The findings constitute pivotal evidence for reconstructing the building methods and mosaic decorations in churches in the late Roman Empire.
Sarah E. Bond
Sarah E. Bond is associate professor of history at the University of Iowa. She blogs on antiquity and digital humanities, and is the author of Trade and Taboo: Disreputable Professions in the Roman Mediterranean.
Massive Head of Hercules Pulled From Historic Shipwreck
Marine archeologists made the findings while working on the Roman-era Antikythera shipwreck.
Intermingling Ancient Greek and West African Mythologies to Tell New Stories
Harmonia Rosales: Entwined brought together multiple departments and resources to accentuate the global power of mythology and center Black women.
The Top Archaeological Discoveries of 2021
During 2021, thousands of archaeologists worked tirelessly to continue to excavate, explore, publish, and keep the field alive across the globe.
Ancient Rome and the Myth of the Black Avenger
Long before Black Panther, early modern Europeans embraced a different kind of Black avenger, one largely constructed by White abolitionists.
What Does God Even Look Like?
The author, Francesca Stavrakopoulou, pushes back against a later theological worldview that the southern Levantine deity was always a singular, unchanging entity.
Why the Hell We Are Obsessed with Hell
Hell Hath No Fury provides fundamental clues as to why it seems that we cannot escape reincarnations of hell in either Dante or on Netflix.
Can Mummified Cats Help Unravel the Mysteries of Ancient Dyes?
The intricate patterns and strategic colors of the linens used on mummified remains have only begun to be understood by humanists, museum specialists, and chemists working together.
What Can Shackled and Beheaded Skeletons Reveal About Roman Servitude?
The mere mention of slavery continues to grab attention, even if the evidence is inconclusive.
What the “Nefertiti Hack” Tells Us About Digital Colonialism
A hacked 3D scan of the famous sculpture shows how traditional models of heritage ownership might change in museums.
Discovery of an Industrial Brewery in Ancient Egypt Rewrites the History of Beer
To archaeologists, understanding the building of the Pyramids at Giza is a matter of scaling up the labor system seen earlier at sites like Abydos.
A World-Famous Ancient Collection, on Display for the First Time, Awaits Visitors in Rome
The impressive exhibition undertaken by the Capitoline Museums and the Torlonia Foundation was 40 years in the making, and placed close to 100 marble sculptures from the storied Torlonia collection on view.