guy

A rare Brutus gold coin will be up for auction on December 9th.

There was a previous post about the high prevalence of Schistosomiasis in ancient Egypt (see below). I was surprised to learn that evidence of Schistosomiasis, which is usually found in sub-Saharan Africa, was found as far North as the latrines of 15-16th century AD Bruges, Belgium. This article attributes the infection to migration and travel from those areas where the infection is more common.

A Roman villa on the coast of Spain at Burriana was discovered. It specialized in viticulture. It is thought that this area was associated with the famous Saguntine wine that was written about by the Roman writers Fronto and Juvenal. https://phys.org/news/2024-12-excavations-reveal-roman-maritime-villa.html

Previous posts have been about Dura-Europos, the Roman garrison town in Eastern Syria. Below is a collection of academic articles that accompanied the exhibition "Dura-Europos: Crossroads of Antiquity" at Boston Colleges McMullen Museum of Art (February 5-June 5, 2011): https://ia800404.us.archive.org/11/items/duraeuroposcross00brod/duraeuroposcross00brod.pdf

Archaeologists have discovered a Roman-era clay theater ticket in the ancient city of Prusias ad Hypium in Northwestern Turkey. Excavations continue in the area, revealing a 10,000 seat theater. Plans are to open the theater to tourism next year (see video below). https://arkeonews.net/archaeologists-uncovered-a-roman-era-clay-theater-ticket-in-ancient-city-of-prusias-ad-hypium/ https://www.anatolianarchaeology.net/a-ticket-for-a-theater-from-the-roman-period-made-of-fired-clay-was-found-in-western-turkiye/

The Battle of al-Qadisiyyah in AD 363 was a pivotal battle in the Arab conquest of the Sasanian Empire. This defeat of the Sasanians led to the capture of Ctesiphon, the Sasanian capital, the next year. The last Persian emperor was killed a few years later in 651. Using satellite photography, the site of this important battle has been found in modern-day Iraq. Below is a previous thread about a Byzantine coin hoard during a contemporaneous Arab-Byzantine conflict. https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/11/science/al-qadisiyyah-site-satellite-images-scli-intl/index.html https://archaeology.org/news/2024/11/13/ancient-battlefield-identified-in-iraq/

An inscription dedicated to Hadrian has been found in the ancient Roman city of Blaundus, the modern city of Uşak in Western Turkey. https://arkeonews.net/inscription-dedicated-to-roman-emperor-hadrian-found-in-ancient-city-of-blaundus/ Aerial video from drone of the ancient city of Blaundus

Here’s a interesting article that summarizes the archaeological work being done at a Roman forum (pictured above) in Valaria, Spain. https://the-past.com/feature/valerias-hall-of-fame-secrets-from-an-imperial-forum/

Here is a good follow-up article about the Roman fortifications at Colm la Runga in Switzerland. (See post below.) Located at 2,230m (7300 feet), the site wasn’t discovered until 2023 with the help of LiDAR technology. https://the-past.com/feature/on-the-trail-of-the-legions-a-roman-conflict-landscape-in-switzerland/

A Roman villa has been unearthed in South Wiltshire. Recently, “more than 60 volunteers helped to excavate and record mosaics, painted wall plaster, and large stone buildings at the site.” https://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/24743822.chalke-valley-major-roman-villa-discovered-volunteers/

Thank you for reading my response. You are correct that Sulla is unlikely to have pemphigus vulgaris (since it has a high mortality rate) and occurs at a younger age. I had suggested, however, that Sulla had bullous pemphigoid, a different type of autoimmune disease. Bullous pemphigoid primarily affects older adults, typically those over the age of 60. (Sulla was 60 when he died.) It is generally considered less life-threatening than pemphigus vulgaris, which usually arises in individuals a decade or two earlier. Bullous pemphigoid often begins with itching (pruritus) and can later develop into hive-like urticarial plaques; these symptoms may persist for months or even years before the appearance of blisters. In contrast, most patients with pemphigus vulgaris experience oral lesions, making eating difficult. However, this particular aspect was not mentioned in the referenced ancient text. Fortunately, patients with bullous pemphigoid rarely experience oral lesions, and when they do, the involvement is much less debilitating. Thank you once again for your thoughtful response. I appreciate being challenged on various topics, which encourages me to reconsider my views. If Sulla had a severe skin disorder, it was likely bullous pemphigoid rather than pemphigus vulgaris since the former is generally less life-threatening.

Here is another article researching the Roman frontiers https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/news/2024/11/archaeologist-tom-hazenberg-seeks-the-frontiers-of-the-roman-empire

A Roman mosaic has been recreated at the Roman villa at Somerset, England https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2024-11-20/villas-roman-mosaic-floor-painstakingly-recreated-over-five-years An older video of the Roman site:

Illegal Etruscan items were recovered before going on sale in the black market. Italy recovers Etruscan artefacts dug up by 'amateurish' tomb raiders Italy recovers Etruscan artifacts worth $8.5 billion bound for black market

A suspected Roman forum has been found in Southern Spain. https://archaeologymag.com/2024/10/ancient-roman-forum-in-spain/

An interesting video on Roman coins found far beyond the Roman borders:

Researchers have discovered psychoactive plant compounds in Egyptian Bes mugs. Bes was the Egyptian deity worshiped for protection, fertility, medical healing, and magical purification. Egyptians believed that Bes protected the mother and child during childbirth from malevolent forces. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/11/241115124633.htm https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-78721-8 https://www.ashmolean.org/article/bes-ancient-egyptian-god-fighter-dancer-companion

A Roman knife handle was found depicting a (left-handed) secutor gladiator in a river near the Roman town of Corbridge near Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland, England. https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/rare-gladiator-shaped-knife-handle-discovered-by-hadrians-wall Roman Corbridge:

A woman faces arrest after depositing the ashes of a loved one at Machu Picchu, the 15th century Inca city. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14082621/ourist-sprinkles-ashes-deceased-Manchu-piccu-peru.html

Despite efforts to "Christianize" the Roman Empire after Constantine the Great halted the persecution of Christians and legalized their religion in AD 313, pagan cults persisted in Great Britain longer than in the rest of the Empire. Here is an academic article that discusses the persistence and success of pagan cults in late Roman Britain. https://traj.openlibhums.org/article/id/10654/

Excellent video on the discovery:

A section of the Roman Watling Street (see below) has been unearthed in Southern London. It was built shortly after the Roman invasion in AD 43. It will be documented and reburied. https://constructionmanagement.co.uk/roman-road-unearthed-in-south-london/

A Roman milestone was found at a Turkish mosque. It dates from AD 239 from the era of Gordianus III. https://arkeonews.net/1800-years-old-roman-milestone-used-as-seat-at-turkish-mosque/

This article is little (OK, a lot) advanced for me, but interesting. https://antigonejournal.com/2024/10/latin-greek-singular-plural/

Thank you for reading my post. I agree that some people project their modern beliefs onto the bodies found at Pompeii. However, I believe the lesson from this discovery is that previous generations also projected their own beliefs and prejudices onto these findings, leading to incorrect conclusions. We must understand how our biases and beliefs distort our perception of the world and scientific data. Thank you once again for taking the time to read this post. Your response to the article helped me better express my sometimes skeptical view of "modern science." The amount of incorrect "settled science" I've encountered over the years is both humbling and cautionary.