All articles tagged with #ancient rome
Student protesters at Rome’s Liceo Cavour helped reveal a well-preserved mid-2nd century CE Roman villa buried beneath the school gym, including mosaics and frescoes; historians identified occupants such as senator Fabius Gallus and Umbria Albina. After six years and about €210,000 in restoration, city archaeologists plan to protect the site and eventually open it to the public in collaboration with the school.
Archaeologists near Pompeii used AI to create a digital portrait of a man who died during the AD 79 eruption, reconstructing his appearance as he fled toward the coast with another person. The reconstruction is based on excavation data from near Porta Stabia and is accompanied by artifacts like an oil lamp, iron ring, bronze coins, and a terracotta mortar believed to have shielded him. Conducted by the Pompeii Archaeological Park with the University of Padua, the project aims to make archaeological findings more accessible while grounding images in scientific evidence.
Researchers used AI to model and test possible rules for a stone Roman-era game board found in Coriovallum. Two AIs simulated various European games and produced wear patterns that matched the board, identifying a blocking-type game and marking the first use of AI-driven simulated play to help archaeologists identify an unfamiliar ancient board game, with implications that such games predated medieval Europe.
Long before modern markets, Romans grew wealth by diversifying investments: they stored gold and silver in secure vaults and traded metals by weight, while also investing in commodities like grain, olive oil, and wine through landholds that provided steady income. They bought artworks and real estate, and wills often left silver and gold as heirlooms. Prices fluctuated with new finds, imperial taxes, and political turmoil, but a varied portfolio helped preserve and grow wealth in an uncertain ancient economy.
The Column of Marcus Aurelius in Rome, completed in 193 AD, vividly depicts the emperor's military campaigns during the Marcomannic Wars through intricate carvings, reflecting both triumph and the brutal realities of war. Recent laser restoration in 2025 has enhanced its details, preserving this ancient monument's legacy amid centuries of wear.
A new digital atlas reveals that the network of roads in ancient Rome was nearly 50% longer than previously thought, expanding from 117,163 miles to about 186,000 miles, thanks to advanced technology and analysis of historical and satellite data.
A new digital atlas reveals that the ancient Roman road network was nearly 50% longer than previously thought, expanding from 117,163 miles to about 186,000 miles, thanks to advanced technology and archival research, providing deeper insights into Roman infrastructure and its impact on history.
A new map called Itiner-e has nearly doubled the known length of the ancient Roman road network to 300,000 km, revealing that only about 3% of these roads are precisely mapped. The project compiles extensive historical and archaeological data, showing that many Roman routes are still in use today and highlighting the need for further research to fully understand the empire's extensive infrastructure.
A 50 B.C. mosaic from Pompeii called Memento Mori depicts a skull, a level, and symbols of wealth and poverty, serving as a reminder of mortality and equality in death, and was found in a house that also operated as a tannery.
The article explores how historical patterns of authoritarianism in ancient Rome can help us understand and resist similar trends in the modern United States, emphasizing the role of art, architecture, and political institutions in consolidating power, with parallels drawn to contemporary figures like Donald Trump.
Survivors and opportunists returned to Pompeii after the 79 AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius, living in the upper floors of buildings and engaging in disorganized, lawless activities for about 400 years until the city was abandoned in the fifth century, with new excavations revealing clearer evidence of this reoccupation.
New archaeological evidence suggests that after the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, some survivors and others seeking valuables reoccupied Pompeii in precarious conditions, forming an informal settlement that persisted until the fifth century, revealing a more complex post-eruption history than previously understood.
New archaeological evidence indicates that after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, some survivors and others seeking settlement returned to live among the ruins of Pompeii, continuing to inhabit the site until the 5th century, in a makeshift community that lacked typical Roman infrastructure.
Archaeologists have found evidence that some survivors and new settlers reoccupied Pompeii after the AD79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius, living in precarious conditions in makeshift settlements within the ruins, challenging the previous notion that the city was completely abandoned after the disaster.
A new AI system called Aeneas has the potential to significantly enhance our understanding of ancient Rome by filling in missing parts of inscriptions, dating artifacts, and identifying their origins, thereby accelerating and improving historical research, despite some concerns about accuracy.