Antiquities and Ancient Art

Large Mosaic From Neor's Palace Discovered in Rome

The Wall Street Journal last week reported that a large, 6-foot x 9-foot mosaic has been discovered in excavations at the once opulent Golden House of Nero.

The mosaic, found embedded in the ceilling of a grand arch, is expected to add considerably to our knowledge of imperial decoration of the time. It is said to depict several satyrs making wine by stomping grapes in a vat while another plays the double flute.

The mosaic was found beneath the Oppian Hill, near the Colosseum. Excavations there are extremely deep -- some 40 feet or so below the Baths of Trajan. 

Market for Ancient Art Continues to Accelerate

'Market for Ancient Art Continues to Accelerate' was the headline in the January issue of the internationally renowned publication The Art Newspaper.

The article noted that the gathering of the world's top dealers in New York for December's semi-annual antiquities sales "showed an acceleration of the upward momentum that the ancient art market has been experiencing for the last two years."

The sale of the Pankow collection of Egyptian artifacts, one of the most successful in recent memory, alone totalled nearly $7-million, double its pre-sale estimate.

All in all, more than $21.5-million of antiquities changed hands during the three day dealer event indicating that demand continues to be exceptionally strong and supply for quality objects remains limited. There is no end in sight to this phenomenon.

Remains of Romano-British Chariot-Racing Arena May Be 'Find of the Decade'

Archaeologists working on a housing development in Essex have unearthed what they believe to be the first Roman chariot-racing arena to be found in Britain, according to several reports from Britain.

If confirmed, the arena may have once had all of the accoutrements of a typical Roman race track, including a lap-counter similar to the one pictured at left dating to the late Augustan-early Flavian period.

The discovery was made at a site in Colchester and has hit the headlines across the country with local and national press lauding it as one of the most exciting Roman finds in decades.

Experts are thrilled at the possibility that this could be the first evidence of a chariot-racing circus in this country, but have refuted claims that it was the largest to be built outside Italy.  Click for more details.

New Evidence in Britain Reveals Roman Luxury Housing Habits

The luxury housing estate and out-of-town shopping centre may need to be added to the long list of what the Romans did for Britain.

Work in Bath suggests that rich Romans were so keen to live close to city centre attractions that they abandoned the empire's traditional habit of building lavish villas in the countryside, well away from the neighbours and commerce within the city walls. 

Excavations in Bath reveal that at least half a dozen elegant homes existed near each other and within easy reach of leisure areas. One villa was found while sprinkler pipes were being laid across a golf course. A second villa with mosaic floors was found a few hundred feet away.  Read more in the London Daily Telegraph...

British Excavation Suggests Women Fought in Roman Army

Two cremated horses and the burnt skeletons of their likely riders, two women, were found alongside the remains of a 3rd century Roman military unit in Brougham, Cumbria, according to the new issue of British Archaeology magazine.

The animals represent the first cremated horses from the Roman period ever to have been found in Britain. Archaeologists also believe the discovery suggests that female Amazon warriors existed in reality, and not just myth, and that these women may have fought alongside Roman cavalrymen.  Click here to read the full article from the Discovery Channel.