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Alters in water A great Roman find in the Tuscan hill town of San Casciano dei Bagni, famous even today for its hot springs. Some excavated coins from Augustus, Trajan, Hadrian, and Marcus Aurelius A marble statue of Hygeia, deity of health and daughter of Asclepius, the healing god, discovered at the site. Ears, probable votive offerings The altar of Fortuna Primigenia [Credit: Municipality of San Casciano dei Bagni] https://arkeonews.net/an-extraordinary-votive-treasure-was-unearthed-in-the-ancient-roman-bath-sanctuary-of-san-casciano-dei-bagni-in-italy/ https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/san-casciano-dei-bagni-0015195 https://www.tgtourism.tv/2022/08/san-casciano-dei-bagni-presentate-le-nuove-scoperte-archeologiche-2-114946 https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2021/04/a-roman-sanctuary-re-emerges-at-san.html?m=1

A recent study from the Netherlands showed that Roman dice were irregularly shaped and numbered. This could reflect their belief in “fate” than “probability.” The above is the unforgettable scene from the HBO series “Rome” where Titus Pullo tests his fate with dice in a gambling house. The 28 die studied were found throughout modern-Netherlands and 24 were found to be irregularly shaped. https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/why-ancient-romans-used-sketchy-lopsided-dice-to-gamble-and-play-board-games/ https://phys.org/news/2022-08-early-romans-lopsided-dice.html

After doing a Las Vegas run, I think of this song: For the guitarists among us, the verse has some unusual chords:

Here’s a nice review video of the coins and history of the Valerian dynasty (AD 253-268).

The following news report seems like bureaucratic spin. They will rebury a Roman villa recently unearthed in Scarborough. (See post below). There are plans, however, to create a “interpretive depiction,” instead. This sounds foolish to me. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-62406644

The finding of a “pregnant mummy” was incorrect (see below). These initial conclusions were based on X-ray and CT scan analysis. Further studies, however, suggest otherwise. The “fetus” in the mummy was, in reality, merely bundles (possibly with body parts) to maintain the shape of the body after the mummification process. According to the authors of the new article, the alleged discovery of the mummy's pregnancy resulted from an illusion caused by the phenomenon of pareidolia, a natural human desire to see familiar objects in random shapes.Warsaw mummy project Studies suggesting that this mummy died from cancer have not been refuted, so far. https://www.thefirstnews.com/article/ancient-egyptian-mummy-was-not-pregnant-says-new-research-32166

Roman mosaics are famous for their beauty and vibrant colors and detail. Tesserae were the small pieces of stone, glass, ceramic, or other hard material cut to fit into the mosaic. Because glass tesserae were more more fragile, they were used more sparingly in floor mosaics. The did, however, provide mosaics the blues, reds, and greens that aren’t usually found in more natural stones. They were more common in wall mosaics. Tessarae from late antiquity floor mosaics in Halikarnassos (in Anatolia, Turkey) were analyzed. Samples of tessarae examined The re-use of materials (in this glass) would be indicative of an Empire in decay. The economic supply chain was disrupted in late antiquity, forcing craftsman to use recycled glass as opposed to either locally produced or distant sources. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/07/220725105611.htm https://www.britannica.com/art/tessera-mosaic https://heritagesciencejournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40494-022-00697-3

Here is a well-produced video on the Carthaginian navy: https://weaponsandwarfare.com/2019/01/11/navy-of-carthage/

Nice smooth sound.

The Samnites were one of the competing tribes with the Roman Republic on the Italian Peninsula. Here are some nice reviews: https://www.heritagedaily.com/2022/07/the-ancient-samnites/144229?amp A nice review of the Samnite Wars:

Wow. Is that you? Strong work. Is that a Fender Strat you're playing?

I was lucky enough to see Steve Vai before the pandemic came. He is a true guitar master. Here is one of my favorite songs by him:

This is a rather insignificant find of 27 Roman-era skeletons at an illegal dig in Turkey. The associated findings, however, were interesting. There were three intact spindle whorls were found in the graves. Most interesting was also the finding of lachrymatory bottles. A lachrymatory (from the Latin lacrima meaning tear) is a small vessel found in Roman tombs. These were supposedly the bottles in which mourners dropped their tears. More likely, these vessels contained perfumes, fragrances, or unguents for the corpse. (Suspected lachrymatory vessels from other previous excavations in Turkey.) https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/illegal-dig-reveals-rare-ancient-mass-grave-in-turkey/news https://www.dailysabah.com/life/2020/02/14/history-of-love-hidden-in-lachrymatory-bottles https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lacrymatory

Interesting picture from Pompeii. It looks like the individual on top is a woman with a Roman bra. I’m not certain that these are laurel wreaths they are wearing, however. My understanding is that laurel wreaths were given to winners of competitions, such as sports events or music and poetry performances. They were also awarded to generals after military victories. They were not worn daily, however. If these are, in fact, laurel wreaths on the frescos in a brothel in Pompeii, maybe they signify something else. Maybe the male “conquering” the prostitute. These are not, nevertheless, the typical Roman laurel wreaths associated with competitions or military success. These could be merely the wreaths popular among Greeks during celebrations and sometimes associated with Bacchus (Dionysus) and bacchanalias. (See the painting of Bacchus by Caravaggio below or the scene of John Belushi from “Animal House” above.)

Here is an excellent video that carefully reviews and reevaluates the ancient literary sources that mentions Varus and his disastrous defeat at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in AD 9.

Here’s another article on the find: https://arkeonews.net/in-the-ancient-city-of-syedra-a-unique-mosaic-with-the-12-labors-of-heracles-depicted-on-a-single-panel-found/

Turkey continues to be the source of beautiful discoveries. This mosaic was found in a Roman bath complex in southern Turkey, in the ancient city of Syedra. It is thought to be from the 2nd century AD and spreads over an area of 164 square meters (1765 square feet). The mosaic depicts the Greek mythological hero Heracles (or Hercules in Roman mythology). https://www.dailysabah.com/life/history/164-square-meter-heracles-mosaic-found-in-turkeys-alanya

Here’s a good article on ancient Greeks’ and Romans’ drinking: https://antigonejournal.com/2022/07/ancient-drinking/

Here is an excellent video and two related articles on the evolution of the Roman helmet: http://www.imperium-romana.org/roman-helmets.html https://www.thecollector.com/ancient-roman-helmets-types-and-characteristics/amp/

A wonderful coin of Antoninus Pius was found on Carmel Beach in Haifa, Israel. A well-preserved bronze coin depicting the Roman moon goddess Luna has been found off the coast of Carmel in Haifa, the Israel Antiquities Authority said on Monday. The coin was struck at Alexandria, Egypt, during the reign of Emperor Antoninus Pius (138-161 CE). The reverse depicts Luna over a representation of the zodiacal sign Cancer. The coin carries the date ‘Year eight,’ which corresponds to the eighth year of Antoninus Pius’ reign, approximately 144/145 CE. https://m.jpost.com/archaeology/article-713002 https://arkeonews.net/a-spectacular-rare-ancient-roman-bronze-coin-depicting-the-moon-goddess-was-discovered-off-the-coast-of-israel/

Probably better: British beer, made from the finest grains. True British beer for true Brits.

Here is a hilarious compilation of the Newsreader from the HBO series “Rome.” This was brought to you, of course, by the Capitoline Brotherhood of Millers that uses only the finest flour. True Roman bread for true Romans.

Here is a wonderful article about new insights on a Batavian cavalry mask discovered four years ago: https://arkeonews.net/a-batavian-cavalry-mask-was-found-on-the-battlefield-of-roman-comrades/ Here is a post about another Roman cavalry mask discovered in Turkey: Here is an excellent video about Roman cavalry masks:

On the left, fragments of paintings and marble; in the center, a votive plaque dedicated to the goddess Isis; on the right, a close-up of a piece of marble. New evidence points to an overwhelming tsunami during the third century AD that destroyed the Roman city of Seville that was 25 miles (40 km) inland at the time. The impact and destruction of the tsunami could explain the region’s being made tax exempt soon after: https://english.elpais.com/culture/2022-07-22/a-massive-tsunami-destroyed-the-spanish-city-of-seville-in-the-3rd-century-new-study-finds.html https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-19-1979-4_12