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Recent DNA analysis of Ötzi the ancient iceman of the Italian Alps has shown that he had Turkish roots, as well as his skin was darker and he was balder than previously thought. The most recent image of Ötzi. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02562-0 https://www.dailysabah.com/life/oetzi-the-turk-dna-study-shows-surprising-details-about-iceman/news

A beautiful Roman gem has been found in a lagoon north of Venice at Lio Piccolo. Lio Piccolo has long been a thriving fishing community. Underwater excavation also discovered a structure from the first or second centuries AD that had a brick base and oak walls and is thought to have been an oyster holding tank. https://arkeonews.net/precious-roman-gem-engraved-with-mythological-figure-discovered-in-italian-lagoon/ https://www.newsweek.com/precious-engraved-roman-gem-discovered-1816286?amp=1

Here’s an excellent short video recreating Carthage:

There have been many previous posts about Carthage (see below). Invicta has produced a wonderful video “Inside the Walls of Carthage—The Rome of Africa.”

The recent discoveries involving the Roman Amphitheater in Mérida, Spain have been making the news. One of the interesting discoveries was a Roman window grill (pictured above). It is thought that this grill was used to hold translucent stone (known as lapis specularis) instead of glass. Lapis specularis was used because it is a cheaper, more readily available substitute that could be mined from local sources. (A modern example of lapis specularis) (A window made from lapis specularis in the Roman forum of Cartegena) Lapis specularis was the Roman name for a translucent selenite gypsum stone that can be cut out of the local mines in large crystal-like sheets and used as window panes. According to Pliny the Elder, lapis specularis could be found throughout the Empire, but the best source of clear and large pieces of lapis specularis were found near the modern city of Segorbe (ancient Segobriga), Spain. (Evidence of Roman mining for lapis specularis in Segóbriga. See video below.) https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0137%3Abook%3D36%3Achapter%3D45 Excellent article on the finds in Merida, Spain. http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/68019 All that shines is not gold; lapis specularis (antiquitatem.com)

It is interesting to see that the Rus later formed some of the most loyal military and security forces for the Byzantines by the late 10th century. Along with other Scandinavians, they formed the Varangian guard. Being from outside the Byzantine Empire, the Varangians were supposedly more loyal and trustworthy than the often-treasonous Byzantine military. Here is an excellent video summarizing this transformation: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varangian_Guard

There have been a few posts in the past (see below) about the Emperor Aurelian (reigned AD 270-275). Here is an excellent new video about him from SPQR Historian: “Aurelian ‘Restitutor Orbis.’”

Using LiDAR technology, scientists have found a more extensive Roman road network in Southwest England than previously thought. https://www.holsworthy-today.co.uk/news/roman-road-network-spanning-the-south-west-identified-in-new-research-631525

Thank you for reading my post. Your point is well made. The fact that two boats have now been discovered in the area, however, makes me suspicious. Plus, the city of Viminacium's being described as a harbor in Nototia Dignitatum (despite its modern distance from any waterway) seems to confirm the belief that the city was once a possible port.

Max Miller has done a very entertaining episode on creating a suspected Carthaginian food staple (according to Cato the Elder): Punic porridge or Pultem Punicam. De Agri Cultura by Cato the Elder 85: https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cato/De_Agricultura/E*.html Here's a good article about the preparation of this Punic porridge: https://cibiantiquorum.com/punic-porridge/

Definitely a good choice. Retinol is the OTC compound similar to prescription Retin A. (Retinol must be first converted by skin enzymes into the active ingredient of Retin A. Retinol is much weaker, however.) Also, a good alternative is Adapalene which is just as effective as Retin A. Adapalene is now OTC, too. All these creams are effective for treating wrinkles and sun damaged skin.

Here’s some further information about the find: https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/ancient-roman-boat-from-empires-frontier-unearthed-in-serbian-coal-mine https://www.telegraf.rs/english/3727618-ship-remains-at-least-10-centuries-old-.found-at-viminacium

A Roman mosaic dated from the late second to early third century AD has been discovered in Türkiye's Pompeipolis. https://www.dailysabah.com/turkiye/1800-year-old-mosaics-unearthed-in-turkiyes-pompeipolis/news https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompeiopolis

Here’s an interesting article on the Rus’ attacking Constantinople in AD 860. Constantinople was almost defenseless at that time as the Byzantine Emperor Michael III was with his army fighting in Asia Minor against the Abbasid Caliphate while the Byzantine navy was in the Mediterranean Sea fighting Arab pirates. The Rus’ were originally Norsemen, mainly from present-day Sweden who settled and ruled the river-routes between the Baltic and the Black Seas from around the 8th to 11th centuries AD (Source: Wikipedia). The Rus’ gave their name to the Russians and Belarus. https://www.heritagedaily.com/2021/06/the-viking-russ-siege-of-constantinople/139507 For some reason, I never imagined that these Viking ancestors had attacked Constantinople. Here's a good article about the interactions between the Rus' and the Byzantines both as enemies and even allies. Viking graffiti in the Hagia Sofia Globetrotting Vikings: The Quest for Constantinople | HISTORY

Very little is known about the diet of the Celts outside of the very biased ancient sources. Here’s Strabo In Book IV, chapter 4 of “Geography.” http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/e/roman/texts/strabo/4d*.html Here’s an excellent article about the suspected pre-Roman Celtic diet: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/8ced9f818eb94929b90ce2e6c28dfda6 So what did they drink? Studies looking at the organic residues found on Greek ceramic fragments found in Celtic hillforts in pre-Roman France show that the Celts drank imported Greek wines, as well as local beer in these imported ceramic vessels. https://amp.abc.net.au/article/11218012 https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0218001 Max Miller does a wonderful job preparing a Celtic meal based on Strabo and the other ancient sources in this episode of “Eating History with Max Miller”:

Skeleton of of a suspected Roman ship was found in coal quarry. Viminacium, a city of immense historical significance, was a major military camp and the capital of Moesia Superior (today’s Serbia). According to the Roman document Notitia Dignitatum, part of the Danube fleet was anchored at Viminacium. The veracity of the claims, however, was long debated since the city is not near any modern waterway. The finding of a suspected 3rd or 4th-century AD Roman water ship in a large coal quarry at least supports the idea that the Danube was either flowing farther south than it does today or a major branch of the river was near the city. https://greekreporter.com/2023/08/04/ancient-roman-ship-serbia/

Magna Carvoran served as a Roman Fort near Hadrian’s Wall. The terrain surrounding the Roman community outside the fort typically becomes a boggy marshland in winter. Due to climate change, the dry, boggy soil surrounding the fort has dried up. As a result, the receding earth has exposed Roman structures and other buried archaeological evidence. New studies are being conducted to protect and record the area due to the risk of damage from changes in the terrain. Among the recent discoveries from these excavations is a balance beam that may have been used by customs officials to weigh items entering and exiting the area. https://romanarmymuseum.com/about/magna-first-discovery/

After many years of renovation, the Roman baths in Sarikaya, Central Turkey will be finally opened to the public. It is thought to be first constructed in the second century AD. Excavations began in 2014. The thermal mineral springs water reach a temperature of 50C (122F). https://www.bta.bg/en/news/balkans/500226-2000-year-old-roman-bath-in-central-turkiye-opens-for-tourists-on-august-15 https://www.thearchaeologist.org/blog/the-roman-basilica-therma-in-yozgat-maybe-the-oldest-thermal-treatment-in-the-world?format=amp

I keep wavering on the exact date in AD 79 (either August or October) when Vesuvius destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum (refer to my previous post). After listening to the excellent podcast by Tom Holland, I am leaning towards the later date in October. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-rest-is-history/id1537788786?i=1000622818014 Holland puts a lot of credence on the graffiti that mentions October 16 (but not the year) and the heavier clothes some victims were wearing. https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/style/article/pompeii-eruption-inscription-date-intl/index.html There are some strong argument for and against the August 24 date, however. https://www.getty.edu/news/when-did-vesuvius-erupt-august-october-24

Sebastian has done another great video at his YouTube site Maiorianus. This video touches on the pivotal battles that spelled Rome’s demise.

In recent years a Roman fort in modern Burscough (in West Lancashire, England) has been discovered. It will soon undergo more extensive research after LiDAR technology in 2020 showed a more extensive structure. It is believed that this fort was built between AD 69 and 79 to support the Romans in their struggles against Celtic uprisings. https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/most-important-buried-roman-fort-27402278

A Roman cargo ship dating from the second or first century BC has been found near Civitavecchia, about 50 miles north of Rome in a seabed about 160 meters (525 feet) deep. The ship contained hundreds of amphorae. https://www.businessinsider.com/ancient-roman-cargo-ship-food-jars-was-near-the-coast-of-italy-2023-7

Here’s some interesting insights to the case from an article by CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/28/world/worm-resurrected-frozen-siberian-permafrost-intl-scli-scn/index.html Here's an interesting article on the risks of permafrost degradation: lethal viruses, bacteria, fungi, and toxic chemicals. Although somewhat hysterical, this article is thought provoking, nevertheless: Emergent biogeochemical risks from Arctic permafrost degradation | Nature Climate Change

Nero’s theater is thought to be discovered outside the Vatican. Its exact location till now was unknown. The site is under the garden of a future Four Seasons Hotel. https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/ruins-of-ancient-roman-emperor-neros-theater-unearthed-in-exceptional-discovery-in-rome

Tiny nematodes like this one were found to be unexpectedly hardy, reviving after thousands of years frozen in Arctic ice. (Image credit: Shutterstock) The nematodes measure about 1 mm (0.025 inches). There was a previous post about the possibility of “resurrecting” a woolly mammoth (see post below). A 46,000-year-old worm is now reportedly revived from the Siberian permafrost. The revived nematodes were found in the permafrost near the Kolyma river in Eastern Russia Thought initially to be a contaminant, recent carbon testing of associated plant material has dated the specimen to 46,000 years: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/46-000-year-old-worm-possibly-revived-from-siberian-permafrost/?amp=true https://www.livescience.com/63187-siberian-permafrost-worms-revive.html