rogueclassicismquidquid bene dictum est ab ullo, meum est ~ SenecaStylish Living at Caerwent- July 1, 2008 From the BBC: The "stylish" lives of the affluent have been unearthed at one of the "best preserved" Roman towns in Britain by a TV archaeology team. A bath house, villa and artefacts including a penknife were found at Caerwent, Monmouthshire by Channel 4's Time Team. What are believed to be shop buildings on a Roman high street were also found during the dig by a team of 50. Presented by Tony Robinson, the episode will be broadcast early next year. The three-day excavation at the Roman...http://www.atrium-media.com/rogueclassicism/Posts/00008178.html Movie Gossip- July 1, 2008 A couple of items to grace your chatter around the office krater this week ... first, Variety reports that "Hulk" director Louis Leterrier is slated to direct the remake of Clash of the Titans; his signing was apparently in response to a rival film company announcing the production of something called "War of the Gods", described thusly: "War of Gods" is a mythological tale set in war-torn ancient Greece, as the young warrior prince Theseus leads his men in a battle against evil that will see..http://www.atrium-media.com/rogueclassicism/Posts/00008177.html Cypriot Jewellery Workshop- July 1, 2008 From Cyprus Mail: ARCHAEOLOGISTS have uncovered was appears to have been a jewellery workshop during excavations at the 5,000-year old Souskiou-Laona settlement. According to the Antiquities Department, a dense concentration of the mineral picrolite in the west ridge of the cliff-top settlement indicates that the spot was a workshop for the production of the cruciform figurines and large pendants. &8220;The assemblage mainly consists of the raw picrolite material, possibly quarried from the..http://www.atrium-media.com/rogueclassicism/Posts/00008176.html PreRoman Hellenistic Palmyra Emerges- July 1, 2008 From FWF: The discovery of an ancient city buried beneath the sands of modern-day Syria has provided evidence for a Hellenistic settlement that existed for more than six centuries extending into the time of the Roman Empire. The site provides a unique insight into the structures of a pre-Roman Hellenistic settlement. The project, funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, sheds new light on city life in the Hellenistic period. The Syrian deserts have long kept an important secret hidden deep...http://www.atrium-media.com/rogueclassicism/Posts/00008175.html Vestalia- July 1, 2008 We mentioned this recreation of the Vestalia before it happened; now it has ... from CCTV: In the Italian countryside, the ancient Roman feast of Vestalia is being revived. Six modern Vestal Virgins have presided over an event that used to mark the end of the harvest. It's part of a growing trend of "experimental archaeology," to teach history in a more interactive way. The Vestal Virgins gathered at the Temple of Vesta to revive an ancient ritual. They celebrated the "Vestalia", Rome's...http://www.atrium-media.com/rogueclassicism/Posts/00008174.html Railroad Gauge Canard- July 1, 2008 Haven't seen this one in ages, but the Brantford Expositor repeats this one which might not be well-known to a newer generation of Classicists: Here's a bit of train lore that may help you keep your life on the rails. Though few people realize it, the standard width of train tracks around the world owes its origin to ancient chariots. According to legend, rail lines are precisely four feet, 8 1 2 inches wide, because that was the uniform width of British wagons. British wagons were that width.http://www.atrium-media.com/rogueclassicism/Posts/00008173.html Nemean Games Update- July 1, 2008 From AFP: Some 600 people clad in tunics raced barefoot in the ruins of an ancient stadium Saturday in a revival of games held in antiquity at Nemea, 120 kilometres (75 miles) southwest of Athens. Two races were staged for the runners aged from 10 to 80, one of 100 metres (110 yards) and the other of 7.5 kilometres. No medals were awarded but crowns of palm branches and wild celery. The event was organised by the Society for the Revival of the Nemean Games, founded in 1994 after more than 20.http://www.atrium-media.com/rogueclassicism/Posts/00008172.html They Don't Write Like That Any More- July 1, 2008 I've been holding on to this one for a while, but have to share it ... the Times of London is (apparently) pulling interesting items out of its archives and one of them was picked up by my Homeric spider. It's a bit of eyewitness reportage from Gettysburg (between July 1 and 23, 1863) by an unnamed Times reporter 'embedded' with the Confederate forces ... check this description out: Far back into the mountains the reverberations rolling from hillside to hillside startled strange and unmusical..http://www.atrium-media.com/rogueclassicism/Posts/00008171.html Lycabettus Closed- July 1, 2008 From CBC comes another installment of the saga of the condition of Greek sites: The open-air Lycabettus Theatre in Athens was closed suddenly on Thursday, leading to the cancellation of two sold-out concerts by British singer James Blunt. The ancient theatre was closed indefinitely by Athens Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis for what were described as "security reasons." There has been concern for months over the safety and repair of the stone bleachers in the Lycabettus Theatre, which is set in a...http://www.atrium-media.com/rogueclassicism/Posts/00008170.html |