Archaeologists in the eastern Mediterranean region have been unearthing spherical jugs, used by the ancients for storing and trading oil, wine, and other valuable commodities. Because we’re used to the metric system, which defines units of volume based on the cube, modern archaeologists believed that the merchants of antiquity could only approximately assess the capacity of these round jugs, says Prof. Itzhak Benenson of Tel Aviv University’s Department of Geography.
via Ancient jugs hold the secret to practical mathematics in Biblical times.
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Colosseum Cleaning Yields Old Frescos, Graffiti
ROME (AP) — A long-delayed restoration of the Colosseum's only intact internal passageway has yielded ancient traces of red, black, green and blue frescoes — as well as graffiti and drawings of phallic symbols — indicating that the arena where gladiators fought was far more colorful than previously thought. Officials unveiled the discoveries Friday and said the passageway — between the second and third levels of the 1st Century Colosseum — would open to the public starting this … [Read More...]
Roman Kids Showed Off Status with Shoes
SEATTLE - Even on the farthest-flung frontiers of the ancient Roman Empire, the footwear made the man — and the kid. Children and infants living in and around Roman military bases around the first century wore shoes that revealed the kids' social status, according to new research presented here Friday (Jan. 4) at the annual meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America. The teeny-tiny shoes, some sized for infants, not only reveal that families were part of Roman military life, but … [Read More...]
Athenian ‘Snake Goddess’ Gets New Identity – Yahoo! News
SEATTLE - A mysterious "snake goddess" painted on terracotta and discovered in Athens may actually be Demeter, the Greek goddess of the harvest. Once linked to the worship of the dead, the goddess is flanked by two snakes on a slab of terracotta about the size of a piece of notebook paper. She has her hands up above her head, which has given her the nickname "the touchdown goddess" thanks to the resemblance of the pose to a referee's signal. The goddess is painted in red, yellow and blue-green … [Read More...]
Ancient Shipwreck Reveals 2,000-Year-Old Eye Medicine
Ancient gray disks loaded with zinc and beeswax found aboard a shipwreck more than 2,000 years old may have been used as medicine for the eyes, researchers say. These new findings shed light on the development of medicine over the centuries, scientists added. Scientists analyzed six flat gray tablets approximately 1.6 inches (4 centimeters) in diameter and 0.4 inches (1 cm) thick that were found in a round tin box aboard the so-called Relitto del Pozzino shipwreck, which was discovered … [Read More...]
Io Saturnalia! The Reason for the Season?
Imagine the scene: ancient Romans running around in total revelry during the darkest period of the year. Gambling, banquets, unusual signs of the social order upheaved simply by wearing a funny shaped red hat. They are festive, hopeful, awaiting the return of the sun and its accompanying warmth - all of this emerging from what seems to be a scene of utter chaos. For the ancients, there was no guarantee of survival, it took careful planning and lots of hope. Thus was the Saturnalia, usually … [Read More...]
Support System Being Added to Romae
One of the growing features of Romae is not only the Amicitia social network but also the ability for members to create their own websites within Romae's network. All of the sites that one can access, such as the Minecraft Romae project, Ask Romae, even the Amicitia, are all sites within the network of Romae.org. We are now adding various organizations to our network such as the American Classical League's Technology Committee, Excellence Through Education's Classics Club, the Rome In Situ … [Read More...]
Tips on How to Creatively Add Avatars on Amicitia
There are many ways you can encourage your students to become more active in your Amicitia community and one of those ways is to allow them to customize their profile. Some students are really good at creating photos of themselves, but others may be left scratching their heads. Here are a few resources that you might want to suggest to give them fun ways to customize their avatars on their Amictia profile. Face Your Manga This web-based application allows for its users to create a manga-styled … [Read More...]
Add a Little Flavor to Your Amicitia Profile
One of the cool features of a social network is not only connecting with others but also putting on display your own unique style. You want the rest of the world to get who you are - you can do this on the Amicitia, too! Much like other social networking platforms, you can customize your member profile. The profile basically contains information about who you are and even ways to contact you outside the Amicitia network. It is your virtual "face" on the site. One of the easiest ways to give … [Read More...]
