An ancient burial containing chariots, gold artifacts and possible human sacrifices has been discovered by archaeologists in the country of Georgia, in the south Caucasus. (more…)
A rare 16th century gold sundial and compass ring, possibly German, circa 1570. The hinged oval bezel designed as a seal and engraved with a coat of arms, opening to reveal a sundial and compass, on a plain gold hoop. . . .
“Archaeologists in Rome have unearthed a massive section of the ancient port city of Ostia, shedding new light on the city’s historical significance.
Researchers for the Portus Project — an archaeology initiative led by Britain’s Southampton University and Cambridge University — working in collaboration with the British School at Rome and top Roman archaeologists discovered a new boundary wall that greatly extends the Ostia city limits. In the new geophysical survey, archaeologists also found massive warehouses the size of footballs fields which most likely held imported goods before they were sent on to Rome.
”Our results are of major importance for our understanding of Roman Ostia and the discoveries will lead to a major rethink of the topography of one of the iconic Roman cities in the Mediterranean,” Professor Simon Keay, director of the Portus Project, told The Telegraph.
The new findings counter a previously held belief that the Tiber River, which flows into the Mediterranean Sea, was Ostia’s northern border. The recent excavation, however, shows that Ostia’s land continued on the other side of the river. This new area was referred to in antiquity as Isola Sacra, or Sacred Island. . . . . ”
The Assyrian gold tablet is a little more than an inch long.
The Cultured Muse 