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Nice follow-up article: Microscopic egg of whipworm from the chamber pot. Black scale bar represents 20 micrometres. Credit: Sophie Rabinow This is the first time that parasite eggs have been identified from concretions inside a Roman ceramic vessel and confirms the Gerace pot must have been used to contain human feces. Piers Mitchell, the parasites expert who led the study in the laboratory, says, "This pot came from the baths complex of a Roman villa. It seems likely that those visiting the baths would have used this chamber pot when they wanted to go to the toilet, as the baths lacked a built latrine of its own. Clearly, convenience was important to them." https://www.ancientpages.com/2022/02/11/ancient-roman-portable-toilets-studied-by-scientists/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=biblical_mystery_of_the_forbidden_fruit_and_the_deep_sleep_dolmen_de_soto_unique_millennia_old_underground_structure_remains_a_puzzling_enigma_how_on_earth_did_the_ancient_egyptians_raise_their_colossal_obelisks_and_much_more_feb_8_14_2022&utm_term=2022-02-14

I’ve been trying to have a more healthful diet. Nothing like sushi and beer on a hot February day. (It’s almost 80 degrees today.)

Thanks for reading my post. I wanted to ask you (since you wrote the book) if you think the relationship between Stilicho and Alaric portrayed in this documentary was as respectful (almost friendly) as depicted. This was an otherwise interesting documentary when it didn't try to force a modern narrative.

Illegal dig holes have been found at Bart Hill Fort on the Antonine Wall. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd1w3exkvzmo Bart Hill Fort is one of sixteen forts found along the Antonine Wall, which was built around 142 AD. Unlike other forts on the Wall, Bart Hill Fort is located several miles south of the Wall. It had the highest location of any the forts, giving it an excellent view of the surrounding valley. It likely housed around 500 soldiers. Archaeological finds have included a latrine, bathhouse, barracks, and a commander’s house. Here’s a great video on the fort and surrounding area:

There have been many discussions about the controversies surrounding the barbarian crossing the “frozen” Rhine in 405/406. Here is an in-depth discussion of why the military failed to meet the challenge: https://www.yalehistoricalreview.org/barbarians-at-the-open-gates/amp/ Here is an interesting video on the events surrounding the barbarian crossing of 406: This is interesting article that asserts that the crossing occurred in 405 AD (and not the widely accepted 406). This would also explain Stilicho’s seeming inaction to the Barbarian crossing. In 405 Stilicho was preoccupied with fighting the Gothic forces of Radagaisus. https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Crossing_of_the_Rhine https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossing_of_the_Rhine

You are correct. It's interesting that Nero, the greatest Hellenophile among the Emperors before Hadrian, probably wore a beard to emulate the Greeks he so admired. We commented before on the fact that Nero was still popular in the East even after his assassination.

Roman ceramic flower pot was discovered to really be a chamber pot after identification of intestinal worm (whipworm) eggs. “Once thought to be a flower pot, researchers unearthed the vessel in the bath complex of a Roman villa in Sicily, named the Villa of Gerace. But a microscopic analysis of the pot's internal crust revealed the preserved eggs” “Chamber pots are perhaps one of the more challenging ceramic forms to identify with certainty in Roman pottery studies, despite the availability of detailed ceramic typologies. Here, we describe the analysis of mineralized concretions taken from a Sicilian ceramic vessel of the fifth-century CE, and propose paleoparasitology, the identification of intestinal parasites, as a helpful method for contributing to the detection of chamber pots. Microscope analysis of the mineralized concretions revealed the presence of eggs of the intestinal nematode Trichuris trichiura (whipworm), confirming that the vessel originally contained faeces. This is the first time that parasite eggs have been identified from concretions inside a Roman ceramic vessel. Systematic parasitological investigation of calcified deposits from ceramic vessels may therefore help to establish function.” The pot was found buried in the bath complex of a Roman villa in Sicily. (Image credit: R.J.A. Wilson) https://www.livescience.com/roman-empire-port-o-potty There have been several previous threads on the frequency of intestinal parasites in the ancient world:

(Nero as portrayed in the movie “Quo Vadis”) Hadrian (117-138 AD) was the first Roman Emperor to routinely wear a beard. This probably reflected his admiration of the earlier Greek philosophers. “In ancient Greece, beards represented wisdom and status. Statues of high ranking officials and gods would show a full, flowing beard and Zeus and Heracles were often depicted with massive beards. Ancient Greek men, not immune to vanity, would use heated tongs to curl their beards, and contemporary statues and coins both inspired and reflected men’s beards. Alexander the Great, however, strongly encouraged his soldiers to shave their beards, presumably to give an enemy less to grab onto. Until that time — which historians date to Sept. 30, 331 B.C., when Alexander the great prepared his soldiers for a key battle for control of Asia — a cleanly shaven face had been a sign of youth or even effeminacy. Alexander would also fashion his image into that of Heracles, as youthful and beardless, and expect his soldiers to do the same. Romans were slow to adopt the beard. Nero was the first Roman emperor who is depicted sporting a beard. (Source Wildwinds.com) Here is an interesting video discussing Ancient Roman hairstyles: https://www.coinworld.com/news/precious-metals/a-diversity-of-beards-on-coins-ancient-to-modern.html

Absolutely beautiful. Living in a concrete jungle, I find the verdant countryside breathtaking. We get to see a lot of sagebrush around here, however. LoL (The sub forum “Archaeological News: Britain and Roman-Britain” might be a better place for these posts, otherwise, it gets buried by other threads.) Thanks, again.

There was a previous post about the woolly mammoths found in Swindon, England (see below). There has been another find of a woolly mammoth in Devon: Part of a woolly mammoth tusk recovered from the site near Plymouth Here is a map showing the location of this latest woolly mammoth find (Devon) and the previous one (Swindon). https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-devon-60234766

Another interesting fragment discovered: An ostracon with child’s drawing. Image credit: Athribis-Project Tübingen. http://www.sci-news.com/archaeology/athribis-ostraca-10520.html

Theft of antiquities is a lucrative and all-too-frequent occurrence. Here is the latest example: “An individual is suspected of stealing and selling thousands of rare antiquities, worth hundreds of thousands of shekels. Among the findings confiscated were archaeological items from the Persian period, the Hellenistic period, and coins from the period of the Great Jewish Revolt, along with equipment which the suspect used to steal the antiquities.” https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/321947

The Getty Villa museum has faced mounting criticism for its theft of antiquities, including this beautiful bronze statue known as the “Victorious Youth” (see below). It already has returned numerous items to Italy. That said, the Getty Villa really is a beautiful place (although the traffic to the museum can be horrible). The design was inspired by the Villa of Papyri in Herculaneum https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2021/07/19/italy-passes-restitution-resolution-amid-renewed-calls-for-return-of-the-victorious-youth-bronze-from-getty-museum https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-et-cm-getty-victorious-youth-20181205-story.html%3F_amp%3Dtrue

Since papyrus was too valuable and scarce, pieces of pottery were used as writing material for mundane daily tasks, instead. This was an interesting find of thousands of pottery fragments shedding light on everyday life in Ancient Egypt. “Egyptologists have recovered more than 18,000 inscribed sherds in ancient Athribis - the remains of vessels and jars that served as writing material some 2,000 years ago. The sherds, known as ostraca, document lists of names, purchases of food and everyday objects, and even writing from a school, including lines written by pupils as a punishment. It is very rare to find such a large volume of ostraca.” Among these sherds were pieces thought to be from an Ancient Egyptian classroom. These were thought to be student lessons because they appear to be repetitive writing exercises. Some of the later texts refer to the Emperors Nero, Vespasian, Titus, Domitian, and Hadrian. This large discovery of pottery sherds gives an interesting glimpse of life in Ancient Egypt. Among the fragments examined include examples of student lessons, shopping lists, and trade receipts. https://www.sciencealert.com/the-discovery-of-18-000-pottery-shards-document-daily-life-in-ancient-egypt https://uni-tuebingen.de/en/university/news-and-publications/press-releases/press-releases/article/more-than-18000-pot-sherds-document-life-in-ancient-egypt/

One thing that may help to get any academic book a wider audience and exposure is to also create a parallel non-fictional graphic novel version of the academic one. The movie “300” about the Greek and Persian battle at Thermopylae was based on a graphic novel. This movie, as much as anything else, helped to inspire the latest generation of high school kids to take an interest in ancient history. I have been surprised at the number of younger people whose first introduction to great works have been thru the graphic novel.

Here is a video on the find: “Amongst the remains are two helmets, one of the Chalcidian type which was common amongst Hellenistic soldiers in the Greek (southern) parts of Italy, and a Negau type helmet that is of a typical Etruscan ‘vetulonic’ shape.” https://www.heritagedaily.com/2022/02/ancient-helmets-found-alongside-archaic-ruins-in-the-acropolis-of-elea-velia/142660?amp

Roman dice were found at the site Here are some of the latest finds as the H2S high-speed freeway work continues. This excavation has revealed several settlements along the Roman Akeman Street that connects Verulamium (modern St Albans) and Corinium Dobunnorum (modern Cirencester). A stone-built corn dryer or malting oven provided evidence of brewing and was located near early Iron Age enclosures This discovery and others (see thread below) are improving our knowledge and understanding of the extensive and under-appreciated Roman presence in Buckinghamshire. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-60254154

The relationship between the Romans and the tribes of Germania was always a complicated one. This is an interesting article that confirms the trade (at least of brass) between the Roman Empire and the kingdom of King Marobudos of Bohemia around the time of the Roman defeat in the Teutoburg Forest (9 AD). (Roman brass objects studied were from the region of the kingdom of Marobudos in modern day Bohemia sometimes called the Marobudoses Empire.) (The source of the brass was from Massif Central of Southern France of what was then Gaul.) Important background information: These studies confirm the trade that existed between Rome and potential German allies, especially after the calamitous defeat at the hands of Arminius in the Teutoburg Forest. It would have been important for Rome to solidify its alliances with friendly Germanic tribes at that time. https://english.radio.cz/brass-study-helps-uncover-close-ties-between-rome-and-germanic-bohemia-8741098

A young boy who was the victim of the plague was found in Cambridgeshire. He was buried between 540-550 AD. “Genetic analysis of a tooth sample revealed he had been infected with the bacteria Yersinia pestis, which causes plague, and Haemophilus influenza serotype b.“ It is notable that the plague of Justinian (541-549 AD) was raging throughout Europe at Europe at this time. The bacterium (Yersinia pestis) that caused this boy’s death and the plague of Justinian, later caused the Black Death that ravaged Europe (1347-1351). http://anglo-saxon-archaeology-blog.blogspot.com/2022/02/six-year-old-anglo-saxon-boy-who-lived.html?m=1 This study confirms earlier studies in the area that the plague of Justinian (and not just the later Black Death) caused many deaths in the area. https://inews.co.uk/news/bubonic-plague-first-arrived-in-britain-1500-years-ago-and-ravaged-the-country-299029/amp

Here’s a great video from the FreshCap Mushroom folks about Cordyceps mushroom and it’s potential benefits:

No one knows for sure what pressures led the Huns to migrate West. These Hunnic migrations forced the Goths to plead entry to the Roman Empire in order to escape the advancing Huns. This, of course, exacerbated the increasing instability of the Empire. It may have been a drought in the Asian Steppe that forced the Hunnic migration. Valerie Trouet, a paleoclimatologist, suggests in her research that the evidence might be in the rings of trees. Dan Jones, in his book “Plagues, Princes and Pardons” explores the impact of climate, pathogens and technology on the development of societies. He explains what made the Huns “climate migrants”: https://lithub.com/how-to-sack-an-empire-on-goths-huns-and-the-fall-of-rome/ https://www.newsweek.com/fall-roman-empire-tree-rings-1504740?amp=1

This year will commemorate the 1900th anniversary of Hadrian’s Wall: ”A festival will run from 24 January 2022, Emperor Hadrian's birthday, until 23 December, which was the ancient Roman holiday of Saturnalia. Walks, exhibitions, re-enactments and talks will be part of the celebrations.” https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-59712769.amp A great video showing the full route of Hadrian’s Wall (84 miles) in 30 minutes:

The Battle of Alalia (540 BCE) was a Pyrrhic victory for the Greeks who defeated a joint Etruscan and Carthaginian force in a naval battle off the coast of Corsica. The victorious but weakened Greeks were soon forced to withdraw from the area. These Greeks then escaped to southern Italy where they apparently brought some of their spoils of victory. A recent dig at Velia near Paestrum, Italy south of Naples unearthed arms and other interesting artifacts including an Etruscan helmet. These are thought to date to the Battle of Alalia: “Alongside the pottery, the temple floor also contained several bronze and iron weapons. There are, Scelza says, many fragments of weapons, including what appear to be pieces of a large decorated shield and two splendid helmets in a perfect state of preservation: one Etruscan of the "shell" type, which experts call Negau from the Slovenian location where they were found for the first time, and the other of the Chalcidian type.” https://www.ansa.it/english/news/2022/02/01/helmets-arms-from-battle-of-alalia-found-at-velia_e9385207-5c62-4383-9222-127ca87c0222.html https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Alalia Here is a similar Etruscan (also called Negau) helmet found at the Etruscan necropolis of Vulci 75 miles from Rome. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.laprensalatina.com/unusual-inscription-found-inside-2400-year-old-etruscan-helmet/amp/

I know nothing about military technology. I was, however, curious about the relative strength of the Mongol (and the similar composite Hunnic) bow compared to the English longbow: https://archeryhistorian.com/mongolian-bow-vs-english-longbow-advantages-and-drawbacks/ I liked this quote comparing the Hunnic composite bow with the longbow: “The composite [Hunnic] bow was mostly used to shoot lightweight arrows over large distances, on dry flat plains with high visibility. The longbow was designed to shoot extremely heavy arrows over short range with limited visibility at heavily armoured targets. The composite bow was designed for hit and run skirmishing, the longbow to stand up to and devastate a heavy cavalry charge.” https://historum.com/threads/mongol-composite-bow-vs-english-longbow.55139/ This is a nice video understanding the power of bows (limited by the user).

Here’s a wonderful older article describing the beauty products in Ancient Greece that are still available today: Cosmetics were an important part of the life and culture in Ancient Greece. The word “cosmetic” comes from the Greek word “kosmetikos,” meaning a sense of harmony, order and tranquility. Most beauty products in ancient Greece were made from ingredients found in their natural environment such as olive oil and honey. https://www.yasouskincare.com/ancient-greek-skin-care-secrets-still-used-today/ I can’t vouch for any of these treatments. Topical honey is still used to treat wounds, even in a hospital setting. Here are some older related posts: