Unearthed Late Roman well may have modern-day significance

Archaeologists from the University of York say a virtually intact Late Roman well discovered near Heslington, on the outskirts of the city, may have had significance in contemporary local agricultural cycles and fertility practices.

The well, which is thought to have been in use for several decades in the late 4th and early 5th centuries, was unearthed during archaeological excavations on the site of the University's campus expansion at Heslington East.

From at least the Early Bronze Age, a range of methods were used here to access natural springs, including watering holes and primitive wells. In contrast, this Late Roman feature was carefully engineered, positioned high on a hillside and used newly acquired, good-quality masonry.

Read the rest of this article...

Roman villa to serve tourism

Workers clean the mosaics during restorations in the Roman villa. AA Photo

Mosaics in a villa from the late Roman period, found five years ago in a green area, are undergoing restoration works. The mosaics depict the figure of a women, sitting among bunches of grapes, and a man with a dagger in his hand trying to kill her. 

The restoration started with four experts and 12 workers headed by the Director of the Ereğli Museum Ahmet Mercan and archaeologist Ünver Göçen. After a one-month restoration and cleaning process, the mosaics will be covered and the area will open to tourists.

Read the rest of this article...

Archaeologists unearth carved head of Roman god in ancient rubbish dum

Dr David Petts on site with the Binchester head

An 1,800-year-old carved stone head of what is believed to be a Roman god has been unearthed in an ancient rubbish dump.

Archaeologists made the discovery at Binchester Roman Fort, near Bishop Auckland, in County Durham.

First year Durham University archaeology student Alex Kirton found the artefact, which measures about 20cm by 10cm, in buried late Roman rubbish within what was probably a bath house.

The sandstone head, which dates from the 2nd or 3rd century AD, has been likened to the Celtic deity Antenociticus, thought to have been worshipped as a source of inspiration and intercession in military affairs.

A similar sandstone head, complete with an inscription identifying it as Antenociticus, was found at Benwell, in Newcastle upon Tyne, in 1862.

Read the rest of this article...

Head of Roman god found in ancient rubbish dump

An 1,800-year-old carved stone head of what is believed to be a Roman god has been unearthed in an ancient rubbish dump. Archaeologists made the discovery at Binchester Roman Fort, near Bishop Auckland, in County Durham.

The late Roman stone head was found by Durham University archaeologists at Binchester Fort, County Durham, UK [Credit: Durham University]

First year Durham University archaeology student Alex Kirton found the artefact, which measures about 20cm by 10cm, in buried late Roman rubbish within what was probably a bath house.

The sandstone head, which dates from the 2nd or 3rd century AD, has been likened to the Celtic deity Antenociticus, thought to have been worshipped as a source of inspiration and intercession in military affairs. A similar sandstone head, complete with an inscription identifying it as Antenociticus, was found at Benwell, in Newcastle upon Tyne, in 1862.

Read the rest of this article...

Ravenglass Roman fort: Call for volunteers

Archaeologists in Cumbria are calling for volunteers to help them explore the remains of a Roman naval base.

Ravenglass Roman fort was occupied from AD 120 through to the 4th Century.

During the dig, due to begin on 4 September, archaeologists hope to find evidence of a civilian settlement from more than 1,800 years ago.

The £125,000 project received funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Lake District National Park Authority and Copeland Community Fund.

Holly Beavitt-Pike, Lake District National Park's archaeology and heritage assistant, said the first dig would end on 28 September and participants would be able to volunteer for a maximum of five days.

Read the rest of this article...

Ancient Anchors from Punic Wars Found Off Sicily

A key episode of the Punic Wars has emerged from the waters near the small Sicilian island of Pantelleria as archaeologists discovered a cluster of more than 30 ancient anchors.

Found at a depth between 160 and 270 feet in Cala Levante, one of the island’s most scenic spots, the anchors date to more than 2,000 years ago.

According to Leonardo Abelli, an archaeologist from the University of Sassari, the anchors are startling evidence of the Romans’ and Carthaginians’ struggle to conquer the Mediterranean during the First Punic War (264 to 241 B.C.).

“They were deliberately abandoned. The Carthaginian ships were hiding from the Romans and could not waste time trying to retrieve heavy anchors at such depths,” Abelli told Discovery News.

Read the rest of this article...

Roman shrine found at Rutland Water nature reserve

Archaeologists have uncovered a Roman shrine at Rutland Water nature reserve.

The team from Northamptonshire Archaeology investigated the site ahead of a 240-acre extension to the reserve by Anglian Water.

They found the remains of an Iron Age farmstead, and Roman shrine dating from about AD100.

Jo Everitt, Anglian Water's environment and heritage assessor, said: "Finding Roman shrines is not the norm, so we were delighted."

Read the rest of this article...

SEARCH CONTINUES FOR ROMAN FORT OF THE NORTHERN FRONTIER

Archaeologists will next week begin the search for an elusive Roman fort believed to be located somewhere in the northeast of Scotland.

Dr Birgitta Hoffmann, Co-Director of The Roman Gask Project, based at the University of Liverpool, will lead a team of experienced volunteers in their search for a Roman fort which is believed to exist, but has been ‘missing’ for almost 2,000 years. It’s not certain that a fort actually exists, but if it does, it is likely to lie somewhere between the last known (and most northerly) fort at Stracathro (Brechin) and the northeast coast.

Rome’s first frontier

Locating the fort would be the first such discovery beyond the Antonine Wall in 30 years, and would form another piece of the Gask frontier. The Gask Ridge system was constructed sometime between 70 and 80 CE long before either Hadrian’s Wall (122-130 CE), and the Antonine Wall (142-144 CE). Although the Gask Ridge was not an unbroken defensive wall, it may be Rome’s earliest fortified land frontier based on forts and watchtowers along a military road. Blocking the glens with garrisoned forts disrupted the Caledonian tribes ability to raid the fertile lowlands and effectively created a border between Roman occupied lands and the north and west.

This Roman land frontier stretches from just north of Stirling up to Stracathro. The frontier comprises of a series of Roman forts and watchtowers, with a legionary fortress near Blairgowrie.

Read the rest of this article...

Largest Known Ancient Roman Settlement in the Hadrian's Wall Frontier Under Exploration

Archaeologists under the direction of Stephen Rowland and John Zant of the archaeological research institution, Oxford Archaeology North, U.K, will be excavating and investigating the remains of a large Roman settlement associated with the nearby Roman fort of Alauna near the northwestern U.K. coastal town of Maryport.

While much has already been excavated of the nearby fort (where another key excavation, known as the Roman Temples Project, is currently taking place), much less is known of this settlement site, located just northeast of the fort remains. Geophysical surveys have revealed detailed physical clues, including the tell-tale lines of buildings which archaeologists suggest may possibly have been houses and shops adjacent to both sides of what appears to have been the main street extending from the northeast gate of the fort. Thought to be an ancient civilian settlement, it is considered the largest currently known along the Hadrian's Wall frontier. 

Report the archaeologists, "The excavation should provide an excellent opportunity to examine the date, complexity and uses of these structures, as well as revealing aspects of the daily lives of the people who lived there".

Read the rest of this article...

Teston Roman villa discovery solves 140-year-old mystery

An archaeological mystery that has eluded experts in Kent for 140 years has finally been solved following the rediscovery of the site of a Roman villa.

The remains of a bath house were first unearthed in hop gardens on the banks of the River Medway at Teston in 1872, but after some excavations it was covered over until 1972, when archaeologists reinvestigated the site but failed to locate any trace of ancient remains.

Nearly 20 years later, in 1991 during the emergency renewal of a sewer, Southern Water uncovered Roman building materials and pottery, with archaeologists subsequently revealing the remains of a Roman masonry building.

Read the rest of this article...

Roman townhouse 'underneath Lincoln Castle'

A Roman townhouse is probably located underneath Lincoln Castle, according to archaeologists digging at the site.

The dig has reached a depth of 3.5m below current ground level [Credit: BBC]

The team have already reached the foundations of the Norman phase of the castle during their work. Archaeologist Cecily Spall said the dig had reached a depth of 3.5m with another half-metre of digging left to complete.

The area is being excavated prior to a revamp of the castle. "We have been working since September - and have reached the level of the Norman castle - from the mid 11th Century," Ms Spall said.

She said they had found evidence of timber-framed buildings which may have been part of a medieval stable block. "We expect we will find a Roman townhouse at about 4m depth below ground level," she added.

Read the rest of this article...

Archaeologists Unearth Roman Frontier Fort and Settlement in England

Located near the small coastal town of Maryport in northwestern England, remains of the ancient Roman fort of Alauna were first uncovered by amateur archaeologist Joseph Robinson in the late 19th century. Among the finds were an assemblage of no less that 22 stone altars, some bearing inscriptions, that tell a story of successive Roman commanders who commanded this, one of Imperial Rome's northernmost outposts during the height of the Roman Empire's expanse. The altars now grace the nearby Senhouse Museum, which serves as a popular tourist attraction.  

Now a team of archaeologists and volunteers have returned to the site where the original stone altars were found to uncover more clues about the layout of the fort and its associated settlement, and about the lives of the military officers and soldiers who manned this remote garrison. Led by Newcastle University's Professor Ian Haynes and site director Tony Wilmott, the archaeologists have been here before. 

Says Haynes: "The last two years' excavations focused on the area in which the altars were discovered in 1870.

 This year sees some further work at the 1870 site and the start of a three year project focusing on the place where, in 1880, local bank manager and amateur archaeologist Joseph Robinson uncovered further altars and two possible temples.

 Photographs and other documents from the 1880s indicate that the antiquarian investigation only unearthed part of the site and it is clear that much remains to be discovered."

Read the rest of this article...

Oxfordshire's earliest recorded resident: Roman tombstone goes on display

The tombstone had been smashed into pieces to form part of a wall

It is known that in a long lost town in the Oxfordshire of AD 79 an Italian immigrant died.

The discovery of the tombstone of Lucius Valerius Geminus - a veteran of the Second Augustan Legion - has revealed to archaeologists the first known biography of any person to have lived in the county.

It was discovered in fragments in a field, once the bustling Iron Age town of Alchester, near modern day Bicester. It has been reassembled so it can go on public display.

Dr Chris Ferguson, curator of archaeology at Oxfordshire Museum Service, said: "His biography is probably the earliest for a veteran in the entire province of Britannia, and he is certainly the earliest for this region of Roman Britain."

Read the rest of this article...

Archaeologists Uncover Magnificent Town of Emperor Diocletian in Bulgaria

Good thermal springs are always likely to draw increasing numbers of people who have the means to tap their benefits. More often than not, they become popular resort destinations for the rich and famous. So it was with this location in the outskirts of the Sredna Gora mountain range near the present-day town of Hisarya of central southern Bulgaria.

Archaeological research indicates that this place was inhabited as long ago as 6,000 years BCE, then later by the Thracians. In the 1st century CE it was conquered by the Roman Empire, eventually becoming an affluent 4th century Roman resort, a place that emperor Septimius Severus himself, among others, was recorded to have visited. Today, the archaeological remains bear the unmistakable evidence of palaces, wide stone streets, marble baths, an amphitheater in circus style, and monumental fortification walls. The walls have been preserved in some places up to 14 m in height.  

Now, a team of archaeologists and students have returned to the ancient site to uncover more of the remains, hoping to shed additional light on a major Roman settlement that was likely a popular attraction for the wealthy Roman citizenry during the height of the Roma Empire in Late Antiquity.

Read the rest of this article...

Third season dig begins in Maryport

Archaeologists hope that Maryport will reveal more of its Roman secrets this summer. The third year of excavations at Camp Farm began this week, led by Newcastle University’s Professor Ian Haynes and site director Tony Wilmott.

Excavations on site at Maryport set to resume again this summer
[Credit: Newcastle University]

The Temples Project is the start of a new phase in the five year excavation which will take the team back to an 1880 excavation where amateur archaeologist Joe Robinson discovered altars and two possible temples.

Professor Haynes said: “Photographs and other documents from the 1880s indicate that the antiquarian investigation only unearthed part of the site and much remains to be discovered.”

The excavation, funded by the Senhouse Roman Museum Trust, will continue until summer 2015.

Rachel Newman of the Senhouse Museum Trust said: “Any finds will be included in the museum’s collections.”

Read the rest of this article...

The Secrets of Roman Concrete

An international team of researchers has examined Roman concrete to learn why it has proven to be so durable. A sample of Roman concrete taken from the ancient port of Baiae in Pozzuloi Bay revealed that by mixing lime and volcanic ash for underwater structures, the Romans used the seawater to trigger a chemical reaction that hydrated the lime and mixed with the ash to form a glue that is stronger than what holds modern concrete together. Plus, the ingredients of Roman concrete can be formed at lower temperatures, using less fuel and releasing less carbon into the atmosphere.

Read the rest of this article...

Caernarfon dig finds Roman construction site and medieval cemetery

A dig on a piece of land in Gwynedd destined for a new school has resulted in the first discovery in Wales of a Roman construction camp.

The Caernarfon dig was carried out before the new Ysgol yr Hendre school was built, but the results of detailed analysis have only been released.

An early medieval cemetery was also unearthed from a later, lesser known period of Caernarfon's history.

The Romans had a fort called Segontium near Caernarfon from AD77 until AD393.

Read the rest of this article...

Plague Helped Bring Down Roman Empire

New evidence suggests the Black Death bacterium caused the Justinianic Plague of the sixth to eighth centuries. The pandemic, named after the Byzantine emperor Justinian I (shown here), killed more than 100 million people.

Plague may have helped finish off the Roman Empire, researchers now reveal.

Plague is a fatal disease so infamous that it has become synonymous with any dangerous, widespread contagion. It was linked to one of the first known examples of biological warfare, when Mongols catapulted plague victims into cities.

The bacterium that causes plague, Yersinia pestis, has been linked with at least two of the most devastating pandemics in recorded history. One, the Great Plague, which lasted from the 14th to 17th centuries, included the infamous epidemic known as the Black Death, which may have killed nearly two-thirds of Europe in the mid-1300s. Another, the Modern Plague, struck around the world in the 19th and 20th centuries, beginning in China in the mid-1800s and spreading to Africa, the Americas, Australia, Europe and other parts of Asia.


Read the rest of this article...

High-tech dig finds Roman farmstead

A high-tech research park is going to be built on land that once housed a Roman farmstead. An archaeological dig on the site of what will become the Haverhill Research Park has revealed traces of activity from the Iron Age through to the 1840s.

James Newboult said the size of the dig helped reveal the site's extensive history [Credit: BBC]

An Anglo Saxon hall and several pieces of jewellery were also found during the excavation, which covered 4.5 hectares.

Headland Archaeology said the dig had provided a "really interesting window" into Haverhill's history. The research park is being built on the A1307, the main road to Cambridge from Haverhill, and will also include a hotel and housing.

Read the rest of this article...

Ancient Milan church yields tombs, coins from 4th century

A small church on the outskirts of Milan containing archaeological finds from early Christendom has been declared a heritage site.

Excavations of the Church of Saints James and Philip, which began in March, led to discoveries that are especially important to the history of the Lombardy region and its earliest inhabitants.

Findings related to the community, once known as Nocetum, include tombs of an infant and an adult, and coins dating from the time of Roman emperor Magnentius, usurper of the empire from 350 to 353.

Read the rest of this article...

Ancient Roman Cemetery Discovered Beneath Parking Lot

Finden Seo Expert Haben Sie Fragen zu Seo Expert? Lassen ASK finden Sie Ihre Antworten heute! http://www.ASK.de/Seo Expert

The Roman cemetery unearthed in Leicester, England, included pagan and Christian burials, Here, a Christian burial being excavated. CREDIT: University of Leicester Archaeological Services View full size image

Hidden beneath a parking lot in Leicester, England, archaeologists have discovered a 1,700-year-old Roman cemetery that seemed to show no religious bias.

The new discovery, found at the junction of Newarke and Oxford Streets, includes numerous burials and skeletal remains from 13 individuals, both male and female of various ages. The cemetery is estimated to date back to around A.D. 300, according to University of Leicester archaeologists who led the dig.

"We have literally only just finished the excavation and the finds are currently in the process of being cleaned and catalogued so that they can then be analyzed by the various specialists," John Thomas, archaeological project officer, told LiveScience in an email. [See Images of the Ancient Roman Cemetery]

Read the rest of this article...

Moles unearth Roman artefacts at Epiacum's ancient fort

Epiacum's impressive earthwork defences are still visible to this day

Epiacum is a site full of buried treasure, which no-one can reach - no-one human at least.

Near Alston in Cumbria, close to the Northumberland border, where now there are fields, there was once a thriving Roman fort.

Unfortunately for archaeologists, they cannot access any of the historic artefacts beneath the ground - because the site is a scheduled ancient monument.

Moles, however, pay no heed to the land's protected status.

The velvety creatures have not only been digging up the earth, but doing their bit for archaeology by inadvertently pushing ancient objects to the surface.

Read the rest of this article...

Roman cemetery found under UK carpark

The University of Leicester archaeological unit that discovered King Richard III has spearheaded another dig and discovered a 1,700-old- Roman cemetery – under another car park in Leicester. The latest dig follows the historic discovery of King Richard III by colleagues from the same unit.

Archaeologists uncover burials dating back to 300AD at Oxford Street car park,
Leicester [Credit: University of Leicester]

The find has revealed remains thought to date back to 300AD – and includes personal items such as hairpins, rings, belt buckles and remains of shoes.

In addition, the team has found a jet ring with a curious symbol etched onto it, apparently showing the letters IX overlain.  Opinion as to its meaning is divided; it may just be an attractive design but it is also reminiscent of an early Christian symbol known as an IX (Iota-Chi) monogram taken from the initials of Jesus Christ in Greek.

Read the rest of this article...

Online Courses in Archaeology

University of Oxford Online Courses in Archaeology

Cave paintings, castles and pyramids, Neanderthals, Romans and Vikings - archaeology is about the excitement of discovery, finding out about our ancestors, exploring landscape through time, piecing together puzzles of the past from material remains.

These courses enable you to experience all this through online archaeological resources based on primary evidence from excavations and artefacts and from complex scientific processes and current thinking. Together with guided reading, discussion and activities you can experience how archaeologists work today to increase our knowledge of people and societies from the past.

The following courses are available:

• Archaeology in Practice


• Archaeology of the Bible Lands


• Exploring Roman Britain


• Greek Mythology


• Origins of Human Behaviour


• Pompeii and the Cities of the Roman World


• Ritual and Religion in Prehistory


• Vikings: Raiders, Traders and Settlers

Sewer workers in Bath reveal part of Roman city's walls

Tool marks on the stone found in Burton Street suggest it was worked in Roman times

Engineers carrying out sewer repairs in Bath have uncovered part of the Roman city walls.

The discovery in Burton Street was made when a large stone block was uncovered nearly 3ft (90cm) below the pavement, a Wessex Water spokesman said.

Further investigations revealed the block was part of the stone wall which dates back to the 4th Century.

"This is a very significant discovery," said Natalie Doran, an environmental scientist with Wessex Water.

Read the rest of this article...

The birth of Rome celebrated across the city - in pictures

Romans march in front of the Colosseum during a parade to mark the anniversary of the foundation of the city in 753 BC

Men belonging to historical groups march, dressed as ancient Romans, in front of the Colosseum to mark the anniversary of the legendary foundation of the eternal city in 753 B.C

View the photos...

The Latest Threat to Pompeii’s Treasures: Italy’s Red Tape

Pompeii Falling From Grace: Pompeii’s ruins are a Unesco World Heritage site, but despite money from the European Union, the Italian government is struggling to maintain them.

POMPEII, Italy — Destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79, Pompeii survived excavation starting in the 18th century and has stoically borne the wear and tear of millions of modern-day tourists.

But now, its deep-hued frescoes, brick walls and elegant tile mosaics appear to be at risk from an even greater threat: the bureaucracy of the Italian state.

In recent years, collapses at the site have alarmed conservationists, who warn that this ancient Roman city is dangerously exposed to the elements — and is poorly served by the red tape, the lack of strategic planning and the limited personnel of the site’s troubled management.

Read the rest of this article...

Reconstructing how the Romans made glass

Man has been making glass since the third millennium BC and during the manufacture of ancient glass, antimony, in a metal or mineral form, was added to make it colourless or opaque.

Different antimony ores have slightly different antimony isotope ratios and researchers in Belgium and the UK have developed an inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method to detect and quantify these tiny differences. 

By analysing samples of Roman glass, the team hope to uncover clues about how the glass was made and the geographical provenance of the raw materials.

Initial results suggest antimony ores from at least two locations were used to make the Roman glass being analysed. 

Read the rest of this article...

Officials, police inspect Pompeii excavations

The Italian government's anti-mafia directorate and police on Tuesday carried out raids at the world-famous archaeological site of Pompeii, which Rome and the European Union has granted 105 million euros to restore.

The checks were ordered by the government's top representative in nearby Naples, Francesco Musolino, to inspect progress on restoration of the House of the Guilt Cupids, the House of the Great Fountain and the Fullonica of Stephanus laundry.

Italian authorities fear that the EU's pricey 'Grand Plan for Pompeii' initiative to prevent the Unesco World Heritage site from crumbling could be infilitrated by organised crime groups and subject to fraud.

Read the rest of this article...

'Pompeii of north' being unearthed in Londo

Archaeologists working on a site in London are calling it "the Pompeii of the north" after they have managed to find Roman artefacts dating back nearly 2,000 years.

Just yards from the River Thames, in what is now the capital's financial district, archaeologists have found coins, pottery, shoes, lucky charms and an amber gladiator amulet.

Sonja Jessup has been finding out the secret to their remarkable survival.

Watch the video...

Murmillo magic

Amber amulet in the shape of a gladiator’s helmet. Amber was an expensive imported material and was thought to have magical powers. The Roman author Pliny describes how amber amulets could protect children from illness and the symbolism of the gladiator may also be protective
Image: MOLA

A tiny amber amulet shaped like a gladiator’s helmet has been discovered in the Walbrook area by Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA).

Measuring just over 1cm across, the object was found amongst the remains of a demolished Roman building, together with large amounts of pottery and animal bone. It is hoped that analysis of these will narrow down a possible date for the artefact.

Its distinctive visor and high crest marks it out as depicting part of the equipment of a murmillo, who wore a large enclosing helmet with a grille covering the face. Armed with a short sword or gladius and a rectangular shield called a scutum, he was normally paired against a thraex (Thracian).

Read the rest of this article...

'Entire streets' of Roman London uncovered

An archaeological dig in the heart of the City "will transform our understanding" of Roman London, experts claim.

About 10,000 finds have been discovered, including writing tablets and good luck charms.The area has been dubbed the "Pompeii of the north" due to the perfect preservation of organic artefacts such as leather and wood.One expert said: "This is the site that we have been dreaming of for 20 years."

The site is providing fresh insight into the religious and mystical practices of London's early residents. Amber was an expensive imported material and was thought to have magical powers and this amulet, in the shape of a gladiator’s helmet, may have been used to protect children from illness [Credit: Museum of London Archseology]

Archaeologists expect the finds, at the three-acre site, to provide the earliest foundation date for Roman London, currently AD 47. The site will house media corporation Bloomberg's European headquarters.

It contains the bed of the Walbrook, one of the "lost" rivers of London, and features built-up soil waterfronts and timber structures, including a complex Roman drainage system used to discharge waste from industrial buildings.

Read the rest of this article...

Terahertz scanner reveals hidden fresco at Louvre

#A technique based on the same kind of technology used in airport scanners has revealed images beneath a fresco held at the Louvre museum in Paris.

Trois Hommes Armes de Lances was known to be a fresco forged by Giampetro Campana on a wall from Roman times.

The new research suggests that under that forgery lies a real Roman fresco.

The discovery was announced at the American Chemical Society meeting by Bianca Jackson of the University of Rochester in the US.

Terahertz waves are known for their ability to penetrate materials without damaging them, and have in recent years been added to the suite of tools used to examine items of cultural heritage.

Read the rest of this article...