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This is a wonderful tour of a necropolis in Tyre, Lebanon. If you can find this on YouTube, this becomes a virtual reality tour. You can adjust your vantage point (but you will have to go to the YouTube platform). Look for VR Tour | Roman Necropolis | Tyre, Lebanon

Another article on the find: The buried warrior’s head was located next to the skeleton of a five-year-old child. No one knows if there was a kinship relationship between the two. Credit: Anagnostis Agelarakis https://greekreporter.com/2021/10/02/byzantine-warrior-gold-threaded-jaw-greece/

Please post some of your research and insights. Sounds interesting. I know very little on the subject. Here’s the small bit I know about astrology and Roman history: Augustus Denarius. Spanish mint, ca 17 BC. CAESAR AVGVSTVS, head left in oak wreath / DIVVS – IVLIVS across field, comet with eight rays & tail. RSC 97. (Photo and attribution from Wildwinds.com) This is the famous Augustus comet coin. The background information about this comet coin was discussed on cointalk.com. Great link: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ancients-caesars-comet.254853/

Here’s an interesting article that dismantles the myth of Spartan military prowess and courage: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/sparta-much-more-army-warriors-180978583/

Here is what I believe to be the original article. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abi7673 Reviewing this article, I found it incredibly difficult to follow at times. There could be a few challenges with the article. Part of the difficulty for me might come from the fact that this is from an international group of brilliant scientists for whom English might not be a primary language. Another problem is that many conclusions are made based on the analysis of only 82 ancient individuals. Here is a quote from the article: Based on this small study, it would be difficult to draw conclusions on ethnic origination, ancient migration, and linguistic development. Finally, the problem may be only me. After reading scientific articles almost daily for more than three decades, I now lose my patience for more abstruse articles. Early-onset dementia?

X

Although found in Vienne, France, this Roman Venus statuette is very similar to the one above found in Britain: Vienna, France https://www.archaeology.org/issues/401-2011/digs/9120-digs-france-roman-vienna

We sometimes forget the pervasiveness and influence of Greek philosophy throughout the Roman Empire. (Not surprisingly, the majority of papyri salvaged at the Villa of Papyri were texts on Epicureanism.) Here is an interesting inscription from the Second Century AD by the Epicurean Diogenes of Oinoanda, Turkey. Diogenes gives advice about a local plague. These are background articles on the find. Diogenes tried to bring a rational approach to a plague that caused so much fear and superstition. The philosophy of Epicureanism was based on the philosophy of Epicurus. https://www.archaeology.org/issues/180-1507/features/3344-turkey-oinoanda-epicurean-inscription https://greekreporter.com/2021/10/01/ancient-inscription-benefits-epicuranism/ https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_of_the_Papyri

Ancient warfare would produce horrendous traumatic injuries. Here is evidence of one individual from the Byzantine Empire who suffered a traumatic jaw injury that was repaired with a golden wire. He was able to return to duty, only to later meet his death (and decapitation), presumably at the hands of Ottoman enemies. https://www.livescience.com/byzantine-warrior-fractured-jaw

A slightly different interpretation of the research: http://www.sci-news.com/archaeology/etruscans-origin-10105.html

Another article on the subject: “‘The Etruscans look indistinguishable from Latins, and they also carry a high proportion of steppe ancestry,’ Posth tells Andrew Curry of Science magazine. The civilization’s still mostly indecipherable language is noticeably different from other societies of that era but bears some commonalities with Greek, including similar alphabets.“ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/dna-analysis-shows-early-etruscans-were-homegrown-180978772/

This 17 cm high statuette was recently unearthed. It is thought to depict Venus, the Roman goddess of love. It is believed to be from the first or second century AD. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-58736866

(December 5)

The landscape that has given Time Team archeologists important clues about the Roman villa, hidden beneath the soil on the Broughton Castle estate for nearly 2,000 years. https://www.banburyguardian.co.uk/heritage-and-retro/heritage/archeologists-have-unlocked-the-secret-of-why-the-roman-villa-was-built-in-a-quiet-valley-two-miles-from-banbury-time-teams-tim-taylor-sums-up-the-first-dig-of-the-legacy-project-3399087 Summary: It is great to see the renewed interest in excavation of Roman sites in Britain. This dig was financially supported by donors.

An interesting theory now explains the deposit of so many fragments of writing in Qumran, near the Dead Sea. A medieval document suggests that Qumran served as an annual meeting place for the Essenes. https://www.livescience.com/medieval-damascus-document-dead-sea-scroll-mystery

This is a nice Vespasian documentary:

The Island of Budelli (famous for its pink beaches) recently had its sole resident evicted. After three decades of isolation, Mauro Morandi has learned to cope with civilization: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cnn.com/travel/amp/mauro-morandi-italy-hermit-did-next/index.html Here’s a previous thread about Budelli’s beautiful pink beaches:

The origins of the enigmatic Etruscans has long been debated. The Greek historian Herodotus (485-425 BCE) supported the Lydian origin (in western Anatolia) of the Etruscans. Dionysius of Halicarnassus (60-7 BCE) supported the Italian (autochthonous) origins of the Etruscans. The latest research casts doubt on the controversial evidence that the Etruscans originated from Anatolia (modern-day Turkey). Some initial research had supported that theory, however. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070616191637.htm Research from cattle even showed a genetic link with Turkey. Settled? Hardly. Here is some new research: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210924182513.htm Summary: The origins of the mysterious Etruscans is still debated. The latest research suggests that the Etruscans had an Italian origin from an ancient indigenous people and not from Anatolia. Whether the Etruscans originated from Anatolia or were indigenous peoples really doesn’t matter. What is exciting is the use of modern technology to shed light on ancient societies.

La Palma volcano live:

Thanks for reading my post. Here’s a quote from another article: https://www.google.com/amp/s/english.elpais.com/usa/2021-09-24/amateur-divers-find-perfectly-preserved-roman-treasure-in-spain.html%3FoutputType%3Damp My theory is that the coins may have been initially buried on the beach. Over time, however, as the geography changed, they have become submerged by the advancing sea.

A fantastic group of 53 Roman gold coins have been found off the coast of Alicante, Spain. https://web.ua.es/en/actualidad-universitaria/2021/septiembre2021/20-26/fifty-three-gold-coins-from-the-4th-and-5th-centuries-found-on-the-seabed-of-portitxol-in-xabia.html It has been suggested that this was a hoard of coins that was hidden from occupation forces of Alans or another group of invading barbarian armies. Summary: This is an exciting find that may shed further light on the Roman Empire, especially the Western Empire as it was entering its death throes. Special thanks to NewIsnewbiest and others for sharing their numismatic knowledge and insight at cointalk.com: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/53-gold-roman-coins-valentinian-ii-theodosius-i-arcadius-honorius-found-off-spanish-coast.386799/#post-7912831

I had to look that one up: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russefeiring

“I was at all [Caesar’s] early speeches … the aqueduct one ….”

This is some research originally done in 2017, but I find it interesting. First, however, some background information is needed: During the Second Punic War in 211 BC after a series of disastrous defeats in Italy, the Romans decided to take the offensive against Carthage in the Iberian Peninsula. In 209 BC Publius Scipio captured Carthago Nova, the main base of Carthage on the Peninsula. At the Battle of Ilipa in 206 BC, Rome permanently ended the threat of Carthage in the Iberian Peninsula. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170814092835.htm Summary: The influx of Spanish silver would correlate with the Roman capture of Carthago Nova in 209 BC. The city had previously been one of the best harbors in the Western Mediterranean. Great review videos on Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartagena,_Spain

This story is a couple years old now, but it shows the extent of Greek presence in the ancient world. https://www.archaeology.org/issues/310-1809/trenches/6880-trenches-russia-corinthian-helmet https://neoskosmos.com/en/2018/05/28/news/world/2500-year-old-corinthian-helmet-found-north-of-black-sea/ https://greekreporter.com/2021/09/21/ancient-corinthian-helmet-found-in-southwest-russia/