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A Roman-era silver bracelet has been found in Northamptonshire by a metal detectorist. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-67276277

Here’s a good article on the find: https://www.sci.news/archaeology/ancient-roman-forts-fertile-crescent-12400.html

Much has been written about Queen Teuta, “the pirate queen” who fought Rome (see post below). Here is a good article about Queen Teuta: https://arkeonews.net/queen-of-seas-who-challenged-rome-queen-teuta/

One of the best threads on X (formerly known as Twitter) that deal with daily Roman life, especially glasswares, is from Dr Jo Ball @JEBall. She drew my attention to The Corning Museum’s wonderful collection of ancient Roman glass: https://www.cmog.org/set/glass-romans-featured-objects

Here is a good video on the find. (English subtitles are available):

There have been several previous threads on the Herculaneum scrolls, the only intact (but unread) library from antiquity (see below). Here is an excellent video on the recent digitally “unraveling” of the scrolls:

https://arkeonews.net/declassified-cia-satellite-spy-program-reveals-lost-ancient-roman-forts/ https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/wall-or-a-road-a-remote-sensingbased-investigation-of-fortifications-on-romes-eastern-frontier/8FE59FB0D5476EA329614EEC6DC414FD

(Scene from the HBO series “Rome”) Sebastian Todor at Maiorianus has done an excellent video on the last days of the Roman Senate. The Roman Senate persisted after the “fall of Rome” in 476 AD, but it eventually disappeared from history in the 600s AD.

A Roman graves and coin have been found in Hampshire during a water pipeline construction https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-67158304

Invicta does excellent work.

In August, a New York judge had ordered the return of this priceless headless sculpture from a Cleveland museum (see post below). The museum is now suing to have that order dismissed. The museum contests the Turkish claims it was a statue of Marcus Aurelius that originated in Turkey. In fact, the museum states the statue was much older (150-200 BCE) and probably is not of Turkish origin. Experts have suggested that the sculpture is, instead, of Sophocles, the Greek writer of tragedies.. The sculpture remains in Cleveland but is “seized in state.” https://www.cleveland.com/arts/2023/10/cleveland-museum-of-art-sues-new-york-district-attorney-over-seizure-of-statue-valued-at-20-million.html?outputType=amp https://news.artnet.com/art-world/cleveland-museum-lawsuit-sculpture-2381754/amp-page

Here is a nice article on the find and description of Queen Merit-Neith: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-12648527/Egypts-forgotten-FEMALE-king-Archaeologists-uncover-tomb-powerful-woman-ruled-5-000-years-ago.html

Correction made. Thanks.

Hundreds of 5000-year-old sealed wine jars were found at the burial complex of Egyptian Queen Merit-Neith in Umm El Qa’ab necropolis near Abydos. Also at the complex we’re the tombs of 41 courtiers and servants. Although the wine had evaporated and no longer was present, there was a lot of organic residue, grapes seeds and crystals. Grape seeds found in the sealed jars. https://www.sci.news/archaeology/meret-neith-wine-12342.html

Here’s the academic article on the research: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/goddess-new-clothes-the-carving-and-polychromy-of-the-parthenon-sculptures/9D7277925E339AC98642081CBAAD8794

There has been some breakthrough with AI in reading the texts of the charred scrolls at Herculaneum. There are some 600 texts to be examined. Here is some background information about the Vesuvius Challenge: https://arkeonews.net/researchers-use-ai-to-read-words-on-ancient-herculaneum-scroll-burned-by-vesuvius/ https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-03212-1

Here is another article on the painting of the Parthenon: https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/parthenon-marbles-paint-hidden-colors-study-1234682322/

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2023/10/new-study-identifies-traces-of-paint-used-to-decorate-the-parthenon-sculptures/148836 https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/style/greek-parthenon-sculptures-painted-egyptian-blue-scn/index.html

Wonderful video. Thanks. Very informative.

There have been previous discussions about the possible way victims of Pompeii died (see thread below). There are several possible mechanisms: asphyxiation (lack of oxygen), pyroclastic flows (a fast-moving current of hot gas and volcanic matter), falling or collapsing buildings, and even a tsunami. Another mechanism has been suggested about the cause of death: an earthquake. Two male victims aged at least 55 were found in the Casti Amanti at Pompeii beneath a wall that had collapsed before the area was covered in volcanic material. One of the victims appeared to be shielding his face from the falling wall. https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2023/5/17/pompeii-excavations-reveal-two-new-skeletons Pompeii had experienced earthquakes before the fateful volcanic eruption in AD 77. Increasingly, the relationship between earthquakes and volcanic activity has become appreciated. Both involve disturbances of the tectonic plates. There is now a possibility that a destructive earthquake occurred simultaneously with the volcanic eruption, causing at least two fatalities that day. https://australian.museum/learn/minerals/shaping-earth/how-are-volcanoes-and-earthquakes-interrelated/

In 2018, over 400 iron fragments were discovered at Kalkriese, Germany, the site of the Varus defeat at the Teutoburg Forest Battle. These fragments were recently reassembled, revealing a nearly complete set of lorica segmentata made of 30 plates. It is believed that the armor was well-preserved due to its participation in a triumph ritual. Currently, it is on display for the first time in a new exhibit at Kalkriese Museum called “Cold Case: Death of a Legionary.” https://www.kalkriese-varusschlacht.de/museum-park/ausstellungen/cold-case-tod-eines-legionaers.html Here is a reenactor of the 1st century AD armor:

A 2nd Century AD Roman head of Alexander the Great has been found in Prusias ad Hypium, Turkey. It measured 23 cm (or 9 inches). https://www.heritagedaily.com/2023/10/marble-head-of-alexander-the-great-uncovered-at-prusias-ad-hypium/148809

Radiocarbon dating in 2021 of grass seeds found in sediment layers above and below footprints have challenged notions of prehistoric dating: Humans arrived in America 7000 years earlier than expected. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-humans-america-years-earlier-thought.html https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abg7586

A tomb of a woman and her son have found along the Appian Way. I’m still looking for further details but this is an interesting find, nevertheless. https://archaeonewsnet.com/the-epigraph-of-a-tomb-belonging-to-a-woman-and-her-son-found-in-the-excavation-of-romes-appian-way/ This discovery was not far from the recent discovery of the life-sized statue of Hercules along the Appian Way.

A fragment of Roman amphora found in Spain was found to have an inscription of Virgil’s Georgics, which dealt with rural and agricultural themes. The amphora shard was initially found seven years ago, but only recently was it translated. The full passage reads: https://amp.theguardian.com/science/2023/jun/21/virgil-quote-found-on-fragment-of-roman-jar-unearthed-in-spain https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/virgil-quote-roman-jar-180982426/ https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-roman-archaeology/article/las-georgicas-de-virgilio-in-figlinis-a-proposito-de-un-grafito-ante-cocturam-sobre-un-anfora-olearia-betica/742CDE20EED6987767C896C2A1F01739