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On October 2023, an Ancient Roman tomb was found during water work in the city of Giugliano, near Naples. On the wall was a fresco of Cerberus, the mythical three-headed dog who guarded the underworld. https://www.euronews.com/culture/2023/10/10/2000-year-old-tomb-of-cerberus-with-stunning-frescoes-discovered-in-italy https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerberus

Here’s an interesting article on painting projects in Ancient Rome: https://www.archaeology.org/issues/544-2403/digs/12134-dd-italy-roman-painting

The city of Winchester, England (about 60 miles or 10o km Southwest of London) is better known for its medieval history. The city, however, was formally the important Roman town of Venta Belgarum (the market of the Belgae). A new book further examines previous archaeological finds on the city: https://www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/news/24125911.roman-winchester-revealed-new-book-based-archaeological-digs/

(Picture from Dr J Ball @DrJEBall): Suspected snack remnants (fruit seeds, stones, and pits) found during recent archaeological studies from the drainage system at the Colosseum There has been a previous post about evidence of snacks at the Colosseum found at archaeological excavations in the drainage system of the Colosseum. (See post below.) This is another wonderful video by Max Miller: “Eating at the Colosseum.” https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-11466845/amp/Animal-bones-ancient-Romans-snack-food-Colosseum.html

A silver brooch depicting the she-wolf suckling the twins Romulus and Remus has been found in Villanova d’Alcolea, Spain. It dates to the second century AD and measures about 4 cm (1.6 inches). It was found during an excavation of a suspected ancient Roman site. https://www.heritagedaily.com/2024/02/rare-depiction-of-romulus-and-remus-found-in-vilanova-dalcolea/150550/amp Background on Romulus and Remus mythology: https://www.unrv.com/culture/romulus-and-remus.php

More images of the excavation:

Artifacts, including jewelry and coins, have been uncovered in Roman tombs near the village of Nova Varbovka in Bulgaria. A bronze medalllion of Caracalla minted in Pergamon in AD 214 has also been recovered. These finds date from the early third century AD. Interestingly, one of the tombs was a child’s tomb that contained gold earrings, glass bead jewelry, and two glass lacrimatory bottles (or tear catchers). (See photo below) A lacrymatory (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. https://www.heritagedaily.com/2024/02/rare-medallion-of-caracalla-among-high-status-objects-found-in-roman-cemetery/150527/amp https://archaeologymag.com/2024/02/medallion-of-emperor-caracalla-found-in-bulgaria/ A previous discovery of lacrymatory bottles: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lacrymatory

That is the question Mary Beard and others are asking. Solar farms take up many acres and can be unsightly. They would permanently alter the local landscape and irreparably damage any historical site.

Recent excavations at Megiddo, Israel have discovered evidence of Legio VI Ferrata (Iron) Legion (see post below). Recently the remains of a military base has been discovered. Legio VI Ferrata was in Judea for about two centuries (second till early forth century AD). The symbol for Legio VI Ferrata was a bull. It also carried the symbolic she-wolf with Romulus and Remus. Legio VI Ferrata supported Legio X Fretensis during its deployment in Judea. https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-786877 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legio_VI_Ferrata

Richborough is a Roman site that has been the site of new discoveries (see below). Classicist Mary Beard and others have expressed concern about the potential of a planned solar farm to destroy the Roman heritage and future opportunities for excavation at the site. https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/solar-farm-could-cause-serious-9096322#google_vignette

It appears that scientists plan on altering the genome of a deadly chicken virus in hopes of recreating the less virulent form of the virus. Merek disease virus (MDV) is a highly lethal virus that kills 90% of unvaccinated chickens and costs the poultry business one billion dollars each year. It was observed that the virus was less lethal before the 1900s. Scientists have examined nearly 1,000 chicken bones from archaeological digs across Europe, some 2,000 years old. By comparing the ancient genomes with the modern MDV genome, point mutations were discovered in the modern virus. It is thought that these mutations were the cause of the modern virulence of the virus. Scientists have synthesized the ancient, less lethal gene and inserted it into living chicken cells. This new hybrid virus did not show the lethality of the modern virus. What could go wrong with altering natural viruses? /sarc https://www.livemint.com/science/health/reviving-ancient-viruses-can-help-fight-modern-ones-11707805683759.html

Evidence of bed bugs have found at Vindolanda. It is suggested that the bugs were brought to Britain in the late first century AD, possibly on straw bedding, clothes or grain brought to the island. Examination of damp soil dated between AD 100 to 105 near Hadrian’s Wall revealed thoraxes believed to be from the common bed bug. https://www.ucd.ie/newsandopinion/news/2024/february/08/ucdstudentrevealsbedbugsmostlikelycametobritainwiththeromans/#:~:text=Among the insects preserved in,from the common bed bug.&text=The discovery is the earliest,the isle in AD 43. https://www.vindolanda.com/Blog/beetles-on-the-frontier https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/feb/03/incredibly-rare-discovery-reveals-bedbugs-came-to-britain-with-the-romans

Below is an excellent academic article on the find. The presence of henbane throughout the Empire along with other medicinal plants supports the use of henbane as a medicinal ingredient: The conclusion was very compelling: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/evidence-of-the-intentional-use-of-black-henbane-hyoscyamus-niger-in-the-roman-netherlands/A06E000B17E1642C878E469157D5131C

Aylesbury has been the site of previous Roman finds (see post below), including a brewery. During excavations for a housing project between 2007 and 2016, four Roman-era eggs were discovered. One had already been broken and two were damaged during the recovery. One egg was extracted intact. In fact, a CT scan has recently confirmed that the egg still has its liquid contents inside. Remains of an oak and willow basket were found. Roman pots and mirrors were found at the site. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-68247184 https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-50603415

Here is an excellent video on the find from Professor Trizio (translations available):

There have been many threads on the fermented fish sauce garum. In this entertaining video Max Miller will recreate the dish Patina of Pears described in the ancient Roman cookbook De Re Coquinaria attributed to Apicius. Ingredients include pears with Roman pepper, cumin, honey, and garum. https://www.tastinghistory.com/recipes/patinadepiris

The 2023 winners were announced of the Vesuvius Challenge. The goal was to read portions of the Herculaneum scrolls that were left damaged after the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79. First breakthroughs occurred in October 2023 (see post below), A Grand Prize was awarded to the first team to recover 4 passages of 140 characters from the Herculaneum scroll. Smaller prizes were also announced. https://scrollprize.org/ The Vesuvius Challenge for 2024 is the goal of reading 90% of a scroll by the end of the year.

Chichester (Noviomagus Reginorum) was an important site during the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 43 in Southern Britain. There are plans to reconstruct the temple of the Roman goddess Minerva, utilizing as many original stones as possible. Here are artistic recreations of the temple: https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/people/a-temple-to-a-roman-goddess-could-be-rebuilt-near-chichester-4500377 Stane Street, the modern name for the Roman road connecting Chichester to London (Londinium), spans 91 km (57 miles).

Researchers have unexpectedly discovered a supply of the powerful black henbane seeds in a hollow animal bone in Roman Netherlands from the first century AD. A birch tar plug and the waterlogged microenvironment had preserved the contents. Henbane has both an analgesic and sedative effect, as well as having psychoactive and hallucinogenic properties. https://www.science.org/content/article/roman-era-bone-container-holds-potent-hallucinogenic-medicine

The recreated Constantine Colossus is now in Rome after being in Milan last year (see post). It will be located in the side garden at the Capitoline Museum where the original fragments are located. There will be a second version of the statue in Northeast England. Constantine was proclaimed Emperor in AD 306 at York. https://apnews.com/article/italy-rome-constantine-b1c5418d16b4911c0c623acdcc80c7a2

I was watching a video (see below) about Trajan’s column when I saw the Dacian fort with the heads of captured enemies. I also saw the Dacian draco: the hollow dragon-appearing military standard that made a whistling sound. This was later adapted first by the Roman cavalry and later the infantry. Scene from the movie “Gladiator” with the draco standard. The whistling shrieking sound of the draco could have had a power effect in demoralizing the enemy: Good article on the Roman draco: http://www.fectio.org.uk/articles/draco.htm https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dacian_draco

A Roman wooden funerary bed has been excavated from a Roman cemetery near Holborn viaduct in central London. Also discovered were five oak coffins. The graves survived in the waterlogged burial site microenvironment. The bed had been dismantled before being laid in a grave of a male in his late twenties or early thirties. Other objects recovered elsewhere in the cemetery included beads. a glass vial with residue, and a decorated lamp. https://amp.theguardian.com/science/2024/feb/05/flat-packed-furniture-for-the-next-life-roman-funerary-bed-found-in-london

Here’s an unusual but fascinating re-enactment of Legio XIII in Italy:

This broken brick has inscribed: LEG X …. Other photos from the find: https://www.meinbezirk.at/hernals/c-lokales/ausgrabungen-im-schulhof-kindermanngasse_a6448354?fbclid=IwAR2NLHwEi5t9cFpK3oZjM78vvR6c2oIftsafHhZ4zFEqsp_V3LxhAZngQa4#gallery=null http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/69394 https://arkeonews.net/viennese-archaeologists-find-legio-xiii-gemina-bricks/