Viggen

Here are all the books we listed in March; The Tribune: A Novel of Ancient Rome by Patrick Larkin The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon Gods and Legions : A Novel of The Roman Empire by Michael Curtis Ford

An ancient silver spoon buried in the grave of an early Christian king may be one of the earliest christening spoons found in Britain, archaeologists said yesterday. The spoon was discovered alongside a lyre and copper box for holding relics in the burial chamber of the so-called Prince of Prittlewell, a high-ranking aristocrat who lived in Essex 1,400 years ago. full article at the Telegraph

Buried for 12 centuries by a landslide and closed to the public for 24 years, the oldest Christian church in the Roman Forum is being opened for a limited time, offering glimpses of Byzantine frescoes that changed scholars' views of medieval art. Guided tours of the Santa Maria Antiqua, nestled under the imperial palaces of Rome's Palatine Hill, begin this weekend and continue through May while restoration efforts continue. full article at Chicago Sun-Times

ARCHAEOLOGISTS have started a three-year dig at Chester's amphitheatre. It is hoped the ambitious project will allow historians to uncover the city's Roman and Christian past. It is expected to attract an extra 40,000 visitors a year, bringing in

Many aspects of our Olympic Games have been justified by specious ancient antecedents. Until recently we believed competitors had to be amateurs because we believed ancient Greek Olympians were amateurs. Nonsense. The ancient Olympics had no such rule, and the Greeks did not even have a word for amateur. Ancient Olympic athletes were professionals. The Olympic Truce, while guaranteeing safe passage to athletes and spectators on their way to the Games, did not, contrary to popular belief, stop all wars in Greece... full article at Archaeology.org

The graphic portrayal of the crucifixion of Jesus in Mel Gibson's film "The Passion of the Christ" has brought the ancient world's execution method of choice in all its horror to the big screen. Jesus is the best known victim of crucifixion. But thousands of other Jews were put to death on the cross by the Romans, trying to quash Jewish rebellions in the Holy Land in the first century. Yet strangely the remains of only one victim have ever been found. He was Yehohanan Ben Hagkol, a Jewish man whose heel bone, excavated by archaeologists near Jerusalem in 1968, still had a nail embedded in it. full article at Reuters

Mysterious T-shaped monuments scattered around the Mediterranean island of Menorca were most probably places of healing, says an archaeoastronomer who has studied the orientation of the Bronze Age monuments. Each "taula" - named after the Catalan word for table - is formed by two massive stone blocks arranged in the shape of an upright "T". The taulas face an opening in a surrounding ring of stones, and all but one of the 30 structures on Menorca face roughly south. full article at New Scientist

Many Bronze Age monuments in Europe and Africa were erected with the Sun and other stars in mind, says Dr Michael Hoskin, a UK historian of astronomy. In one survey of 2,000 tombs he has shown how many were built to face the rising Sun - a symbol of the afterlife. A second study of stone structures in Menorca reveals they were set up to view the constellation of Centaurus. full article at the BBC

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Bones of a man and woman dating back to 3000BC have been found in a gravel pit in Leicestershire. The extraordinary find, including a skull, vertebrae and long bones, are the earliest human remains ever found in the county. Not only that but a series of timber uprights for a footbridge dating back to AD500, remnants of the only early Anglo-Saxon bridge known in Britain, were uncovered at the same spot. full article at 24HoursMuseum

They say the phrase refers to a critical juncture in Caesar

About 300 years ago, Comanche warriors placed heavy layers of buffalo hides over their horses and riders, then marched them through enemy lines in the same way that armored tanks lead infantry troops in modern warfare. These 18th-century Comanches were unstoppable. It was an early form of shock and awe as their steeds - layered in glued buffalo hides with occasional layers of sand - were turned into cumbersome battle animals. full story at the Denver Post

Visitors to the National Museum of Western Art finding themselves face to face with Julius Caesar or Augustus in the new show "Vixerunt Omnes: Romani ex Imaginibus" should be aware they're eyeballing not a person so much as a phenomenon. Though Rome's was the largest empire the world had then seen, with 5 million inhabitants within its borders circa A.D. 14, the individual mattered. Ridley Scott's 2000 blockbuster "Gladiator" may have been a load of Hollywood hokey, but it reflected one fundamental truth about imperial Rome: Personality was destiny. full article including some images at The Japan Times

hehe, no not that i know where there any coins lol

Germany's most primitive teeth have gone missing from the Neanderthal Museum, and embarrassed staff admitted they had not noticed at first, but thought the dentures were out of the display case to be cleaned. The milk tooth from a 12-year-old (Neanderthals were late developers) and an adult molar were discovered in 2002 during an archaeological dig at Mettmann, near Dusseldorf, on the spot where the first Neanderthal skeletal remains were discovered in 1856. full article at Expatica

Hello veritas and welcome to UNRV.com! Glad to hear that we are a bit of an enlightenment. Hope to hear from you again. cheers viggen

The earthen fortifications near Charleston, S.C., some up to 12 feet high and as wide as a football field, offer a unique opportunity to study the decay of large earthen constructions, because very detailed measurements are available from the war's end in 1865, said University of Cincinnati doctoral geology student Reuben Bullard Jr. Bullard, who also has studied archaeology, said the earthworks are becoming more rounded at the crest and base but are leveling by about a fifth of an inch each year. The slopes are becoming more gentle, and subtle features are diminishing. The effects of climate, weather, ocean currents, plant growth and human activity on the manmade hillsides can offer a baseline for preserving other archaeological sites, he said. The findings will be shared with the Charleston Museum and the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust, two organizations that hope to safeguard the structures. via The Pawtucket Times

The most important find was the rim and handle of a classic Italian wine amphora, which came from Naples and belonged to the late first century B.C. The amphora, which was used to transport wine and olive oil, had been identified from a number of Roman sites in India, including Arikamedu and Alagankulam in Tamil Nadu. full article at The Hindu

Admiral Horatio Nelson

Investigators for the Israel Antiquities Authority have been informed that a precious Ivory Pomegranate, on display at the Israel Museum since 1988, is a forgery. On the basis of an inscription it had been dated from the period of the First Temple, 10th century BCE. However, it is information on the origin of the inscription that has raised doubts about the authenticity of the item. The Antiquities Authority refused to reveal the origins and nature of the information it holds. full article at Haaretz

The ancient city of Zeugma located on bank of the biblical Tigris River is once more making news but this time it is not over the dam lake that inundated most of the city but efforts to move many of its famous mosaics. Once a Roman frontier garrison town, Zeugma has acclaimed as having the best surviving examples of ancient mosaic work in the world. Once trodden on by Roman warriors, now the peerless mosaics are at the centre of a legal battle between authorities and those who seek to preserve what is left of the city

thanks a million, the UNRV banner for your main page is moons job, we havent one yet, but maybe he will come up with one over time. Be assured to hear from us the moment we have one. cheers and thanks agian viggen

Going tomorrow, very curious how the movie will be. cheers viggen

I see there is no Link at your website http://www.celticwar.tk/ would be nice to have UNRV.com there! cheers viggen