People: Roman Empire
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Archaeologists unearth an unknown Roman god
Unknown Roman god (photo: Peter Jülich) A Roman sanctuary is found in an ancient temple in the southeast of Turkey with a depiction of a mysterious and unknown Roman god in it. On it, the god rises up from a plant and may be a fusion of Near Eastern and Roman elements, and could be…
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History’s most unexpected veggies? The bloodthirsty Roman gladiators
According to popular belief, meat eaters are more aggressive and energetic than vegetarians . How is it then that some of the most brutal and aggressive warriors from history, Roman gladiators, ate mostly plants and grains? New research of the medical university of Vienna suggests just that. The researchers analyzed by spectroscopy the 1,800 year old…
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1800-year old’ soldiers letter deciphered
An ancient letter of an Egyptian soldier, Aurelius Polion, is finally deciphered. The letter was discovered in 1899, but was in very poor condition. Therefore, researchers have been waiting a long time to decipher it. Now this ancient writing has revealed its meaning, with impressive results. The tone of the letter is desperate. Aurelius wrote for…
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German archaeologists reveal spectacular ‘barbarian’ treasure
An amateur archaeologist looted an early medieval treasure site last week (DisputedPast reported). Officials of the German state Rhineland-Palantinate showed the treasure yesterday. Given the value of the precious golden and silver objects, it is easy to understand why the finder was reluctant to deliver the goods to the authorities. Fine golden ornaments, silver cutlery and other golden…
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The Ancient World by Bettany Hughes
Bettany Hughes shows the marvels of the ancient world by handpicking 7 subjects. Don’t expect the usual stuff when she takes you on a journey through ancient Greece, Egypt and the muslim empires of the 7th century A.D. In every episode, Hughes thoroughly investigates her subject, giving an objective view on the matter. Nonetheless, she…
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The Dark Ages: An Age of Light
Another nice BBC documentary, this time on the Dark Ages. Waldemar Januszczak shows that this period wasn’t just a gloomy and backward one. Because there are so few written sources from this period, the main focus lies on art, and how society is reflected therein. Episode 1: The Clash of the Gods The emergence of…
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A history of Britain (1): Beginnings
The first part of A history of Britain, a quality documentary on the British history. In this episode narrater Simon Schama start his story in the 4th millenium BC, the earliest date were there is proof of human presence on the island. The society of this pre-Roman perdiod is reconstructed, but thereafter the story turns…