guy

It appears that scientists plan on altering the genome of a deadly chicken virus in hopes of recreating the less virulent form of the virus. Merek disease virus (MDV) is a highly lethal virus that kills 90% of unvaccinated chickens and costs the poultry business one billion dollars each year. It was observed that the virus was less lethal before the 1900s. Scientists have examined nearly 1,000 chicken bones from archaeological digs across Europe, some 2,000 years old. By comparing the ancient genomes with the modern MDV genome, point mutations were discovered in the modern virus. It is thought that these mutations were the cause of the modern virulence of the virus. Scientists have synthesized the ancient, less lethal gene and inserted it into living chicken cells. This new hybrid virus did not show the lethality of the modern virus. What could go wrong with altering natural viruses? /sarc https://www.livemint.com/science/health/reviving-ancient-viruses-can-help-fight-modern-ones-11707805683759.html

Evidence of bed bugs have found at Vindolanda. It is suggested that the bugs were brought to Britain in the late first century AD, possibly on straw bedding, clothes or grain brought to the island. Examination of damp soil dated between AD 100 to 105 near Hadrian’s Wall revealed thoraxes believed to be from the common bed bug. https://www.ucd.ie/newsandopinion/news/2024/february/08/ucdstudentrevealsbedbugsmostlikelycametobritainwiththeromans/#:~:text=Among the insects preserved in,from the common bed bug.&text=The discovery is the earliest,the isle in AD 43. https://www.vindolanda.com/Blog/beetles-on-the-frontier https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/feb/03/incredibly-rare-discovery-reveals-bedbugs-came-to-britain-with-the-romans

Below is an excellent academic article on the find. The presence of henbane throughout the Empire along with other medicinal plants supports the use of henbane as a medicinal ingredient: The conclusion was very compelling: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/evidence-of-the-intentional-use-of-black-henbane-hyoscyamus-niger-in-the-roman-netherlands/A06E000B17E1642C878E469157D5131C

Aylesbury has been the site of previous Roman finds (see post below), including a brewery. During excavations for a housing project between 2007 and 2016, four Roman-era eggs were discovered. One had already been broken and two were damaged during the recovery. One egg was extracted intact. In fact, a CT scan has recently confirmed that the egg still has its liquid contents inside. Remains of an oak and willow basket were found. Roman pots and mirrors were found at the site. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-68247184 https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-50603415

Here is an excellent video on the find from Professor Trizio (translations available):

There have been many threads on the fermented fish sauce garum. In this entertaining video Max Miller will recreate the dish Patina of Pears described in the ancient Roman cookbook De Re Coquinaria attributed to Apicius. Ingredients include pears with Roman pepper, cumin, honey, and garum. https://www.tastinghistory.com/recipes/patinadepiris

The 2023 winners were announced of the Vesuvius Challenge. The goal was to read portions of the Herculaneum scrolls that were left damaged after the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79. First breakthroughs occurred in October 2023 (see post below), A Grand Prize was awarded to the first team to recover 4 passages of 140 characters from the Herculaneum scroll. Smaller prizes were also announced. https://scrollprize.org/ The Vesuvius Challenge for 2024 is the goal of reading 90% of a scroll by the end of the year.

Chichester (Noviomagus Reginorum) was an important site during the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 43 in Southern Britain. There are plans to reconstruct the temple of the Roman goddess Minerva, utilizing as many original stones as possible. Here are artistic recreations of the temple: https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/people/a-temple-to-a-roman-goddess-could-be-rebuilt-near-chichester-4500377 Stane Street, the modern name for the Roman road connecting Chichester to London (Londinium), spans 91 km (57 miles).

Researchers have unexpectedly discovered a supply of the powerful black henbane seeds in a hollow animal bone in Roman Netherlands from the first century AD. A birch tar plug and the waterlogged microenvironment had preserved the contents. Henbane has both an analgesic and sedative effect, as well as having psychoactive and hallucinogenic properties. https://www.science.org/content/article/roman-era-bone-container-holds-potent-hallucinogenic-medicine

The recreated Constantine Colossus is now in Rome after being in Milan last year (see post). It will be located in the side garden at the Capitoline Museum where the original fragments are located. There will be a second version of the statue in Northeast England. Constantine was proclaimed Emperor in AD 306 at York. https://apnews.com/article/italy-rome-constantine-b1c5418d16b4911c0c623acdcc80c7a2

I was watching a video (see below) about Trajan’s column when I saw the Dacian fort with the heads of captured enemies. I also saw the Dacian draco: the hollow dragon-appearing military standard that made a whistling sound. This was later adapted first by the Roman cavalry and later the infantry. Scene from the movie “Gladiator” with the draco standard. The whistling shrieking sound of the draco could have had a power effect in demoralizing the enemy: Good article on the Roman draco: http://www.fectio.org.uk/articles/draco.htm https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dacian_draco

A Roman wooden funerary bed has been excavated from a Roman cemetery near Holborn viaduct in central London. Also discovered were five oak coffins. The graves survived in the waterlogged burial site microenvironment. The bed had been dismantled before being laid in a grave of a male in his late twenties or early thirties. Other objects recovered elsewhere in the cemetery included beads. a glass vial with residue, and a decorated lamp. https://amp.theguardian.com/science/2024/feb/05/flat-packed-furniture-for-the-next-life-roman-funerary-bed-found-in-london

Here’s an unusual but fascinating re-enactment of Legio XIII in Italy:

This broken brick has inscribed: LEG X …. Other photos from the find: https://www.meinbezirk.at/hernals/c-lokales/ausgrabungen-im-schulhof-kindermanngasse_a6448354?fbclid=IwAR2NLHwEi5t9cFpK3oZjM78vvR6c2oIftsafHhZ4zFEqsp_V3LxhAZngQa4#gallery=null http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/69394 https://arkeonews.net/viennese-archaeologists-find-legio-xiii-gemina-bricks/

The Legio XIII crossed the Rubicon with Caesar (from HBO’s series “Rome”). Excavations at an elementary school in Vienna have found evidence of Legio XIII Gemina. This was initially Caesar’s legion that crossed with him the Rubicon in 49 BCE. Evidence of a large-scale Roman building dating to the 2nd century AD has been found, as well as bricks with the name Legio XIII Gemina. https://www.heritagedaily.com/2024/02/traces-of-the-13th-legion-gemina-found-in-vienna/150433 Here’s a video on Legio XIII:

Dating ancient Roman artifacts from once-living material can be somewhat complicated. Here is an excellent article that explains the process using Carbon-14 dating. https://www.iflscience.com/what-is-carbon-14-dating-72747 Nice basic videos on the subject: Another way to date Roman artifacts is dendrochronolgy (tree ring dating) as well as newer isotope-based testing of wood: An old thread on dating Roman material:

There have been many previous posts about the plagues that affected Ancient Rome (see below). Studies show that three of the most brutal cold snaps were associated with the three best-known plagues in Roman history: the Antonine Plague (AD 160-185), the Plague of Cyprian (AD 249-270), and the Justinian Plague (AD 541-549). https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/devastating-roman-era-plagues-were-ushered-in-by-cold-snaps-study-finds https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adk1033

A bog body has been found in Northern Ireland. Carbon dating has placed the death around 500 BCE. Although the cause of death is unknown, the victim was between 13 and 17 years old at the time of death. Partial skin, as well as nails were intact. https://www.heritagedaily.com/2024/01/archaeologists-find-2000-year-old-bog-body/150396

The Mougins Museum of Classical Art in France is auctioning a portion of its collection to support the establishment of its new museum, FAMM (Female Artists of the Mougins). The following are some of the exquisite items available for sale: A Roman Cavalry mask from around AD 50 A Roman brass helmet from AD 69-117 A Roman cavalry helmet AD 125-175 A Roman helmet AD 125-175 an inscription for Julius Mansuetus https://www.christies.com/auction/auction-22770-nyr A Roman Hellenistic-era Roman breastplate has been withdrawn from the antiquities auction because of possible ties to organized crime and unclear provenance. https://www.ansa.it/amp/english/news/lifestyle/arts/2024/01/29/roman-breastplate-pulled-from-nyc-auction_5ba1539c-c910-4683-873b-bce52ac2c02c.html

Here is an interesting article on pepper in the ancient world: https://www.brandeis.edu/now/2019/may/pepper-rome-ancient.html

Two pieces of the Villena treasure (c. 1300-1000 BCE) from the late Bronze Age underwent mass spectrometry studies. It was determined that these Bronze Age pieces included iron thought to be from a meteorite source. The Villena treasure predates known iron production. https://www.heritagedaily.com/2024/01/traces-of-meteoric-iron-in-the-villena-treasure/150356 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasure_of_Villena Previous threads about ancient discoveries made from meteorite iron.

In this short, Max describes the difference between modern pepper and Roman pepper

(Roman scutum) (Armor from the Arminius revolt) (Pair of children's shoes) (Official gifts) A new exhibit at the British Museum. (Thanks Dr Tom for bringing this to my attention.) https://www.britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/legion-life-roman-army

Too funny. Thanks for your attention to my post. Having taken a whole semester of anatomy, one would think I would have noticed that the foot bone was upside down. (An X-ray of an otherwise healthy foot)