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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

Augustine was a North African Christian bishop and thinker from the late Roman world who became one of the most influential writers in Western history. Born in 354 CE, he spent years searching for truth through philosophy before converting to Christianity and eventually becoming bishop of Hippo. He wrote powerful works like Confessions and The City of God, where he explored human desire, sin, grace, and the nature of God. His ideas shaped Christian theology for more than a thousand years and still influence how people think about the self, morality, and faith today. Two previously unknown sermons by St. Augustine were identified in a 12th‑century manuscript (pictured above) held in the Diocesan Library of Pelplin (Poland). Scholars Christian Tornau and Clemens Weidmann argue that the texts are authentic based on linguistic, stylistic, and theological analysis. The sermons address 1 Samuel 28, where King Saul consults the Witch of Endor and the dead prophet Samuel appears. The sermons appear to be delivered on two different days—Sunday and the following Wednesday—showing Augustine thinking through the problem with his congregation in real time. Note: 1 Samuel 28 is the famous biblical episode known as the Witch (Medium) of Endor, where King Saul, abandoned by God and desperate for guidance, seeks out a forbidden necromancer to summon the dead prophet Samuel. Augustine thought 1 Samuel 28 was worrisome because it deals with forbidden magic, demonic deception, divine sovereignty, and the limits of human knowledge. The story was considered “dangerous” by Augustine because it can be misread in ways that justify magic, empower demons, or undermine God’s authority. Augustine thought this story was risky because people might get the wrong idea and think magic is real, demons can pretend to be holy people, or that God would speak through something He clearly forbids. The scene is confusing and easy to misread, and Augustine worried that ordinary believers might start trusting fortune‑tellers or trying forbidden spiritual shortcuts instead of turning to God. https://arkeonews.net/two-newly-discovered-sermons-by-st-augustine-tackle-a-dangerous-biblical-mystery/#google_vignette

A small rock‑cut Roman sanctuary dedicated to Minerva has been identified within an ancient sandstone quarry at Campos del Paraíso (Cuenca, Spain). The study, published in June 2026, indicates that the shrine was carved in the late 2nd century CE by Plotius Vigor, a member of a prominent Hispano‑Roman family. The shrine is an aedicula — a miniature temple façade — 24 inches wide and 20 inches tall, carved directly into the sandstone quarry wall. Minerva appears as a front‑facing armed goddess, wearing a long tunic and a crested helmet while holding a spear in her right hand and resting her left hand on an oval shield; she also bears the aegis across her chest, and an owl—her traditional companion symbolizing wisdom—stands beside her, making the identification unmistakably consistent with classical Roman portrayals of Minerva and her Greek counterpart Athena. The inscription beneath the relief is brief, formulaic, and typical of rural Roman cult sites. According to the published study, it reads: Minervae dominae — “To Minerva the Lady,” a respectful divine epithet. Plotius — The dedicator, identified as Plotius Vigor, a member of a wealthy Hispano‑Roman family. cum suo comitatu — “with his retinue/companions,” meaning he made the dedication together with the group under his authority (family, workers, or dependents). Recreation of the rock-cut sanctuary: https://elpais.com/cultura/2026-06-22/hallado-un-santuario-romano-dedicado-a-la-diosa-minerva-en-una-cantera-de-cuenca.html https://allthatsinteresting.com/campos-del-paraiso-spain-roman-minerva-shrine

Here is an interesting short video on the Albarracín Aqueduct in Spain. First the background information: The Albarracín–Cella aqueduct was basically one of the boldest underground water projects the Romans ever built in Spain. It ran for 25 km (about 15.5 miles), and almost the whole thing—98% of it—was hidden below ground. The system included a 5 km (3.1‑mile) tunnel and roughly 140 vertical shafts, all dug in the 1st century BCE to move water from one river basin to another and bring it to the small settlement at Cella. It probably wasn’t meant for a big city’s drinking supply but more for industrial and farming work, like fulling, metalworking, or mills. Here’s another video on the aqueduct:

Archaeologists in Aspendos (Antalya, Turkey) uncovered a rare Roman mosaic depicting Eurymedon, the personified river god of the ancient Eurymedon (modern Köprüçay). The mosaic dates from AD 200-250 and was exceptionally preserved. The high‑quality Roman mosaic shows a young Eurymedon, a youthful river god—an unusually local and specific depiction in Anatolian mosaic art. River gods appear in Greco‑Roman art, but local, identifiable river deities in mosaics are rare—making this depiction important. https://www.turkiyetoday.com/culture/rare-river-god-mosaic-uncovered-in-turkiyes-ancient-city-of-aspendos-3222205

An intact late-Roman sarcophagus has been unearthed in the coastal town of Cavtat, southern Croatia. It was discovered during excavations at part of the necropolis of the Roman colony of Epidaur. It dates to the 4th-5th centuries AD. It’s intact and in situ—still in its original position and sealed since antiquity. Epidaur was a Roman municipium and later a colony, likely founded in the 1st century BC during the wave of Romanization along the Dalmatian coast. It sat on a protected bay, making it a natural harbor and an administrative hub. https://www.heritagedaily.com/2026/06/rare-intact-roman-sarcophagus-unearthed-in-croatia/158407

Roman curse tablets (defixiones) were thin sheets of metal (usually lead or pewter ) inscribed with spells to bring harm, bad luck, or divine retribution upon an enemy. (There was a previous post below on curse tablets found in France.) Pictured above: Servilia inscribes a curse tablet against Atia of the Julii, her rival from the series “Rome.” Below is an article about a translated curse tablet (pictured below) found in the Netherlands. A 2nd‑century Roman curse tablet from ancient Coriovallum (modern Heerlen, Netherlands) has been deciphered, revealing a rare blend of Greek, Egyptian, and magical traditions. The tablet is an unusually hybrid magical object—Greek text, Egyptian‑style demons, and Roman ritual context—showing how deeply interconnected religious and occult practices were in the Roman Empire. These are the following findings: A thin lead curse tablet (defixio) inscribed with a Greek invocation calling on underworld deities and demons. The writing is accompanied by magical symbols, including Egyptian‑style figures and protective signs. It dates to the 2nd century AD, when Coriovallum was a thriving Roman settlement along the road between Cologne and Boulogne. The curse tablet is one of the northernmost examples of Egyptian‑style magical practice in Roman Europe. The tablet was deciphered using reflectance transformation imaging — a computer‑assisted photographic method that shows the microscopic surface details invisible to the naked eye. This allows the scholars to read the worn Greek text and magical symbols. https://www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2026/06/archaeologists-decipher-a-roman-curse-tablet-with-magical-symbols-found-in-ancient-coriovallum/

Here is the scholarly article on the Berlanga Cup. (See below for an earlier post.) The Berlanga Cup is a newly discovered Roman enameled bronze vessel found in Berlanga de Duero (Soria, Spain). It is only the second known example in Hispania of the famous Hadrian’s Wall pans—decorated souvenir‑type vessels that depict forts along the Wall. This cup is uniquely important because it is the first known example to list forts from the eastern sector of Hadrian’s Wall: Cilurnum (Chesters) Onno (Halton Chesters) Vindobala (Rudchester) Condercum (Benwell) The inscription and translation on the bowl are below: The cup survives in four fragments, about 80–90% complete, and is larger than most other Wall pans. It features: A hemispherical form with thin walls Multicolored enamel decoration (red, green, turquoise, blue) Three decorative friezes, including crenelated towers, interpreted as stylized representations of the Wall Archaeometric testing (pXRF and lead‑isotope analysis) shows the cup was made of leaded gunmetal typical of 2nd‑century Roman Britain, and the lead most likely came from northern English or Welsh mines—regions close to Hadrian’s Wall. This strongly supports manufacturing in northern Britain rather than in Hispania. The article argues the cup was likely a personal memento of military service on Hadrian’s Wall—either purchased or awarded. The most plausible owner: A soldier of the Cohors I Celtiberorum, an auxiliary unit recruited from Celtiberia (the region where the cup was found) and attested epigraphically at Wall forts including Cilurnum. This fits a broader pattern: other Wall pans have been found far from Britain, likely carried home by veterans. Because all four named forts were built by AD 124–130, and no later forts appear, the cup likely dates to AD 124–late 2nd century, with a probable window of 130–150. The Berlanga Cup: Provides the first epigraphic evidence of eastern Wall forts on a Wall pan Confirms British manufacture and Hispanic veteran return‑migration Expands understanding of Roman military memory objects Anchors a new Roman site in Berlanga through associated archaeology The Berlanga Cup. New Evidence of Hadrian’s Wall Pans Found in Hispania Citerior (Spain) | Britannia | Cambridge Core Previous post on this find:

A new three-part series on Pompeii, “Pompeii: Out of Time with Tom Hiddkeston. will be available on Disney+ this summer. Hiddleston “steps into” the ancient world, moving between present‑day analysis and dramatized reconstructions of real Romans facing the eruption. The show follows several intertwined storylines: A teenage apprentice trying to survive A powerful businesswoman forced into impossible choices A Praetorian Guard torn between duty and fate https://www.heyuguys.com/pompeii-out-of-time-with-tom-hiddleston-trailer/

A marble bust of the Roman goddess Venus was discovered during beach restoration work on the Spanish beach of La Almadraba in Alicante. The bust dates from the 1st-2nd century AD. https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-899027

Here is an informative video about the creation of the hairstyle of Livia Drusilla, wife of Augustus (59 BCE-AD 29). This video was made by Janet Stephans, a professional hairdresser and classical enthusiast, who shows the creation of the Roman “nodus” or knot hairstyle. Here is a previous thread that describes Julia Donna’s hairstyle by Ms Stephans:

Excavations at Pompeii’s House of the Chaste Lovers uncovered the skeleton of an equid (likely a donkey or mule) inside the bakery area of the production complex. The find adds new evidence about the working animals that powered Pompeii’s grain‑to‑bread industry (See picture below.) The House of the Chaste Lovers is a major insula containing a large bakery, stables, storage rooms, workspaces, and the owner’s residence, named after the famous “Chaste Kiss” fresco (see above). Previous excavations had already revealed other equids used to turn millstones and transport grain. https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/06/07/pompeii-excavations-reveal-equid-skeleton-at-house-of-the-chaste-lovers

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/