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The Welwyn Roman baths in Hertfordshire will be documented and studied further by 3D digital imaging as part of a photogrammetry project. The baths were first excavated in the 1960s. The baths are preserved in a vault under a modern highway. They date from the early third century AD, possibly during the reign of Septimius Severus. The Welwyn Roman Baths are under the A1(M) just north of Welwyn Garden City https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-68496266 Photogrammetry further explained: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photogrammetry (Location of Hertfordshire)

Here is an interesting article about staying cool in Ancient Rome during the summer: https://phys.org/news/2024-03-coast-dip-pool-chilled-ancient.html

Although this video predates the success of the Vesuvius Challenge (see below) to read the chared scrolls of Herculaneum, I think it captures the rivalries and pettiness that led up to their successful deciphering. This video is from April 1, 2018:

A statue fragment measuring 3.8 meter (12 feet) of Ramesses II the Great was found in Egypt at the ancient city of Hermopolis. His long and influential reign lasted from 1279-1213 BCE. In Ancient Greek, Ramesses II was called Ozymandias, also the title of the haunting poem by British Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822). In an episode of the TV series “Breaking Bad,” the poem “Ozymandias” was featured (see video below). According to Wikipedia: “In 1817, Shelley began writing the poem ‘Ozymandias’, after the British Museum acquired a head-and-torso fragment of a statue of Ramesses II. Shelley wrote the poem in a friendly competition with a friend and fellow poet who wrote a sonnet on the same topic with the same title. The poem explores the worldly fate of history and the ravages of time: even the greatest men and the empires they forge are impermanent, their legacies fated to decay into oblivion. ‘Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!’ exemplifies the arrogance and hubris of a leader who believed his dominion would endure indefinitely.” Huge Statue Of Pharaoh Ramesses II Unearted In The Ancient City Of Hermopolis - Ancient Pages https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/ancient-egyptians/archaeologists-find-top-half-of-giant-ramesses-ii-statue-completing-a-century-long-puzzle https://www.heritagedaily.com/2024/03/archaeologists-uncover-giant-statue-of-ramesses-ii/150887 https://talesoftimesforgotten.com/2019/08/15/who-was-ozymandias/ https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozymandias

Thank you for reading my post. I think the point of Sebastian's video above was that changes after AD 165 were not necessarily a function of improved technology. The changes, instead, were a result of pressures on production and increased need for the recruitment of barbarian troops in the ranks, as well as persistent pressures from barbarian tribes. The difference between an American Revolutionary War soldier and a modern soldier reflects improving technology and tactics. The difference between a legionary in Augustus' military and a probably-barbarian Roman soldier in the Late Empire was not an improvement. It was an adaption to increasingly dire circumstances and exogenous pressures.

Sebastian, who does excellent videos on the late Roman Empire, does an informative video on the evolution of the appearance of the Roman military over the centuries. The rectangular shield (scutum) and the sword (gladius) of the early Empire would be supplanted by the equipment of the late Roman equipment, for example.

Underwater excavations have uncovered Roman remains off the coast of Portorož, Slovenia. Besides 3000 ceramic items such as fragments of amphorae and kitchenware, two different masts (dating to the 3rd and 4th centuries AD) made of either fir and spruce wood were recovered. Studies suggest that these masts had been repurposed for use as moorings or as structural supports. These finds support the idea that the port may have been part of a thriving trade network in the Roman Empire. https://archaeologymag.com/2024/03/remains-of-ancient-harbor-near-portoroz-slovenia/ https://www.heritagedaily.com/2024/03/study-finds-submerged-roman-remains/150911 https://sloveniatimes.com/40232/remains-of-ancient-harbour-found-near-portoroz

A coin from the Bar Kokhba revolt, dating from AD 132 (the first year of the revolt), was found at the bottom of cliffs currently undergoing excavation by Israeli archaeologists in the Judean Desert. The rare coin with the inscription "Eleazar the Priest."Credit: Emil Aladjem, Israel Antiquities Authority The other side of the coin, featuring a cluster of grapes and the optimistic inscription "Year 1 of the redemption of Israel." This coin and three others were found during the excavation: https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/2024-03-04/ty-article/rare-coin-naming-bar-kochba-leader-eleazer-the-priest-found-in-judean-desert/0000018e-089e-d5ee-a78e-38de5ddd0000 Other recent finds during excavation in the caves includes Roman swords:

Here’s a wonderful pot with a whimsical face and ears brought to my attention from a tweet by Nina Willburger @DrNWillburger. It was found in a necropolis at Giubiasco, Switzerland dating from the 2nd century AD. It is currently at Schweizerisches Nationalmuseum. https://twitter.com/DrNWillburger Below is a modern mug for comparison:

Excavations in Pompeii at the House of Leda have uncovered a fresco depicting Phrixus fleeing on the back of the Golden-woolled winged Ram with his sister Helle (who is already in the water). https://amp.abc.net.au/article/103537716 This is a nice summary of this Greek myth in two different short videos.

The campaign to protect the site is now under public consultation. There is a desire to add the land to a list of nationally important archaeological sites, which would then require consent from the Secretary of State for any work. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cv2yxvx0j5yo

Interesting that there is a suggestion that Alexander died from Guillain-Barre.

Roman defensive spikes have been uncovered during excavations in Bad Ems of a 1st century Roman fort. The spikes were placed in ditches around the fort. https://www.heritagedaily.com/2024/02/roman-defensive-spikes-unveiled-at-the-leibniz-centre-for-archaeology/150840

Wales has been increasingly recognized for its extensive Roman presence (see posts below). A metal detectorist in March 2020 found sixteen items from the Iron Age and Roman-era in a boggy field in the community of Llanfair-Mathafarn-Eithaf on Anglesey. It is thought to have been once a sacred spring. Among the items uncovered were Iron Age chariot fittings, a metal ram’s head, and a Roman copper ingot. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-68429384

Death scene from the movie “Alexander” I do have some experience with folks with ectodermal dysplasias (ED). The ectoderm is one of the three primary layer of cells (germ layers) that form during embryonic development. The ectoderm layer is involved in formation of teeth, hair, nails, and sweat glands. A dysplasia is an abnormal formation of cells. So, ectodermeral dysplasia (ED) would expect to have abnormalities involving the teeth, hair, nails, and sweat. There are around 180 different forms of EDs with different hereditary patterns. Anhidrotic (or hypohidrotic) ED variant is the most common. Anhidrotic ED people have a severe dysfunction of their sweat glands and would have a serious intolerance to heat. Alexander the Great almost certainly did not have this variant because he marched to India and Egypt, which would have been intolerable to him. Also, people with anhidrotic ED have unusual facial features: a saddle nose and supraorbital ridging. That would have made Alexander's face very striking, but it was not mentioned. The hidrotic variant is less devastating, but does have skin, nails, and hair abnormalities. These people don't have the serious sweating problems. So, if Alexander did have a variant of ED, his only evidence is "conical teeth." I don't think "sweet scent" is associated with ED. His "hair like a lion" would also not be associated with ED, either. Usually, people with ED have sparse, fine, and short hair. This doesn't sound like Alexander's description. I, therefore, don't think that Alexander had a variant of ectodermal dyspasia, even a less serious one. https://healthjade.net/ectodermal-dysplasia/

Interesting thought. I agree it is interesting that conical "peg-shaped teeth" are most commonly associated with ectodermal dysplasias (ED). (Congenital syphilis, which also can cause peg-shaped teeth, is unlikely in pre-Columbian Europe.) Later on, I will comment on the thought that Alexander the Great had ED. That said, I am not sure of the source or validity of the ancient source you referenced other than Plutarch who wrote about Alexander more than three centuries after his death. Can you reference the sources?

During excavations at the site of a medieval shipyard at Smallhyde Place in Tenterden, Kent, a Roman head of Mercury (without the body) was discovered. This figurine in pipe clay measures 5 cm (2 inches) tall. This figurine was found in context of a previously unrecorded Roman settlement, dating from 1st to 3rd century AD, that was unearthed during excavations. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-kent-68358986

A 5th century BCE Etruscan tomb has been unearthed at the San Giuliano necropolis near Rome. Hopefully, this will further shed light on Etruscan burial practices. https://archaeologymag.com/2024/02/monumental-etruscan-tomb-in-the-necropolis-of-san-giuliano/ https://arkeonews.net/a-monumental-etruscan-tomb-has-been-discovered-in-the-necropolis-of-san-giuliano-north-of-rome/

Archaeologists have recovered a Roman funerary alter dating from the imperial era at San Vito al Torre, Italy. On the side one can see the image of a winged Erotes. The Erotes are a group of winged gods in Classical mythology associated with love and sexual desire. According to the article Erotes is holding an overturned torch and poppy flower thought to be symbols representing eternal sleep. https://www.heritagedaily.com/2024/02/roman-funerary-altar-found-partially-buried-in-torre-river/150649

A possible example of a proto-Basque language has been found in Northern Spain on a bronze good-luck charm shaped as a hand. It is thought to be from the Vascones, considered the ancestors of modern Basques, and it would have been placed onto the entrance of a building. The Vascones were able to negotiate with the Romans when the Romans first arrived in Spain. The Vascones were a fierce and independent tribe who were known for their martial skills. They were never fully subdued by the Romans and were able to maintain some degree of autonomy by paying a tribute to Rome. The Vascones raised at least one auxiliary cohort in support of the Roman army, Cohors II Vasconum. Galba rose up against the Nero in AD 68, possibly with support of this cohort. https://www.heritagedaily.com/2024/02/study-reveals-oldest-and-longest-example-of-vasconic-script/150606 https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/vasconic-inscription-on-a-bronze-hand-writing-and-rituality-in-the-iron-age-irulegi-settlement-in-the-ebro-valley/645A15DF3D725F83D62F3D1FB5DF83EC https://es.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cohors_II_Vasconum

Other objects made from Iron found in the Bronze Age find. They are thought to be derived from a meteorite source, also. Further studies might confirm their origin. Here’s a follow-up article on the research. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-famous-spanish-treasure-actually-contains-metal-from-space-180983788/ Two good videos on the find:

On October 2023, an Ancient Roman tomb was found during water work in the city of Giugliano, near Naples. On the wall was a fresco of Cerberus, the mythical three-headed dog who guarded the underworld. https://www.euronews.com/culture/2023/10/10/2000-year-old-tomb-of-cerberus-with-stunning-frescoes-discovered-in-italy https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerberus

Here’s an interesting article on painting projects in Ancient Rome: https://www.archaeology.org/issues/544-2403/digs/12134-dd-italy-roman-painting

The city of Winchester, England (about 60 miles or 10o km Southwest of London) is better known for its medieval history. The city, however, was formally the important Roman town of Venta Belgarum (the market of the Belgae). A new book further examines previous archaeological finds on the city: https://www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/news/24125911.roman-winchester-revealed-new-book-based-archaeological-digs/

(Picture from Dr J Ball @DrJEBall): Suspected snack remnants (fruit seeds, stones, and pits) found during recent archaeological studies from the drainage system at the Colosseum There has been a previous post about evidence of snacks at the Colosseum found at archaeological excavations in the drainage system of the Colosseum. (See post below.) This is another wonderful video by Max Miller: “Eating at the Colosseum.” https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-11466845/amp/Animal-bones-ancient-Romans-snack-food-Colosseum.html