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The pre-invasion Roman helmet, known as the Oyster Helmet of Chichester, will go on display. The mystery is how the helmet got to Britain in the first place. “A mysterious Roman helmet that pre-dates the Roman invasion of Britain is to go on display at Fishbourne Roman Palace next month. Alongside the helmet, other pre-invasion artefacts – a sword scabbard fitting and an Iron Age crucible – will also be displayed. The helmet, known as the Oyster Helmet of Chichester, is one of just four Coolus helmets in the UK. It was produced during the first century AD, before the Romans began their conquest of Britain. It was acquired by the Sussex Archaeological Society in 1893, and though much of its journey has been lost to history, it is thought to have been found in the mud flats at Chichester Harbour, just a few miles from the Roman Palace at Fishbourne. “We know that the helmet was mass-produced, made cheaply for a lower status soldier, because it has very few decorations and was ‘spun’ on a lathe. It almost certainly wasn’t made in Rome. It could even be that this helmet was worn by an enslaved person, perhaps someone from Gaul, a region that spanned across modern Europe, who had been conscripted by the Roman army. It could be that a Roman soldier had kept his Coolus helmet even after newer helmet designs had replaced it. Maybe a local person had acquired and had decided to dress in Roman gear, we just don’t know! "Though the helmet had little in the way of decoration when it was worn, the passage of time has rectified this as, from its years underwater, today it boasts an oyster shell!” Tom Holland holding the helmet https://ace.media/press-releases/gBJM

This is an excellent video that discusses Roman bridge building, especially in a military setting.

Archaeologist Carrie Atkinsons discusses her research on female merchants in the Roman Empire. She has uncovered more than 20 references to female merchants in ancient receipts, tax documents, and temple inscriptions. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/antiquity-roman-female-merchants

The famous EID MAR aureus, which was on loan to the British museum for more than a decade, has come up for auction. (We had a thread on this coin from 2010. See below.) It is estimated to fetch more than US$2 million dollars: https://www.barrons.com/amp/articles/ancient-gold-coin-marking-julius-caesars-assassination-expected-to-fetch-2m-at-zurich-auction-01647368399 Here is an excellent thread on the EID MAR aureus: http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/59762

in the sky. The statue of the Phoenician god Ba’al stood more than 10 feet high. Its feet were reused in a later construction, and its torso was discovered in the lagoon; its head has never been found.Sapienza University of Rome Expedition to Motya/Antiquity A sacred pool was built about 2,500 years ago when the island was the site of a Phoenician city. It was flanked by temples and had a statue of a god on a plinth in the center. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/sacred-pool-of-baal-a-reinterpretation-of-the-kothon-at-motya/329646E6561765FD30A9D6EC5FD5B6CB https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/sacred-pool-researchers-see-reflections-phoenicians-rcna20245

“Saharan dust blowing across Europe has reached the UK, with people in the south finding their cars covered in orange dust.“ https://news.sky.com/story/sahara-dust-cloud-cars-left-covered-in-red-storm-that-blew-in-from-europe-12567718

The ancient city of Alexandria was a center of learning for the ancient world. A key feature of this cultural hub was the Library of Alexandria. Instead of being destroyed by a single catastrophic event, the library's decline was due to a series of mishaps, some intentional and some not, as well as a loss of public support. This article is both readable and fair: ”Wendrich characterized the destruction of the Library of Alexandria as a "slow decay" that "took place over centuries." Indeed, most scholars today are in general agreement that the library suffered a prolonged, painful decline rather than an abrupt, dramatic death. As its influence waned over time, many of its collections were sold or destroyed, and its buildings were ultimately razed or converted into other facilities, such as churches or mosques. However, this decline was hastened by a number of dramatic events, each of which played a role in lessening the importance of Alexandria as an intellectual center.” https://www.livescience.com/rise-and-fall-of-the-great-alexandria-library An informative (and unbiased) video on the decline of the Library of Alexandria: A nice recreation of the ancient city of Alexandria:

Using a technique that uses cosmic ray muons (known as muon tomography), scientists had identified two previously unknown voids (cavities) in the Great Pyramid of Giza in 2017. Since muons are more deeply penetrating than X-rays, muon tomography can be used to image thru material much thicker than trabitional X-rays or CT scans. This original study was part of the ScanPyramid mission. Here is an excellent video on the technology and findings: A new study (known as Explore the Great Pyramid mission), using more advanced muon tomography, will now examine these two pyramid “voids” more closely: https://phys.org/news/2022-03-archeologists-scan-great-pyramid-giza.amp

The presence of this substance “ambergris” in the vase pIqued my interest. I had to look that one up: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambergris I would never have imagined the use of a substance from a sperm whale in Gaul. Also called “whale vomit” or “floating gold,” this fascinating substance can be found on beaches, including British beaches. https://www.indiatimes.com/amp/explainers/news/what-exactly-is-ambergris-556633.html It is incredible that the Romans were able to find the rare ambergris and knew about its potential uses.

An innovative scheme to harvest heat from the naturally hot spa water at the Roman Baths and use it to heat surrounding buildings is entering its final phase. The King’s Bath has been drained ready for the energy exchange system to be installed https://mnrjournal.co.uk/article.cfm?id=122042 A nice video tour of the area:

Previous discussions have highlighted the remarkable cage cups crafted during the Roman Empire, such as the Autun cage cup and the Lycurgus cup. A picture of the vase before cleaning Here is additional information about the cage cup unearthed in Autun, France. It appears spectacular after being cleaned. (See thread below) https://the-past.com/shorts/objects/cage-cup/

Here is a wonderful video on the Via Domitia. The aqueduct of Nîmes, France is part of the development that the Via Domitia brought.

There have been two recent findings on two different roads with similar names: Via Domitia and Via Domitiana. First the background: The Via Domitia: The Via Domitiana: By Ruthven - Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67719263 First the findings on the Via Domitia (the road in Southern France): An aerial view of the new Roman road section, part of the legendary Via Domitia, discovered in the scrublands above the town of Loupian, France. ( INRAP) New Section Of Famous Roman Road ‘Via Domitia’ Discovered In France | Ancient Origins (ancient-origins.net) News on the Via Domitiana (the road in Campana, Italy): A portion of the Via Domitiana has been discovered during routine excavation: Pozzuoli, dai lavori spunta un tratto inedito della via Domitiana - Il Mattino.it Via Domitia - Wikipedia Via Domiziana - Wikipedia (Thank you Marco Picardi @MarcoPicardi for brining the Via Domitiana link to my attention.)

A wonderful find in the front garden of a Broadstairs home. ““I excavated out the flagon and next to that there was a broken pot and inside that there were bits of bones.” Now Dave and wife Katie have received a report from the team which reveals the find was a Roman cremation burial dated 1st – 2nd Century A.D. of most likely a woman aged between 20 and 35 There were three ceramic vessels associated with the cremation – a small, imported beaker of the Roman period, a Romano-British flagon and a large Romano-British jar, which contained the cremated bone. The report says: “The vessels, and subsequently the cremated remains, can be dated to late 1st to 2nd century AD. It is likely that all three pots originally had everyday domestic functions and were later chosen for burial with the deceased. “The flagon is almost complete and its features – the fabric, colour, vessel shape and size – suggest it was made in one of the kilns of Roman Canterbury, Durovernum Cantiacorum. The imported beaker had features which the team say shows it was made in the Rhineland and is a type relatively uncommon among East Kent finds. If this beaker was from the Rhineland, it would support the belief that there was an extensive trade throughout the Roman Empire. https://theisleofthanetnews.com/2022/03/09/roman-cremation-burial-site-uncovered-in-broadstairs-front-garden/

Our images of past historical figures are shaped by their modern depictions in the movies and television. Marc Antony is most memorably portrayed by James Purefoy in the HBO series “Rome” seen above. Cleopatra is wonderfully portrayed by Elizabeth Taylor below: Here is a wonderful scene from the HBO series “Rome” between Marc Antony (James Purefoy) and Cleopatra (Lyndsey Marshal). Here is an artists depiction of how they would look today by graphic designer Becca Saladin: https://www.uxdesigndoc.com/2020/02/17/what-would-historical-figures-look-like-today/ And here is Julius Caesar:

While researching the coin of the more obscure Emperor Volusian (see thread below), I came upon this fascinating video of the emperors of the third century crisis:

A little more information on the find: ”Archaeologists have unearthed a rare Pictish stone in Angus. The 1.7m (5.5ft) long carved monument is one of only about 200 to be found. The site is near a suspected location of the Battle of Dun Nechtain, also known as the Battle of Nechtansmere. Fought in 685 AD, it saw Picts defeat an army of Northumbrian Angles. The stone is thought to date from the 5th or 6th Centuries.” https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c99jnywwrnlo

Although the details are still not clear, it appears that an Ancient Roman merchant ship found off the the coast of Mallorca, Spain is being investigated more closely. This finding supports the belief that a brisk trade existed among the elites in the Balearic Islands. https://goadnews.com/a-roman-ship-that-sank-in-the-mediterranean-1700-years-ago-gives-up-its-treasures-archeology/

There has been a recent find of a Pictish symbol stone. (There have been several recent threads on the Picts. See below). It is wonderful to see that excavations have continued during this pandemic. The YouTube video below is very good. https://www.scotsman.com/heritage-and-retro/heritage/pictish-stone-found-near-ancient-battle-site-in-truly-remarkable-discovery-3600094 https://news.stv.tv/north/archaeologists-from-aberdeen-university-unearth-remarkable-pictish-symbol-stone-in-field-near-forfar

Interamna Lirenas today (image credit: G. Murro) Here is an interesting article about the little-known Roman colony in central Italy known as Interamna Lirenas. Recent archaeological research has proven that it was more important and developed than previously thought. I had to look the city up in Wikipedia: The town even had a magnificent roofed theater: https://antigonejournal.com/2022/03/roman-town-interamna-lirenas/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interamna_Lirenas

Gordon Doherty did a nice video on Trimontium: Here’s a video from the Trimontium trust:

Trimontium is a Roman fort located in Newstead, Scotland, approximately sixty miles north of Hadrian's Wall. New ground-penetrating radar technology is being employed to better map the fort complex. This could lead to new discoveries and insights into life at the fort. Background information (also see Gordon Doherty’s video below): Trimontium was a Roman fort located at Newstead, near Melrose in the Borders region of Scotland, situated close to the three Eildon Hills (from which the name "trium montium" derives). The geographer Ptolemy identified the fort in his writings. The Romans occupied Trimontium intermittently from 80 to 211 AD. At the peak of Roman occupation, approximately 1,500 soldiers and a civilian population of similar size inhabited the settlement. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-60602352 https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Trimontium_(Newstead)

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2022/03/new-survey-reveals-extent-of-roman-villa-complex-found-at-rutland/142985?amp

A little too dark for me. That song is reminiscent of this Metallica song, which is also too dark for me:

Here is a follow-up on the recent excavation of a Roman villa in Rutland. (See below for original thread). The villa is much larger than originally thought. Less than 3% of the site has been uncovered. Excavations have included so far the marvelous mosaic shown above. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leicestershire-60603329