guy

There have been several posts in the past about the efforts to read the preserved scrolls from Herculaneum known as the Vesuvius Challenge (see post below). Fragments of two lost tragedies by Euripides have been found on Egyptian papyri. Hopefully, the Vesuvius Project will have similar success. https://www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2024/08/previously-unknown-fragments-of-two-lost-tragedies-by-euripides-discovered-in-an-egyptian-papyrus/

This virtual nighttime walk through Caesar’s Forum in Rome looks interesting:

A center for Roman tile kilns is being investigated in Minety, England, near Cirencester. Cirencester was known as the Roman town of Corinium. Tile production is thought to have been a significant regional industry in Roman Britain. Many of the tiles were stamped with “TPF” (Tegularia Publica Fecerunt), which is thought to be Latin for “made in the public tiles works” presumably at the municipal tile works of Cirencester. Tile with a dog footprint and another with a hoofprint Tile kiln from the area https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c93pp2zwk9go Location of Cirencester, England A good video on the research of the Roman tile production in the area:

A wonderful Greek mosaic with Satyrs was found in Eretria (located on map below). It is thought to date from after the mid 4th century BCE. https://greekreporter.com/2024/08/03/ancient-greek-mosaic-satyrs-eretria/

Here is an article from the BBC stating that this find supports the belief that Wales was more integrated into the Roman Empire than previously thought. The find was 2 to 3 hectares in size could support 500 individuals. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c51y1x4n9qko.amp

Here’s an interesting story about a collection of gold Persian coins, called darics, that were discovered in the ancient city of Notion, in Turkey. The collection dates back to the late 5th century BCE. Darics were produced in the Persian Empire from the late 6th century BCE until 330 BCE, when Alexander the Great defeated the Persians. Here’s a picture of the director of the Notion Archaeological Project, Christopher Ratté, recording details of the Temple of Athena at Notion. Here’s a https://record.umich.edu/articles/u-m-team-finds-ancient-persian-gold-coins-in-western-turkey/ Site of the Notion excavations on the Western coast of Turkey.

Remains of a possible second Roman fort has been discovered in the Pembrokeshire region of Wales.The second Roman fort found in this area would support the belief that the Romans had a major presence in this area. (Above is a photo of a tile thought to be part of a Roman roof.) This finding could challenge previous concepts about the extent of the Roman occupation in Wales. https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/roman-fort-pembrokeshire-0021190#google_vignette Here are two posts about recent Roman findings in Wales.

A Greco-Roman sculpture head of Zeus was found in the ancient city of Aphrodisias, Turkey. It dates from the 2nd or 3rd century AD. It measures 66 cm (almost 26 inches). The sculptors and sculptures of Aphrodisias were known throughout the Roman world. https://www.heritagedaily.com/2024/07/marble-head-depicting-zeus-found-in-ancient-aphrodisias/152772

It wasn’t until the late 1950s, with improvements in underwater exploration, that the submerged section of the Baiae site could be properly excavated. Here are two other articles on the recent discovery. Letter (51) to Lucilius from Seneca the Younger on Baiae and Morals. https://en.m.wikisource.org/wiki/Moral_letters_to_Lucilius/Letter_51 https://news.artnet.com/art-world/ancient-roman-ornate-mosaic-flooring-discovered-underwater-2515275 Divers Discover Mesmerizing Roman Mosaic Beneath the Sea (msn.com)

Baiae was Rome’s resort town, now underwater in the Gulf of Naples. Recent excavations have discovered some stunning mosaics. https://www.newsweek.com/remarkable-roman-marble-mosaic-revealed-notorious-sunken-city-1928724

A Roman temple dating from the 2nd century AD has been found in Ptuj, Slovenia (see map below). I’ll post more details as they become available: https://english.sta.si/3326122/remains-of-2nd-century-roman-temple-likely-discovered-in-ptuj

The trailer for Gladiator II has been released, and it seems to lean more towards fantasy than reality. The movie is set in AD 211 and features both Caracalla and Geta as emperors. It emphasizes gladiatorial fights, including a naval battle inside the Coliseum. Additionally, it includes some fantasy elements, like a conflict involving a rhinoceros. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gladiator_II

Above is a picture of one of the fatalities at Pompeii AD 79, thought to be the victim of a crush injury possibly the result of an earthquake. Below are two articles on the earthquake theory (including the scientific article). https://www.frontiersin.org/news/2024/07/18/pompeii-skeleton-discovery-earthquake https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/earth-science/articles/10.3389/feart.2024.1386960/full

Around twenty Roman villas have been excavated in the Limburg region of Southern Netherlands (see map below). Above is a reconstruction of one of the Roman villas. Below is excavation of Roman baths found in the area. Here is the article on the ongoing research: https://the-past.com/feature/roman-villas-in-limburg-the-rise-and-fall-of-a-prosperous-farming-community/

Pliny the Younger wrote about the devastating eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 while he stayed at a villa in Misenum with his mother and his uncle, Pliny the Elder. He chronicled the unsuccessful rescue mission of his uncle, who tragically perished. Researchers are investigating the "trembling of the earth" mentioned in Pliny the Younger's accounts. Recent studies indicate that seismic activity may have had a more significant impact on the destruction than previously believed, potentially changing the sequence of events that led to the devastation of Pompeii. https://www.telegraphindia.com/world/catastrophic-eruption-of-mount-vesuvius-in-ad-79-was-not-the-only-killer-of-pompeii/cid/2034697 The two letters written by Pliny the Younger describing the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD (pompeii.org.uk) See Letters LXV (to Tacitus) and LXVI (to Cornelius Tacitus) Letters of Pliny, by Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus (gutenberg.org)

A 13-year-old boy made a surprising discovery while hiking near Haifa, Israel. A ring believed to be of Roman origin from the 2nd or 3rd century AD was discovered. It is thought to depict the Roman god Minerva, associated with wisdom and war. https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/2024-07-17/ty-article/teen-discovers-ancient-ring-depicting-roman-war-goddess-while-hiking-on-mount-carmel/00000190-bf53-d3e0-a5fd-fff7c35e0000

Using LiDAR technology, the outlines of a large Circus Maximus have been discovered in the Basque area of Iruña-Veleia, Northern Spain. It spans 920 by 235 feet. 900-Foot-Long Roman Circus Where Chariots Raced Discovered - Newsweek LiDAR technology explained:

A Roman road has been uncovered in the small village of Brightwell-cum-Sotwell (population 1538). Coins and brooches were also discovered. https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/24452357.archaeologists-discover-roman-road-village-near-didcot/#

With the Summer Olympics in Paris just a few days away, NGC Ancients has decided to showcase some ancient coins featuring sports. For example, here is a sestertius of Caracalla with an image on the coin’s reverse of the Circus Maximus, the venue in Rome for chariot racing and other public events and festivals. https://www.ngccoin.com/news/article/13035/

Here’s an interesting article on why crocodiles were revered in Ancient Egypt. In fact, the Egyptian deity Sobek was depicted as a human with a crocodile head. https://greekreporter.com/2024/07/15/why-ancient-egyptians-worship-sacrifice-crocodiles/

Archaeologists have found a remarkably well-preserved statue of the Greek god Hermes in an ancient Roman sewer in Bulgaria. The statue, believed to date back to the 2nd century AD, was discovered in the ancient city of Heraclea Sintica. It stands nearly seven feet tall and is considered one of Bulgaria's best-preserved Roman statues. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/archeologists-bulgaria-roman-statue-sewer-hermes-god-preserved/ https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/marble-statue-hermes-uncovered-ancient-roman-sewer-bulgaria-1234711631/

Archaeologists have discovered evidence of a Nestorian Christian church in the Arabian Gulf in Bahrain. Radiocarbon dating has confirmed that the building was in use from the mid-4th century (before the emergence of Nestorianism) to the mid-8th century when it was abandoned due to the rise of Islam. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-archaeologists-earliest-christian-bahrain.html https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nestorian

Please remember the text below: Here is an article discussing a series of books documenting the ancient Roman frontier network. The project began with efforts to have the limes in Upper Germany recognized as a World Heritage Site. This required more thorough documentation of the 550 km-long Roman frontier. This initial effort was the first of twenty books written over a span of twenty years to comprehensively document the entire Roman frontier. https://the-past.com/feature/encircling-the-empire-how-romes-frontier-network-was-chronicled/

Remnants of a garden that belonged to Caligula were discovered along the banks of the Tiber during the recent construction of a bridge. The supporting evidence that this was a garden belonging to Caligula is found in this passage: https://greekreporter.com/2024/07/11/roman-emperor-caligula-historic-garden/ https://cultura.gov.it/comunicato/26552 Rome unearths ruins of ancient garden linked to Caligula (wantedinrome.com)

A coin from the Roman Republic, approximately 82 BCE, has been discovered in Carlisle, England. This is the most recent discovery at the Carlisle site. It is unclear how this coin, minted in Rome and predating Julius Caesar's arrival to the island in 55 BCE, ended up in England. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cek9vd9lr2zo