This Is How They Wiped Themselves in Ancient Rome
A very gross but extremely informative look at the archaeology of toilet hygiene.
Are Galls Miracle Cures or Just Weird Growths on Plants?
For millennia, humans have exploited galls for medicine, fuel, food, tanning, and dyeing. Some people have considered them miraculous.
A Roman Feast… of Death!
The banquet hall was painted black from ceiling to floor. By the pale flicker of grave lamps, the invited senators coud make out a row of tombstones.
From Saturnalia to Coachella
Art, music, religious, and seasonal festivals have been a part of human life since prehistory. How have they changed as society has changed?
High Cuisine in Ancient France
An archaeologist explores how the division of upper- and lower-class cuisine may have developed in France more than 2,000 years ago.
Poisoning like the Romans
The Romans certainly have a reputation for using poisons, but what do we really know about this form of assassination in the classical era?
The Antikythera Shipwreck Keeps Revealing Wonders
In the first century B.C.E., a Roman ship sank near the Greek Island of Antikythera. In 1900 some off-course sponge divers discovered the wreckage.
The Health Risks of Living in Ancient Rome
From parasites to malaria, the health risks facing ancient Rome were numerous.
Kicking Back, Gladiator Style
Gladiators drank a concoction of vinegar and ashes to stay bulky for battle.