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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

There have been previous posts about thermopolia—fast-food counters in Ancient Rome, found in excavations of Pompeii (see below). A thermopolium (plural thermopolia) was a street‑front food shop where customers could buy hot food and drink. The name derives from Greek: thermos = hot poleo = to sell They catered especially to residents of insulae (apartment blocks) who lacked kitchens and relied on street food for daily meals. Because of this association with the lower and middle classes, elite Romans sometimes looked down on them. Here is a good video summarizing the thermopolia:

So, why was Boethius killed? First, the background: The Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Vandals, and several related Germanic peoples were converted to Arian Christianity through missionary efforts before or during their settlement in the Roman world. Theodoric the Great, King of the Ostrogoths and an Arian, generally practiced religious tolerance toward his Nicene Catholic Roman subjects during the early and middle periods of his rule. He maintained traditional Roman administrative structures and worked with Catholic elites, including Boethius and his father-in-law Symmachus. Theodoric was broadly tolerant for most of his reign By the 520s, however, relations between Theodoric (an Arian Christian) and the Eastern Roman Empire (ruled by the Nicene emperor Justin I) deteriorated sharply. So why was Boethius (and later Symmachus) targeted? Boethius defended a senator accused of conspiring with the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire. Boethius had denounced corruption among the Gothic officials. As prominent Catholics in an Arian king’s court, they were politically vulnerable. For many years, Boethius and Symmachus served as Roman senators and prominent late Roman aristocrats who collaborated closely with Theodoric. Despite their loyalty, they remained Nicene Christians with strong ties to Constantinople, which made them appear suspicious during increasing tensions with the Eastern Empire. As Theodoric became more paranoid, he started to see the senatorial class as possible traitors. In this atmosphere, the arrests of Boethius and Symmachus marked the end of the longstanding cooperation between Goths and Romans.

Boethius was the late Roman statesman and philosopher who bridged the classical and medieval worlds. Below are brief videos describing his life.: Boethius (c. 480–524 CE) was a Roman statesman, scholar, and Christian philosopher whose life spanned the collapse of the classical world and the emergence of the medieval intellectual tradition. Educated in Latin and Greek, he rose to high office under the Ostrogothic king Theodoric, serving as consul and later as magister officiorum. His political downfall followed his defense of a fellow senator against charges of treason; he was imprisoned and eventually executed in Pavia. While awaiting death, Boethius wrote “The Consolation of Philosophy,” a dialogue between himself and Lady Philosophy that explores fortune, suffering, and the pursuit of the highest good. The work became one of the Middle Ages’ most influential books. Beyond this masterpiece, Boethius played a key role in transmitting Greek learning to the Latin West: he translated and commented on Aristotle, Porphyry, and Nicomachus, and wrote on logic, music, arithmetic, and theology.

This is the latest find at Roman necropolis in Vinkovci, Croatia (see post below). It probably dates to the 2nd-3rd centuries AD, like previous graves at the site. Archaeologists excavating the site of the future city market in Vinkovci, eastern Croatia, uncovered an exceptionally rare intact Roman brick-built grave—only the second unlooted grave found among more than 200 excavated in the area. The burial contained the remains of a 40–45‑year‑old man, preserved well enough to allow detailed analysis. Only two small items were found with him: an iron object near the right foot and a bronze fragment on the right shoulder. The site lies within the necropolis of ancient Cibalae, a major Roman settlement known for its strategic location, industrial activity, and its distinction as the birthplace of emperors Valentinian I and Valens. Excavations of other graves at the site have yielded typical Roman-period objects such as glass unguentaria and fibulae. https://www.croatiaweek.com/rare-intact-roman-grave-vinkovci-cibalae-croatia/#google_vignette

There was a previous post on the famous Roman Lycurgus Cup (see below). This beautiful glass vessel appears green in reflected light and deep red in transmitted light due to embedded silver and gold nanoparticles Here is some of the research: Researchers were able to 3D‑print a cup that changes color, similar to the ancient Lycurgus Cup. It isn’t a perfect match, partly because they don’t have exact measurements of the original cup’s colors, but it behaves the same way—one color when light shines on it, another when light shines through it. The researchers demonstrated that tiny metal particles can be used to create colors without dyes, and that these colors remain stable even after 3D printing. This could lead to new kinds of materials that change their appearance depending on the lighting or the viewing angle. The Lycurgus Cup gets its name from the artwork carved into the glass, which depicts the myth of King Lycurgus, a violent Thracian ruler who attacked the god Dionysus and was punished by being trapped in a vine. https://thedebrief.org/this-ancient-roman-artifacts-weird-properties-point-to-evidence-of-1600-year-old-nanotechnology-scientists-say/ https://www.beilstein-journals.org/bjnano/articles/11/2

Roman anqueduct engineering was very advanced. There was a previous post about the use of “inverted siphons” to push water uphill (see below). Roman engineers came up with clever ways to move water across uneven terrains. One of their smartest inventions was the inverted siphon—a pressurized pipe system that let aqueducts cross deep valleys without needing huge, sky‑high bridges. It’s not a siphon the way we use the word today. Instead of using air pressure, it works like a sealed pipe that uses gravity and water pressure. Water drops from the aqueduct into a small tank (castellum), then rushes downhill through pipes into the valley, where the pressure becomes strong enough to push the water back up the far side so it can rejoin the aqueduct and keep flowing across uneven ground. Here is a short video that also discusses the use of inverted siphons.

Here’s a short video on a Roman hypocaust heating system, similar to the one mentioned in the video:

Renovation work at Écija’s city hall in Spain unexpectedly revealed a well‑preserved strip of Roman mosaic and part of a hypocaust heating system. The finding gives new evidence of a high‑status Roman house once occupying the site. In the Roman period, Écija was originally known as Astigi. During the civil war it supported Julius Caesar at the Battle of Munda, and in return he ordered its fortification and refounded it as a Julian colony—likely Colonia Iulia Firma Astigitana. Under Octavian, the future emperor Augustus, the colony was further developed according to Caesar’s plans, and its official name became Colonia Iulia Augusta Firma Astigitana. According to Pliny the Elder and Pomponius Mela, writing in the first century AD, the city rivaled both Corduba (Córdoba) and Hispalis (Seville) in importance. https://www.heritagedaily.com/2026/05/excavations-uncover-roman-remains-in-ecija/157960

This article offers a more detailed examination of a previous post on the discovery and excavation of a Roman horse cemetery in Cannstatt, Germany, containing the remains of 109 horses. This finding is interpreted as evidence of a Roman military unit stationed on the frontier. Cannstatt’s importance lies in its role as a major Roman military and logistical hub on the Upper Germanic frontier, located at a strategic crossing of the Neckar River where cavalry, supply transport, and frontier defense converged. The discovery of the 109‑horse Roman military cemetery underscores Cannstatt’s function as a cavalry garrison center. The cemetery is associated with a Roman fort or cavalry outpost, likely dating to the 2nd–3rd centuries AD, when cavalry forces were heavily deployed along the frontier. The horses belonged to an ala (cavalry regiment) or an equites cohort. The Cannstatt horses were small, tough, and highly functional cavalry mounts, standing 130–140 cm (51–55 in) tall — exactly the type of horse the Roman army preferred for mobility and endurance on the Germanic frontier. This size would be considered a large pony or small horse today, but in the Roman period, it was standard cavalry size. (There had been earlier posts about Roman horses being smaller than modern horses. See picture below of Marcus Aurelius with a relatively small horse.) Preliminary isotope results suggest that many horses were not locally bred, supporting the idea that Roman cavalry units imported or transferred horses between provinces. https://the-past.com/feature/109-roman-mounts-excavating-a-military-horse-cemetery/

There was a previous post about Roman gypsum burials before (see post below). Researchers from the University of York identified traces of the rare Tyrian purple dye, sometimes worth more than gold, in two infant gypsum‑encased burials—one in a stone coffin with two adults and another in a lead coffin—where the liquid gypsum preserved imprints of the textiles. The findings challenge long‑held assumptions that Romans did not mourn infants. This discovery, instead, demonstrates that families expressed grief and provided high‑status funerary treatment for their youngest children. The two young infants were buried in the late third-fourth century AD, wrapped in extremely costly Tyrian purple cloth—normally reserved for emperors and the highest Roman elites—revealing both the extraordinary status of their families and the care invested in some infant burials. The purple dye is seen above in the burial clothe. Below is a microscopic image of the dye in the clothe. The purple‑cloth infant burials prove that elite Roman families in York mourned their infants with great care and attention. This revealed emotional attachment to infants despite the “Roman traditions and early legal codes [that] forbade parents from publicly mourning their babies in a period when three out of ten infants did not survive their first year.” https://www.heritagedaily.com/2026/05/imperial-purple-cloth-discovered-in-roman-infant-burials-in-york/157951 https://www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2026/04/two-roman-babies-were-buried-in-york-with-imperial-purple-and-gold-a-luxury-reserved-for-emperors/ https://phys.org/news/2026-04-rare-tyrian-purple-reveals-elite.html

This article challenges the belief that life on the Roman frontier of Southern Germany collapsed with the collapse of the Roman Empire The articles below describe life on the Roman frontier (AD 400-700) through the study of the DNA from 258 individuals. These individuals were demographically mixed, socially stable, surprisingly long‑lived, and genetically converging toward modern Central Europeans by the early 7th century. Interesting findings: Nearly 25% of children lost at least one parent by age 10 but children had at least one living grandparent at birth—suggesting extended family support networks. After the fall of Rome (AD 476) Life expectancy surprisingly rose: Men: ~43.3 years and Women: ~39.8 years. The rise in life expectancy is attributed to reduced violent conflict compared to the late Roman military frontier. The lower female life expectancy likely reflects childbirth risks. Surprisingly, the end of Roman administration did not produce demographic collapse. Instead, it triggered population growth, intermarriage, and longer lifespans. The late Roman decline is attributed to: Frontier warfare and raids High male mortality among soldiers and militia Food insecurity during the 3rd- 5th century crises Population displacement Disease exposure in dense military settlements These pressures eased once the Roman state withdrew and the region transitioned to agrarian village life. After AD 476, during the early medieval rural phase (roughly AD 500-650), life expectancy increased, reflecting: Less violence More stable food production Multi-generation households Lower male mortality from military service Overall, the frontier did not collapse into chaos but transformed into a thriving, integrated rural society. https://archaeology.org/news/2026/04/30/skeleton-study-reveals-life-on-the-frontier-after-the-fall-of-rome/ https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10437-3#Fig1

This is the famous equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius in Rome. Its background history is fascinating. The statue was well-preserved because the medieval elite believed it depicted Constantine, the first Christian emperor. Back then, pagan and non-Christian bronzes were often melted down, so this statue was spared because people believed it portrayed the Christian-friendly Constantine. Once scholars began systematically studying Roman portraiture in the Renaissance and early modern period, they compared: Facial features, beard styles, hair patterns, physiognomy, and imperial iconography all contribute to a person's unique appearance and expression. The face closely resembles well-known portraits of Marcus Aurelius on coins and busts (see below), particularly the philosopher’s distinctive beard, a key feature of his iconic image. The composition of the horse and rider aligns with Marcus Aurelius’s imperial message. The horse’s raised foreleg signifies strength and vitality. The emperor is depicted unarmored, symbolizing his role as a proponent of peace and reflecting his Stoic philosophy. Marcus Aurelius cultivated an image of a philosopher-king, a ruler who valued peace yet accepted war as a duty. This portrayal is distinct from that of other Roman emperors. The statue of Marcus Aurelius was thus preserved because of mistaken identity.

Interesting question. My reading of this story doesn’t provide a definitive identity for this bust. It is only a guess, since there is no ancient inscription or reference. In my first post, I noted that it was only speculated that the bust was of Sextus Pompey (son of Pompey the Great 67-35 BCE) or Drusus Germanicus (38-9 BCE). Stylistically, at least, it resembles similar busts from the early 1st century AD, likely from the Julian-Claudian period: Here is someone’s opinion (based on stylistic features): “The bust is dated to the early 1st century CE because it exhibits all the hallmarks of the Julio‑Claudian portrait style: short, softly carved waves of hair, smooth facial planes with a hint of realism, and uncarved eyes without drilled pupils. These features place it before the deep‑drilled textures and more expressive faces that appear later in the Flavian and Antonine periods. Its clean, undecorated bust truncation and the restrained, almost Augustan sense of idealization point to a private portrait rather than an emperor. Taken together, the hair, the eyes, the toolwork, and the overall “calm classicism” make specialists confident it belongs to the reign of Tiberius, roughly 10 BCE–40 CE. The bust is dated to the early 1st century CE because it shows all the hallmarks of Julio‑Claudian portrait style: short, softly carved waves of hair, smooth facial planes with just a hint of realism, and uncarved eyes without drilled pupils. Those features place it before the deep‑drilled textures and more expressive faces that appear later in the Flavian and Antonine periods. The clean, undecorated bust truncation and the restrained, almost Augustan sense of idealization point to a private portrait rather than an emperor. Taken together, the hair, eyes, toolwork, and overall “calm classicism” make specialists confident it dates to the reign of Tiberius, roughly 10 BCE–40 CE.“ Well, I don’t know if I fully agree with the paragraphs above. In answer to your question, I think it is still anyone’s guess. There is no associated inscription or findspot context. As a note, some busts are identified by numismatic evidence and share similar features. In this case, such evidence is lacking, making it unlikely that the identity of this bust is a member of the ruling elite.

Here’s a recent video on the marble head: