Roman Well Mystery: Seven Bodies, Four Different Ancestry Profiles
Ancient DNA from four of seven men buried at Roman Mursa shows varied ancestry. Bone wounds point to violence, while the burial’s exact cause remains uncertain.
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Anecdotes, historical facts, fictional stories and news curated from a small team of human writers, fascinated with Ancient Rome and its myriad myths and legends.
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Kapersburg Brooch Raises Questions About Life After Rome's German Frontier
A brooch and pottery near Kapersburg's Roman temple may point to later use of the site. New research adds context to the changing German frontier.
Horace: The Roman Poet of Friendship, Wine and Knowing When Enough Was Enough
Horace rose from the son of a freedman to one of Rome’s most celebrated poets, writing about friendship, wine, ambition, ageing and the difficult art of knowing when enough was enough.
Copenhagen’s Glyptotek Adds Roman Perfume to Its Fashion Exhibition
Four scent stations and three modern products reveal how the Glyptotek and Karmameju interpret Roman fragrance, from ancient texts to a sealed perfume flask.
Montenegro’s Roman City Had a Forum Long Before Diocletian
A study of Doclea’s forum and basilica in Montenegro places their main construction in the first century CE, before later work in Diocletian’s era.
Wall Paintings Found Near Ancient Smyrna’s Agora and Theater
Three late-antique rooms with mosaic and marble floors accompany newly reported wall paintings around Smyrna’s agora and theater in modern İzmir.
Marcus Attilius: The Novice Gladiator Who Beat Rome’s Veterans
A novice gladiator known from Pompeian graffiti, Marcus Attilius won two remarkable bouts against far more experienced fighters.
Forget Quiet Luxury: A Roman Fashion Exhibition Puts Power in Colour
A pink Tiberius, surviving tunics and imperial boots anchor the Glyptotek’s new exhibition on how Romans used appearance to present authority.
A Roman Ritual for Night Lightning Comes to Light at Hadrian’s Villa
An inscribed slab found in place at Hadrian’s Villa points to a Roman lightning rite. Its ancient parallels show what the evidence can – and cannot – tell us.
AI Maps the Sights and Sounds of Two Pre-Roman Etruscan Tombs
A study of two painted tombs at Tarquinia combines acoustic measurements and AI models to test how their spaces may have guided ancient visitors.
Scipio Aemilianus: The Roman Who Destroyed Carthage and Numantia
Born an Aemilius and adopted into the house of Scipio, Scipio Aemilianus built his reputation in Spain before becoming the conqueror of Carthage and Numantia.
The Surprising Roman Roots of Macaroni and Cheese
Cato layered grain dough with fresh cheese centuries before macaroni and cheese. His Roman recipes reveal a surprising backstory, with important differences.
Roman Colonies: How Rome Turned Conquest Into Control
Rome’s colonies were more than new towns. They redistributed land, strengthened control and changed the balance between settlers and existing communities.
Lost Roman Town with 8,000-Seat Amphitheater Mapped in Austria
Surveys at Stein in Lower Austria reveal a planned Roman settlement and an amphitheater estimated for 8,000 people. Its identification as Claudivium remains uncertain.
Forest Stones in Germany Identified as Roman Temple, Goddess Figure Discovered
Excavations at Kapersburg in Germany’s Taunus reveal a Roman temple, votive stones and a Victoria figure, while later finds raise questions about life beyond the Limes.
Ancient DNA Reveals Different Communities in Post-Roman Pannonia
A study of 314 genomes from seven cemeteries in former Roman Pannonia traces migration and shows how neighbouring sixth-century communities differed.
Roman Empire Anecdotes
The Warehouses That Fed Rome
Rome depended on warehouses at Ostia, Portus and along the Tiber to turn seasonal grain arrivals into a steady food supply for the capital.
Roman Empire News
Video: Pula’s Roman City Becomes a Stage for Light Art
Over three September evenings, Visualia brought projections and installations to Pula’s historic centre. The programme reached the Roman Forum and Small Roman Theatre.
Roman Empire News
AI Assists in Finding the Rules of Ancient Roman Board Game
A marked stone from Coriovallum fits several simulated blocking games. The study narrows the possibilities without recovering the exact rules Roman players used.
Roman Empire Anecdotes
Rome Recycled More Than We Think
Romans gave old materials surprisingly long lives. Glass, metal, pottery, textiles, papyrus and even buildings could be repaired, reused, sold or remade.
Roman Empire News
Watch: Metal Detectorist Finds 934 Roman Silver Coins Near Cologne
A reported 934 denarii recovered near Wesseling form an unusually large hoard from Hadrian’s era. Archaeologists have not identified who buried them or why.
Roman Empire News
2,000-Year-Old Roman Kitchen Found in Spain’s Ancient Segisamo
A kitchen from the age of Augustus and Tiberius preserves imported Roman cookware beside pottery rooted in local Turmogi traditions.
Roman Empire News
Rome Opens the Painted City and Great Mosaic Beneath Trajan’s Baths
Restored first-century wall art beneath the Baths of Trajan is now open in controlled visits, alongside new excavation results from Colle Oppio.
Roman Empire News
Ancient Roman Building and Metalworking Site Emerges in Ligornetto
Excavators at Stramonte have uncovered part of a second- to third-century Roman building, along with fire damage and evidence for metalworking nearby.
Roman Empire News
Roman Road Analysis Finds the Empire Did Not Revolve Around Rome
A new study of nearly 300,000 kilometres of Roman roads shows how terrain and provincial cities shaped a network that was not centred on Rome.
Roman Empire Anecdotes
How a Roman Emperor Answered His Mail
Roman emperors received petitions, reports, legal questions and requests from across the Empire. Here is how that imperial correspondence actually worked.
Roman Empire Anecdotes
Nannies of the Empire: The Wet Nurses Who Raised Roman Children
Roman wet nurses did far more than feed infants. They could shape a child’s speech, habits and earliest education, while sometimes remaining part of their lives for decades.
Roman Empire Anecdotes
Wine Is 8,000 Years Old. How Much Had the Romans Already Mastered?
Ancient vineyard practices, cellar instructions and judgements of quality complicate the idea that good wine is a modern achievement.
Roman Empire Anecdotes
Edicta Munerum: How Romans Advertised Gladiator Games
Painted across houses, baths and tombs, edicta munerum advertised gladiator games with dates, sponsors, fighters and extra attractions.
Roman Empire News
Annion and the Family Tombs of Roman-Era Chersonesus
A young woman’s probable identification connects human remains with a named family memorial in the cemetery outside Chersonesus.
Roman Empire Historical Facts
Dionysius of Halicarnassus: The Greek who Flourished during Roman Times
Not every account of the past aims to preserve memory alone. Some are crafted to impose order, meaning, and authority on events that resist easy explanation.
Roman Empire Anecdotes
Aulus Gellius: The Roman Who Wrote Down Everything He Found Interesting
Aulus Gellius filled the Attic Nights with notes on books, conversations, language, philosophy, law and the curious details he wanted to remember.