraphic evidence of eastern Wall forts on a Wall pan Confirms British manufacture and Hispanic veteran return‑migration Expands understanding of Roman military memory objects Anchors a new Roman site in Berlanga through associated archaeology The Berlanga Cup. New Evidence of Hadrian’s Wall Pans Found in Hispania Citerior (Spain) | Britannia | Cambridge Core Previous post on this find:

A new three-part series on Pompeii, “Pompeii: Out of Time with Tom Hiddkeston. will be available on Disney+ this summer. Hiddleston “steps into” the ancient world, moving between present‑day analysis and dramatized reconstructions of real Romans facing the eruption. The show follows several intertwined storylines: A teenage apprentice trying to survive A powerful businesswoman forced into impossible choices A Praetorian Guard torn between duty and fate https://www.heyuguys.com/pompeii-out-of-time-with-tom-hiddleston-trailer/

A marble bust of the Roman goddess Venus was discovered during beach restoration work on the Spanish beach of La Almadraba in Alicante. The bust dates from the 1st-2nd century AD. https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-899027

Here is an informative video about the creation of the hairstyle of Livia Drusilla, wife of Augustus (59 BCE-AD 29). This video was made by Janet Stephans, a professional hairdresser and classical enthusiast, who shows the creation of the Roman “nodus” or knot hairstyle. Here is a previous thread that describes Julia Donna’s hairstyle by Ms Stephans:

Excavations at Pompeii’s House of the Chaste Lovers uncovered the skeleton of an equid (likely a donkey or mule) inside the bakery area of the production complex. The find adds new evidence about the working animals that powered Pompeii’s grain‑to‑bread industry (See picture below.) The House of the Chaste Lovers is a major insula containing a large bakery, stables, storage rooms, workspaces, and the owner’s residence, named after the famous “Chaste Kiss” fresco (see above). Previous excavations had already revealed other equids used to turn millstones and transport grain. https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/06/07/pompeii-excavations-reveal-equid-skeleton-at-house-of-the-chaste-lovers