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This is an excellent video recreation of the Augustan Palatine Hill which focuses on the Domus of Augustus and the adjacent Temple of Apollo. The Temple of Apollo Palatinus was a temple on the Palatine Hill of ancient Rome, which was first dedicated by Augustus to his patron god Apollo. It was only the second temple in Rome dedicated to the god, after the Temple of Apollo Sosianus. I appreciate the efforts to show more color marble that I feel has been understated in most depictions: Here is an earlier thread about the use of colored marble in Ancient Rome:

Long-standing philhellene and sometimes British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has named his daughter Iris. Iris, in Greek mythology, was the personification of the rainbow. When Greek gods needed to send messages to other gods or to humans, they would ask Iris to transmit their Words. https://greekreporter.com/2021/12/17/boris-johnson-iris/ https://greekreporter.com/2021/09/17/iris-the-greek-goddess-of-the-rainbow/

The government of Jersey has purchased a hoard of Celtic coins and jewelry found on the island in 2012 known as the Le Catillon II or Grouville hoard. The hoard is thought to have belonged to a Curiosolitae tribe fleeing Julius Caesar’s armies around 50 to 60 BCE (Source:Wikipedia). A wonderful video showing the extraction of the coins from the clay slab: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-jersey-59767850 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grouville_Hoard

What a wonderful picture. I always wondered how many pieces of older Roman buildings were incorporated into more modern structures. Of course, your example is a spectacular example of this. I guess innumerable times a few ancient bricks or tiles have been inconspicuously inserted into a later building's wall.

Recent excavations off the coast of Caesarea have yielded fascinating finds spanning 1000 years. Underwater archaeology continues to produce wonderful discoveries. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/319062

As excavations continue at Blaundus, Turkey, new finds are being revealed. Here is the alter site of the goddess Demeter. https://www.dailysabah.com/arts/altar-site-for-greek-goddess-demeter-found-in-turkeys-blaundus/news

Elisa: I like King Crimson from the 70's. The song you picked was written in 1984 and it sounds vaguely similar to this song written by Fleetwood Mac in 1968: This is a song by King Crimson released in 1969 when they were truly fresh and innovative. (This performance was recorded recently):

Many of us enjoyed the HBO series “Rome” and the centurion Lucius Vorenus (see above). Here’s an excellent video about the Roman centurion:

This was an exciting find of Steppe mammoth remains. The Steppe mammoth was an ancestor of the later Woolly mammoth. The most intriguing aspect of the find: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-wiltshire-59702237

Pontius Pilate, governor of Judaea under Tiberius 26/27-36/37 AD, is best known for his role in the trial of Jesus. He may have also been an effective infrastructure planner. The Biyar water system was believed to be initiated by the Hasmoneans and expanded by Herod the Great (37-4 BCE). New evidence suggests that Pontius Pilate may have at least played some role in its development. This finding would be consistent with the writings of Josephus: http://amitay.haifa.ac.il/index.php/Josephus,_Antiquities_18.60-62 https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium.MAGAZINE-notorious-pontius-pilate-is-the-one-who-built-jerusalem-aqueduct-study-finds-1.10478621 https://mizrachi.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/HaMizrachi_RHYK-Israel_53.pdf An interesting video about the Biyar Aqueduct:

I, too, have tried to maintain both my physical and mental health during this dystopian reality known as COVID-19. My wife and I are are trying to make important dietary and lifestyle changes. We have added medicinal mushrooms to our diet. I really like Reishi mushrooms for better sleep and mental clarity, for example:

Here is a creative aerial virtual view of Ancient Rome. I give the creator credit for placing the numerous statues that would have been on top of monuments, temples, and buildings.

There was a previous thread on the Roman-era chamber found in Blaundus, Turkey (See below). There has been a recent find of two ancient statues in the area of unclear origin. https://www.aa.com.tr/en/culture/archeologists-unearth-2-000-year-old-statues-in-western-turkey/2450974

An interesting find: The Magdela Stone found during the earlier excavation of the First Synagogue of Migdal in 2009. This might be the earliest image of the Temple Menorah to be found in a synagogue. (See Wikipedia link below) https://m.jpost.com/archaeology/2nd-temple-period-synagogue-found-where-gospels-mary-magdalene-was-born-688519 https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/israel/2021/december/israeli-archaeologists-find-galilee-synagogue-from-jesus-rsquo-time https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magdala_stone

The ruling against further development because of potential archaeological significance is understandable. It would, however, be frustrating for any potential home owner. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tees-59689068 Areas rich in archaeological finds should be preserved, or course. Rulings that prohibit building for preservation could be, however, an impediment to needed development and growth.

Artimi: That is one strange song. That said, it might inspire some future student to further study ancient history … or inspire me to make another trip to Amsterdam: Novosedoff: Here is a song with a similar vibe:

Here's an interesting video that supports the theory that Augustan Rome had a greater population density than the modern Manhattan borough in New York City. First, one needs to assume that the population at the time of Augustus was 800,000 to 1,200,000. Using the layout of the city of Rome outlined in the Severan Map created in 203-11 AD (known as Forma Urbis Romae), one is able to calculate the area of Rome 24 km2 (Museo della Civilta Romana, Rome, Italy/De Agostini Picture Library/Bridgeman Images) FRAGMENT OF THE FORMA URBIS ROMAE. DATE: A.D. 203–211. MATERIAL: Marble, DIMENSIONS: 26 inches by 23.6 inches. FOUND: Rome, Italy. Using population calculated from records of grain and pork supplied to the city, the video proposes that the population density of Augustan Rome was greater than modern Manhattan. Augustan Rome: 41,500 persons / km2 Manhattan, NYC: 28,000 persons / km2 Hong Kong: 6,300 persons / km2 Even if this is a gross exaggeration, Ancient Rome was incredible for its infrastructure planning and services. The video suggests how the population of Ancient Rome could be so dense: Brief article on the Forma Urbis Romae: https://www.archaeology.org/issues/337-1905/features/7547-maps-rome-forma-urbis-romae

A nice review of the top ten archaeological finds of 2021, several of which we have already mentioned: https://www.heritagedaily.com/2021/12/top-10-archaeological-discoveries-of-2021/142248?amp

Looted items, thought to be from the Bar Kochba revolt of 132-136 AD, have been recently recovered in a car trunk in Jerusalem. https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/12/15/jerusalem-car-trunk-seizure-reveals-bronze-artifacts-taken-by-bar-kochba-rebels-from-roman-soldiers/ https://www.timesofisrael.com/stopping-a-suspect-car-police-find-ancient-items-bar-kochba-rebels-took-from-romans/amp/

Here’s a good article about research on analyzed artifacts found at an underwater site off the coast of France. These metal artifacts, thought to date from 600 BCE, underwent isotope analysis and were shown to have originated from a diversity of sites throughout the Mediterranean basin. This confirms the extensive amount of contact throughout ancient world. This study shows the value of using new technologies to reassess older archaeological finds (this one from 1964). https://phys.org/news/2021-12-isotope-analyses-iron-age-secrets.html#!

Here’s an excellent review of the Roman (gold) aureus: The video also includes a brief discussion of the later Roman gold coin known as a solidus:

This is a wonderful reconstruction of Ancient Athens. It seems to me, however, that the Classical structures such as the Parthenon would have been painted with vibrant colors (and not the sterile white marble as depicted). https://greekreporter.com/2021/12/12/spectacular-3d-video-depicts-ancient-athens-as-never-seen-before/

This article promotes the idea that the location of Hadrian’s Wall reflected pre-existing cultural separation and was not merely a result of Roman strategic plans. (See my comment below): https://www.thenational.scot/news/19778640.expert-claims-hadrians-wall-came-existing-anglo-scots-defences/ The source of this article might shed light on the biases of this conclusion. It is published in a publication that “supports an independent Scotland.” That said, this article adds an interesting theory about the location of Hadrian’s Wall (despite modern projections of national identity onto ancient events).

A rare silver coin from the second year of the Jewish revolt was found by a young teenager in Israel. It may have historical significance. https://www.timesofisrael.com/rare-silver-rebel-coin-maybe-minted-at-temple-2000-years-ago-found-in-jerusalem/ http://www.sci-news.com/archaeology/great-revolt-coin-10343.html