366 Items Tagged

Roman

Prestatyn, Wales

Prestatyn Roman Baths

Roman ruins found on the outskirts of a small town on the North Wales coast have over time become a strong part of the community's identity.

Balbo Monument

Chicago, Illinois

Balbo Monument

How did a 2,000-year-old Roman column find its way to a Chicago park?

This ancient dodecahedron found in Avenches, Switzerland, once the Roman city of Aventicum.

objects of intrigue

The Mysterious Dodecahedrons of the Roman Empire

The first of many of these puzzling objects was unearthed almost three centuries ago, and we still don't know what they were for.

Frank Jacobs May 12, 2023

Torre Federici from across Piazza della Torre

Torre Federici

A family accused of witchcraft once called this medieval tower home.

Carving

Stuttgart, Germany

Cataphract Funerary Monument

A funerary monument for two brothers who served in the Roman cavalry.

The House of the Vettii, one of the most important historical sites in Pompeii, opened to the public in 2023 after 20 years of work to restore its frescos and the mansion itself.

Revealing the Risqué Art of Pompeii’s House of the Vettii

Inside the two-decade-long effort to restore the mansion’s colorful frescos.

Amy Crawford February 7, 2023

objects of intrigue

Can an Old Coin Solve the Mystery of a Lost Roman Emperor?

Examining whether a ruler slipped through the cracks of a tumultuous century.

Line Sidonie Talla Mafotsing January 17, 2023

Mamucium Roman Fort

Manchester, England

Mamucium Fort

Once used to protect important Roman trade routes.

Benidorm Roman Castellum

Benidorm, Spain

Roman Castellum in Benidorm

This ancient fort has been a great insight into the Roman presence in the region.

Braga, Portugal

Polychrome Augustus of Prima Porta

A replica of the Roman emperor in glorious full color.

Though in ruins, the church is still remarkable.

Killeshin, Ireland

Killeshin Church

An elaborate Romanesque archway, built right before the British occupation of Ireland.

Roman ruins in Michaelerplatz

Vienna, Austria

Ausgrabungen Michaelerplatz

In the middle of a Vienna square, Roman ruins dating back some 2,000 years are on display.

Nazi World War II Enigma machines can sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction—even those uncovered from the seafloor.

6 Unexpected Treasures Found in Curious Places

From a Nazi code machine found at the bottom of a bay to a vintage Babe Ruth card hidden in a piano.

Sarah Durn May 20, 2022

One of the olive trees at Hadrian’s Villa dates back to the 13th century.

A Roman Emperor's Villa Is Now Producing Olive Oil

Hadrian's estate has trees found nowhere else on Earth.

Vittoria Traverso May 5, 2022

Alchemists were a puzzling bunch. Take, for instance, this 1618 engraving by Matthaeus Merian the Elder, which is full of alchemical secrets encoded in complex symbols.

7 Puzzles That Perplexed People for Centuries

From the secrets of Venice’s codebreakers to China’s intricately carved puzzle balls, these historical ciphers will inspire your curiosity.

Sarah Durn May 3, 2022

Though the <em>arêtes de poisson</em>, or “fishbones,” tunnels were discovered in 1959, research on their origin has been halting and inconclusive.

Was There Treasure Buried Under Lyon?

Since their discovery more than 60 years ago, the "Fishbones" tunnels beneath the French city have been an enigma.

Anna Richards December 19, 2022

A block carrying an ancient Roman inscription was reused in a medieval wall in Conza. On the left, the remains of the Roman forum can be seen below street-level buildings that survived a 1980 earthquake.

In 1980, an Earthquake Destroyed an Italian Town—and Revealed Another

In Conza today, millennia of history seem to exist all at the same time.

Federico Formica April 6, 2022

Within the flat enclose of the D-shaped fort

Monreith, Scotland

Barsalloch Fort

A 2,000-year-old Iron Age fort offers stunning ocean views.