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There have been numerous posts about Roman aqueducts recently (see below). Here is an exceptional short video on the aqueducts that gives a very informative overview.

An intact Etruscan tomb was discovered in June 2026. Below are two excellent videos on the discovery. In June 2026, archaeologists discovered a sealed Etruscan chamber tomb at the San Giuliano necropolis near Barbarano Romano, approximately 70 km northwest of Rome. This marked the second intact tomb found in the area within a year—an exceptional discovery considering that most of the over 600 tombs in the region had been looted since Roman times. The stone slab sealing the entrance remained in place, showing no signs of tampering. At least two individuals were found. One appears to have been male, as indicated by a spearhead placed beside the body. Grave goods: Included storage jars, bucchero drinking cups, an aryballos (oil or perfume vessel), and other ceramic vessels, all partially buried in soil. These artifacts are being carefully extracted for study. The tomb dates back to the late 7th century BCE, during the Orientalizing period, a time when Etruscan society experienced significant cultural changes driven by Greek influence, including new feasting customs and architectural shifts from huts to rectangular houses. https://share.google/PS314U1nPHzGwj3c1

Archaeologists have identified the westernmost known library in the Roman Empire in southern Spain. The site was previously believed to be a temple to Mithras. Unfortunately, all the papyrus scrolls were destroyed. Archaeologists have re‑identified a room inside the Roman villa of Fuente Álamo in Puente Genil (Córdoba, Spain) as the oldest known Roman library on the Iberian Peninsula, overturning decades of belief that it was a Mithraic temple. The room contains classic architectural features of Roman libraries—an apse, rectangular and semicircular niches for wooden shelves, a raised podium, and adjacent rooms likely used for storage or scholarly work. These elements match known Roman library layouts, even though the original books and wooden furnishings have long decayed. Researchers used shape‑grammar analysis (studying architectural layout rather than surviving objects) to demonstrate that the space was designed for reading, study, and preserving texts. This method allowed them to reject the earlier interpretation of the room as a Mithraeum. https://greekreporter.com/2026/07/31/oldest-roman-library-spain/

Numerous earlier posts have highlighted the impressive research by Janet Stephens, a professional hairdresser and history lover, on Ancient Roman hairstyles (see below). This article discusses her work and discoveries. Modern research shows that ancient Roman women’s famously elaborate hairstyles were not held together with pins—they were sewn into place with needle and thread. Hairstylist‑researcher Janet Stephens began investigating Roman portrait busts and noticed something unusual. Despite the complexity of the hairstyles, there were no pinholes or other physical evidence of pins holding the hair together. This absence suggested that the traditional assumption—that Romans used hairpins—was incorrect. Stephens turned to Latin texts and hands‑on experimentation. While studying ancient sources (with the help of Google Translate), she focused on the Latin word “acus.” Scholars had long translated acus as “hairpin,” but the term could also mean needle, curling iron, or needle‑and‑thread, depending on context. Stephens hypothesized that in hairstyling passages, acus referred not to pins but to actual sewing tools. To test this, she recreated hairstyles from Roman busts and sewed them into place with a needle and thread. The results were remarkable: the styles held securely, matched the sculpted forms precisely, and required neither hidden pins nor expensive false hair. Her 2008 study in the Journal of Roman Archaeology concluded that sewing offered a simple, economical, and historically accurate method for creating these ornate looks. https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/archaeology/a73229483/ancient-romans-beauty-secret/

interesting point. My favorite example was Paul (Saul of Tarsus) of the New Testament who exercised his right as a Roman citizen to request that his case be heard before the emperor in Rome, rather than being tried locally in Judea. The background information: Paul of Tarsus, a Roman citizen by birth, invoked his legal right to appeal to Caesar during his prosecution in Judea, halting the local proceedings under Governor Festus and requiring that his case be transferred to Rome; as Acts 25:10–12 records, Paul declared, “I appeal to Caesar,” prompting Festus to acknowledge the legitimacy of the appeal and commit him to be sent to Rome, a move that reflected the protections afforded to Roman citizens and set in motion Paul’s journey to the imperial court. Unfortunately for Paul, he was eventually tried and executed in Rome during the reign of Nero.

Archeology has shed some light on the region of the Dunube River and its importance in the Roman Empire. A Roman Army headquarters has been found at the Sexaginta Prista fortress in Ruse, Bulgaria. Sexaginta Prista is Latin meaning “Port of the Sixty Ships.” It was the name of a Roman naval fortress and port on the Danube River, located in what is now Ruse, Bulgaria. The Romans used it as a strategic military and naval base along the Danube Limes, the northern frontier of the empire. The Danube Limes was a chain of Roman forts, legionary bases, watchtowers, roads, and naval installations built along the Danube to control movement, defend the empire, and support military operations. It formed one of Rome’s most important European frontiers. It stretched across modern‑day Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Romania. The Danube’s wide, fast‑flowing waters created a natural barrier against northern tribes. https://www.bta.bg/en/news/archives/1173890-july-26-2006-archaeologists-discover-remains-of-roman-army-headquarters-at-sex

Below is an article about an interesting fresco found at a private banquet hall at Pompeii. Archaeologists have unveiled the partially reconstructed frescoed ceiling vault. (The picture below is a close up of the work.) The fresco depicts Dionysus and Ariadne, a central myth in Greek culture. I had to look up Ariadne: Ariadne is a figure from Greek mythology, best known as the daughter of King Minos of Crete and Queen Pasiphaë. She lived in Crete, where her father ruled and kept the Minotaur in the Labyrinth. When the Athenian hero Theseus came to slay the Minotaur, Ariadne gave him a ball of thread so he could find his way out of the Labyrinth after killing the beast. After escaping Crete with Theseus, she was left behind on the island of Naxos (accounts differ on whether Theseus betrayed her or was compelled by the gods). Dionysus, god of wine and revelry, found her on Naxos, fell in love, and made her his wife. Specialists built a curved support structure to reassemble the fragments, replicating the original vault shape. As more fragments are found, they can be added to the reconstruction. I expect more interesting finds at Pompeii since 35-40% of the city still remains unexcavated under volcanic debris. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/archaeological-site-pompeii-fresco-b3021376.html

Archaeologists in Saxony‑Anhalt uncovered a small but historically significant hoard of five Roman Republican silver denarii. Although Roman coins occasionally appear in northern Germany, they are almost always isolated finds with unclear origins. This discovery is different because all five coins were found in a tightly defined area, allowing researchers to treat them as a single deposit. One coin was minted in 148 BC, the others were minted between 82–79 BC, during the turbulent late Republic. Roman Republican silver is extremely rare this far north; the hoard suggests early movement of Roman currency into non‑Roman communities, likely through trade, diplomacy, or itinerant contacts. Only 19 Republican coins had previously been recorded in Saxony‑Anhalt, nearly all isolated. This is the first reliably documented hoard. https://www.heritagedaily.com/2026/07/roman-republican-silver-hoard-highlights-early-links-beyond-the-border/158697

Archaeologists uncovered a large Roman military camp in northern Spain, dating to the Cantabrian Wars. The Cantabrian Wars (29–19 BCE) were the final stage of Rome’s two‑century conquest of Hispania, fought under Emperor Augustus against the fiercely independent tribes of northern Spain — the Cantabri, Astures, and Gallaeci. These were the last Celtic peoples resisting Roman rule. The wars were fought in rugged mountain terrain, ill‑suited to Roman heavy infantry. The Cantabrians relied on guerrilla tactics, ambushes, and fortified hill settlements. Rome responded with siege warfare, scorched‑earth campaigns, and permanent fortifications. The Cantabri and Astures refused to be taken alive; many committed mass suicides (famously at Mount Medullius). Rome then secured access to mineral resources (iron, gold, salt) and consolidated provincial administration. The wars marked the end of independent tribal resistance in Iberia, completing Roman hegemony. The site is unusually extensive, suggesting Rome deployed massive forces to besiege local hillforts. This confirms ancient sources describing the Cantabrian Wars as brutal and prolonged, requiring sustained Roman presence. https://www.heritagedaily.com/2026/07/new-roman-military-camp-discovery-reveals-scale-of-cantabrian-wars-siege/158688

Below is an interesting video on the location of Roman coins discovered outside of Rome. Pictured above are the location of four Roman coins found in Iceland. Below are other posts about Roman coins found outside Rome’s borders.

There have not been many previous posts about the Devon county in Southwest, England (see below). It was found in a farmer’s field near the village of Sampford Peverall, Devon. This latest find of a Roman mosaic in the area is unusual. It is of a flower design and will go on display soon. There have been few previous Roman finds in the area. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2ky7k54y13o

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