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A recent study indicates that Roman wine possessed distinctive characteristics. The unique taste and texture of ancient wine were attributed to the dolia (buried Roman wine pots), which ensured well-regulated temperatures during the aging process. Additionally, the clay vessels imparted a "drying sensation" to the wine when consumed. The narrow base of fermentation means that the grapes were separated from the wine, resulting in the liquid acquiring an orange color. https://www.newsweek.com/how-roman-wine-tasted-archaeologists-1862792 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/21CE9DC73E121EE173E902625E9E559D/S0003598X2300193Xa.pdf/making_wine_in_earthenware_vessels_a_comparative_approach_to_roman_vinification.pdf

Thank you for reading my post. Professor Trizio in his above video makes the point that Trajan’s column, whose friezes depict the conflicts with the Dacians, shows the Dacian falx (curved blade) and the Roman arm guard as protection. The falx was very effective in injuring the legionaries’ exposed arms and legs which had been previously unprotected. Trajan’s column attests to the modifications that may have been made to protect against the Dacian falx. “Trajan introduced the use of greaves and an arm protector (mania) for the right arm, which had previously been used only by gladiators and which was never used again [or at least routinely] once the Dacia campaign concluded (Wikipedia).” This arm guard may have had only a ceremonial function or might have been brought back by a veteran of the Dacian conflicts. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falx

Here’s a wonderful video by Professor Roberto Trizio on the find. (English subtitles can be enabled)

A brass Roman arm guard found in Scotland has been reassembled and will be on display. It was found in about 100 fragments and dates to the late second century AD. https://www.news-journal.com/roman-armour-to-go-on-display-after-experts-complete-ancient-jigsaw-puzzle/video_5ea7c199-5f53-5e75-a6a1-431bb8bcaa41.html

Fifteen iron weapons have been found in Eastern Poland. They are thought to be from the Roman era, of barbarian nature. Items include spearheads and axes. https://notesfrompoland.com/2024/01/21/roman-era-barbarian-weapons-found-in-polish-forest/

Professor Roberto Trizio has done a good video on the find. (English subtitles are available):

A Roman dodecahedron has been unearthed, this time in Sheffield. Several threads have been written about this ancient device (see below). Although several have been found throughout the Empire, it is unclear what the dodecahedron was used for: a measuring device, a sewing tool, a gambling piece, or something else. https://c.newsnow.co.uk/A/1213769681?-16722:2001:nn_topic_top

Vorenus and family praying to the god Janus (from the HBO series “Rome”) Here is an interesting article on the coins associated with January’s namesake, the two-faced god Janus. https://www.ngccoin.com/news/article/12468/ngc-ancients-janus/ Janus symbolized change or transitions, as well as presiding over gates and doors. The two-headed god can see into the past with one face and into the future with the other. Unlike most other Roman deities, however, there is no Greek counterpart. Roman’s believed that his blessings were important for the success of any new endeavor, from war to agricultural. http://romanpagan.blogspot.com/2016/02/18th-century-herm-of-janus.html?m=1

The B-52’s produced this memorable song with an ancient theme:

There have been previous threads on the Chedworth Roman Villa before. There was some suggestion that the structure had been created and in active use in the fifth century AD (see posts below). More precise radiocarbon dating of charcoal samples have shown that “the mosaic was determined to have a median construction date most likely set in 480s AD.” This late date of construction confirms the belief that there was an active and thriving RomanoBritish community despite Rome’s official withdrawal from Britain around AD 410. https://bnnbreaking.com/world/uk/chedworth-roman-villa-discovery-challenges-conventional-understanding-of-post-roman-britain/

Very interesting. The fact that none of the fragments were curved, however, makes me think a column was unlikely.

An extensive water system has been uncovered in the ancient Byzantine city of Dara (in the Mardin Province of Turkey). Dara was an important fortress city on the border with the Sassanid Empire, playing an important role in the Byzantine-Sassanid conflicts of the sixth and seventh century AD. https://www.dailysabah.com/turkiye/1500-year-old-roman-era-well-unearthed-in-turkiyes-mardin/news Location of the ancient city of Dara This short video shows some of the wonderful remains of Dara:

Coin of Aurelian (AD 274)) who, during his reign, elevated Sol Invictus to the highest position among the gods. Here is an excellent video on coins with Sol Invictus. Below are previous threads on Sol invictus:

Archaeologists working at the ancient city of Tarquinia, north of Rome, have unearthed an ancient Roman necropolis containing 67 skeletons buried in 57 tombs. These tombs have been dated from the second to fourth century AD. The skeletons were dressed in ornate jewelry and leather shoes, evidence of a necropolis for elite Romans. https://arkeonews.net/ancient-skeletons-buried-with-gold-jewelry-and-expensive-leather-shoes-found-in-newly-discovered-roman-necropolis-in-italy/ https://www.ancientpages.com/2024/01/09/roman-necropolis-dressed-skeletons/amp/

Archaeologists have uncovered the Roman port Miseno (Misenum) at the Bay of Naples. It was here that Pliny the Elder was the praefect in charge of the naval fleet that later embarked on its ill-fated rescue mission to Pompeii in AD 79. https://www.heritagedaily.com/2024/01/roman-villa-complex-found-at-miseno/150244

A hoard of Roman goods known as the Knaresborough hoard was discovered in 1864. Most of these thirty items are now on display at the Yorkshire museum. Until recently, no close analysis of these items had been made. https://www.ncl.ac.uk/press/articles/latest/2024/01/knaresboroughhoard/ Location of Knaresborough discovery

The Severan marble map of Rome known as the Forma Urbis Romae will finally be on display (see video below): Here is a previous discussion involving this wonderful ancient relic: https://www.archaeology.org/issues/337-1905/features/7547-maps-rome-forma-urbis-romae#:~:text=FOUND%3A Rome%2C Italy.,illustrated most of the city. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/roman/middle-empire/a/severan-marble-plan-forma-urbis-romae

Calls have been made to halt unsupervised excavations near the Northern English villa of Marske-by-the-Sea after remains of a potential Roman settlement have been discovered in the area. A significant Roman community in the area could add to the understanding of the Roman presence in Northern England. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tees-67935267 The location of the Northern English villa of Marske-by-the-Sea

A lead sling bullet has been discovered. It is thought to bear Julius Caesar’s name “CAES” along with “IPSCA,” a nearby town that supported Caesar and supplied him with both weapons and men during Caesar’s Civil War against the Optimates (49-45 BCE). The bullet was found near modern day Montilla in Andalusia, Spain. This finding supports the belief that the climactic Battle of Munda (17 March 45 BCE) was fought nearby. At the battle Caesar decisively defeated a larger force led by former Caesar general and ally Titus Labienus and Gnaeus Pompeius (eldest son of Pompey). Location of Montilla, possibly the site of the Battle of Munda, where the bullet was discovered. https://youtu.be/_Z2cJlbkDmE?si=jwTuzSiDD2UisWyG https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/69175 https://www.heritagedaily.com/2024/01/julius-caesar-inscribed-sling-bullet-found-in-montilla/150138 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Munda

Interesting question. The sources vary. By some, Helena is thought to have been a Christian at birth (AD 246/248); by others, only after Constantine become emperor (AD 306). According to church historian Eusebius of Caesarea (d. AD 339), Helena’s conversion followed Constantine becoming emperor. If that were true, Helena would have been approaching 60 at the time. I would need to do more research on that question.

Professor Roberto Trizio explores the sanctioned coexistence of the Imperial Cult and Christianity that is exemplified by this discovery. (This video is in Italian so most of us will need to enable the YouTube autotranslate function.)

The short video above is a really simple description of how the ancient Greek Eratosthenes from Cyrene calculated the circumference of the planet Earth around 240 BCE. (This clip is taken from a longer segment below.) interesting to note that Eratosthenes was from Cyrene, noted for its cultivation of the near-mythical plant Silphium (a frequent topic in the past found in the post below). https://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/200606/history.cfm

A Roman temple dedicated to the Imperial Cult dating from the Christian 4th century AD has been discovered in Spello, Italy. Professor Bonin had directed underground imaging that suggested the structure existed underneath a parking lot. This temple reflects the persistence of pagan traditions along with the arrival of Christianity. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-cult-mentality-professor-monumental-discovery.amp

Before people learned to extract iron from ore during the Iron Age, meteorites were the only source of the metal. This iron Bronze-age arrowhead found in Mörigen, Switzerland was not surprisingly crafted from a meteorite. It dates to 900-800 BCE. After closer analysis, however, the meteorite iron source was determined to be most likely from a meteorite that fell in distant Estonia. This distance of 1600 km (almost 1000 miles) from the Baltic area may reflect the extensive trade in Bronze Age Europe. In 2021, a team of scientists from the institution began studying the relic using noninvasive methods—including electron microscopy, X-ray tomography, and gamma spectrometry—to prevent any damage. While the researchers initially suspected the material to have come from the Twannberg meteorite, which hit a barley field in [nearby] Twann about 170,000 years ago, the arrowhead’s metal content led them instead to the Kaalijarv meteorite. The Kaalijarv meteorite, also known as Kaali, landed in the region of Estonia during the Nordic Bronze Age (c. 1700–500 B.C.E.). https://news.artnet.com/art-world/bronze-age-arrowhead-made-from-meteorite-2345756/amp-page https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305440323001073?via%3Dihub#sec4

Naxian sphinxes depict a winged lion with a female face. One example from the third century AD was uncovered in the Roman provincial town of Potaissa in ancient Dacia, located in present-day Romania. The bronze sphinx was stolen in the nineteenth century and never has been recovered. Based on a surviving drawing, however, the sphinx inscription has finally been translated. Note that the poem needs to be read right to left. A "dactyl" in poetry is a poetic foot (rhythmic unit) consisting of a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables, but in this inscription which is read right to left, the patten is the opposite. https://arkeonews.net/mysterious-inscription-on-ancient-dacia-sphinx-is-deciphered/ https://www.heritagedaily.com/2024/01/inscription-on-naxian-style-sphinx-deciphered/150132 Inscription on a Naxian-Style Sphinx Statue From Potaissa Deciphered as a Poem in Dactylic Meter | Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry (maajournal.com)