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It is estimated that the average European has more than 2% Neanderthal genes. One specific “Neanderthal gene” has been shown to have twice the mortality from COVID-19 infection. (The red represents the percentage of the population that has the “Neanderthal gene” that doubles the risk of death from COVID—19.) Here is a fascinating video about the increased risk of death from COVID-19 from having this Neanderthal gene.. This might partially explain the lower mortality rate for COVID-19 among Africans and some Asian populations (Japanese, for example). https://www.theweek.co.uk/news/world-news/957019/neanderthal-gene-caused-up-to-a-million-covid-deaths?amp Here is a previous thread about the surprising prevalence of the Neanderthal gene, especially among Europeans.

Wonderful find, indeed. One can only imagine how many ancient sites have been either covered or completely destroyed by modern development. This is one case, ironically, where climate change has helped to preserve or recover ancient archaeology. (Thanks for attaching the photos. Let us know when you need more data storage to post pictures.)

A rare EID MAR aureus went on sale last month for more than two million US dollars.(See thread below.) Below is an interesting video created just before the auction discussing the value of this and other rare ancient coins.

Here’s a very nice video on coins dealing with health and medicine:

Well, the market has spoken. The coin went for 2.2 million CHD ($2.3 million USD) plus fees. Bidding starts at 2:30: (Thank you red spork from cointalk..com for video link) https://www.cointalk.com/threads/eid-mar-aureus-at-nac-132.396998/

I haven’t thought about this aspect of Roman history in years, so I’m probably the last person to knowledgeably comment on Sulla’s reforms. It seems to me, however, that Sulla’s numerous extraconstitutional activities (including his ruthless proscriptions) undermined any hope of legitimacy and broad acceptance of his reforms. His actions, if anything, helped to undermine and eventually end the Republic. Future military strongmen (such as Pompey and Julius Caesar) would soon challenge these reforms after his death. One problem with the reforms was Sulla’s destroying the Republic’s long-held balance of power between the Senate and the non-senatorial ranks of the tribune of the plebs. By increasing the number and power of the Senate, as well as giving the Senate control of juries, he insured discontentment of the tribunes and the masses. The reforms also greatly diminished the power of the tribunes, which left the plebs with no opportunity to legally act on their dissatisfaction. It wouldn’t take long for a populist like Caesar to later topple the whole Republican edifice. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1481/sullas-reforms-as-dictator/

A discovered Roman road in Preseli Hills, in western Wales suggests a more extensive Roman presence than previously thought. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jun/05/romans-ventured-deeper-into-wales-than-thought-road-discovery-shows?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter The Preseli Hills look like a beautiful (although desolate) part of Britain The bluestones of Stonehenge may have originated from the Preseli Hills, Wales.

A key scientific breakthrough came with the discovery of this tiny bone. It belonged to a 13-year-old girl whose mother was Denisovan and whose father was a Neanderthal. This has strongly shown that different human species mated with each other and produced offspring when they had the opportunity. Credit: University of Vienna This article is a nice follow-up on this topic: https://phys.org/news/2022-06-molecular-archaeology-ancient-genes.html

The “Thermae boxer” resting after a match, 2-3 century B.C.E.Credit: Marie-Lan Nguyen Here's an interesting article dealing with the difference between Greek and Roman masculinity The Rules of Attraction | Lapham’s Quarterly (laphamsquarterly.org) There have been previous threads dealing with male masculinity. (See thread below.)

(Scene from the HBO series "Rome" of Servilla making a curse tablet against Julius Caesar and Atia) Curse tablets were an unusual aspect of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds: Thirty curse tablets (including a rather vindictive one shown below) have recently been found in an ancient Greek well: Love and Hate: This curse tablet was created against a newlywed woman named Glykera. The curse, which focuses on her vagina, was made by someone who envied the woman’s marriage. Photo credit: Dr. Jutta Stroszeck – German Archaeological Institute The rocky, muddy opening to the ancient well in Kerameikos, Athens where the curse tablets were found. Photo credit: Dr. Jutta Stroszeck – German Archaeological Institute The Ancient Curse Tablets Found in Athens Well (greekreporter.com) Curse tablet - Wikipedia

The ancient Celts were notorious beer drinkers. The Romans, on the other hand, preferred their wine. There were parts of the Empire, however, where beer was enjoyed and even preferred, including Gaul, Egypt, and Britain. (See links below.) This is a wonderful video discussing this beer-wine dichotomy that existed in the Empire: Here is an interesting article on beer drinking in the Roman Empire in Britain: https://www.romanobritain.org/2-arl_food/arl_roman_recipe_8_drinks_main.php

Here is another article about the research on the indigenous dwellings of the peoples beyond Hadrian’s Wall: “The new study initially focused specifically on Burnswark – home to the greatest concentration of Roman projectiles ever found in Britain, and a testament to the firepower of Rome’s legions. The research team went on to scour an area of 580 square miles beyond the hillfort, using the latest laser-scanning technology.” Although much of the area had been studied before, researchers found 134 previously unrecorded Iron Age settlements — bringing the total number known in the region to more than 700.” https://www.ed.ac.uk/news/2022/study-sheds-light-on-life-beyond-rome-s-frontier Here a few interesting video about the Burnswark Hillfort:

It is refreshing to see that the focus of some of the modern research on Ancient Rome has delved into the lives of non-elite Romans, including small farmers, slaves, and peasants. University of Pennsylvania Professor Kimberly Bowes has dedicated much of her research investigating the lives of the rural and non-elite in the Empire. Her new book does look interesting: Her research has uncovered some interesting insights: I would caution her against being too doctrinaire in her approach, however: This is the kind of politically correct gibberish that detracts from potentially useful research and insights. I am willing to wager that we know far more about the lives of Julius Caesar’s wives and lovers than we do about the lives of any of the millions of men, women, and children from Gaul killed or enslaved by Caesar. Nevertheless, we can hope to learn more about the non-elite (the vast majority of individuals) in Ancient Rome. https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/regular-folks-roman-empire-kimberly-bowes-archaeology-economics

Here’s an informative article on some historically significant medallions from the Roman Empire. Similar to common coins, these rare medallions were issued to spread Imperial propaganda to their recipients: https://www.ngccoin.com/news/article/10142/

We have discussed before Maximinus Thrax and the recently reassessed Battle of Harzhorn. (See thread below.) Below are two good videos on this forgotten Emperor:

Bowl-like depression of the amphitheater An amphitheater was found near the excavation of the military base of the Roman Legion Legio VI Ferrata that was stationed near Megiddo, Israel from the 2nd to 3rd centuries AD. There are over 230 Roman civilian amphitheaters that have been found throughout the Roman Empire. Amphitheaters associated with military bases are unusual, especially outside of the western regions of the Empire. Gold coin of Diocletian found at site. Location of Megiddo https://m.jpost.com/archaeology/article-708197

An interesting geometric mosaic has been discovered on the floor of a suspected religious area in Pergamon, Turkey. It is thought to date from the 2nd to 3rd centuries AD. https://www.dailysabah.com/life/history/1800-year-old-geometric-patterned-mosaic-found-in-turkeys-pergamon

Video on the find:

The Saqqara necropolis in Egypt is one of the most popular tourist sites. It will be unveiling new archaeological finds, including sarcophagi, small bronze statues, and other antiquities. Small statue of the “Protector Goddess” Bastet: A papyrus scroll thought to measure nine meters. https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/2022/05/30/egypt-unveils-major-find-of-250-sarcophagi-and-150-statues-in-saqqara/ https://egyptianmuseum.org/deities-Bastet

A young female buried in Colchester with a hair pin to keep her hairstyle in place at the time of burial. We have gained greater appreciation in recent years for styles and culture of the Ancient Roman through archaeological studies. The ornitrices, many times enslaved, were essential for creating and maintaining the elaborate hairstyles in Ancient Rome. Here's an interesting article on the "Ornatrices of Londinium" excerpted from the book "Mudlark'd: The Hidden Histories from the River Thames" by Malcolm Russell. It delves into the discoveries of items recovered from the banks of the Thames and the people who owned them. Carved bone hairpin, head in the form of a female bust with elaborate hairstyle in the British Museum The Ornatrices of Londinium | Lapham’s Quarterly (laphamsquarterly.org) Here is an excellent lecture by the professional hairstylist Janet Stephens on evolving female hairstyles in Ancient Rome:

A really wonderful find. There is so much of pre-Colombian culture in the Americas that we don’t know. Hopefully, the use of of new technologies (such as LiDAR scanning) can uncover these ancient settlements before environmental degradation and human impact destroy them forever.

A good video summary on the use of the LiDAR technology used in this discovery and it’s new insights into the Casarabe people:

Another picture of this ancient insult to give proportion to the find.

Above is a photo of the House of the Craftsman of the two skeletons used for study discovered in 1933. An interesting paragraph from the scientific article linked above:  https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-61557424

Scientists have been able to more closely assess the remains of two victims who died in Pompeii in 79 AD. Through DNA sequencing, they were able to gain new insights into the lives of those who lived in the ancient city. Radiographic evidence of tuberculosis infection of the lumbar spine of the male victim confirmed by genomic studies. https://www.heritagedaily.com/2022/05/roman-pompeiian-genome-sequenced/143716?amp https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-10899-1/figures/4