A report on recent work at Bathonea, a port city and playground of the ancient elite near Istanbul. The site is immense; the sea wall alone is multiple miles long. This site will yield insights into Byzantine, Roman, and Greek civilization for years to come.
Istanbul Yields a Treasure Trove in Ancient Bathonea – NYTimes.com.
Great article in Nature about the state of Aegean underwater archaeology, including a brief synopsis of the famous bronze-age Ulu Burun shipwreck and the effect of trawling fisherman on archaeological remains.
Underwater archaeology: Hunt for the ancient mariner : Nature
A short article with some good pictures. For those unfamiliar with Ostia, it is a different sort of “Pompeii,” preserved very well, although because of abandonment rather than a volcanic eruption. The picture I’ve chosen below is a street where the insulae are still preserved up to the third floor.
Imperial Romes Great Ancient Seaport City | Popular Archaeology – exploring the past.
Ancient advice (literally!) on how to win an election – Political Bookworm – The Washington Post.
In case any hadn’t heard there is nothing new under the sun.
Many of my history teacher friends will say that the most important lesson that they teach our students is what history actually is. History is not what happened. History is the process by which we understand the past. It is a constructive, dynamic process, ever-changing and prone to be colored by whatever rosy-colored glasses we are wearing at any given time.
History is always selective. In the words of Imre Galambos (as reported by Peter Hessler in Oracle Bones), “In order to write a story, and create meaning out of events, you deny other possible interpretations. The history of . . any great culture [is] written at the expense of other stories that have remained silent.” History never gives us the full picture under the best of circumstances, and under the worst history can be manipulated. Like archaeology, history is always political.
More cultural loss as a result of war. Sad photos indeed.
Pictures: Fire Destroys “Temple of Knowledge” in Egypt.
Here’s one:
Can’t wait to find out more about this one. Using ground-penetrating radar, archaeologists have found a very complete gladiator training area in the area of ancient Carnuntum (east of Vienna, Austria). If size indicates importance in the community, the school was very important. There are a few pictures in the various articles posted around the internet (see one below). A brief quotation:
Mapped out by radar, the ruins of the gladiator school remain underground. Yet officials say the find rivals the famous Ludus Magnus — the largest of the gladiatorial training schools in Rome — in its structure. And they say the Austrian site is even more detailed than the well-known Roman ruin, down to the remains of a thick wooden post in the middle of the training area, a mock enemy that young, desperate gladiators hacked away at centuries ago.
Other articles (compiled by rogueclassicism):
http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=50277
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,784726,00.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-europe-14795756
http://english.aljazeera.net/video/europe/2011/09/2011964401518417.html
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gc2M_D6e3-fiSCyYF4tviqmu5pDw?docId=c794ba51cdf04818a7c5cb077c86c90f
http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/09/07/sensational-discovery-ancient-gladiator-school-found-east-of-vienna/
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2011/09/06/Roman-gladiator-school-located-in-Austria/UPI-42561315348881/
http://www.zmescience.com/science/archaeology/gladiator-school-06092011/
http://www.artmediaagency.com/en/27857/school-for-roman-gladiators-discovered-in-austria/
http://www.tampabay.com/news/ruins-in-austria-housed-gladiators/1189929
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/history/ruins-reveal-how-roman-gladiators-won-their-spurs-2349802.html
http://news.scotsman.com/world/Massive-gladiator-school-is-found.6831299.jp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp65sdQcXVY (video)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2034020/Archaeologists-discover-remains-Roman-gladiator-school-Austria.html
http://morningjournal.com/articles/2011/09/05/news/doc4e64e98a42606077849892.txt
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=14450025
http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-09-unique-roman-gladiator-unveiled-austria.html
http://www.news.com.au/technology/sci-tech/scientists-discover-gladiator-school-in-vienna-was-a-prison-for-criminals-and-slaves/story-fn5fsgyc-1226130379575
