Latest news with #RomanHistory
New York Times
a day ago
- Science
- New York Times
A.I. May Be the Future, but First It Has to Study Ancient Roman History
Historians have long clashed over when 'Res Gestae Divi Augusti,' a monumental Latin text, was first etched in stone. The first-person inscription gave a lengthy account of the life and accomplishments of Rome's first emperor. But was it written before or after Augustus, at age 75, died in A.D. 14? Some experts have put its origin as decades earlier. Known in English as 'Deeds of the Divine Augustus,' the text is an early example of autocratic image-burnishing. The precise date of its public debut is seen as important by historians because the emperor's reign marked the transition of Rome from a republic to a dictatorship that lasted centuries. Artificial intelligence is now weighing in. A model written by DeepMind, a Google company based in London, cites a wealth of evidence to claim that the text originated around A.D. 15, or shortly after Augustus's death. A report on the new A.I. model appeared in the journal Nature on Wednesday. It makes the case that the computer program can more generally help historians link isolated bits and pieces of past information to their socially complicated settings, helping scholars create the detailed narratives and story lines known as history. The study's authors call the process contextualization. The new A.I. model, known as Aeneas, after a hero of Greco-Roman mythology, specializes in identifying the social context of Latin inscriptions. 'Studying history through inscriptions is like solving a gigantic jigsaw puzzle,' Thea Sommerschield, one of the researchers, told reporters Monday in a DeepMind news briefing. A single isolated piece, she added, no matter how detailed its description, cannot help historians solve the overall puzzle of how, when and where it fits into a social context. 'You need to use that information,' Dr. Sommerschield said, 'to find the pieces that connect to it.' In the Nature paper, the authors note that roughly 1,500 new Latin inscriptions come to light every year, making the new A.I. model a potentially valuable tool for helping historians to better illuminate the past. In an accompanying commentary in Nature, Charlotte Tupman, a classicist at the University of Exeter in England, called the A.I. model 'a groundbreaking research tool' that will let scholars 'identify connections in their data that could be overlooked or time-consuming to unearth.' The DeepMind researchers trained Aeneas on a vast body of ancient inscriptions. They used the combined information from three of the world's most extensive Latin epigraphy databases: the Epigraphic Database Roma, the Epigraphic Database Heidelberg and the Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss-Slaby. The third of those archives, based in Germany, holds information on more than a half-million inscriptions. The model could then analyze a particular text and link it to similar examples in that body of information. The final readings consist of sets of probabilities on the text's likely age and site of its geographic origin, and make predictions for likely candidates to fill in an inscription's missing parts. The Google scientists also surveyed 23 epigraphers — specialists who study and interpret ancient inscriptions. The A.I. model aided the vast majority of them in locating starting points for their research as well improving confidence in their subsequent findings. To study the Augustin text, the DeepMind researchers linked it to subtle linguistic features and historical markers. For instance, the model found close parallels in a proclamation by the Roman Senate in 19 A.D. that honored an heir of the emperor's dynasty. With the model's unveiling, DeepMind says it is making an interactive version of Aeneas freely available to researchers, students, educators and museum professionals at the website To spur further research, it says it is also making the computer code of the Aeneas model public.
The Independent
03-07-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Archeologists baffled over ‘unusually large' Roman shoes found in Northumberland fort
Archaeologists unearthed unusually large 2,000-year-old Roman shoes, equivalent to a UK size 13 to 14, at Magna Roman Fort in Northumberland. Eight leather shoes, each at least 30cm long, were discovered in a defensive ditch and were preserved due to low oxygen conditions in the soil. Researchers are baffled by the large size of the shoes, speculating if it indicates taller people or those from a specific region lived there. Separately, a well-preserved section of Watling Street, a 2,000-year-old Roman road, was unearthed in south-east London last year. This 276-mile route, built shortly after the Roman invasion in AD 43, was a significant discovery that has redrawn the Roman road map in the capital.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Archaeologists Found a 1,600-Year-Old Roman Artifact With Shockingly Intact Details
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: Archaeologists in Montenegro discovered the tomb of a Roman woman from over 1,600 years ago. Inside the necropolis, the team found a bounty of grave goods, including an ornate glass vessel called a diatreta. The diatreta came with a depiction of a gladiator scene, a rare find. Not only did archaeologists in Montenegro discover a tomb more than 1,600 years old of a Roman woman, but inside it, they also discovered a host of ornate grave goods. None, though, more ornate than a glass diatreta vessel decorated with a scene of a gladiator doing battle with dangerous animals. 'Our diaterta is extremely rare—rarer even than the one in Plievlia—because it is figural,' said Miloš Živanović, the archaeologist leading the work at the ancient Doclea Koshturnica necropolis, according to a statement published by Arkeonews. 'The net of the vessel features a battle scene with wild feline animals, likely cheetahs, centered around a gladiator.' The yellow and green diatreta is only the second one ever found in Montenegro but will require extensive restoration efforts to piece it fully together. Also known as cage cups, a diatreta features an open 'net' design around the vessel, created by forming glass that is cut and carved into an intricate design—whether wording, a pattern, or an image—and then placed around the interior vessel. The open-work decoration is separated from the vessel via thin posts of glass, according to researchers, and is considered a masterpiece of ancient glassmaking. The new discovery of a diatreta featuring a venator—a wild beast gladiator—battling with large wild cats in such an intense and detailed scene is a first. 'This kind of diatreta not only showcases extraordinary technical skill, but also reflects the artistic refinement of the period,' said Živanović, according to Ancientist. 'It's a testament to the cultural richness of Doclea and the entire region during the Roman era.' The find in Doclea, an ancient Roman city near Podgorica, was thanks to the work of the Center for Conservation and Archaeology of Montenegro. The archaeologists discovered the diatreta in a fourth-century A.D. tomb of an elite Roman woman. Excavations at the western necropolis over the last three years have turned up over 180 graves, each with its own mix of goods—everything from jewelry and tools to ceramics and coins—to help tell the story of the people living in an urban center that thrived into the seventh century. The recently discovered tomb was notable for the exquisite grave goods the team also discovered. In addition to the diatreta, they found gold earrings, a necklace, bone tools, an iron spatula, game pieces, dice, and seven additional glass vessels. 'The grave goods include two gold earrings with green glass beads, and a necklace made of gold and jet beads,' Živanović said. 'Eight glass vessels were discovered in total, two of which are particularly notable. One is a finely crafted dark glass bowl or plate, while the other is a rare diatreta.' Along with the goods, archaeologists analyzed the bones of the woman found in the tomb. Živanović said the bones were poorly preserved, although noted that grave's inhabitant was exceptionally tall, an oddity for fourth-century Doclea. 'All the findings,' he added, 'indicate she was a prominent individual of her time.' You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Telegraph
12-06-2025
- Telegraph
I walked the length of Hadrian's Wall – and unearthed some secrets about Roman Britain
It's odd, the things you'll find along Hadrian's Wall. The Romans were obviously careless with their bits and pieces. During eight days of hiking and visiting local museums, I came across a chain-mail shirt, numerous scalpels, some cockfighting spurs, a wig made of moss and a dildo. A generation ago, you'd have seen little of this. Back then, Hadrian's Wall was just a lovely, undulating ramble, with 17 forts, and 73 miles of intermittent masonry. In that sense, not much has changed. 'This is one of the UK's best walks,' says Will Ainslie of Discovery Travel. 'It's relatively easy, well-marked, and very dramatic.' There's also plenty of transport and accommodation, and I'd enjoy everything from a Georgian mansion to a shepherd's hut. But modern technology has also opened up a more intimate Roman world. New techniques (including imaging and DNA analysis) enable archaeologists not only to find more artefacts but also to better appreciate their owners. The wall was once home to some 15,000 soldiers, and suddenly it begins to feel like some strange, elongated city, strung out across the hills. All sorts of secrets emerge, and – moving from east to west – here are some of my highlights. Shoddy construction – and lewd graffiti The wall wasn't quite as magnificent as people think. You get a first glimpse of it in Newcastle, at Segedunum; 50yd of tousled limestone. It only survived here because it collapsed, and sank into a swamp. If it was ever the standard 20ft tall, it's now barely shoulder-high, and the stonework is uneven and crude. Built by unskilled legionnaires, the entire wall was cobbled together in a mere six years (AD 122-128). It did its job, I suppose. It was only meant to slow the advance of the marauding Caledones, and was never built to last. Indeed, only 10 per cent of it survives. But, as a feat of organisation, it was a triumph. The soldiers cut some 23 million facing stones, occasionally decorating them with swastikas (for the Romans, a symbol of prosperity) and phalluses (even today, some 57 penises survive. My favourite is inscribed 'Secundinus is a s--- bag'). An army of foreigners Across the Tyne is an ancient supply base, Arbeia. It's famous for its superb reconstructions of a gatehouse, some barracks and a commander's house (useful when the ruins ahead look like diagrams in the turf). But what really struck me was the foreignness of it all. The auxiliaries who manned the wall came from as far away as Iraq and North Africa. Here, at Arbeia ('Home of the Arabs'), they enjoyed Spanish olive oil served on Italian slipware. But there were also Batavians, Frisians and Gauls, all bringing their own habits, languages and gods (Gallic gods, incidentally, are depicted with moustaches). Among Arbeia's treasures is the tombstone of a British slave, called Regina or 'Queenie'. She was acquired by a Syrian called Barathes, who freed her, married her and set her up as a lady of substance. She is loved and remembered in two languages, Latin and Aramaic. Life in the lavatories Thirty miles on, you get to Chesters (near Chollerford). This fort's bathhouse is the best on the wall, a mind-boggling complex of hypocausts and classical plumbing. But what really interested me was the loo. As in all forts, it's a multi-seater affair, with a little channel for dipping your sponge. These places found the Romans at their most careless, and – in recent years – the drains have turned up coins, combs, amulets, sandals, children's shoes and even gaming counters. Perhaps the loo was the hub of life? The 'nasty little Britons' At this point, it's worth dropping down into the lush, green Tyne valley. It's postcard-pretty, and the fort of Coria (or Corbridge) was important for trade. Here, for the first time, you get a glimpse of the Britons. The Romans were somewhat ambivalent about the natives. The local tribe, the Brigantes, were almost as unspeakable as the Caledones. The Romans tried to appease them with their own god ('Brigantia') but often thought of them as Brittunculi or 'nasty little Britons'. However, like Queenie, some natives thrived, and, at Coria, there's a magnificent tombstone for a bearded Briton. But things weren't always straightforward. Later (at Vindolanda Museum), I came across a British skull. Scientific analysis indicates its owner had been brought up locally, killed with a sword, and decapitated. His head had been placed on a pike, as a warning to others. What's odd about all this is his DNA: it reveals that his father was Roman. A secret cult After this, great chunks of wall appear, and the crags become ever more remote and magnificent. The troops called these wind-scoured moors Ad Fines (or 'The End of the Earth'), and sensibly, Rome allowed them to worship whatever they wanted. Finds up here have included a boar's tusk, a cache of children's teeth and numerous altars to a god from modern-day Turkey. Most intriguing of all is a tiny temple deep in the grass, at Carrawburgh. It belonged to the secretive Mithras cult, which was popular with soldiers. In their cave-like temple, they'd experience pain and humiliation on the spiritual journey. No one knows quite what they believed except that, among their stonework, there's a giant ovoid, known as the Cosmic Egg. Hadrian's whodunnits Sprawled across a ridge is the most scenic fort of all: Housesteads. But amid the military grandeur, there's a hint of the darker side of Roman life. In the 1930s, two skeletons – one male, one female – were found under the tavern floor. As they'd been illegally buried, and the man had a knife in his ribs, the coroner declared them unlawfully killed circa AD 350. Elsewhere, two other murder victims are now displayed in museums. Carlisle's Tullie House has the skeleton of man, tossed in a well, with a neat little slice cut from his head. Even more sinister are the circumstances surrounding a girl at Vindolanda. Analysis shows she was of Mediterranean origin and aged about 10. She'd been found bound and battered under the barracks. Women on the wall Vindolanda does have a more cheerful side. Thanks to its anaerobic soil, a remarkable world has been preserved. Recent finds have included the aforementioned wig and dildo, a hairnet, tankards, wine glasses (decorated with gladiators) and over 5,000 shoes. Even better is the correspondence: over 2,400 messages written on slats. As head archaeologist Dr Andrew Birley explained, these things belie the myth of military sobriety and celibacy: 'They take us to places the Roman State would rather have hidden…' Perhaps most surprising is the abundant evidence of women and children. They probably outnumbered soldiers. It's all here, everything from toy swords to make-up. Look out for the dinner service, ordered from Gaul, smashed en route, and tossed straight in the ditch. The beginning of the end Beyond the craggy, middle section, the wall peters out. Most of the masonry was plundered, creating a few new marvels like Lanercost Priory. But, in Carlisle, a milestone has survived (again, at Tullie House). It celebrates Carausius, who seized Britain in AD 286 and declared himself emperor. After his assassination, he was airbrushed from history, and the milestone was turned upside down and re-inscribed. But Rome never truly recovered. The milestone marks the beginning of the end, for both the wall and the empire. John Gimlette travelled as a guest of Discovery Travel
Forbes
08-06-2025
- Forbes
How To Spend A Weekend In Cirencester: The Cotswolds
How To Spend A Weekend In Cirencester. getty Cirencester, known as the 'capital of the Cotswolds,' is an ancient market town founded by the Romans—once the second-largest town in Roman Britain after London—today, peppered with swathes of honey-colored independent shops, cute cafés, and fine art galleries. Strolling along its charming cobblestone streets, you'll be troubled not to uncover a myriad of historic jewels, from its gothic parish church of St John the Baptist to Cirencester's Roman amphitheater (open all day; free of charge), built in the second century, for 8,000 onlooking spectators. Or, pay a visit to its Roman-themed Corinium Museum, surf through its Market Place (a Farmer's Market is held every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month), sip a pint at the 15th-century Black Horse—the oldest pub in town—and catch a glorious sunset at Earl Bathurst's 3,000-acre estate, Cirencester Park. But if you're looking to go further afield, Cirencester can serve as the perfect pillow stop while venturing deeper into the quintessentially English Cotswolds—from pretty chocolate-box villages to secret garden spas and gastropub-galore. So here is our guide on where to sleep, eat, and explore in the 'capital of the Cotswolds'—and beyond. Orchard Stable Luxury Cottages Nestled in the Cotswolds village of Ampney Crucis—just over 3 miles from Cirencester—the Orchard Stable is a chic 2-bedroom countryside retreat, set within Ampneyfield Farm, housing two other luxury barn conversions (The Milking Parlour and Haymaker Barn—ideal for group stays). Snaking across a little patio guarded by towering European hornbeams and an apple orchard, you'll reach the pretty barn door of this charming honey-stone cottage. Inside, spill into its cozy, open-plan kitchen-come-living room, elegant and homely, dressed in Cotswolds stone with exposed oak beams, a full-size pistachio kitchen (with a fridge freezer, electric oven, microwave, induction hob, dishwasher, and Nespresso coffee machine), a Victorian writing desk, and little country touches like vintage polo sticks, cricket bat trunks, and Edwardian shoe trees. Here, you can graze on grand feasts, sat at your farmhouse banquette table, or sink into comfy cotton sofas as you peruse Netflix, wrapped in snuggly woolen throws, with a toasty log burner. Orchard Stable Luxury Cottages Step up through an iron-latched door into a second snug living room with cross-stitched sofas, a vintage globe, art deco paintings, and a cool antique leather trunk—all hidden behind long wedgewood-style drapes. Meanwhile, a winding staircase flows into two attic master bedrooms, both evoking snug countryside-chic, with low beams, blown glass lanterns, skylight windows, super king beds (with fluffy woolen throws), and quirky farmyard prints—one with a direct en-suite (and an in-bedroom deep soaking tub) and the other with a small adjacent bathroom wrapped in pretty Parisian tiles with a rainfall shower. A secret door upstairs, however, reveals an iron staircase descending to a beautiful private courtyard—all yours—with whispering birch trees and an aromatic herb garden. This is Cotswolds utopia. Nestled in The Old Kennels of Cirencester Park, Roots + Seeds serves sustainable, farm-to-fork cuisine—utilizing suppliers within a 25-mile radius, alongside home-grown ingredients freshly picked, every morning, from its on-site Kitchen Garden (with a goal to hit 75% home-grown this year). Join for its famous Sunday lunch—grazing on starters like Welsh rarebit crumpet or prawn cocktail—before feasting on its Mixed Roast Sharing Board ($32 per person) made up of tender chicken pies, giant fluffy Yorkshire puddings, pork loin roulade, blades of beef, crispy roast potatoes, and rich creamed spinach. Pair it with tickling cocktails, from the Roots + Seeds Gin and Tonic to Kitchen Garden Chilli Margaritas (made with homemade chili syrup). The Crown Jake Eastham Once a 16th-century coaching inn, The Crown is an award-winning gastro pub in Ampney Crucis, nestled within the 24-bedroom boutique hotel, Wild Thyme & Honey—wrapped in Cotswolds stone, with rustic furniture, antler chandeliers, and cozy crackling fireplaces. As night falls, it offers a low-lit, romantic feel, where couples graze on small plates of 'Nduja Scotch egg, hot honey kissed burrata, and sesame prawn & squid crumpets—followed by glazed pork belly, char-grilled smoked haddock fillet, or a smoky 28-day dry-aged steak burger, cooked over glowing coals, Robata Grill style. Top tip—look out for its legendary Steak Night Experience, held every Friday—and stay overnight afterward in its lavish No. 3 London Road suite ($675 per night). Garden Room The Double Red Duke A 35-minute drive from Cirencester, in the tiny village of Clanfield, The Double Red Duke is well worth the visit—a quintessential Cotswolds pub and boutique hotel—bearing 19 lovingly-furnished rooms (think vintage furniture, Roberts radios, and roll-top baths), a beautiful beer garden with candy-striped parasols, and a snug spa set in a shepherd's hut (double rooms from $250 per night). Saunter along to the Garden Room with sexy olive booths, Greek busts, stained glass windows, and caged lanterns, as waiters—dressed in boiler jackets—whiz around with plates of crab rolls, beef tartare, and devilled lamb's kidneys. Juicy steak cuts are the real showstopper, however, with what's up for grabs scribbled on chalkboards and crossed out as locals waltz inside and take their pickings—from T-bone to thick Black Angus ribs—served with bone marrow mash or belly-filling chunky chips. Broad Avenue The Bathurst Estate The Grade I listed Cirencester Park has presided as the crowning jewel of the Bathurst Family for over 300 years—set across 3,000 acres, hosting calendar scribble-worthy events from adrenaline-pumping horse trials to the annual Cotswold Show, surrounded by striking sculptures, sweeping loop horse-riding routes (up to 8.5 kilometers) through Oakley and Hailey Wood, and the world's tallest yew hedge (park entry; $5 per person). Visit 'The Mansion,' as it's known locally, built by the 1st Earl (believed to be built on the same site as the original Cirencester Castle) on private tours held on selected days throughout the year ($35 per person), grab some doggy ice-cream from Beano in the Park, or visit the Cirencester Park Polo Club, established in 1894. Boasting 11 polo grounds, a polo academy, and its famous Pavillion Restaurant (serving decadent four-course lunches)—it has hosted some of the most influential figures of the world, from George VI to the Maharaja of Jaipur, the sultan of Brunei and the current Royal Family. The Pig in the Cotswolds Jake Eastham Dwarfing the Cotswolds village of Barnsley, just four miles from Cirencester, THE PIG-in the Cotswolds is a sumptuous Grade II-listed manor house hotel boasting original ornamental gardens designed by Rosemary Verey. Meander along the garden path, and you'll uncover its stone-walled spa, where you can indulge in contouring facials (using Gua Sha stones), volcanic hot stone massages, LED-lamp manicures and pedicures, Himalayan pink exfoliation scrubs, and full-body wraps (massages and facials from $170 for 60 minutes; $210 for 90 minutes). Afterward, retire to the Relaxation Room—wrapped in Cotswolds stone with Turkish rugs, candlestick alcoves, and giant floral murals, as you stretch out on a floral chaise lounge and sip ginger tea with dates and dried apricots for grazing. Or, make use of the outdoor hydrotherapy plunge pool, rattan loungers, and herb-scented sauna and steam room at the Fieldhouse (complimentary access for hotel guests only). Just across the road from the Fieldhouse sits The Village Pub, also owned by The Pig; an eccentric inn (with just six bedrooms) dressed with antique portraits, Hogarth prints, deer heads, and timeworn wingback sofas. Here, you'll devour small plates of pork pies and honey-coated chipolatas—while pub staples include smoked mackerel, devilled eggs, pork chops, or the Village Pub Ploughman's—paired with fine local ales on tap. Housing one of the largest collections of Romano-British antiquities from Corinium, Roman Britain's second-largest city, Corinium Museum (in Cirencester's town center) showcases exhibits from the Roman and Neolithic periods, all the way up to Victorian times—where you'll uncover the tools of prehistoric metal smiths, gawp at Roman mosaics, and discover Anglo Saxon grave goods (tickets from $11 per person). Rowing boat picnic on the Thames Cotswold Canoe Hire Dreaming of a romantic row along the River Thames? Head to the town of Lechlade on Thames at the edge of the Cotswolds (a 26-minute drive from Cirencester), where you can opt for Cotswold Canoe Hire's two-hour Rowing Boat Picnic on the Thames. Drifting along the River Windrush, padded with comfy cushions and wrapped up in snuggly blankets, you'll indulge in a Premium River Windrush hamper—think smoked salmon and cream cheese bloomers, fresh bacon and brie baguettes, homemade scotch eggs and sausage rolls, mini quiches, sweet cakes, and more—as you hear the gentle paddle of elegant swans heading for St Kenelm's Church ($135 per couple). Travelers in London can hop on a 70-minute direct train with Great Western Railway from London Paddington to Kemble. From there, it's a 11-minute cab drive to Cirencester. To book the Orchard Stable, visit For more information on the Cotswolds, visit
