[Grave found in Hungary from period of Roman rule]

Archaeologists find grave in Hungary from last period of Roman rule

Budapest: A team of archaeologists has unearthed a burial place from the 4th century, which was the last period of Roman rule, in the former Pannonia province in northwest Budapest, Hungary.

 

Archaeologist Gabor Lassanyi told that the grave had been dated based on a bone comb it contained.

 

The comb, made with three components fastened together by way of small iron thuds and decorated with geometric motifs, was similar to objects made by barbarian tribes on the area of today's eastern Hungary, and which only became fashionable in Pannonia during the last decades of the era, according to Lassanyi.

 

Acquincum, the most prominent Roman city of the province in today's District 3 of Budapest, was gradually abandoned during the first half of the 5th century.

[Shroud of Turin Not Jesus, Discovery Suggests]

This is going to be an interesting story and will have tentacles that reach across a number of news categories.

 

First up is the basic story from National Geographic News:

Shroud of Turin Not Jesus', Tomb Discovery Suggests

From a long-sealed cave tomb, archaeologists have excavated the only known Jesus-era burial shroud in Jerusalem, a new study says.

 

The discovery adds to evidence that the controversial Shroud of Turin did not wrap the body of Christ, researchers say.

 

What's more, the remains of the man wrapped in the shroud are said to hold DNA evidence of leprosy

[What's the last book you read?]

I've read Jennings Aztec a few years back, but I can't recall if I ever finished it. I remember it had lots of explicit violence and sex in it though. The part where Mixtli orders a village to be massacred was pretty horrible, especially how he described killing the head priest by covering him in plaster and then waiting for the sun to dry around him, causing his skin to rupture and his internal organs to spill out. Aztec is a fascinating novel but it isn't for the faint hearted, those with weak stomachs, or the easily offended.

DC - Funny, but I don't specifically remember that. I think the Conservatives must be right - TV and Rock n Roll have made me immune to violence and sex.

 

Yes...the book/s (Jennings wrote a sequel to Aztec before his editor and the other writer released three or four more) are VERY heavy on the sex and violence. Much harder core than Scarrow for example.

 

Jennings is extremely detail oriented and his characters and plot are exceedingly rich and deep. "Aztec" is epic in scope (and in pages...about 1000).

[What's the last book you read?]

I'm currently reading the second of James Duffy's "Gladiators of Rome" series, called "A Fight for Rome". I have to tell you that I love it so far. Duffy takes the main characters out of the arena and puts them in the middle of the so-called year of four emperors. It's fun history and gives Duffy an opportunity to expand his battle-writing beyond your typical gladiator scenes into larger war scenarios. I've not yet gotten to Scarrow's "Eagle's Prey" but it sounds like with the addition of Roman Naval scenes, he was seeking ways to jump outside of the typical battles which were becoming all too similar.

 

Duffy is a very solid writer and the book is surprisingly (and fortunately) light on hokieness. I'd highly recommend both of his books to the Scarrow crowd and I wouldn't be surprised if many folks don't end up favoring Duffy's story telling.

-------------------------------------------

I just finished a newly released book written from notes left by Gary Jennings called "Apocalypse 2012: A Novel". If you're not familiar with Jennings, I would absolutely recommend his "Aztec". It's a story that's stuck with me a solid two years after I read it. Jennings passed away but his former editor and another author have continued to release books under Jennings' name. Below is a quick review if you're interested:

Many familiar with Gary Jennings' "Aztec" series will enjoy this book. Expectations should be measured, however, because "2012" is only Gary Jennings 'Lite'. Since 'Lite' is all one can get, then one should go for it. At the end of the day the book is enjoyable.

 

The delight I find from Jennings' original two "Aztec" books (and to a lesser extent in his Marco Polo-based novel "Journeyer") is the emotional depth and range of the key characters. It's been almost two years since I first discovered "Aztec" and I still find my thoughts drifting to the myriad tales of Mixtli Dark Cloud. Mixtli's inner monologue and narrative is what defines Jennings' characters. I find that tone very recognizable and comfortable.

 

"2012" bounces back and forth between early 1000 A.D. and modern day. The plot lines of the two times generally follow each other on a search to answer the questions of when, why, and what cataclysmic end will come to the earth. There are about twice as many pages dedicated to the main Aztec character, Coyotl, and his adventures than the modern day vignettes. If the book is Gary Jennings 'Lite', then you'll be as pleased as I was that the focus is on Coyotl, who could justifiably be considered Mixtil Dark Cloud 'Lite'.

 

"Apocalypse 2012" is purportedly based on Jennings' own notes found after his death in 1999. This book is not great. The storyline is unbalanced and, at some points, a little nonsensical. I found myself thumbing back through some sections trying to reconcile some of the actions. Ultimately, I threw my hands up and let myself enjoy the ride.

 

Though 384 pages (MUCH shorter than "Aztec"), the book is an extremely easy and quick read. Few chapters run more than 10 pages long.

 

If your expectations are set appropriately, and you pine for Gary Jennings, then buy this book. If you're looking for another "Aztec", then you'll have to keep searching. For those who haven't tried Jennings, this isn't a terrible introduction. But just be aware that this is more of an appetizer - the main course is "Aztec".

[Rome's Disgrace at Adrianople]

Any objective evidence on the hypothetical effect of this battle over the Western half would be welcomed.

 

(Aside from the mere theory of Chaos, I mean)

 

Thanks in advance.

I've written a review of "Day of the Barbarians" which hasn't been posted yet. But I wrote a paragraph on the impact to the Western Empire:

The most severe pressure from this barbarization was in the Eastern Empire, and yet it was the East that ultimately survived (as the Byzantine Empire) and the West that didn't. Barbero explains why:

[Lost City Found Under Caribbean]

I can remember the find of a large 'city' off the coast of Japan

 

Here's your lost underwater city in Japan. :-)

 

Japan's Ancient Underwater "Pyramid" Mystifies Scholars

[Lost City Found Under Caribbean]

Is there any available record of the January 2002 investigation?

This is strange...the second article I reference above was written just two days ago. I searched for related stories and obviously didn't read the timestamp carefully on the first one. The only other items I found seemed to wire-releases of the older story. So I wonder if the Heritage piece is actually new or a retread from the 2001 story.

 

Sorry about that. I'll make sure to read a little more closely.

 

Neil - no, I wasn't able to find anything else of interest. I was kind of figuring a few more stories would show up.

 

J

[Top Archaeological Stories in 2009]

From the first link, "Earliest Chemical Warfare Dura-Europos, Syria" and "Palace of Mithradates, Kuban, Russia" seem to qualify as Roman-related too; also "A Lost City in Istanbul" from the extended list.

 

Yep...I referenced those first two...

 

J

[Archaeological, Cultural Repatriation]

Mary Beard takes aim at the issue. She makes the most cogent arguments I've read against repatriation. My instinct states that the items should be returned to their "home". But it's clearly not a cut and dry issue.

 

Full story here: Should the Rosetta Stone go back....where?

 

Highlights below:

And now, again, Zahi Hawass (Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt) wants it "back"? Does he have a point?

 

In my view, no -- not at all. And I am not just talking here about the British Museum's claims to be a centre of world culture, symbolically at least owned by the whole world (the current Director is very fluent and convincing on this subject). On this Egyptian issue I feel a bit more jingoistic than usual.

 

For a start, lets be honest, if this boring lump of basalt has become an icon, it was because of the linguistic work or either a Brit or a Frenchman. It wasn't born an icon, it became an icon by a lot of hard academic grind (with huge "impact" if we are going to talk Hefce talk). At that time, the state of Egypt did not exist and "Egyptians had nothing to do with its decipherment. Sad but true.

 

If it should go back anywhere, it should be to France (as it seems pretty clear to me that, national prejudices apart, Champollion was the key figure here).

 

But more that I find myself suffering from an increasingly severe allergy to Zawi Hawass. he might once have been a good archaeologist, but he has become a nationalist media showman (complete with mad theories about famous ancient Egyptian graves, and a tv crew, plus a book signing, at his back). He appears to have a checklist of some icons he wants 'back' to Egypt -- as if they has been stolen.

 

I remember him on the Today programme a few years ago in discussion with some female descendant of Howard Carter (excavator of Tutankhamun). He was in full flow complaining about how the Brits has ripped everything off, when she politely pointed out that actually the whole Tut treasure had been left in Egypt (which did then exist).

 

Today, you can go an visit his fiefdom in the Antiquities Service of Egypt. It is truly amazing stuff ad no one is remotely suggesting removing it. But an awful lot in the marvellous Egyptian museum in Cairo is in a truly dreadful conservation stae (take a look at the Fayum portraits disintegrating there.). Now the truth is that in a global culture, we should all be paying to preserve this material for all of us, the world over, for the next few centuries. But that can only happen if Hawass stops making a media splash by demanding the Rosetta Stone and stops ignoring the much more exciting treasures crumbling on his watch.

 

If you want a good introduction to the Stone, can I recommend a book by John Ray in my edited Wonders series, available from your local bookshop or online from Blackwells/Heffers.

[Top Archaeological Stories in 2009]

I thought these would be interesting to the UNRV community:

 

From Archaeology Magazine...

Top 10 Discoveries of 2009

Rome-related stories include the discovery of palace of Mithradates VI, the Anglo-Saxon Hoard, earliest signs of chemical warfare used against Roman soliders in Syria.

 

From National Geographic News...

Top Ten Archaeology Finds: Most Viewed of 2009

The only Rome-related item is the Anglo-Saxon Hoard

[Lost City Found Under Caribbean]

This is some great stuff. I can't find any pictures, but the quotes are a headline dream...

 

Explorers view lost city under Caribbean

HAVANNA, Cuba (7 Dec 2001) -- Explorers using a miniature submarine to probe the sea floor off the coast of Cuba said on Thursday they had confirmed the discovery of stone structures deep below the ocean surface that may have been built by an unknown human civilization thousands of years ago.

 

Researchers with a Canadian exploration company said they filmed over the summer ruins of a possible submerged ''lost city'' off the Guanahacabibes Peninsula on the Caribbean island's western tip. The researchers cautioned that they did not fully understand the nature of their find and planned to return in January for further analysis, the expedition leader said on Thursday.

 

The explorers said they believed the mysterious structures, discovered at the astounding depth of around 2,100 feet and laid out like an urban area, could have been built at least 6,000 years ago. That would be about 1,500 years earlier than the great Giza pyramids of Egypt.

 

Experts Reveal Secret Lost Caribbean City

Researchers have announced the discovery of a huge ancient city, lost beneath the Caribbean Sea. Yet despite possibly predating the pyramids at Giza, its finders insist their breakthrough is not the legendary city of Atlantis. Satellite images of the city - which is not the same as the underwater site off the coast of Cuba proposed by Russian experts in 2001 - appear to show a pyramid, platforms and ruined buildings. And the project's leader, who wishes to remain anonymous, is conviced they're no fluke of nature.

 

"We

[Archaeological, Cultural Repatriation]

Dr. Zahi Hawass has been on an international tour pitching his new book. One of his stops is at the British Museum which houses the Rosetta Stone...an item that Dr. Hawass wants back in Egypt very badly.

 

Here are a few full articles on the issue and I've pulled some highlights and images below.

Zahi Hawass Visits London's British Museum (and 'Doesn't' Mention Rosetta Stone)

The British Museum's Egyptian Sculpture Gallery was packed last night, as hundreds of dignitaries flocked to see The World's Most Famous Archaeologist (copyright all bloggers) Dr Zahi Hawass, speaking ahead of the release of his latest book A Secret Voyage. Cameras in hand, Heritage Key was there to witness Dr Hawass' appearance, heralded more like the second coming than a book signing.

 

Stood in front of the museum's colossal head of Ramesses the Great, Dr Hawass boomed out at his fans like an emissary from the pharaoh himself. But as he spoke, you could sense he was looking longingly above all our heads at the Rosetta Stone - the repatriation of which he continues to crusade.

 

Yet as Dr Hawass steps up his quest for the Stone, he tried to placate things with BM director Neil MacGregor in his introduction: "When I first came here, everyone thought I came to take back the Rosetta Stone! But I'm not here to talk about the Rosetta Stone..." followed by a couple of minutes talking about the Rosetta Stone.

"We are not Pirates!" Zahi Hawass Anger at British Museum Rosetta Stone Loan Letter

Does Zahi Hawass want the Rosetta Stone on loan or not? It's hard to know if you read the news often enough. Last night saw Egypt's antiquities boss come to the British Museum in London to promote his new book A Secret Voyage. Yet among the niceties between Dr Hawass and BM director Neil MacGregor, trouble was already brewing behind the scenes.

 

And while Dr Hawass, who has stepped up his quest to bring Egypt's greatest treasures home, insisted he wasn't in London for the Rosetta Stone, he couldn't help stepping in front of BBC cameras to stake his country's claim for the fabled basalt slab, the key that unlocked ancient Egyptian language.

 

"I want the Rosetta Stone to be back, its a unique artefact," says Dr Hawass. "Its home should not be the British Museum in London, its home should be Cairo, in Egypt." The BBC then reported that Dr Hawass would be willing to drop his requests for permanent repatriation, as long as the BM agreed to a loan deal, possibly to coincide with the Grand Egyptian Museum's proposed 2013 opening.

 

Yet a later appearance, this time on the BBC's radio service, seems to contradict Dr Hawass' earlier statement, bringing in a letter the British Museum allegedly sent in reply to his loan request.

 

"When I said...I want to have it on a short-term loan, the British Museum wrote a letter to say that they need to know the security of the museum that will host.

 

"Even some people in the press began to say: 'If the British Museum will give the Rosetta Stone to Egypt, maybe Egyptians will not return it back.' We are not the pirates of the Caribbean. We are a civilised country. If I...sign a contract with the British Museum, (we) will return it. Therefore we decided not to host the Rosetta Stone, but to ask for the Rosetta Stone to come back for good to Egypt." (note: my bolding)

 

This sudden about-turn is hardly likely to endear the British Museum, whose officials have repeatedly insisted the Rosetta Stone is better viewed in a global context. "The principle is exactly the same, be it the Parthenon Marbles or the Rosetta Stone, or any object in the collection," says the museum's PR chief Hannah Boulton. "The value of that object is because you can see it within this world collection here at the British Museum, and it can tell you a wider story about cultural achievement through the ages."

 

 

[Ancient Tablets Decoded]

Ancient Tablets Decoded; Shed Light on Assyrian Empire

Full story in the link above...highlight below

Meticulous ancient notetakers have given archaeologists a glimpse of what life was like 3,000 years ago in the Assyrian Empire, which controlled much of the region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf.

 

Clay tablets inscribed with cuneiform, an ancient script once common in the Middle East, were unearthed in summer 2009 in an ancient palace in present-day southeastern Turkey.

 

Palace scribes jotted down seemingly mundane state affairs on the tablets during the Late Iron Age

[The Eagle of the Ninth]

Because of this review I ordered the book straight away from Amazon. I'll read it once I'm finished with my current read.

Medusa - you just made my day. Thank you.

 

Enjoy and let us know what you think...

 

J

[The Eagle of the Ninth]

Nice review! I enjoyed reading it. I read the book as a a child and it's laying around the house somewhere. Reading the review I feel compelled to dig it out again. Nice work!

DC - thank you very much. That's a terrific complement.

 

Can you tell me a little bit about this book's place in an English upbringing? I'd actually never heard about it until I saw it spoken of so highly in UNRV forums. Is it a commonly taught book at a High School level? How key is Roman Britain in what's taught in British history classes? I'm not sure there's any equivalent in the states basically because our history is so damn short compared to most of the rest of the world.

 

-Jason

[Simon Scarrow]

Oh, man bummer. When I picked up Eagle's Prophecy, I requested a search for the next book Eagle in The Sand. The library could not find one copy within the Clevenet system nor the last two books in the series. Not really wanting to purchase the books, I went online anyway to check out Amazon and found some cheaper paperback copies; but then decided to call my local bookstore. They told me they are unable to order me any of the three books as they are unavailable at this time. (He also mentioned that Simon Scarrow must have changed publishers after The Eagle's Prey). Then he suggested the used book store down the street.

 

Hey, I called them and she went to check her shelves and found a paperback copy of Eagle in The Sand for $5! Better than Amazon's $14. I'm picking it up today

Nice score! Pays off to be patient, eh?

 

So I've given up on Manfredi's "The Last Legion". I was actually enjoying the story itself and my major issue, if you recall, was the dialogue. After mentioning that on the boards and a brief discussion, I chalked it up to maybe a poor translation.

 

But as I approached the books half-way point and read through a scene with the following:

Romulus Augustus to Livia (one of his saviors): Are you Aurelius's girlfriend?

Livia: No, I'm not

RA: Would you like to be?

Livia: I don't think it concerns you.

 

Really? RA sounds like a 5 year old whose parents have recently gone through a divorce and mommy is now starting to date...

 

I'm just done with these people. Romulus's character ranges from strong-budding-emperor, to mentally challenged half-wit, to brooding insolent teenager. It was all over the place and I realized that I had too many other interesting books to start on rather than burning another week slogging through this.

 

Has anyone read Manfredi's Alexander series? It seems to be extremely popular (outside the US, at least).

 

J

[Tsunami may have inspired Atlantis myth]

More ancient Mediterranean destruction here:

 

Libya: Ancient Roman city found off coast

[Libya: Ancient Roman city found off coast]

Libya: Ancient Roman city found off coast

Rome, 4 Dec. (AKI) - Italian archaeologists have discovered the remains of an ancient Roman city submerged off the coast of Libya. The remains of the city date back to the 2nd century A.D. and were found by archaeologists and experts from Sicily and the University Suor Orsola Benincasa of Naples, involved in the ArCoLibia archaeology project.

 

The discovery took place on the Cape of Ras Eteen on the western side of Libya's Gulf of Bumbah, as archaeologists were searching the area for shipwrecks and the remains of ancient ports.

 

Archaeologists instead found walls, streets, and the remains of buildings and ancient tombs. After a careful analysis, the experts realised the area extended for over a hectare.

 

Experts also said that the city could have been destroyed by a strong tsunami after an earthquake which struck the eastern coastal region of Cyrenaica in 365 A.D.

 

According to a statement released by Sicilian authorities, the city flourished through the manufacture of imperial dye, a purple pigment used to colour the clothing of the Roman elite.

 

The dye was very expensive in Roman times.

 

The story indicates that the catastrophe that caused this city's destruction was well after the destruction of Helike and Thera which are being discussed here.

[Ancient city of Pompeii added to Google Street View]

This is terrific (well, once it works...). I wasn't able to get into Pompeii as the current implementation seems to stop at the gates. Although it's kinda fun checking out the people who on their ways in and out...

 

For anyone checking out google maps...go to stonehenge...I just came across this earlier in the week and the street view is fabulous. You can virtually walk around and within the stones.

 

Now why isn't this available for the Forum?!

 

J

[Rome unveils ancient luxury complex]

Rome unveils ancient luxury complex

ROME

[Vanished Persian army said found in desert]

This was evidently an irregular communication from irregular findings; nothing else can objectively be said on the purported findings themselves until they are regularly and properly analyzed.

Yeah, but the irregular drama is a LOT more fun.

 

BTW, even if Herodotus' 50K story might well have been a bit unreliable from the beginning, the mere obvious fact that Darius didn't die there proves absolutely nothing in either way.

I'm glad you pointed this out. I didn't quite follow the logic on the Darius "conclusion", but it seemed a bit circumstantial.

[Vanished Persian army said found in desert]

Mel - great find...

 

This is turning into quite a little story-within-a-story, eh?

 

Any other theories you're aware of about what they MAY have found if not the 50k soliders?

 

J

[Vanished Persian army said found in desert]

Politics are starting to surround this discovery:

 

Iran Urges UNESCO to Step in Over Lost Persian Army in Egyptian Desert

 

Remember the 'groundbreaking discovery' of Cambyses' lost Persian army a few weeks back, in the Western Desert of Egypt? Almost as soon as it had been announced, Zahi Hawass' Supreme Council of Antiquities were all over it, rejecting the Castiglioni brothers' claims they'd found the legendary fleet near Siwa Oasis.

 

Yet any doubts as to the brothers' credibility have been lost on Iranian officials, who have branded Dr Hawass' rejection of the discovery as politically motivated, and have urged UNESCO to step in to save the army's remains. The request by Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Toursim Organisation (ICHHTO) was made yesterday. Spokesman Hassan Mohseni tells Fars news agency: "Egypt's chief archeologist Zahi Hawass has recently rejected the discovery of the army in his personal weblog due to political pressure."

 

It's an odd twist in a growing saga which promises to run for some time yet. Various cyber-sleuths have succeeded only in shrouding the story in even more mystery, digging up conflicting claims from sources as far back as 2004. Cambyses' 50,000 men are said to have vanished in a huge sandstorm some 2,500 years ago, whilst on their way to Siwa's Temple of Amun. The Castiglioni brothers have supposedly found large numbers of human bones and Persian artefacts just outside the remote oasis.

 

Yet almost immediately the web was awash with comments, rumour and controversy thanks to the SCA's response to the 'find'. "I need to inform the public that recent reports published in newspapers, news agencies and TV news announcing that twin brothers Angelo and Alfredo Castiglioni have unearthed the remains of the Persian army of Cambyses, are unfounded and misleading," wrote Dr Hawass on his personal blog. We'll keep you posted on the latest developments as soon as they happen.

[Bust of Julius Caesar believed to be oldest ever found]

New story on the old bust...

A Museum Hails Caesar, Even if Some Antiquarians Don

[Tsunami may have inspired Atlantis myth]

All,

 

A timely piece from New Scientist summarizes 7 sunken cities, but does not include Helike:

Drowned cities: Myths and secrets of the deep

The idea that great cities, rich in forgotten knowledge and treasure, lie hidden beneath the sea holds immense appeal. Scarcely a year goes by without someone claiming to have found Atlantis. But what's really out there under the waves?

 

Jo Marchant looks at some of the sunken towns and cities discovered worldwide, and separates the facts from the myths.

Here's the summary on Atlantis:

Everyone has heard of the lost city of Atlantis. The myth began with the Greek philosopher Plato. In 360 BC, he wrote a book whose characters describe Atlantis as an island bigger than "Libya" and "Asia" together, which existed 9000 years earlier "in front of the Pillars of Hercules" that flank the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea.

 

The Atlanteans were a great naval power but became greedy and morally bankrupt, according to Plato's story. After they led a failed attack on Athens, a natural disaster sank the island in a day and a night, and the spot became a mud shoal, making it impassable and unsearchable. There are many theories for locations that might have inspired Plato. For instance, German physicist Rainer Kuhne thinks it was a region of the southern Spanish coast, destroyed in a flood between 800 and 500 BC. Satellite photos show two rectangular structures in the mud, which Kuhne thinks could be the remains of temples described by Plato.

 

Swedish geographer Ulf Erlingsson says only Ireland matches Plato's description. Others think Atlantis is Spartel Island, a mud shoal in the Strait of Gibraltar that sank into the sea 11,500 years ago.

 

Classical scholars, however, point out that few took Plato's account literally before modern times. "The idea was that we should use the story to examine our ideas of government and power. We have missed the point if instead of thinking about these issues we go off exploring the seabed," philosopher Julia Annas writes in Plato: A Very Short Introduction.