Meggie Macdonald

I am endlessly entertained by how enthusiastic academics will try anything to get the results they need to prove or disprove a theory about the ancient world.  Apart from the usual stories – building ballistae, recreating the building techniques during the Neolithic period, dragging huge stones to demonstrate the difficulty in building pyramids in Egypt – there are always the quick anecdotes that make me smile.

Most recently – and, as far as I’m aware, not the first time this has been implemented – a group of archaeologist who discovered a huge sealed urn utilized the X-ray machines at the Exeter Airport to determine what was inside it.  The answer was the remains of a Roman, discovered at the site of a Roman fort at St. Andrews Hill in Cullompton.

From the dates of the fort and of the urn, it appears that this site was abandoned shortly after the Romans established more definite control over the south coast of England.  This would have been years after the Boudiccan Revolt of 60-61 AD/CE and well after the sweeping invasions of Aulus Plautius during the reign of Claudius (41-54 AD/CE).  In AD/CE 43, distinguished senator Aulus Plautius landed at Rutupiae with four legions:  the Second Augusta, the Ninth Hispania, the Fourteenth Gemina and the Twentieth Valeria Victrix.  The Ninth Hispania would later march north in 117 AD/CE to support the defeat of an uprising and were never heard from again (although it is argued that they survived their stint in Britain and were thereafter posted to the East, where they were destroyed during the Bar Kochba Revolt in Judaea) .  The Second Augusta was commanded by the future emperor Vespasian, sweeping through the countryside to Wales, where they established their base of operations at Caerleon in the Usk valley.

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.

At the mid-way point in the Egyptian dig season, evidence has come to light from an archaeological site in Alexandria – one of three originally identified by Zahi Hawass at the end of the 2008-2009 season – that suggests the discovery of the tomb of Cleopatra.  This last pharaoh of Egypt, infamous lover of both Julius Caesar and Marc Antony, died by her own hand after the disasterous naval defeat near Actium in 31 BCE.

The site is 8 metres under water and boasts a huge set of granite doors, remarkably still sealed.  The Greek archaeological team who has been conducting work off the coast of Alexandria in past years feel that this could be the entrance to the Pharaoh’s tomb and could, due to the intact seal, possibly contain the remains of Cleopatra herself.  Is the mighty Queen of Egypt still lying at rest behind the huge gateway?  Is Antony there with her?  Will we finally see the face of, perhaps, the most famous woman in human history?

Forensic anthropologists have long considered the discovery of Cleopatra’s body to be the highest honour of facial reconstructive specialists.  If her remains can be scanned, a 3-D image of her skull could be digitized and we might finally know whether the greatest seductress of the Ancient World is as beautiful now as she was then.