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The British county of Kent is rich in Roman history. More evidence of Roman settlements in Deal, Kent have been found during excavations for a housing development: https://webapps.kent.gov.uk/KCC.ExploringKentsPast.Web.Sites.Public/SingleResult.aspx?uid=Tke1062 https://premierconstructionnews.com/2022/11/11/roman-settlement-uncovered-in-archaeological-dig-in-deal/ There was a previous post about nearby Richborough:

Here is the BBC video concerning these fabulous Etruscan-Roman statues that were well preserved in the microclimate of the hot springs:

A fine-toothed ivory comb with a Canaanite inscription was found in Northern Israel. It is thought to be the earliest example of a Canaanite sentence. It is believed that Canaanite is the earliest language to use an alphabet. I found two aspects of this find interesting. First, the ivory to make the comb would have been imported, possibly from elephants from Egypt. This would suggest that the comb was the possession of a wealthy person who could afford such luxury. Second, the comb had remnants of an ancient head louse. This might suggest that head lice were ubiquitous in the ancient world, including among the wealthiest. Remains of the head lice between the teeth of the Lachish comb. (Vainstub et al., Jerusalem Journal of Archaeology, 2022) https://www.sciencealert.com/this-ancient-inscription-is-the-oldest-sentence-in-the-worlds-first-alphabetm https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2022/11/11/comb-first-sentence-canaanite-alphabet/10668203002/

The use of Lidar technology has discovered a 2nd century AD wine press next to a Roman fort of Gorgio, Georgia https://www.heritagedaily.com/2022/11/1800-year-old-wine-press-uncovered-next-to-roman-fort/145151?amp

The amount of material found at the site continues to amaze: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63564404.amp https://www.heritagedaily.com/2022/11/ornate-collection-of-ancient-bronze-statues-discovered-in-tuscany/145145?amp

Excavations of the healing bath sanctuary of San Casciano dei Bagni north of Rome continues to produce new discoveries. (See the previous post below.) Many bronze statues were well-preserved in the unusual microenvironment of the sanctuary waters: https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/europe/2022/11/08/archaeologists-find-exceptional-bronze-statues-in-italian-thermal-baths/

Here’s some follow-up on the famous Tomares, Spain coin hoard of 2016. There were 19 amphorae containing more than 50,000 coins and dating from AD 294 to 311. https://english.elpais.com/culture/2022-11-03/researchers-unveil-secrets-of-the-largest-stash-of-roman-coins-ever-found-in-spain.html A good review of the coins in the hoard:

Here’s a nice review article on the Roman-Parthian wars: https://www.thecollector.com/parthian-empire-roman-empire-160/

A base of a massive Roman-era column has been found the foot of Mount Hermon in Israel. Surprisingly, the column's material was limestone, unlike the local stone of basalt. It is thought that the column was neither built nor carved on location. https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-720666 (Thanks to Lapham's Quarterly for bringing this article to our attention.)

This is a fantastic video on the structure of the Roman army:

Obviously, the letter “c” is pronounced with a “k” sound in Classical Latin. In Ecclesiastical Latin Cicero would be pronounced as “Chi-che-ro.” This is similar to modern Italian. In English the “c” before “i and e” are usually pronounced with an “s” sound. To pronounce it otherwise would be pretentious. The link below attributes the sound shift to Medieval French influences. I don’t know about that. Spanish is similar to English: casa /k/; cena /s/; cine/s/; correr /k/; cuando /k/ I have failed to grasp most of Latin, but certain rules are mostly immutable. https://www.pronounceitright.com/pronunciation/cicero-15272

A sophisticated plumbing system is being reassessed after first being discovered a decade ago at the Villa Adrianna in the ancient Roman city of Stabiae in the Bay of Naples. Being only 10 miles (16 km) from Mount Vesuvius, the resort town was buried, like Pompeii, by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. https://archaeonewsnet.com/2022/10/elements-of-the-roman-water-system-emerge-at-stabiae.html Here is an excellent summary article on the find: http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/65496

Another Roman canteen (laguncula). This one was found in Newstead, Scotland, presumably related to the Roman fort of Trimontium. (Thanks to Dr. Jo Ball @DrJBall for bringing this to our attention.) A previous post on another canteen:

I am waiting for a more scientific article to come out about the finds in Volubilis. Here is another press release.: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/article267987952.html The Berber-Roman outpost city in Morocco is fascinating, however. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site. (According to Wikipedia) it is listed as “an exceptionally well preserved example of a large Roman colonial town on the fringes of the Empire.” “The city fell to local tribes around 285 and was never retaken by Rome because of its remoteness and indefensibility on the south-western border of the Roman Empire.” (Wikipedia) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volubilis

The city of Lissos, Crete was known for its healing Temple of Asklepius. This recent find adds new historical insights to the area. https://www.theolympian.com/news/nation-world/national/article267945067.html

Because Constantine was both practical and an opportunist, I doubt he would have done anything to antagonize the majority of his army who were Pagan. He could, however, have opted for the Chi-Ro symbol since it predated Christianity and would have been accepted positively by his Pagan troops. Here is a coin from Ptolemy III (246-222 BCE). Note the Chi-Ro between the legs of the eagle. Pagan Greek scribes used the Chi Ro symbol to mark portions of papyri texts they deemed important. Maybe not too surprisingly, however, the vast majority of coins from Constantine did not have Christian imagery. Interestingly, the Arch of Constantine, which commemorates Constantine’s triumph at the Milvian Bridge, does not depict the Chi Ro symbol. https://coinweek.com/ancient-coins/ngc-ancients-late-roman-coin-reverse-types-part-2/ http://www.constantinethegreatcoins.com/symbols/

Based on LIDAR studies, there was a suspicion that there was a Roman presence in Farndon, UK, on the banks of the River Dee. https://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/23082569.farndon-archaeological-finds-roman-remains/

Through the use of satellite imagery, a Roman observation tower was found in Volubilis, Morocco. https://www.heritagedaily.com/2022/10/roman-observation-tower-uncovered-in-ancient-city-of-volubilis/145066?amp

Here is an interesting article suggesting that the Bubonic Plague, which killed maybe more than 30% of the population in Europe between 1346-1350, may have selected out genes that make the individuals more at risk for autoimmune diseases. Individuals who had these genes may have had a greater chance of survival; thus, the genes became more prevalent in the population. https://www.archaeology.org/news https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05349-x

I love the tune, also:

Interesting fact. Thank you. Here’s a depiction of the Carthaginian harbor from a previous post:

Here’s another article on the find. Apparently roads constructed with large stones laid in bands was unusual in Britain: https://metro.co.uk/2022/10/25/roman-road-hidden-for-2000-years-of-global-importance-say-experts-17633342/?ito=newsnow-feed

I know very little about the early Christian Church. It is interesting to see excavations in the area that confirm the importance of the early Christian movement in the area. https://arkeonews.net/roman-era-chambers-and-clay-offering-vessels-found-in-antiocheia-ancient-city-in-southern-turkey/ Here is a short video on Antioch. Although focusing on the early Christian Church, it is interesting, nevertheless:

Here is a rather disturbing article about the reason for the small number of bodies discovered in the Waterloo area despite the large number of dead: https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/23071063.culloden-colonialism-ptsd-scotland-dark-secrets-bloody-battlefields/ Scientists May Have Found Where the Bodies of Waterloo Went | Discover Magazine

Here is the longer video: