Missing link in Roman conquest of Germany a 'sensational find'

Archaeologists are celebrating the find of a Roman military camp which was a crucial link in Emperor Augustus’ conquest of Germany – after more than a century of looking for it.

The find, near the small town of Olfen not far from Münster near the Ruhr Valley, has already produced a collection of artefacts, not only pottery but also coins and clothing fasteners. These enabled researchers at the Westphalia-Lippe Municipal Association (LWL) to confirm what they had hoped.

“It’s a sensational discovery for Roman research in Westphalia,” LWL-director Wolfgang Kirsch said in a statement.

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Lost Roman camp that protected against Germanic hordes found

Historians believe the camp, once home to an estimated 1,000 legionaries and located on the River Lippe near the town of Olfen, may well have been served as a key base for the Roman General Drusus, who waged a long and bloody war against the tribes that once inhabited what is now western Germany.

The find comes 100 years after the discovery of a bronze Roman helmet near Olfen indicated the presence of ancient remains but it took a century of searching to finally discover the exact location of the camp.

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Archaeology Courses at the Oxford Experience 2012

1 July to 11 August 2012

The 2012 Oxford Experience Programme is now online.

The Oxford Experience is a residential summer school held at the college of Christ Church, University of Oxford.

The programme consists of 6 weeks of courses and participants attend for one or more weeks.

It offers a choice of twelve seminars each week over a period of five weeks. Participants do not need any formal qualifications to take part, just an interest in their chosen subject and a desire to meet like-minded people.

You can also find details of the various archaeology courses offered at Oxford Experience here...

Pompeii wall collapse blamed on Berlusconi spending cuts

Part of a Roman wall has collapsed at Pompeii, one year after a house there crumbled, prompting accusations that the Italian government has failed to keep promises to protect the ancient site.

During heavy rain on Friday, an eight square metre section of a perimeter wall crumbled near Nola Gate.

It is the latest in a series of incidents including the fall of the House of the Gladiators last November, which Unesco criticised and which led the government of Silvio Berlusconi to vow that upkeep would improve.

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Part of ancient wall collapses at Pompeii due to heavy rains

MILAN — Officials at Pompeii’s archaeological site say part of a wall has collapsed due to heavy rains in recent days.

Spokeswoman Daniela Leone said Saturday an external layer of a roughly two-meter (six-foot) section of wall collapsed at the northern end of the ancient ruins. Leone said it was of no artistic value and stressed that the wall itself remained standing. The area was closed to the public.

There were two collapses at the 2,000-year-old archaeological site last year, emphasizing concerns about the state of Italy’s cultural treasures.

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Redditch man makes major archaeological discovery

A METAL detecting enthusiast from Redditch has uncovered Worcestershire's largest ever archaeological hoard.

Jethro Carpenter found almost 4,000 Roman coins at Bredon Hill near Evesham - a major significance not only for the county but also the country.

Mr Carpenter, 43, was walking with friend Mark Gilmore when their metal detectors registered 'overload'.

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Ancient Roman wall collapses at Pompeii after flash storms

Rome (AFP) - Part of an ancient Roman wall has collapsed at the archaeological site of Pompeiii in southern Italy following flash floods and storms across the country, a spokeswoman said Saturday.

The wall, built with the Roman "opus incertum" technique using irregularly shaped stones and concrete, collapsed on a stretch of the ancient city’s external walls, near the Porta di Nola, in an area open to the public.

An archaeological team is assessing the damage but there is no risk to public safety, the spokeswoman told AFP.

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Bredon Hill Roman coins unveiled at Worcester museum

A hoard of Roman artefacts unearthed in the Worcestershire countryside is to go on show at a museum in the county.

Local metal detector enthusiasts Jethro Carpenter, 43, and Mark Gilmore, 47, discovered more than 3,800 coins in a clay pot at Bredon Hill, near Evesham.

The Roman haul - the county's largest ever - is mainly bronze coins dating back to the 3rd Century.

Featuring 16 different emperors, many will be shown at Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum from Saturday.

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Last chance to see city’s Roman dig site

ONE of the nation’s largest archaeological digs, which has unearthed a treasure trove of relics dating from the Roman era, is being opened up to the public for the last time at the weekend.

The excavations overseen by the York Archaeological Trust at the Hungate development are the most extensive in the city since the famous Coppergate dig more than a quarter of a century ago.

The five-year project comes to an end in December and visitors will have a final opportunity on Saturday to meet archaeologists, who will talk through some of the remarkable finds.


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Roman hoard of coins found on Bredon Hill

A FARMER has said metal detector enthusiasts “hit the jackpot” when they uncovered the largest hoard of Roman coins ever found in Worcestershire, on his family’s land at Bredon Hill.

About 4,000 coins, featuring 16 different Roman Emperors, were discovered in June this year and are thought to be of national significance. The farmer, who is not being named by the Journal, said the exact location of the find may never be revealed.

He said: “We were really taken aback and shocked by it.

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Roman barge comes up for air after 2,000 years

Archaeologists have recovered the final piece of a ship that sank in the river Rhone in France more than two millennia ago, which they hope will shed light on how the Romans led the way with globalization. Stuart McDill reports

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West Cumbrian dig uncovers Roman building

The first week of a 12-day excavation on land below Papcastle has uncovered remains of a Roman building which could have been used as a Roman bath house or a high status building.

Grampus Heritage is leading the community excavation on land owned by Robert and Edmund Jackson.

Archaeologists found evidence of walls of a large Roman building, shards of pottery and metal objects.

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Biggest haul of Roman gold in Britain could have been found

Details of the treasure remained sketchy and the identity of the lucky metal detecting enthusiast has not been revealed.

But it is understood Worcestershire County Council and the county coroner have been informed because of the potential archaeological significance.

The treasure, found at Bredon Hill, the site of an Iron Age fort in Worcestershire, is already being compared with the Staffordshire Hoard, the country's biggest ever find of Anglo Saxon gold.

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120 Roman Shoes Found in U.K.; "Substantial" Fort Find

About 60 pairs of sandals and shoes that once belonged to Roman soldiers have been unearthed at a supermarket construction site in Camelon, Scotland (see map), archaeologists say.

The 2,000-year-old leather footwear was discovered along with Roman jewelry, coins, pottery, and animal bones at the site, which is located at the northern frontier of the Roman Empire.

The cache of Roman shoes and sandals—one of the largest ever found in Scotland—was uncovered recently in a ditch at the gateway to a second century A.D. fort built along the Antonine Wall. The wall is a massive defensive barrier that the Romans built across central Scotland during their brief occupation of the region.

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Sandford Heath's 'Roman Road' is excavated in Dorset

An archaeological dig has begun on a Dorset footpath to determine whether or not it has Roman origins.

The straight path, known locally as "Roman Road", runs through Sandford Heath between Sandford and Station Road at Holton Heath.

Organisers say the path may have formed part of the main road between Wareham and Poole in the 18th Century.

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£25,000 Roman dig bid for Cockermouth

A £25,000 plan for a three-year Roman excavation project in Cockermouth will be drawn up.

Grampus Heritage has been given the cash by the Heritage Lottery Fund to work up the proposal.

Mark Graham, archaeologist for the non-profit organisation, said the aim was to build a picture of the Roman heritage along the banks of the River Derwent at Cockermouth and Papcastle.

The group will begin 12 days of excavation work on Monday on land below Papcastle, owned by Robert and Edmund Jackson.

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Melting Glaciers Reveal Ancient Artifacts

A well preserved male hunter’s coat from around the year 300 A.D. was found this summer in the Breheimen National Park, making it the oldest piece of clothing in the country.


The coat was found in the rock bed left by a melting glacier.

The warmer weather caused by climate change provides archaeologists, researchers and museums with new opportunities to find artifacts dating back hundreds of years. A new exhibition at the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo will feature all finds from the melting glaciers, most of which date back to Roman times.

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Roman Finds

Archaeological artefacts uncovered

Fresh finds have been made at the site of a Roman villa unearthed at one of the most important archaelogical sites in the South East. The discoveries were made by archaeologists and a huge team of volunteers digging at a clifftop at Folkestone.

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Roman artefacts found at Camelon Tesco site

Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of at least two Roman forts at a supermarket construction site near Falkirk.

Artefacts including bones, jewellery and coins were discovered at the development in Camelon.

Contractors Barr Construction, who are currently building a Tesco store on the site, are to put the excavated items on public display.

Experts believe the forts date back to the first and second centuries AD.

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Dig finds 2,000-year-old salting site at Willow Tree Fen

Archaeologists have been unearthing the story of a 2,000-year-old salt making site on the Lincolnshire fens.

Artefacts such as pottery, hair pins and tools have been found by volunteers at Willow Tree Fen, near Bourne.

Experts were invited to excavate the site by Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust prior to the area becoming a nature reserve.

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Bulgarian archeologists unearth unique mosaic in S. Bulgaria

Stara Zagora. Bulgarian archeologists have unearthed unique mosaic in the southern municipality of Stara Zagora, the press center of the municipality announced.

A team headed by Dimitar Yankov, chief curator of the Regional Museum of History in the city of Stara Zagora, held a press conference on Tuesday to brief the media about the find. The mosaic dates back to around the 3rd century and depicts a man and two women, all members of Dionysus’ entourage.

“The complex figures of dancing women suggest the mosaic was done by a great master. The clothes are in five shades of blue and the red color varies from pink to dark red. The figures are very fine. One of the women holds castanets in her hands and the other one holds other music instruments. The folds of their clothes suggest their knees are bent. Their ankles are bare and their legs move. There is play of light and shade,” said Dimitar Yankov and expressed hope the team’s further excavations would reveal more figures, including the one of Dionysus, the Greek god of grape harvest, winemaking and wine.

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Archaeologists in Roman Road dig at Sandford Heath

A GROUND-BREAKING archaeological search for an ancient Roman road starts in Purbeck next week.

Experts will excavate part of the straight footpath running through Sandford Heath, known locally as the Roman Road.

Historians hope this dig will, once and for all, answer whether the thoroughfare visible today was constructed over an ancient road built during Dorset’s Roman occupation.


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