Take a Trip to Pompeii Without Leaving Home

BBC News reports "Ancient City of Pompeii Added to Google Street View."

Belated Halloween

Unfortunately, this comes a bit late for this year's holiday, but for those of you who are still in the Halloween spirit, or for those of you who are hyperorganized and already planning for next year, Archaeology magazine recently ran a series of online feature articles centered around "the archaeology of Halloween, witches and witchcraft, creatures of the night, and ancient curses and magic." Archaeology is an official publication of the Archaeological Institute of America.

Math, Science, History and Latin connection

Science Daily is reporting that "buried coins may hold key to solving mystery of ancient Roman population." (6 October 2009) In a fascinating story, a biologist and a historian have concluded that ancient Rome was not as populated as previously believed. Read the article at Science Daily to see this fascinating connection between mathematics, science, numismatic history and Latin.

Nero's Rotating Dining Hall Uncovered!

The New York Times AP news wire is reporting "Nero's Rotating Banquet Hall Unveiled in Rome." (29 September 2009). Archaeologists believe that this is the rotating dining room described by Suetonius in his Life of Nero.

Vast Hoard of Anglo Saxon Gold Treasure Unearthed in England

An unemployed treasure hunter with a used metal detector has discovered an incredible trove of gold and silver treasure buried in a field in central England.

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You can see more pictures of this unbelievable discovery at the BBC News site as well as the National Geographic, as well as on the photo-sharing site Flickr. (Thanks to Terrence Lockyer for pointing out the Flickr set!)

One piece bears a Latin inscription reading "Rise up O Lord, and may thy enemies be dispersed and those who hate thee.")

More stories on this find, which reference the inscription:

"A New Angle on the Saxons" (TimesOnline, 27 September 2009)

"Staffordshire Hoard: Experts Wept at Sight of Anglo-Saxon Gold" (TimesOnline, 25 September 2009)

followed by this wonderful letter in response: "Why Education Must Be a National Treasure: The Danger Posed by Poor Latinity Was Recognized by King Alfred...so why not our Government?" from Paul Gazzoli, of the Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic at the University of Cambridge.

Hadrian's Wall Country in England

There's a wonderful article, accompanied by a visual interactive feature, in the October 2009 Smithsonian Magazine, "Trekking Hadrian's Wall." Follow Andrew Curry's east-to-west adventure along the 84 mile long trail.

If you haven't been fortunate enough to visit northern England, along the border with Scotland, you'll certainly be tempted to book a visit after reading Curry's article.

Be sure to visit the official Hadrian's Wall Country website as well, where you can read about the history of Hadrian's Wall and browse the incredible photographic and video libraries, as well as plan a visit.

No Escape from Pompeii

Discovery Channel News reports the reconstruction of the final hours of a prominent Pompeii family who perished following the 79 AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius, by analyzing the layers of volcanic ash and examining the DNA from skeletons found in the home. This is a perfect opportunity to show the connection between science and the study of Latin and the Classics. This article is accompanied by some excellent links to a slideshow and podcast and extension activities. Latin teachers who use the Cambridge Latin Course Unit I will find this reconstruction particularly relevant, but it will be of interest to anyone fascinated by life in Ancient Rome. A great deal of our modern understanding of the Ancient Romans comes from the archaeological evidence excavated at Pompeii and Herculaneum, in combination with accounts from historical and literary texts (see Pliny VI, 16, 20 for a Latin language account of the catastrophe.)

If you live near or will be travelling to Washington D.C. this winter, the National Gallery of Art is hosting Pompeii and the Roman Villa, a major exhibition featuring art, objects and artifacts pertaining to the disaster. Visit the NGA site for video background, exhibition guides, links to podcasts from behind the scenes, and information about related tours, lectures and talks.

Free Classical Podcasts - Archaeology, Myth and History

Texas Christian University archaeologist Jennifer Lockett, also known as "Indiana Jen," has published 3 enhanced podcasts and syllabi on Itunes: Introduction to Classical Mythology, The Ancient City of Rome, and Classical Archaeology. These are podcasts include slideshows -- if you have an Ipod capable of displaying video, you can see the slides while Dr. Lockett lectures. Of course, you don't need to have an Ipod to enjoy these podcasts -- and the accompanying slides -- if you have a current enough version of Itunes installed on your computer. You can watch and listen on your computer.

(Itunes is a free download and available for both Macintosh and Windows.)

You can find descriptions and links to each of the podcasts at Indianajen.com

(Gratias tibi ago to the ARLT Weblog for pointing these podcasts out!)