News
Roman Concrete Had “Self-Healing” Properties, Study Finds
Researchers say the presence of mineral deposits known as “lime clasts” could explain why these ancient structures remain standing.
Ancient Rome
News
Hobbyist With Metal Detector Discovers Enigmatic Roman Artifact
The 1,600-year-old fragment was part of a dodecahedron, a mysterious object that experts believe may have been linked to the occult.
News
Fresco of Well-Endowed God Unveiled in Pompeii
The grotesquely large phallus belongs to the fertility god Priapus, a tragic figure in Roman mythology.
Art
Why Did Roman Baths Disappear?
New research contests the myth that it was Christianity's opposition to public nudity that led to the decline in large-scale bathing in the late Roman Empire.
News
Ancient Romans Snacked on Pizza at the Colosseum
An archeological exploration of the amphitheater’s sewers and water systems uncovered remnants of meat, vegetables, olives, nuts, and yes, pizza.
News
Disgruntled American Tourist Smashes Roman Busts at the Vatican
The 65-year-old man was reportedly angry that he was not granted a meeting with the Pope.
News
2,000-Year-Old Hercules Statue Unearthed in Greece
The statue was found in a town square in Philippi and adorned a building that may have been a public fountain in the Byzantine period.
News
Ancient Roman Mosaic in Danger of Falling Into the Sea
The floor mosaic is part of a 50-dwelling Roman villa built in the second century on a cliff in Kent that is in danger of falling into the sea.
News
“Unusually Large” Roman-Era Stone Phallus Impresses Archaeologists
The discovery confirms that it’s not the length of the history that matters, so much as its breadth.
Art
Met Exhibition Brings Back the Color to Ancient Sculptures
Chroma: Ancient Sculpture in Color reminds us, once again, that our view of the ancient world is whitewashed.
News
1,700-Year-Old Penis Graffiti Found at Ancient Roman Site
A stone was carved with a phallus and the words "Secundinus, the shitter."
News
Woman Finds 2,000-Year-Old Roman Bust at a Texas Goodwill
The sculpture, which she bought for $34.99, is now on view at the San Antonio Museum of Art.