Meggie Macdonald

I highly recommend that everyone who reads this follow to rogueclassicism.com to see the video posted regarding the discovery of the source of Trajan’s Aqueduct, built in the second century AD to bring clean water to the city of Rome from the Etruscan hillside.  These images, which sources have confirmed are the remains of the source of the aqueduct – a ceremony was held in Rome on the 28th of January – and the Aqueduct Hunters themselves make for some wonderful dialogue.  However, it is when you start hearing them wading through water that excitement really builds!

Enjoy!  And thanks to the Rogue Classicist for posting such a wonderful video!

There has been a good deal of archaeological work done at Bosra in Syria in the last months.  Initially, it was determined that foundations unearthed during excavations of a church revealed the private bath house from Trajan’s Palace (see Global Arab Network article from 19 October 2009).  More importantly, these excavations identified that the building originally thought to date from the second century CE and the reign of the Emperor Trajan was in fact of Byzantine origin and therefore likely the headquarters of the Archbishop of Syria.

Since then, tombs – also dating from the Byzantine period – have been uncovered in Bosra and Daraa city, Southern Syria.  These tombs contained bracelets and pot sherds that, coupled with the discovery of monks’ quarters and oil presses, suggest that the area dates from 500-700 CE.

These discoveries represent yet another example of how, despite civil unrest throughout the Middle East, archaeologists are still able to piece together the great puzzle of our collected cultural history.

A bronze gilded head, most probably representing the likeness of the Emperor Augustus, has been unearthed in Aosta in northern Italy, according to an ANSA Valle d’Aosta report from January 4th 2010.  The head, measuring approximately 15 cm, was discovered during archaeological work at the piazza Roncas.  Regional Cultural Minister, Laurent Vierin, has used this discovery to underscore the value of continued archaeological work in Italy.

My Italian is very mediocre but it seems that, from the quote offered, Mr. Vierin feels that archaeological work allows Italy to continue to develop an understanding of her history and her cultural heritage and that the discovery of this head exemplifies and reinforces that.

If anyone sees when the English reports on this find become available, perhaps a specialist will be able to translate the information more effectively.

*Many thanks to the Rogue Classicist for bringing this to my attention to begin with.