The Hallaton Helmet faces its own modern replica. (Photo: Leicestershire County Council Museums)

Before the Romans arrived on what is now English soil in 43 CE, the United Kingdom was filled with local tribal kingdoms. The powerful empire successfully conquered the island despite resistance, bringing the new province of Britannia into the imperial fold. About 40,000 soldiers facilitated this conquest—a mix of foot soldiers and cavalry, high command, and lowly troops. This invasion changed the course of British history demographically, politically, and economically. It also left behind relics of a changing world. Among these is the Hallaton Treasure, discovered in Leicestershire, England. Most prominent in this Iron Age trove is a helmet and seven cheekpieces of iron and silver, ornately designed with Roman-style figures. Finally restored and painstakingly replicted, the helmet is now on display at the Harborough Museum.

The helmet was discovered buried in 2001 and initial identification of the metallic, rusted mass was slow. The painstaking ultra-delicate restoration was conducted at the British Museum to bring the helmet to its present state of about 80 percent restoration. The helmet is crafted from iron and dates to the first century CE. It is shaped with reliefs of laurels and lions, as well as a goddess on the forehead. On one of the cheekpieces discovered with the main helmet, a Roman emperor and a winged Victory glide victorious over the conquered.

“It is one of a handful of silver-plated helmets ever found in Europe,” Helen Sharp of the Leicestershire County Council museums tells the BBC. “It is extremely high-status; it would have been worn by an extremely high-status officer, and it just shows how well connected the Leicester area was at the time.”

The magnificent piece was not lost but likely buried purposefully in a ritual. The Hallaton Fieldwork group of volunteers and the University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS) discovered over 5,000 coins nearby, buried in troves that seem to be offerings at a sacred site. The helmet was found with coins and pig remains. Iron Age Britons often used pork for special feasts.

While the helmet's reason for burial is unknown, its presence within an area that functioned as a shrine even prior to the turbulent time of Roman conquest is significant. “Archaeologists believe that the site is a type of open-air shrine that is the first of its kind to have been discovered in the UK. It was located on a hilltop and was probably enclosed by a ditch with a palisade to one side,” the Harborough Museum writes.

Visitors are now able to view the restored helmet at the museum, on display with cheekpieces and other aspects of the treasure. Two craftsmen have also replicated the helmet. Rajesh Gogna of De Montfort University used CAD 3D-design technology to create a resin model, which he then covered in silver. One copy is on display with the original at Harborough Museum, while another was given to Hallaton Museum. Archeologist Francesco Galluccio also made a replica with traditional metalworking techniques. Both replicas allow viewers a glimpse at the original glory of the helmet, in order to understand how remarkable find it is.

This ancient Romain helmet discovered in the United Kingdom is rich in detail and magnificent in craftsmanship.

The helmet was found with a series of contemporaneous cheekpieces. (Photo: Leicestershire County Council Museums)

Part of the remarkable Hallaton Treasure, the helmet has recently been restored, and replicas have been produced, bringing its true beauty to light.

3D technology helped create the replica resin helmet produced by Rajesh Gogna. (Photo: Leicestershire County Council Museums)

h/t: [Smithsonian Magazine]

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READ: Discover the Hallaton Helmet, a Newly Restored Piece of Ancient Roman Armor

The silver denarius discovered in Bremen, Germany. (Photo: Kulturresort/Bremen Culture Department)

Roman coins are usually found by archeologists throughout Europe; however, they are more rare in some locations. For example, in the city of Bremen, Germany, Roman coins are exceedingly rare. That is because the ancient empire, while massive, only reached into lower Germany rather than as far northwest as Bremen. As a result, until a recent discovery, only two remarkable Roman coins had been uncovered in the city. But the play and curiosity of an 8-year-old boy named Bjarne added one more exceptional find to this short list. While playing in a sandbox at his school, Bjarne discovered a second-century CE silver denarius dating to the reign of Marcus Aurelius.

Bjarne, who is now 9, found a silvery object in the sand and took it home. His parents sent an image of the find to archeologists, who upon closer physical inspection of the object determined it was a Roman coin dating back  more than 1,800 years. “We are glad that Bjarne was so careful,” declared archeologist Uta Halle in a statement from the government in Bremen. “[This is] very special, because there have only been two comparable coin finds from the Roman Empire in the city of Bremen.” The two other finds occurred in the 20th century. This particular coin dates to the second-century reign of Marcus Aurelius. As with other coins of this specific time period, the coin is quite light in silver due to “coin deterioration” as inflation soared. It likely ended up in Bremen, outside the empire, either by human trade or natural movement of rivers.

The coin, as an important historic find, belongs to the government. It may in future go on display at the Focke Museum. The local government in a statement applauded Bjarne for his “alertness and curiosity.” He was given archeology books to nurture a passion for future discovery. The young amateur archeologist generously wants to share his find with the world. He told Newsweek, “The coin goes to the Focke Museum. It can stay there—and I can look at it at any time. And others can too.”

A 8-year-old boy in Bremen, Germany, was playing in a sandbox when he discovered a Roman coin from over 1,800 years ago.

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Photo: A. Rozwadowski; drawing: Polish-Peruvian research team (CC BY 4.0 DEED)

Rock art always presents fascinating—sometimes mysterious—insight into the lives of ancient humans. What did they value enough to carve into stone? What do the patterns and designs mean? Some things, such as paintings or etchings of game and hunters, tell a clearer story. Others may raise questions with more ephemeral implications. Feelings, magic, and music might all lurk behind the engravings of prehistoric hands. In the Peruvian desert, a large collection of pre-Columbian rock art engravings at Toro Muerto depicts repetitive, dancing human figures. Surrounding them are countless zig-zags and squiggles. A new paper suggests these are petroglyphic representations of music played at psychedelic religious ceremonies.

The desert region of Toro Muerto contains thousands of petroglyphs carved into the rock by ancient artists. Dancers, danzantes, appear often. Surrounding them are lightning-like lines as well as dots and hash marks. Researchers have long wondered what these might be: lightning, water, or something else. The new paper suggests that the lines might, in fact, represent music and sound pulsing through the air. The researchers compared this to the art of the Tukano culture in the Colombian rainforest. In that culture's artwork, geometric designs are thought to represent the psychedelic state felt during the sacred use of ayahuasca.

Songs in this culture were a way to transport oneself to the beginning of time. Geometric patterns were a way of visually conveying spiritual energy. “Bearing in mind the universality of this motif in the iconography of pre-Columbian America,” the authors write, “we cannot exclude the fact that in this case, too, the construction of this motif may have been a matter of convention, and the representation of an idea known more broadly and earlier.”

In short, the zig-zags of the Peruvian rocks may be music used in religious psychedelic ceremonies. While there is no way to know for sure, this postulation offers an intriguing window into the religious and artistic culture of ancient South America.

The desert region of Toro Muerto in Peru contains thousands of petroglyphs carved into the rock by ancient artists.

Photo: A. Rozwadowski (CC BY 4.0 DEED)

Photo: J.Z. Wołoszyn (CC BY 4.0 DEED)

Photo: Polish-Peruvian research team, compiled by J.Z. Wołoszyn (CC BY 4.0 DEED)

These pre-Columbian rock art drawings depict what is thought to be music and dancing at psychedelic religious ceremonies.

Photo: A. Rozwadowski; tracing: Polish–Peruvian research team, CC BY 4.0 DEED

Photo: Desana artist Luiz Lana. Redrawn by A. Rozwadowski after Umusĩ Pãrõkumu & Tõrãmũ Kẽhíri 1995, fig. 33 / A, Rozwadowski et al., CC BY 4.0 DEED

h/t: [IFL Science]

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READ: Ancient Rock Art Depicts Psychedelic Music and Dance in Peru

The silver thimble recently discovered. (Photo: National Museum Cardiff)

Sewing is a vital life skill, and before industrial clothing production, it was even more crucial to learn. It can also be a tricky craft; one that many have unintentionally pricked their finger from. And so human kind invented the thimble, a tiny piece of armor for your finger to prevent from pinpricks. A particularly interesting, engraved example was recently unearthed by a man who was out metal detecting in Wales near Carew Castle. The 17th-century silver tool provides insight into the romantic culture of the day.

“I was out detecting under the shade of an oak tree and was having no luck, until I changed the program and found a great crisp signal,” the finder, Rob Edwards, explained in a statement. “At first I thought it may be a sixpence, but to my surprise it was something silver—and not a coin! It wasn’t until later when I saw the similar waffle pattern on another thimble that I knew I had found something special. To be honest, my cousin (who is also my detecting partner) was a little jealous!”

Naturally, this find piqued Edwards’ interest. “I like to think about who used it,” he admits. “Was it used in the castle I could see over the way? Did someone get in trouble when it was lost? I’m very happy that I’ve been able to share it with the rest of you.”

Thimbles are fascinating pieces of history, reflecting craftsmanship and social relations of the day. This particular thimble is made of silver, two pieces soldered together centuries ago. It likely dates to between 1682 and 1740. It bears an incised basket-like pattern all around the word surface. However, most interestingly, it bears an engraving around the base in capital letters: “LYKE STIL AND LOVE EVER.” According to ARTnet's Verity Babbs, the inscription means (in modern parlance) “like enduringly, love forever.” This is a “posy” inscription. These were common decorative motifs on rings, often given between lovers. A thimble, which was part of a woman's essential sewing kit at the time, could be a romantic gift as well.

The thimble, turned over to the government under British treasure laws, will perhaps remain in Wales if a local museum purchases it. From the soil to a museum, it's delightful to see a snippet of a love story from the past.

A thimble, with a sweet and loving engraving, was found by a metal detectorist in Wales—unearthing a love story near the grounds of a castle.

A thimble-maker depicted in 1568. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain)

h/t: [Smithsonian Magazine]

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Photo: Parco Arcaeologico di Pompei

Pompeii remains a city of wonders rising from the ashes. Excavations at the site have taken place since the 18th century in spurts. As a new excavation, which began about a year ago, progresses, more evidence of ancient Roman life in the city continue to emerge. The latest breathtaking discovery is a hall with stunning fresco paintings depicting scenes of mythology. The small figural scenes float on a background painted black, giving it the apt nickname of “the black room” within the large and expensive home. Such a discovery has led to crucial preservation efforts to make sure the stunning scenes are protected from the elements.

The room is found within a rich man's home, likely belonging to Aulus Rustius Verus, based on his repeated monogram found around the home. Dr. Sophie Hay, of the Pompeii Archeological Park, told the BBC: “We know him from other political propaganda in Pompeii. He's a politician. He's super-rich. We think he may be the one who owns the posh house behind the bakery and the laundry.” Within the living quarters was a gorgeous reception hall painted in red with illustrated columns. The black room itself has a rich white mosaic floor, very well preserved over the centuries. Beside the residential areas is a separate bakery and laundry, the former of which has recently yielded sobering evidence of enslaved, imprisoned labor.

The walls of the black room may have been so decorated to disguise smoke stains from lighting. Its panels, outlined in white, feature figural groupings. The style is known as Third Style frescos which would have been popular right before the explosion of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. One can spy Apollo, the god, trying to seduce a disinterested Cassandra, a priestess. Paris kidnaps Helen of Troy, kicking off the Trojan war, while a sad looking dog looks on. And Zeus poses as a swan to enchant Queen Leda of Sparta in a truly beautiful artistic rendering.

While dining in the 20-foot-by-49-foot space, director Dr. Gabriel Zuchtriegel told the BBC, “In the shimmering light, the paintings would have almost come to life.” Preservation is underway—covering sites from the elements, injecting glue behind frescos so they do not fall apart, and generally preserving these astonishing pieces of history.

An ongoing dig at the ancient city of Pompeii keeps turning up new exciting finds—including a room painted black with frescoes telling mythological stories.

Photo: Parco Arcaeologico di Pompei

Apollo, Cassandra, Paris, and Helen of Troy all appear.

Photo: Parco Arcaeologico di Pompei

The room is part of a large house, richly decorated, which was clearly under construction at the time of the volcanic eruption.

Photo: Parco Arcaeologico di Pompei

Photo: Parco Arcaeologico di Pompei

Photo: Parco Arcaeologico di Pompei

Photo: Parco Arcaeologico di Pompei

Photo: Parco Arcaeologico di Pompei

Photo: Parco Arcaeologico di Pompei

 

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h/t: [Hyperallergic, BBC]

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A gleaming gold necklace. (Photo: Museo Arqueológico de Asturias)

The Celts were an Iron Age culture spread across northern and western Europe. Powerful tribes ruled swaths of land in Spain, among other regions. Known for intricate stonework designs and stunning gold jewelry, the Celts were a powerful artistic and military presence. Jewelry in particular was a status symbol for the wealthy among this community, and finding it in situ is a rare opportunity to learn more about this ancient society. In August 2023, two 2,500-year-old gold necklaces known as “torcs” were discovered by a Spanish water worker engaged in surveying lands near Cavandi in Asturias—a unique and beautiful discovery.

The worker, Sergio Marciandi, spotted a flash of gold among rocks. It turned out to be a twisted gold choker. The necklace has been exposed through time after likely being buried by its ancient owner in a treasure hoard. Recent rockslides may have exposed it after centuries. Marciandi alerted Pablo Arias, an archaeologist at the University of Cantabria, to the find. Arias and researchers from the Asturias Archaeological Museum excavated the site, discovering another necklace. The latter was broken, but nearly as impressive as the first.

Both torcs demonstrate clear evidence of wear by their ancient owners based on rub patterns on the metal. “Not everyone could afford one of these necklaces,” Arias told CNN, so the owners were likely well to do. The current estimate for the jewelry's age is about 2,500 years, placing them in a time of Celt power in the region.

The modern discovery of these torcs—which are formed of a central rod, metal spirals, and engraved designs—provides more opportunity to study the artifacts. They can also be compared to discoveries in the region centuries ago where provenance was not properly recorded. “We have very precise information about where they were found,” notes Arias. “It’s quite exceptional.” While much of the meaning of these necklaces remains to be discovered, their discovery was ideal for finding out more about Iron Age inhabitants of the region.

Two exquisite Celtic torcs from Iron Age Iberia were discovered by accident in northwestern Spain, providing a window into the past.

One of the engraved torcs. (Photo: Museo Arqueológico de Asturias)

h/t: [Smithsonian Magazine, CNN]

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The woods are historically the site of fairy tales and fantasy, relaxation and beauty. From hiking to photography, endless hobbies can be indulged in among the trees. For a young Frenchman in 2022, it was his daily walks with his dog that took him into the local woods in Montouliers in southern France. Damien Boschetto, now 25, and his dog Muffin stumbled upon a dinosaur skeleton in a rock slab which had been recently exposed by a landslide. The almost perfectly intact titanosaur skeleton dates back 70 million years, and it is an exciting find that has only recently been made public.

Boschetto has kept the discovery secret for the past two years to allow researchers to excavate the site safely and in peace. The amateur paleontology enthusiast collaborated on the dig with the Archaeological and Paleontological Cultural Association (ACAP) at the local Cruzy Museum. He told France Bleu, “They were fallen bones, therefore isolated. We realized after a few days of excavations that they were connected bones.” The sandstone made for a difficult excavation but the team (and Muffin) did their best. Their hard work revealed an incredibly intact 70-million-year-old dinosaur skeleton of a titanosaur, a type of massive herbivore with a long neck.

Dating to the Cretaceous period, the skeleton's anatomical completeness and arrangement made it an exceptional find. The skeleton, tidied up, will be on view at the Cruzy Museum. As for Boschetto, the discovery seems to have changed his life path. Formerly in the energy industry, the Frenchman has decided to return to school to pursue a master's degree in paleontology. He may have a hard time discovering anything bigger than this massive 30-foot-long fossil for a while, but one can only imagine his talent for fossil finding and the loyal help of Muffin will reveal hidden wonders in the local woods.

A young Frenchman named Damien Boschetto was walking his dog Muffin when they came across a giant discovery.

 

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They discovered a massive and largely complete titanosaur fossil in the woods of southern France.

 

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h/t: [GOOD, ABC, People]

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Photo: James Dobson, © National Trust Images

The Roman Empire first invaded Britain in 43 CE, beginning a continual imperial presence that lasted until the fall of the empire in the 5th century. The Roman occupation brought villas, bathhouses, military encampments, and, of course, Roman religion to the land. Many of the remains of the Roman period have been discovered during excavations or construction projects—including bathhouses, mosaics, and items such as coins. A new discovery of a small ceramic head at Smallhythe Place in Kent, England, has indicated a previously unknown Roman settlement. This rare clay find is an exciting window into ancient Britain.

Researchers were digging at the site in search of archeological evidence of medieval shipbuilding activities between the 13th and 15th centuries. In the process, they discovered a small white ceramic head of a small statue. It depicts Mercury, the Roman patron god of shopkeepers and merchants, who is often depicted with wings on his sandals or hat.

The head dates to a previously unknown Roman occupation of the area between the first and third centuries CE. It was once attached to a small portable statue that would have been used for worship in the home or taken as an offering to a temple. It is possible the statue broke over the centuries or perhaps was smashed in a ritual.

The find is especially rare due to the material of the head. According to a statement from the National Trust,”Pipeclay figurines were made of clays local to central Gaul (modern-day France) and the Rhine-Moselle region and were imported; however, most pipeclay figurines found in Britain are of female deities, the majority being of Venus.” Not only is this find of Mercury with his winged cap, but it was also typically crafted from metal in Roman Britain. Nathalie Cohen, an archeologist at the National Trust, said, “Our excavations at Smallhythe revealed previously undiscovered Roman activity, dating from the 1st-3rd centuries [CE], where we found tiles stamped with the mark of the Roman fleet (the Classis Britannica), ceramics including an intact pot, and evidence for buildings, boundary features, and pits—which provide tantalizing clues to the nature of this riverside community.”

The Mercury head, along with other finds from the excavation, is now on view at Smallhythe Place.

The discovery of a tiny Roman statue head depicting the Roman god Mercury in Kent, England, has helped identify a previously undiscovered Roman-era settlement.

 

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The Roman god mercury, here portrayed on a third-century BCE coin, discovered elsewhere. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 DEED)

h/t: [CNN]

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Canoe Marmotta 1 on display in the Museo delle Civiltà in Rome. (Photo: Gibaja et al.)

Have you heard of La Marmotta? It’s ok if you haven’t, as this ancient Italian site has only recently burst onto the international research scene. Discovered in 1989 submerged under a lake north of Rome, the Neolithic village was mostly studied by Italian researchers until recently. Now, an international cohort of academics are shedding new light on life in the ancient town with a paper in PLOS One. By studying and dating the five wooden dugout canoes discovered at the site, the researchers have announced they are the oldest such boats found in this portion of the Mediterranean region.

La Marmotta lies under Lake Bracciano which connects 23 miles of winding rivers to the Mediterranean sea. Countless exceptionally well-preserved remnants of ancient life have been documented since its discovery decades ago. Wooden buildings (some with wooden floors) populate the area. The specific conditions of the water have preserved such organic material from bacteria. Pottery, plants, and basketry have all been discovered. Scattered among the houses were the canoes, created from single tree trunks using fire and manpower. One canoe even had a fascinating wood appendage with drilled holes, indicating how the canoe was used to transport cargo.

The canoes are made of different kinds of wood, suggesting sophisticated ancient seamen chose their materials strategically for different uses and conditions. Two are of alder, one of oak, one of poplar, and one of beech. According to the researchers, “The Quercus [oak] timber is characterized by considerable density and weight. It would provide tough wood and resistant to decay and available in different lengths and diameters. The advantage of Quercus is the presence of tyloses within the vessels, which lessen the permeability of its wood. … The lightness of Alnus [alder] wood together with its resistance to splitting and cracking could have been an advantage for its use.”

By sampling tiny bits of each canoe, the team used radiocarbon dating to estimate the age of the canoes. They turned out to be the oldest known Neolithic boats. Their ages date back to about between 5700 and 5100 BCE, meaning the canoes are over 7,000 years old. At this time, Neolithic humans were settling internal Italy, using canoes for trade and transport. They may likely have been rigged with sails and other advanced nautical gear like outriggers, depending on the canoe and its use.

These boats also demonstrate the impressive long-term trade of the region. Scientists using a similar canoe in the 1990s traveled 500 miles, so the horizon was the limit for a motivated Neolithic sailor. “This technical complexity must be linked to social organisation in which some specialists were dedicated to particular tasks,” the team wrote. They conclude, “In this way, La Marmotta is causing a literal sea change in our view of those first Neolithic farming groups.”

Five ancient canoes found under a lake north of Rome are the oldest Neolithic examples discovered in the Mediterranean.

Excavating Canoe 5. (Photo: Gibaja et al.)

Canoe 3. (Photo: Gibaja et al.)

Well-preserved and well-crafted, these boats are re-writing nautical history.

Canoe 2. (Photo: Gibaja et al.)

A piece of Canoe 1's construction. (Photo: Gibaja et al.)

h/t: [Smithsonian Magazine]

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Dolia in Ostia Antica, Italy (Photo: AlMare via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)

The inhabitants of the ancient world routinely drank alcoholic beverages, as they were often safer than potentially polluted water. The ancient Romans were no different, as wine was a central part of their culture. By all estimates, they also drank a lot of it. Recently, archaeologists have been able to determine what their wine tasted like, allowing us to sense the flavor of the past.

According to a study published in Antiquity, Roman wine tasted somewhat spicy and smelled like “toasted bread, apples, roasted walnuts, and curry.” It typically had a unique orange tint in addition to its unique flavor, but the color of the wine could vary from white to golden to black, depending on the grapes used.

“By using the techniques we describe in our paper, the Romans were able to make much better, more tasty, and much more stable wines than is commonly assumed,” shared lead author and archeologist Dimitri Van Limbergen.

Traditionally, Roman wine was stored in dolia, large clay vessels that were partially buried in the ground. According to the researchers, this practice led to the spicy flavor of the wine, as the pH and temperature were well controlled as it aged.  Dolia were common in everyday Roman homes and are similar to vessels called qvevri, which are still used in traditional winemaking in Georgia.

This is a far cry from the stainless steel tanks that wine is often brewed in today, and researchers believe that the unique Roman choice of storage contributed to the wine's unique characteristics.

A recent study revealed that ancient Roman wine had a somewhat spicy flavor and smelled like “toasted bread, apples, roasted walnuts, and curry.”

Photo: efesenko/Depositphotos

Romans fermented and stored their wine vessels called dolia, which are similar to earthenware pots still used in traditional winemaking in Georgia.

Qvevri being buried in a winery in Georgia. (Photo: Levan Gokadze via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0)

h/t: [Smithsonian Magazine]

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READ: Archaeologists Have Determined What Ancient Roman Wine Tasted Like