Feb 07 2010
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Jan 29 2010
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Lost acqueduct [sic] and beautiful nymphaeum rediscovered near Rome on 1900th aniversary after inauguration.
“The primary source of the Emperor Trajan’s Aqueduct, the Aqua Traiana, has been identified north of Rome by British HD documentary team Michael and Edward O’Neill on the 1900th anniversary of the aqueduct’s inauguration.”
Jan 28 2010
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Penises and caustic soda: the case of the Cambridge antiquities
A highly provocative title for an article about restoration/conservation issues in the Fitzwilliam Museum.
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Ambassador or slave? East Asian skeleton discovered in Vagnari Roman Cemetery
“A team of researchers announced a surprising discovery during a scholarly presentation in Toronto last Friday. The research team, based at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada, has been helping to excavate an ancient Roman cemetery at the site of Vagnari in southern Italy. Led by Professor Tracy Prowse, they’ve been analyzing the skeletons found there by performing DNA and oxygen isotope tests.
“The surprise is that the DNA tests show that one of the skeletons, a man, has an East Asian ancestry – on his mother’s side. This appears to be the first time that a skeleton with an East Asian ancestry has been discovered in the Roman Empire.”
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Jan 27 2010
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Cyprus antiquities smuggling ring broken up
“Police in Cyprus have broken up a smuggling ring that was trying to sell stolen antiquities worth more than 11m euros (£9.6m), officials say.”
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“Two British film-makers have discovered what they believe to be the source of the 1,900-year old aqueduct built by the emperor Trajan in the early second century AD.
“The underground chambers were found – and filmed – after some years of research into Roman hydraulics by the documentary-makers Ted O’Neill and his father Michael O’Neill.
“According to Ted, it took some perseverance to find the location, which was hidden beneath a disused church some 30-40km north-west of Rome. Despite difficulties and delays in getting access to the site, the O’Neills were finally able to enter the underground chambers of the church in June 2009.”
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Falling crane damages the Casa dei Casti Amanti at Pompeii?
Blogging Pompeii has a breakdown on the coverage on this story. It seems that a construction crane fell into the house, damaging over 30 meters of frescoed walls. Yet the superintendent and other officials are attempting to cover up the story.
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Jan 23 2010
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'Antiquities Theft in Israel' exhibition robbed
“On Wednesday burglars broke into the a museum in Ashdod where hundreds of artefacts recovered from the black market were on show and snatched several valuable items, including a silver ring belonging to Alexander the Great.
“The newspaper Haaretz said the robbers also took ancient silver coins and other items from archaeological digs including a bronze spear, two gold earrings, some pottery and coins from the Hellenistic period.
“The exhibit at the Korin Maman Museum in the coastal city of Ashdod was set up to educate the Israeli public about efforts to tackle antiquities theft.”
Jan 18 2010
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Top 10 Passions of Ancient Rome: Sex, Binge Drinking, and the Culture of Pleasure
A new book by Ray Laurence.
