Melvadius

Let me add my congratulations (or commisserations depending upon how much sleep you get over the next few months )as well. The Lacius Curtis site has extracts from William Smith, D.C.L., LL.D.: A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, John Murray, London, 1875 on it. Under the entry for nomen it cites the Roman practice of not giving a name to a son until 9 days after they were born: "In early times this name [praenomen] was given to boys when they attained the age of pubertas, that is, at the age of fourteen, or, according to others, at the age of seventeen (Gellius, X.28), when they received the toga virilis (Festus, s.v. Pubes; Scaevola ap. Val. Max. l.c.). At a later time it was customary to give to boys a praenomen on the ninth day after their birth, and to girls on the eighth day. This solemnity was preceded by a lustratio of the child, whence the day was called dies lustricus, dies nominum, or nominalia (Macrob. Sat. I.16; Tertull. De Idolol. 16). http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roma...GRA*/Nomen.html

The site of the ancient hippodrome course in Olympia, where the emperor Nero competed for Olympian laurels, has been discovered. The hippodrome was discovered in Olympia by a research team that included Professor Norbert M

As has already been pointed out the surviving Roman period swords being mainly made of iron rather than the Chinese bronze variety have all to some extent or otherwise suffered the ravages of time. From a quick search of the net for images I came across some which appear to have been found in arid climates so suffered less degredation than than those recovered from the more water, and therefore rust, prone northern climes. The 'Sword of Tiberius' at the British Museum, which was found at Mainz, possibly is a good illustration of the level of preservation which could be expected of iron swords in northern climes as opposed to the associated fittings which will have been made out of a variety of different material. http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highl...f_tiberius.aspx

Asclepiades has raised a couple of interesting points in his analysis, however I somehow suspect that radiocarbon dating is the only scientific dating/ identification process that many reporters or editors have even vaguely heard about, let alone understand, which is probably why it is mentioned in the articles. Its inclusion may therefore simply be a result of too enthusiastic editing rather than what was in the original reports submnitted by the reportes. Thermoluminescence mentioned in the Italian article as a dating technique which can be used on metal crystaline object to determine when they were last heated can provide evidence for when the statue was cast or possibly that should be recast. It us probably more often mentioned archaeologically in determining when organic material was last exposed to the atmosphere eg when an area of turf was covered by a later rampart. To throw a spanner into the works I would raise a couple of possibly, but not necessarily, mutually exclusive thoughts: 1) There have been cases of moulds being taken of statues or other metal objects which were badly damaged so they could be recast often using most of the original metal. If that was the case with this particular statue despite the techniques used to create (or possibly modify it) we could effectively still be looking at how the basic statue originally looked, albeit as a later 'copy'. 2) Obviously there have recently also been a few cases of later forgers trying to pass off their own work as early examples which may refute or at least only confuse the issue of what is real and what is fake;)

I think we can safely say that this thread is dead and buried! And we don't want it resurrected;)

The bid to get the Antonine Wall recognized as a World Heritage site has been on going since 2003 and the final decision isn't going to be made until around 2010! Well the decision has now been made and the Antonine Wall has been included as an expansion of the existing transboundary 'Roman Frontier' Workld Heritage site.

UNESCO have now included the Antonine Wall as an extension to the "Frontiers of the Roman Empire" World Heritage sites already on the list: From todays press release: 'The Antonine Wall (United Kingdom), a 60 km long fortification in Scotland has been inscribed as an extension of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire (Germany and the United Kingdom), a transboundary property inscribed in 1987 and extended in 2005. The Antonine Wall was started by Emperor Antonius Pius in 142 AD as a defence against the

I will the leave the question of possible relevance open to further clarification of intent. However, the key to your question as with many others about the sequencing of finds is in the dating of individual objects, which this article obviously is not in a position to do. For example, there may be an element of 'ritual' practice which the inclusion of animal remains as votive objects may be an indication. There is also good evidence for the Roman's 'paying off' certain tribes which could explain how a large horde of coins could have been built up in the first place, irespective of how it was later used. Personally I will wait for the full site report to come out to see what the arguments are

I made no reference to septentrional nor as far as I can see is there any reference to this term (rarely used in English) in the article. The point of the article is that the excavations at Birnie are intended to investigate the local Iron Age culture, from the lack of mention of it the archaeologists involved do not seem to subscribe to the view that Thomshill was a Roman fort, from a quick check, the best current guess is that it may have simply been a marching camp rather than a 'permanent' fort. As such the current intentions of the birnie excavations appear to be to investigate Roman influence beyond Rome's formal 'fixed' frontier area, which on current evidence really does lie much further south probably ending in the area of Strathcaro. Melvadius

Experts return to 'power centre' Archaeologists are to return to an Iron Age "power centre" to further investigate the influence of the Romans on the north of Scotland. Dr Fraser Hunter, of the National Museums of Scotland, will lead the dig at Birnie, near Elgin, next month. Roman coin hordes have previously been found in the area. Dr Hunter said he hoped the work would further uncover clues to an Iron Age community there and the emergence of ancient people known as the Picts. Full article at BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highla...nds/7487985.stm

Article in USA today - 22/6/08 Don't tell Indiana Jones, but most archaeologists pack spades, not bullwhips, and big discoveries usually come after lots of digging, not looting. Maya discoveries in Mexico that are rewriting the history of this classic civilization, for example, are coming from years of careful digging, not looted idols. The classic Maya were part of a Central American civilization best known for stepped pyramids, beautiful carvings and murals and the widespread abandonment of cities around 900 A.D. in southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and El Salvador, leaving the Maya only the northern lowlands of the Yucatan peninsula. The conventional wisdom of this upheaval is that many Maya moved north at the time of this collapse, also colonizing the hilly "Puuc" region of the Yucatan for a short while, until those new cities collapsed as well. But that story of the Maya is wrong, suggests archaeologist George Bey of Millsaps College in Jackson, Miss., who is co-leading an investigation of the abandoned city of Kiuic with Mexican archaeologist Tomas Gallareta of Mexico's National Institute of Archaeology and History. "Our work indicates that instead the Puuc region was occupied for almost 2,000 years before the collapse in the south," says Bey, by e-mail. ..... Continued at: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/colum...aya-kiuic_N.htm

I am no expert but I feel that there are several issues to be considered Over a long period of time the style of flint tools changed so what was manufactured in one period would not have been considered a useful size in another. As far as I know the neolithic flint tools tended to be rougher than some of the later tools so I suspect that some older tools may have been reworked into different forms and so be unreckonized by us now. Thirdly if tools were left in a cache, ignoring the damage to the sites caused over the centuries by later ploughing or other human activities, in the UK we have had at least one ice age since the flints were abandoned which could easily have moved then from their original deposition site to where they have been found. Having just been working on a local mesolithic dig to some extent what we find from the neolithic or even the later stone age could as you say be the result of local manufacturing sites which may have only been used seasonally. Often finds of flint tools are associated with flint 'cores' from which the flints had obviously been struck along with other flint debris. In may instances we have no real concept of what the local landscape was like when these tools were being used so over time even if we are dealing with a manufacturing site the smaller pieces may have broken down into smaller pieces so lost any characteristic percussion marks. We are only left with the other tools wherever they were last used or were lost during use.

"Dozens of tools thought to have belonged to Neanderthals have been dug up at an archaeological site called Beedings in West Sussex. Dr Matthew Pope, of University College London, said the discovery provides new insights into the life of a thriving community of hunters at the site. The tools could have been used to hunt horses, mammoth and woolly rhinoceros. The archaeologists, funded by English Heritage, have been carrying out their investigations over the last few weeks. It is the first modern scientific investigation of the site since it was discovered in 1900. " .....Cont'd at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7466735.stm

Having visited a couple of times a few years ago I would agree that it is very difficult to compare both sites however personally I would argue differently and say that the very preservation of Herculaneum and the quantity of in-situ remains makes it a 'must see' if you only have limited time to visit the area. You can see the accessible remains of Herculaneum within a couple of hours while a couple of hours walking at Pompeii would only allow you to skim part of the site. (I have heard it described by someone as looking like a recent disaster site and they kept wondering where the rescue teams were). In some ways the best use of time would be a morning trip to Herculaneum - getting in when it opens for a quick tour before it gets too hot, although I understand there is now a museum on site which could extend that time slot. Then walk up the hill to the Circumvesuviana (about a mile) and take the train along to Pompeii for a longish afternoon visit - there is a restaurant just north of the forum if you need to eat or alternatively there are a few take-away stalls just beside the station entrance. We found that a very good guide to Pompeii if you can find it is a small booklet called "How to Visit Pompeii" Falanga Edizioni Pompeiane. It gives three different itineries for locations to visit depending upon how much time you have (or alternatively how fast you wish to walk). BTW Klingon, one other point the photo's are very good but a brief description of where they are may help anyone who hasn't been there identify which site is which.

This isn't really a new claim as to my knowledge the suggestion has been touted around several times over the last few years. Of course the other suggestion is that after a Scottish Nationalist Faction retrieved the "Stone of Scone (AKA Destiny)" in 1950 they had several copies made (possibly as many as 3 or more) and as they refused to confirm which was which, or indeed if and how many copies were made, it is anyone's guess which one was returned to Westminster. The official history can be read at: http://www.visitscotland.com/guide/scotlan...tone-of-destiny and for a dated older reference to the duplicate theory: http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9611/15/stone.of.scone/

"How Victorian restorers faked the clothes that seemed to show Hadrian's softer side A cherished image of the Roman emperor Hadrian as a gentle, philosophical man wearing the robes of a Greek citizen has been shattered with one blow of a conservator's chisel at the British Museum. The head, with its neatly trimmed beard and fringe of exquisitely crimped curls, is certainly Hadrian but it seems the body it has been attached to for almost 150 years belongs to somebody else. The statue, a unique piece that has been cited in many biographies of Hadrian as proof of his love for Greek culture and customs, and illustrated countless times, is an ingenious Victorian confection." cont'd at: http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/heritage/st...2284520,00.html

A British warship that sank in Lake Ontario 228 years ago during the War of Independence has been found almost intact by two shipwreck hunters. "This is the Holy Grail of Great Lakes wrecks," says Jim Kennard who, with his partner Dan Scoville, discovered the 22-gun brig-sloop HMS Ontario in deep water "somewhere" between Niagara and Rochester. "There's nothing more significant than this one." "It's the oldest confirmed shipwreck in the lakes," Scoville adds. "And very few warships went down. The Ontario is so complete, the two masts are in place and there's still glass in some of its windows." .... Cont'd at: http://www.thestar.com/living/article/443161

Some nice shots and a good taster for anyone who hasn't managed to get to either site themselves. Personally, I've got a fairly extensive portfolio from both sites but due to a camera fault I lost the ones I took at Cumae. So, if you managed to get across to the Cumae area as well, I wouldn't mind seeing some of that area included when you get around to posting more. Melvadius

In case anyone didn't realise that the Roman's eventually rebuilt on the site of the original Punic city you may find the attached picture (showing the Roman piles used when they levelled the top of Byrsa Hill) and the others in my 'Byrsa Hill' album of interest: http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?autoco...m&album=138

To open out this question ot its fullest extent I would add another equation to the list which is: Decide if you are able to study full time, if not look at options for part-time &/or 'remote learning' as, at least in Britain, there are several university courses being offered on a part-time basis which can often become part of a full degree. To give a couple of examples: The Open University - based in Britain and also available in several European countires - but not the US, has a large number of 'remote learning' courses avilable in modular format which can either be taken as full-time equivalents or else over a number of years on a part-time basis, while you work. Their History Degree is part of their Hunmanities stream but you normally have several different topics available for study. BTW I have heard of several people taking OU Degrees in preference to a 'normal' university as it can work out cheaper plus you have the added option of earning money by working along with your studies. Oxford University has a Department for Continuing Education whihc offers modular Undergraduate; Certificate, Diploma and Advanced Diploma courses although I beleive they do not currently add up to a full Degree themselves they can be added to Degree courses run by other Universities. The obvious disadvantage of remote study is that you probably will not get the 'full' university experience and it may be more regimented, with limited courses available for study, consequently limiting the options for anyone interested in doing their own personal projects as part of their Degree.

Not withstanding the other comments that have been posted I'm not sure that your opening statement is entirely correct. I haven't read Dumayne- Peaty's article for a while but given that regeneration of forestry was occuring before the Roman invasion of northern England/ Scotland and continued after they occupied the area this may argue more for pre-existing changes in farming practices rather than the results of specific Roman aggression. The following link goes to a short abstract of key facts but anyone interested and with JSTOR access should be able to go on to read the full article: http://www.jstor.org/pss/2656149 On another point I would say that your underlying premise is fairly specious as cultural influence does not require the adoptation of anything from a specific legal code. All along the length of the limes cross-cultural contact is extensively evident from the passage of Roman goods across the border with reciprocal trade into the empire. This should be evidence enough that other aspects of culture would have had had some degree of influence on both sides of the limes. However this would not necessarily be reflected in adoptation of specific laws - even if this occured, we usually have little idea (and no written record) of what the relevant laws may have been before and after contact so the argument to my mind is moot.

Coupled with their departure from the Rhine the earliest archaeological remains in Britain (here tile and other stamps are possibly more prevalent than other forms of epigraphy referred to above) show the same Legions as present from a very early date during various construction projects including their own bases. Some of the evidence is quoted under the individual legion names at: http://www.roman-britain.org/military/british_legions.htm

Stonehenge served as a burial ground for much longer than had previously been believed, new research suggests. The site was used as a cemetery for 500 years, from the point of its inception. Archaeologists have said the cremation burials found at the site might represent a single elite family and its descendents - perhaps a ruling dynasty. One clue to this idea is that there are few burials in the earliest phase, but that the number grows larger in later centuries, as offspring multiplied. Under the traditional view, cremation burials were dug at the site between 2,700 BC and 2,600 BC, about a century before the large stones - known as sarsens - were put in place. Professor Mike Parker Pearson, from the department of archaeology at the University of Sheffield, and his colleagues have now carried out radiocarbon dating of burials excavated in the 1950s that were kept at the nearby Salisbury Museum. Their results suggest burials took place at the site from the initiation of Stonehenge, just after 3,000 BC, until the time the large stones appear at about 2,500 BC. ... More at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7426195.stm

I thought the TV adaptation was a bit more recent than that, say, early 90's. I have all four of the Sutcliffe books relating to the same Romano - British family (Eagle of the Ninth, The Silver Branch, Frontier Wolf and The Lantern Bearers) and still occasionally get them out and re-read them. They are intended I think for teenage readers, but would still make great films. I like the way Sutcliffe has from time to time had a stab at suggesting, through her stories, that so far undiscovered sites remain to be discovered. Occasionally she has been right! The BBC TV series is dated 1977 but you may be thinking of the more recent BBC Radio series which, although there was one broadcast in the late 50's, was remade and broadcast in the mid-90's. c/f http://web.ukonline.co.uk/suttonelms/articles29.html - about the original radio series featuring Marius Goring http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/edition/?isbn=0563389206 - the mid 90's Radio 4 dramatisation http://blueremembered.blogspot.com/2007/03...ninth-1977.html - short article with photograph from 1977 TV series