guy

This study showed that immigrants had very little impact on the indigenous Iberian populations before the Roman invasion. Northeastern Iberia did experience immigration from outside before the Romans, as shown by this genomic study. The study indicates that this immigration was limited, layered over a stable local population, and did not cause a mass replacement. Beginning in the late Bronze and early Iron Age, Phoenician traders, Greek colonists, and later Carthaginians established coastal enclaves and commercial networks that brought small numbers of newcomers into the region. Their genetic impact appears as a gradual rise in Mediterranean‑related ancestry, consistent with intermarriage, adoption, and long-term contact rather than settlement colonies transforming the population. The first major demographic change really took off when Rome expanded its reach. Soldiers, administrators, slaves, and migrants from all over the empire brought a richer mix of ancestries, leading to the more diverse genetic profile we observe after the 2nd–1st centuries BCE. In simple terms, northeastern Iberia was welcoming to the Mediterranean world, but before Rome, immigration was a slow and steady process rather than a sudden, sweeping transformation. Here is the study: Ancient DNA from 54 newborns across northeastern Iberia shows that local communities maintained a stable, Bronze Age–derived genetic profile for roughly 600 years (ca. 775 BCE–50 CE), even as they interacted extensively with Phoenician, Greek, and later Roman Mediterranean cultures. The rise of Iberian culture in the 6th century BCE was not driven by a mass migration; instead, it emerged from local populations whose Mediterranean-related ancestry gradually increased but remained modest. This genetic stability persisted until the Roman expansion, when new genetic exposure introduced diversity. The findings indicate that long-term cultural change in the region was not accompanied by major demographic replacement until the Roman period. https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(26)01561-0?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS2589004226015610%3Fshowall%3Dtrue

The article below about the use of mushrooms in antiquity made me think of Ötzi (pictured above) who lived 5300 years ago and whose mummified remains were found in 1991 on the Alps between Italy and Austria. https://www.theglobalist.com/mushrooms-from-ancient-foraging-to-modern-obsession/ Ötzi was found with two types of fungi. One fungus found was Fomes fomentarius (the tinder fungus or hoof fungus), which he carried as processed amadou for fire‑starting and ember transport. Also found was Fomitopsis betulina (the birch polypore), likely used for its medicinal and anti‑parasitic properties. Both fungi were found among his equipment. The Romans ate porcini, which they called boleti, a category that included Boletus edulis (modern porcini) and closely related species. Roman writers like Pliny and Apicius describe them as prized, rich, and luxurious mushrooms. They also ate truffles, which Roman authors such as Juvenal and Pliny describe as elite delicacies associated with wealth, aphrodisiac qualities, and extravagant banquets. Both porcini‑type boletes and truffles were staples of high‑status Roman cuisine, alongside Amanita caesarea and morels. According to the major Roman historians, Claudius was killed in AD 54 by a dish of poisoned mushrooms, almost certainly boleti. The plot was widely attributed to his wife Agrippina the Younger, who wanted her son Nero to succeed Claudius before Claudius’s own son Britannicus came of age.

The Roman siege of Ambrosia was an example of a Roman siege that failed. The Roman siege of Ambracia was a major operation in 189 B.C., during Rome’s war against the Aetolian League, and it became one of antiquity’s best examples of underground siege warfare. Rome, led by Marcus Fulvius Nobilior, besieged the fortified Greek city of Ambracia, capital of the Aetolian League. The city’s walls were strong, so instead of relying on direct assault, the Romans turned to mining tunnels to collapse the fortifications. The Greek defenders detected the tunnels and dug counter‑mines, leading to brutal, close‑quarters fighting in total darkness. Romans dug tunnels to undermine the walls; Greeks counter‑tunneled to intercept them. Defenders used bronze vessels pressed to the ground to hear Roman digging—an early form of seismic detection. : Greeks deployed a jar filled with burning chicken feathers to create choking smoke in the tunnels—one of the earliest recorded uses of chemical weapons. Fighting occurred in cramped, pitch‑black tunnels where normal weapons were nearly useless. Despite intense fighting above and below ground, Ambracia did not fall by force. Instead, the city negotiated a surrender on moderate terms, ending the siege. This effectively broke the Aetolian League’s resistance and cemented Roman dominance in Greece. Here is a video on this unusual Roman stalemate. https://www.historicnotorious.com/the-siege-of-ambracia

(Above scene from the movie “The Eagle”) A 2,000‑year‑old burial in northern Scotland has revealed an unusually modified skeleton of an adult woman whose brain was likely deliberately removed and whose arm and leg bones were broken and whittled into sharp, tool‑like points. Archaeologists discovered her remains—alongside those of a teenage boy—beneath a stone cairn near Loch Borralie. Cut marks inside the skull and a targeted fracture at its base suggest the brain was extracted shortly after death, possibly to preserve the skull for display or as part of a ritual that may even have involved cannibalism, though this remains uncertain. The woman’s remains date to roughly 2,000 years ago, specifically between 50 B.C.E. and 70 C.E., based on archaeological assessment of the burial at Loch Borralie in northern Scotland. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/reconnecting-the-dead-in-iron-age-britain-funerary-processing-and-longdistance-connectivity-at-loch-borralie-scotland/450BC6B98B6F1FECE3E42941F26C8619

Recent excavations in Egypt have investigated a Greco-Roman necropolis in Egypt. https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/41/570199/Antiquities/GrecoRoman/Beheira-discovery-sheds-light-on-settlement-and-bu.aspx?shem=rimspwouoe,

Swiss divers located a long‑suspected Roman bridge pier (pile trestle) near Solothurn during archaeological surveys (see pictures). It confirms the wood dates to the 4th century AD and links the structure to a major Roman road between Italy and the Rhine. Salodurum (pictured below) was the Roman predecessor of modern Solothurn, Switzerland, a strategically placed settlement on the Aare River that developed into one of the key Roman centers in the region. It appears in major Roman sources such as the Itinerarium Antonini and the Tabula Peutingeriana, confirming its importance in the imperial road network. https://www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2026/06/remains-of-a-4th-century-roman-bridge-found-in-the-aare-riverbed-in-switzerland-at-ancient-salodurum/

There have been a few previous posts about the use of honey in wound care (see below). Here is an article that does a good job of summarizing honey’s long term survival. Honey found in sealed Egyptian tombs remains edible even after more than 3,000 years because it had overlapping antimicrobial defenses: extremely low water content that dehydrates microbes, natural acidity that inhibits bacterial metabolism, and slow‑releasing hydrogen peroxide produced by enzymes in the honey. Tomb conditions—cool, dark, sealed, and dry—kept the honey from absorbing moisture and prevented fermentation, allowing it to survive essentially unchanged except for darkening and crystallization. While its antibacterial potency fades over millennia as enzymes break down, the honey remains chemically stable and safe to eat, illustrating why it outlasts nearly all other foods and why ancient Egyptians also used it medicinally. Honey was one of the most reliable ancient wound treatments because it naturally protected injuries, prevented infection, and supported healing. Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans spread honey directly onto cuts, burns, and ulcers, where it acted like a natural bandage: it sealed the wound from dirt, kept the surface moist, and slowly drew out excess fluid. Its acidity, low water content, and enzyme‑driven release of hydrogen peroxide made it hostile to bacteria, so wounds treated with honey were far less likely to become infected. Because honey doesn’t spoil, ancient healers could store it for years, making it a dependable remedy in homes, temples, and battlefields. https://share.google/qjSk5zZYBZeG2sgPv

A Roman brooch from AD 100–160 is about to go on display at the National Museum of Scotland. It was uncovered near Pathhead in Lothian and stands out as a well‑made piece from the Roman era. What makes it notable is the mix of influences in its design. Even though it was found in Scotland, specialists believe it was produced in northern England, which points to regular movement of goods and styles across the frontier. Its look blends Roman techniques with local artistic elements, showing how people living at the edge of the empire combined different cultural traditions. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yr11w699zo

Archaeologists excavating the forecourt of Notre‑Dame Cathedral—opened after the 2019 fire reconstruction and the city’s plan to redesign the plaza—have uncovered a densely layered record of Paris stretching back nearly 2,000 years. The dig has produced hundreds of artifacts, including a fourth‑century coin bearing Emperor Constantine’s image (see above), intact medieval ceramics preserved in old latrines, and pottery fragments marked with mysterious reddish inscriptions that specialists have not yet deciphered. The Roman finds beneath Notre‑Dame amount to a late‑antique occupation layer—supported by a fourth‑century Constantine coin. This reveals a compact neighborhood of Roman Paris preserved under later medieval construction. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/notre-dame-cathedral-dig-of-the-century-treasures-found/

This beautiful Roman ring from Britain’s turbulent Imperium Britanniarum will go on display at the Museum of Somerset in Taunton. In 2018, metal detectorist Kevin Minto uncovered a gold intaglio ring and a hoard of Roman coins near Ilminster in Somerset. The find has since been acquired by the South West Heritage Trust. According to senior curator Amal Khreisheh, the ring is extraordinary not only for its craftsmanship but also because Roman gold jewelry from this period is exceptionally rare—most personal adornments in late Roman Britain were made of silver or bronze. The survival of a gold piece in such pristine condition is unusual. The context of the hoard is interesting: it appears to date to the turbulent decade between AD 286 and 296, when Britain was caught up in the breakaway “Britannic Empire” under Carausius and later Allectus. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp3pgy6ervko

There was already a post about this earliest image of Jesus. Many of these early images were found in Turkey (see below). Here’s an article about possibly this early image of Jesus after full restoration. Because the chamber had never been opened since antiquity, the pigments survived in near‑original condition, making this the most intact early image of Christ known. The Iznik fresco shows Jesus as the Good Shepherd, carrying a ram across his shoulders, depicted beardless with short‑cropped hair and dressed in the refined clothing of a Roman elite rather than the later Byzantine style; the preservation is so sharp that facial features, garment folds, and the animal’s outline remain visible. Archaeologists date the image to the early–mid 3rd century AD, placing it among the very earliest adult portrayals of Jesus, and its survival is owed to the sealed, oxygen‑free family tomb in which it rested untouched for roughly 1,800 years, making it the most intact example of pre‑Constantinian Christian iconography yet discovered. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/turkey-christianity-jesus-picture-iznik-archaeology-b2986393.html

Here is another Roman-themed commercial:

This is the scholarly article on the study of the two vessels preserved from the Vesuvius explosion in AD 79. The residue of these two incense burners was analyzed and one vessel supported the extensive trade with possibly either India or Sub-Saharan Africa. Above is the incense burner from Pompeii. Above is the incense burner pictured in situ above at Boscoreale, about 2 km (1.2 miles) from Pompeii. Below is the Boscoreale vessel. The article shows that Pompeian household incense burners contained local woods and plants, but the Boscoreale vessel held imported Burseraceae resin (likely Canarium/elemi) — material that came from either sub‑Saharan Africa or India. This is the first archaeological proof that global incense trade reached everyday Pompeian domestic ritual. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/ashes-from-pompeii-incense-burners-residue-analyses-and-domestic-cult-practices/CDE44811873BBC667EC3E7A19042EC62

There was a previous post about chickens in Ancient Rome (see below). Here is a short video on the role of the chickens in predicting a military defeat. https://elektratig.blogspot.com/2012/04/let-them-drink-since-they-wont-eat.html?m=1

The rose petal drop at the Pantheon was Sunday for the Pentecost celebrations. Here is a previous post about the celebration:

Troy was special to the Romans because they believed it was their ancestral homeland: the place from which Aeneas fled to found the line that led to Romulus, Remus, and Rome itself. That mythic connection made Troy a site of identity, legitimacy, and imperial propaganda. An excellent article in “Archaeology” magazine explored the popularity of the ancient city of Troy in the ancient world. The article, by Ben O’Donnell, “Trojan Tourist Trap,” examined how Troy became a vacation spot and pilgrimage destination for the Romans. Troy was special to the Romans because they believed it was their ancestral homeland. After Troy fell, Aeneas eventually founded the line that led to Romulus, Remus, and Rome itself. That mythic connection made Troy a site of Roman identity. The denarius shown above depicts “Aeneas Carrying Anchises.” It is a late Republican silver coin struck for Julius Caesar in 47–46 BC and portrays one of the most powerful scenes in Roman myth: the Trojan hero Aeneas escaping the burning city, carrying his aged father Anchises on his shoulders and the sacred Palladium, a symbol of divine protection. The Palladium on this coin is the small statue Aeneas holds in his right hand as he carries his father, Anchises, on his shoulders. It’s a tiny, upright figure—usually depicted with a spear and shield—representing the sacred image of Pallas Athena, which, according to legend, protected Troy. By depicting Aeneas rescuing it from the burning city, the coin signals that Troy’s divine protection passed to Rome, reinforcing Julius Caesar’s claim to Trojan and divine ancestry. https://archaeology.org/issues/may-june-2026/collection/trojan-tourist-trap/the-unexpected-world-of-the-odyssey/ Here’s a previous post about the Greek city of Sparta as a Roman theme park vacation spot:

Archaeologists in eastern Croatia uncovered 302 late Roman coins at a 4th‑century Danube frontier watchtower near Mohovo—likely the last trace of a small garrison that hid its pay during a moment of crisis. Mostly from the 4th century AD, many of the coins were minted under Valentinian I (AD 364–375)—a frontier‑focused emperor born in nearby Cibalae (modern Vinkovci). The Mohovo tower sat between larger forts at Ilok and Sotin, forming a visual‑signal chain along the Danube. Ilok & Sotin: fortified sites controlling Danube crossings. https://greekreporter.com/2026/05/16/roman-coins-croatia/ A previous post on the Roman watchtower discovery:

This is an interesting short video of what the Parthenon probably looked like with its painted marble. This is a follow-up to a previous post (see below):

A Roman gravestone, removed from Italy during WWII and relocated to a backyard in New Orleans, Louisiana, has finally been returned to Italy. (See the previous post about the find below.) The gravestone was for a second-century AD Roman sailor of the Praetorian Fleet Misenensis. It had been missing from a museum in Civitavecchia, Italy, since the Second World War. The gravestone was part of a repatriation ceremony in Rome (pictured below). Other artifacts returned to Italy included a first-century AD head of Alexander the Great, a satyr looted from Herculaneum, two Egyptian statues, Byzantine coins, and Greek ceramics. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-was-this-ancient-roman-soldiers-gravestone-hidden-in-a-louisiana-backyard-archaeologists-solved-the-mystery-and-helped-return-the-artifact-to-italy-180988761/

Here's an entertaining (non-academic) video on life in Pompeii. Well done.

Researchers have suggested that one of the victims of Vesuvius was a physician. After scanning a body cast, they discovered a small case he carried (pictured above) that held metal medical tools, coins, and a suspected slate used for preparing remedies. The scans also revealed the box’s little gear‑like lock mechanism, all of which suggest a physician trying to escape with the essentials of his trade as the disaster unfolded. The items have been left inside the case. The case and its contents are pictured below undergoing a CT scan. https://greekreporter.com/2026/05/16/roman-doctor-among-pompeii-victims-vesuvius-eruption/ Short video on find:

Would you want a Neanderthal to perform your dental work? Researchers identified the earliest known case of invasive dental treatment by Neanderthals (~59,000 years ago) on a lower molar (Chagyrskaya 64, pictured below) from Chagyrskaya Cave in the Altai Mountains in southwest Siberia. The tooth shows a large, intentionally drilled concavity that reaches the pulp chamber. Researchers examined the tooth under different kinds of microscopes, took super‑detailed scans, and compared the marks to those that occur naturally, like chewing or wear. Then they tried recreating the same kind of hole using small stone tools similar to those found in the cave. When the marks on their test teeth matched the marks on the real fossil, it helped them confirm that the Neanderthal tooth wasn’t damaged by accident or nature — someone actually drilled into it on purpose. One can wonder what was used as an anesthetic. Ouch. https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2026-05-14/oldest-known-evidence-of-dentistry-found-in-neanderthal-tooth/106660580 https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0347662&utm_source=pr&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=plos006

Did Roman legionaries use spiderwebs to speed wound healing? Possibly, but not for the reasons suggested in the video below. The video suggests that the vitamin K in spiderwebs would have stopped bleeding. Although vitamin K is essential for making clotting factors (and stopping bleeding), there is no evidence that spiderwebs contain any meaningful amounts of vitamin K, and any tiny amounts of topical vitamin K on spiderwebs would not be useful for controlling bleeding anyway. Were spiderwebs used for wound care? Pliny the Elder mentions the use of spiderwebs in Naturalis Historia (Chapter 36): https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0137%3Abook%3D29%3Achapter%3D36&utm_source=chatgpt.com So, how could spiderwebs potentially assist in wound care? Spider silk could form an extremely fine mesh. When pressed onto a wound, it acts like primitive gauze: The mechanical lattice effect works because spider silk forms a dense, flexible mesh that lightly adheres to the skin and immediately traps blood at the wound surface, giving platelets a stable scaffold to cling to while the body initiates clot formation. In practice, this makes the web function like an early form of gauze, slowing blood flow long enough for a natural clot to form. Also, some webs might have harbored mold or dust with antibiotic properties, and spider silk proteins themselves have rudimentary antimicrobial effects. This might have reduced infection, making the treatment appear more effective overall. Contrary to the video, spiderwebs would not have stopped bleeding like an ancient styptic. But spiderwebs would, at least, be better than a dirty rag and probably wouldn’t adhere to a wound.

A rare Roman villa near Halberton in Devon—a county in southwest England—has become the focus of a major five‑year community archaeology project (see map below). Decades of ploughing threatened to destroy its remains. The site, first identified in 2004 through metal‑detector finds, has produced coins, brooches, pottery, building materials, industrial waste, and tesserae from mosaic floors, indicating a high‑status rural estate occupied between the 2nd and 4th centuries AD. Earlier work revealed a damaged but colorful mosaic, and the new excavation has uncovered walls, pits, ditches, and a tank‑like structure, likely part of a bathhouse, along with evidence for a hypocaust heating system—strong markers of an elite Roman domestic architecture. Roman villas are extremely rare in Devon — only a handful have ever been confirmed. https://www.heritagedaily.com/2026/05/rare-roman-villa-near-halberton-becomes-focus-of-major-community-dig/158036