Articles tagged with Classical Archaeology
The study examines how the Odyssey has been systematically reinterpreted in light of historical and cultural dilemmas, showcasing its impact on modern human experience and characterization of scientific concepts. Female figures like Circe and Penelope are reimagined as symbols of autonomy and resistance in contemporary literature and t...
A new study recalibrates the argon-argon dating method, allowing for highly precise and accurate dating of volcanic eruptions. This improvement enables geologists to attach accurate dates to geologic events, including past eruptions of volcanoes that threaten urban areas, and helps ground-truth other dating methods.
Researchers replicate 2,000-year-old burned papyrus scrolls, test a new method to decipher Herculaneum texts using X-ray tomography and leaded ink detection. The study provides a simple way to identify scrolls with leaded ink, which can be virtually unrolled and read.
Researchers applied bioenergetic approach to evaluate competing theories about Hannibal's crossing, focusing on war elephants' energy demands. The study supports the Col de la Traversette as the more likely route, with an estimated energy cost of 5.42 TJ for the whole army.
Researchers from UCO and IQUEMA laboratories analyze pigments in Domus of Salvius to reveal sophisticated understanding of materials and effects. The mixture of cinnabar and iron oxide was applied in a unique way, with a layer of goethite protecting the expensive cinnabar.
The Ketton mosaic in Rutland depicts an alternative telling of the Trojan War, based on a lesser-known tragedy by Aeschylus. The research reveals that Roman British craftsmen were part of a wider network of trades passing design patterns down generations.
A new digital dataset reveals a 100,000 km increase in the Roman Empire's road network, covering over four million square kilometers. The Itiner-e dataset comprises 299,171 km of roads, with main roads making up 34.6% of total length.
The study establishes the earliest occupation at Karnak as around 2520 BCE, coinciding with the Old Kingdom period. Researchers also found a link between the temple's location and an Ancient Egyptian creation myth, where the high ground on which Karnak was built may have been seen as a manifestation of the creator god Ra-Amun.
Researchers found that elite individuals from Seddin, Germany, had foreign strontium signatures indicating travel from south Scandinavia and Central Europe. The study suggests Seddin was a hub of international connections between 900-700 BCE.
AutArch, an AI-powered software, automatically extracts data from archaeological drawings and photographs, combining it with existing information to answer specific questions about the past. The open-source tool has the potential to fundamentally transform data access and analysis in archaeology.
A new study published in PLOS One has found the first direct, physical evidence of human-animal combat from Europe during the Roman Empire, with a skeleton showing signs of bite marks from a large cat like a lion. This discovery provides new insight into the life and history of Roman-era England.
The discovery of a skeleton in a Roman cemetery in York has confirmed the presence of human-lion combat in ancient Rome. The skeleton shows bite marks consistent with a lion attack, providing direct physical evidence of gladiatorial combat between humans and lions.
A tree-ring study published in Climatic Change suggests that severe summer droughts in 364, 365 and 366 CE led to the 'Barbarian Conspiracy' of 367 CE. The researchers argue that these droughts triggered food shortages and reduced grain supply to Hadrian's Wall, providing a motive for the rebellion.