guy

There have been a few previous posts about the use of honey in wound care (see below). Here is an article that does a good job of summarizing honey’s long term survival. Honey found in sealed Egyptian tombs remains edible even after more than 3,000 years because it had overlapping antimicrobial defenses: extremely low water content that dehydrates microbes, natural acidity that inhibits bacterial metabolism, and slow‑releasing hydrogen peroxide produced by enzymes in the honey. Tomb conditions—cool, dark, sealed, and dry—kept the honey from absorbing moisture and prevented fermentation, allowing it to survive essentially unchanged except for darkening and crystallization. While its antibacterial potency fades over millennia as enzymes break down, the honey remains chemically stable and safe to eat, illustrating why it outlasts nearly all other foods and why ancient Egyptians also used it medicinally. Honey was one of the most reliable ancient wound treatments because it naturally protected injuries, prevented infection, and supported healing. Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans spread honey directly onto cuts, burns, and ulcers, where it acted like a natural bandage: it sealed the wound from dirt, kept the surface moist, and slowly drew out excess fluid. Its acidity, low water content, and enzyme‑driven release of hydrogen peroxide made it hostile to bacteria, so wounds treated with honey were far less likely to become infected. Because honey doesn’t spoil, ancient healers could store it for years, making it a dependable remedy in homes, temples, and battlefields. https://share.google/qjSk5zZYBZeG2sgPv

A Roman brooch from AD 100–160 is about to go on display at the National Museum of Scotland. It was uncovered near Pathhead in Lothian and stands out as a well‑made piece from the Roman era. What makes it notable is the mix of influences in its design. Even though it was found in Scotland, specialists believe it was produced in northern England, which points to regular movement of goods and styles across the frontier. Its look blends Roman techniques with local artistic elements, showing how people living at the edge of the empire combined different cultural traditions. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yr11w699zo

Archaeologists excavating the forecourt of Notre‑Dame Cathedral—opened after the 2019 fire reconstruction and the city’s plan to redesign the plaza—have uncovered a densely layered record of Paris stretching back nearly 2,000 years. The dig has produced hundreds of artifacts, including a fourth‑century coin bearing Emperor Constantine’s image (see above), intact medieval ceramics preserved in old latrines, and pottery fragments marked with mysterious reddish inscriptions that specialists have not yet deciphered. The Roman finds beneath Notre‑Dame amount to a late‑antique occupation layer—supported by a fourth‑century Constantine coin. This reveals a compact neighborhood of Roman Paris preserved under later medieval construction. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/notre-dame-cathedral-dig-of-the-century-treasures-found/

This beautiful Roman ring from Britain’s turbulent Imperium Britanniarum will go on display at the Museum of Somerset in Taunton. In 2018, metal detectorist Kevin Minto uncovered a gold intaglio ring and a hoard of Roman coins near Ilminster in Somerset. The find has since been acquired by the South West Heritage Trust. According to senior curator Amal Khreisheh, the ring is extraordinary not only for its craftsmanship but also because Roman gold jewelry from this period is exceptionally rare—most personal adornments in late Roman Britain were made of silver or bronze. The survival of a gold piece in such pristine condition is unusual. The context of the hoard is interesting: it appears to date to the turbulent decade between AD 286 and 296, when Britain was caught up in the breakaway “Britannic Empire” under Carausius and later Allectus. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp3pgy6ervko

There was already a post about this earliest image of Jesus. Many of these early images were found in Turkey (see below). Here’s an article about possibly this early image of Jesus after full restoration. Because the chamber had never been opened since antiquity, the pigments survived in near‑original condition, making this the most intact early image of Christ known. The Iznik fresco shows Jesus as the Good Shepherd, carrying a ram across his shoulders, depicted beardless with short‑cropped hair and dressed in the refined clothing of a Roman elite rather than the later Byzantine style; the preservation is so sharp that facial features, garment folds, and the animal’s outline remain visible. Archaeologists date the image to the early–mid 3rd century AD, placing it among the very earliest adult portrayals of Jesus, and its survival is owed to the sealed, oxygen‑free family tomb in which it rested untouched for roughly 1,800 years, making it the most intact example of pre‑Constantinian Christian iconography yet discovered. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/turkey-christianity-jesus-picture-iznik-archaeology-b2986393.html

Here is another Roman-themed commercial:

This is the scholarly article on the study of the two vessels preserved from the Vesuvius explosion in AD 79. The residue of these two incense burners was analyzed and one vessel supported the extensive trade with possibly either India or Sub-Saharan Africa. Above is the incense burner from Pompeii. Above is the incense burner pictured in situ above at Boscoreale, about 2 km (1.2 miles) from Pompeii. Below is the Boscoreale vessel. The article shows that Pompeian household incense burners contained local woods and plants, but the Boscoreale vessel held imported Burseraceae resin (likely Canarium/elemi) — material that came from either sub‑Saharan Africa or India. This is the first archaeological proof that global incense trade reached everyday Pompeian domestic ritual. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/ashes-from-pompeii-incense-burners-residue-analyses-and-domestic-cult-practices/CDE44811873BBC667EC3E7A19042EC62

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.