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Roman Stone Depicting Three Sacrificial Animals Discovered at Aquinum
Archaeologists excavating the ancient Roman city of Aquinum in central Italy have discovered a richly decorated stone monument depicting a bull, a ram and a pig. The unusual combination points toward one of the most solemn sacrificial rituals practiced in Roman religion. The discovery came during the University of Salento’s 18th excavation campaign at Aquinum,…
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A Tiny Lead Venus Changes the Story of a Roman Village Near Ancient Aquincum
For four years, archaeologists excavating a Roman village northwest of ancient Aquincum have been reconstructing the practical side of life there through houses, pottery, tools and traces of everyday work. This season, they found something the site had not produced before. A small lead figurine depicting Venus has become the first object from the settlement…
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A Roman Temple at Blaundos Was Built Inside a Sacred Space Centuries Older Than Itself
Archaeologists excavating the ancient city of Blaundos in western Türkiye have uncovered a 250-meter-long enclosure wall that shows the city’s North Temple was built inside a sacred precinct already centuries old. The North Temple dates to roughly 1,900 years ago, but the wall surrounding its temenos has been dated to around 2,500 years ago. The…
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Rare Priapus Figurine and Head of Mithras Found at Roman Fortress in Bulgaria
A rare bronze figurine of Priapus and a sculpted head identified as the god Mithras have been found at Novae, a Roman legionary fortress beside the Danube in northern Bulgaria. The discoveries came during an excavation season that also revealed more of a vast building that may have housed the commander of the legion. The…
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Roman City with an 8,000-Seat Amphitheater Discovered in Austria
Archaeologists have identified a Roman city beneath fields near the Danube in Austria. Its planned streets cover 25 to 30 hectares, and a newly detected amphitheater could have seated around 8,000 spectators—an unexpected find beside a fort built for only about 500 soldiers. The city lies at Stein, in the municipality of St. Pantaleon-Erla. Researchers…
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A Roman Coin Was Already 270 Years Old When Someone Buried This Silver Hoard in Germany
A silver coin minted in 148 BC was still part of someone’s savings more than 270 years later. Archaeologists found it among 934 Roman denarii buried in a field near Wesseling, Germany. The newest coin in the hoard dates to AD 124 or 125, raising a question the excavation cannot answer: who kept this money…
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A Burned Gallic Wall Beneath Paris May Reveal the Lutetia Caesar Described
Beneath a hospital in central Paris, archaeologists have uncovered a stone and timber wall scarred by fire. It may be part of the fortified Gallic settlement that Julius Caesar described more than 2,000 years ago—a place whose exact location has remained uncertain despite centuries of study. The wall runs for about 20 meters (66 feet)…
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Workers Split Up a Byzantine Gold Hoard. Only 150 Coins Were Saved
A hoard discovered during construction work in northwestern Bulgaria may originally have contained as many as 600 Byzantine gold coins. Instead of being reported to archaeologists, however, the find was concealed and divided among the workers who uncovered it. Only 150 coins remained together. They were recovered by Bulgarian authorities as part of a collection…
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53,208 Roman Coins Were Buried in Spain. Ten Years Later, Their Purpose Remains a Mystery
Ten years after 53,208 Roman coins were discovered inside 19 amphorae near Seville, researchers have learned when the enormous deposit was assembled, where its money came from and how the containers were packed. One question, however, remains unanswered: what was all that money meant for? Known as the Tomares Treasure, the hoard was unearthed on…