Here are some posts I enjoyed this week:
Wine-making techniques from around the Roman Empire in a short passage from Pliny the Elder. Barrels, ceramic containers, temperatures—elements both familiar and decidedly not. This is a blog devoted to brewing beer, not wine (despite this lovely bit of Pliny), in Greek and Roman styles. Now there’s a niche I can get into! Many fun rabbit holes to go down and drink. Click here for Brewing Classical Styles “Cellars, Cross-contamination, and Fermentation Vessels! (Pliny the Elder 14.49[27])”
Real Amazons, the Poison King Mithradates, ancient weapons of mass destruction—Sarah Bond interviews Adrienne Mayor. How following anomalies in ancient sources led to a career of writing popular history (along with glimpses into some of those fascinating classical crannies). If you’re looking for fun titles to read, TV/documentaries to watch this is a goldmine. On the Society for Classical Studies blog, which is way more fun than you might be thinking. Click here for Society for Classical Studies “Blog: An Interview with Adrienne Mayor”
An unexplored district of Pompeii to be uncovered, using drones, lasers and virtual reality. The area which has remained buried since the volcano eruption in 79 CE continues an alley with homes, shops and taverns. The director-general of the site says, “We expect great discoveries.” Well, was he going to say, we’re just messing around and it will all be boring? Not that it’s likely to be. This sounds like a non-intrusive exploration, not a digging-up excavation. But virtual Roman daily life is fine with me. Anyone want to make a guess or make a wish list for what you’d like them to find? What daily activity do you want to see the tools for Roman-style? Click here for Archaeology News Network “New Pompeii District To Be Uncovered”