guy

Here’s an interesting article about the occasional Roman pouring of liquid gypsum in the burial process. Archaeologists in York have used 3D scans to study this unusual practice: The remains of a liquid gypsum burial from a long and narrow stone coffin. The gypsum cavity reveals that the body was once wrapped in cloth and that the poured gypsum did not cover the feet. (Image credit: Image courtesy of York Museums Trust; http://yorkmuseumstrust.org.uk/; (CC BY-SA 4.0)) https://www.york.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/2023/research/3d-scans-mysterious-roman-burial-practice/ Note: I’m not sure of how pervasive this procedure was or even the purpose of this. The use of 3D technology to investigate this finding is interesting, nevertheless.

Dozens of Roman tiles with the stamp of Legio X were found in the trunk of a car in Israel. https://www.timesofisrael.com/antiquities-thief-nabbed-with-ancient-floor-tiles-used-by-destroyers-of-2nd-temple/amp/ There have several recent posts about Legio X:

A Corinthian helmet with its associated skull is on display at the Royal Ontario Museum. It is thought to be from a Greek hoplite who perished at the Battle of Marathon. At the battle in 490 BCE the Greeks decisively defeated the Persians. https://greekreporter.com/2023/06/05/battle-of-marathon-helmet-soldier-skull-still-inside/ Book review on the Battle of Marathon https://www.unrv.com/book-review/battle-of-marathon.php

I agree that there should be caution from taking too many supplements. Things always to consider: lack of effectiveness, bioavailability, cost, redundancy, interactions with other supplements or even prescription meds, etc. That said, one of the most effective supplements I take with a notable positive benefit is Lion’s Mane for cognitive health. I take both the supplement by Freshcap as well as the natural form. Recommend highly. Short video on Lion’s Mane:

Deep in the desolate Jordanian desert at Qsar Bshir is this wonderfully preserved, little-known Roman fort. https://www.world-archaeology.com/features/qasr-bshir/

Studded Roman shoes were found at a Roman workshop district in Thérouanne, France. Evidence of a shoemaker, glassmaker, and a butcher shop were found: https://arkeonews.net/1700-year-old-roman-shoes-and-craft-district-found-in-france/

Another stolen Roman relic has been returned. The item, a sculptured head of Hydrophora, was found in Zurich, Switzerland. It was returned to Villa Albani Torlonia in Rome. Thieves had snatched the head of the Hydrophora, which is part of a larger statue, in 1978 along with four other priceless objects. The Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage in Italy has recovered the piece and returned it to its former home, under the guidance of brigadier general Vincenzo Molinese. Its successful repatriation last year was only recently announced after a careful restoration process. During a special ceremony to celebrate the head’s homecoming, it was reattached to its long-lost torso in the presence of the Carabinieri who had helped ensure its safe return. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/italian-police-recover-a-long-lost-roman-marble-head-nearly-50-years-after-its-theft-2312981/amp-page

I’m waiting for a more complete description of the find, but here is an interesting paragraph from another article supporting the idea that there was a robust trade between India and Roman Egypt at Berenike: UD AUTHOR Amazon.com calls Sidebotham's latest book "an intriguing read, an accessible account full of fascinating finds and careful analysis." https://www1.udel.edu/researchmagazine/issue/vol3_no1_humanities/secrets_of_berenike.html

Three more victims of Vesuvius in Pompeii have been found: Two fresco walls were also uncovered during excavations https://tvpworld.com/70204304/more-victims-of-vesuvius-found-in-italys-pompei-after-2000-years Pompeii excavations update: Remains of three new Pompeii victims unearthed (9news.com.au)

I defer to the many folks on this site who know this subject (and geography) far better than I. I would assume that the Romans usually thought of the Caledonians as beyond the boundary (and active interest) of the Roman Empire. After the inability to hold on to the gains achieved by the victory at the Battle of Mons Graupius in AD 83/84, the Roman army quickly returned to more settled (and “civilized”) Romanized England. I imagine that Hadrian’s Wall (AD 122) and the briefly-held Antonine Wall (AD 142) best defined for the Romans the demarcation between Roman-friendly Britons and the less Romanized Caledonians. These walls may have been more of a control gate for trade and commerce between north and south than an absolute border. These walls, nevertheless, would have served as psychological barriers between Roman and “barbarian.” Even the later ill-fated incursions back into Scotland by Septimius Severus (AD 208-210) were quickly reversed by his son Caracalla. You may want to contact UNRV Gordopolis who is a Scottish writer and historian about his perspective. https://www.unrv.com/forum/profile/51701-gordopolis/

In May 2023, two large Roman sculpture heads were discovered at Carlisle (Luguvalium) near Hadrian’s Wall, a site known for many new archaeological finds. Recent archaeological findings dating back to 2019 indicate that Emperor Septimius Severus and Empress Julia Domna may have spent time there around AD 208-211. A workshop-stamped tile bearing the Emperor's mark has been previously found at the site. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4npmy7r0g3o

(The Legio X Fretensis marching thru Judaea) There is numismatic evidence of Legio X Fretensis at the Roman fort of Apsaros in Adjara, Georgia on the Black Sea. (Location of find at Roman fortress in Georgia near Black Sea) https://www.heritagedaily.com/2023/05/study-finds-evidence-of-legio-x-fretensis-in-georgia/147438

https://www.newswise.com/articles/patchouli-perfumed-the-roman-empire

This video speaks for itself: This is reminiscent of a recent protest at the Uffizi Museum in Florence a few months ago.

A rock engraving thought to be from the Sertorian Wars has been found in Spain.

(Titus Pullo, while searching for his friend Vorenus after the Battle of Mutina, meets a grown Octavian.) Ray Stevenson, who played Pullo in the HBO series “Rome”,” has died at the age of 58. Too young. https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/05/22/entertainment/ray-stevenson-death/index.html

Here is an interesting article on the beer culture in Celtic France: https://www.seriouseats.com/beer-prehistory-celtic-beer-from-france https://www.worldhistory.org/article/223/beer-in-the-ancient-world/

We have had previous posts about the diet of the Legionaries and whether they were vegetarians (see post below). I think that most scholars now believe that the Legionaries’ diet was supplemented by local food sources, including meat and fish. The excellent Max Miller recently did a video on possible diets of the Roman army using ancient sources including letters found at Vindolanda:

I'll frame your question differently: How did power in both the Roman Republic and Empire evolve over a thousand year span? The dictatorship in Republican Rome was usually a short-lived position that had full authority to deal with a specific problem such as a war on internal dispute. Ultimate power still resided with the Senate and the plebeian tribunes, however. The two notable exceptions were Sulla and Julius Caesar. The Principate (starting with Augustus in 27 BCE) at least created the illusion of deference to the Senate.. Of note, however, emperors during the Principate still had ultimate power at some level. They would continue to amass both power and authority. Septimius Severus (ruled AD 193-211), for example, had 53 senators repressed (49 sentenced to death and 4 convicted to other penalties). Aurelian (ruled AD 270-275) was able to impose worship of Sol Invictus on the Empire. By the time of Diocletian (284) the Dominate became the form of imperial government. Older elites and the senate were supplanted by a more compliant equestrian order. This allowed the emperor to impose military reforms, impose religious uniformity, create a more entrenched and subservient bureaucracy, etc. without formal consent of the Senate.

https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/23528814.detectorists-targeted-baylham-roman-site-plead-guilty/

Excavation of a temple to Isis in Pompeii has yielded evidence of birds, possibly for sacrifice to Isis. (Isis from wall painting of tomb of Seti I) https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/ancient-romans-sacrificed-birds-to-the-goddess-isis-burnt-bones-in-pompeii-reveal https://phys.org/news/2023-05-evidence-bird-sacrifices-goddess-isis.amp

Here are two short videos about some of the Roman treasures found in The British Museum and The Metropolitan Art Museum of New York by Professor Garrett Ryan:

A 2000-year-old financial record has been found in Jerusalem. https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/2023-05-17/ty-article/israeli-archaeologists-find-2-000-year-old-financial-record-in-jerusalem/00000188-28eb-df77-afe9-69ef95060000 https://www.ynetnews.com/travel/article/rkzwcwfhn

Two skeletons have been found in Pompeii, presumably killed by the earthquakes that followed the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79. https://phys.org/news/2023-05-skeletons-pompeii-excavations.amp