Ancient Discoveries

Ancient Roman coins depict sundry sexual acts, but what were they for? The Romans  loved sex . The wrote  graphic poetry  about it, and  scrawled x-rated graffiti  on their city walls. They even emblazoned currency with depictions of sexual acts. But what purpose did this coinage serve?  Fair warning:  numismatic pornography after the jump – potentially NSFW. RELATED The Lost City of Pompeii: Pictures of an Alien World, Frozen in Time In the year 79 AD, Italy's Mt. Vesuvius erupted with superheated ash that rained fiery death on several Roman cities nearby. But none was hit… Read… The graffiti of Pompeii was downright raunchy, and absolutely hilarious Before being entombed with ash by Mount Vesuvius, Pompeii was a thriving city. There was government, there was infrastructure — and yes, there was…  Read… The racy coins in question are known as "spintriae." A single spintria is typically a little smaller than a m...

Israeli archaeologist: 'I have never found so much gold in my life!' Gold treasure trove unearthed at base of Temple Mount Byzantine-era coins and unique menorah medallion found by Hebrew University archaeologists at site abutting Southern Wall By  ILAN BEN ZION   September 9, 2013, 11:12 am   31 Share 1115 Email Print Share Byzantine-era gold coins found near the Southern Wall of the Temple Mount (photo credit: courtesy Ouria Tadmor/Hebrew University) WRITERS Ilan Ben Zion Ilan Ben Zion is a news editor at The Times of Israel. He holds a Masters degree in Diplomacy from  …  [More] Follow or contact: Twitter RSS NEWSROOM Email Facebook Twitter RELATED TOPICS JERUSALEM ARCHAEOLOGY ARCHAEOLOGY IN ISRAEL Hebrew University researchers on Monday announced the discovery of a rare trove of Byzantine-era gold and silver artifacts, the most impressive of which is a 10-centimeter solid gold medallio...

England’s Oldest Northerner - Archaeology Magazine England’s Oldest Northerner   Share Monday, September 09, 2013 (Courtesy Liverpool John Moores University) LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND—A fragment of human leg bone discovered in Cumbria’s Kents Bank in the 1990s has been found to be  more than 10,000 years old  by Ian Smith of Liverpool John Moores University and Hannah O’Regan of the University of Nottingham. “Previous cave burials of humans from around this date have been in southern England, with later dates further north,” explained Smith. The cave helped preserve the bones, which had been held in a museum for study.

Pictish Burial Unearthed in Scotland - Archaeology Magazine Monday, September 09, 2013 (University of Aberdeen) RHYNIE, SCOTLAND—In a grave lined with sandstone, a team of scientists from the universities of Aberdeen and Chester discovered fragments of leg, pelvis, and jaw bones that may have belonged to  Pictish royalty . “It is extremely rare to find any human remains from this era in the north east of Scotland as the soil in this part of the world is so acidic,” said Gordon Noble of the University of Aberdeen. The collapsed stones in the grave helped preserved the skeletal material. Pieces of medieval glass imported from western France and fine metal works were also found near the grave. Rhynie is known for its eight stones carved with Pictish symbols.

Eros mosaic found in southern Turkish city ADANA - Doğan News Agency Print Page Send to friend » The fishing Eros mosaic is said to be the one and only in the world. DHA photo A mosaic featuring an Eros figure fishing on horse has been found in the southern province of Adana’s Yumurtalık district. The half fish-half horse Eros, which is called Hippocampus in  Greek  mythology, is claimed to be the one and only such mosaic in the world.  Made up of marble, glass and stone, the mosaic is estimated to date back to the late Roman or early Byzantine era.  The Adana Museum Directorate has initiated archaeological excavations in the region where the mosaic was discovered. One week ago the existence of a villa was determined in the area. The villa was thought to be owned by a top state official and the Eros mosaic was revealed when a part of the villa was excavated.  Yumurtalık Deputy Mayor Erdol Erden said the Eros mosaic was found during a o...

Here's what third-century China thought about the Roman Empire Third-century China got around the ancient world. They even made it to the Roman Empire, and wrote down their thoughts on these strange foreigners in the  Weilüe ,  a third-century C.E. account of the interactions between the two nations. Here's what China had to say about their imperial neighbors! From a translation by  the University of Washington’s John E. Hill : This country (the Roman Empire) has more than four hundred smaller cities and towns. It extends several thousand  li  in all directions. The king has his capital (that is, the city of Rome) close to the mouth of a river (the Tiber). The outer walls of the city are made of stone. This region has pine trees, cypress, sophora, catalpa, bamboo, reeds, poplars, willows, parasol trees, and all sorts of plants. The people cultivate the five grains [traditionally: rice, glutinous and non-glutinous millet, wheat and beans], and t...