Pompeii

Girl Attaching a Peplum Statue

A small port on the Sarno River, Pompeii had thrived as a Roman colony for over two centuries. Its inhabitants knew nothing of Mount Vesuvius’s previous eruptions, which dated to the seventh century B.C.

On August 24, 79 A.D., Mount Vesuvius erupted, spewing a gigantic cloud of molten rock and pulverized pumice some thirty kilometres into the air. Tons of pumice, rocks and ashes rained down on Pompeii, piling up on the streets and collapsing roofs and walls. Although the eruption caught the inhabitants completely by surprise, most of them managed to escape. Only those who took shelter indoors were doomed. Paradoxically, the devastating eruption of Mount Vesuvius contributed to preserving much of Pompeii, which remained relatively undisturbed under metres of ashes for centuries.

Dog from the House of Orpheus

New discoveries from Pompeii give insight into the daily life of the Roman town before the cataclysmic eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

See ----->Treasures of Pompeii

Golden curse tablets found in ancient Serbian tomb

In 2016 archaeologists in Serbia discovered golden curse tablets in ancient Roman tombs. The tablets contain inscriptions with magical symbols calling upon both gods and demons to unleash ill-health, punishment, and death upon enemies, unrequited lovers, bad neighbors and relatives.

The curse tablets were found in Roman tombs at the Viminacium archaeological site, the capital of the former Roman province of Moesia Superior in Serbia. The territory was under Roman (and later Byzantine) rule for about 600 years, from the 1st century BC until the 6th century. Viminacium occupies a total of about 450 hectares (1,100 acres)

“..so long as someone, whether slave or free, whether man or woman, keeps silent or knows anything about it, they may be accursed in blood, and eyes and every limb and even have all intestines quite eaten away if they have stolen the ring or been privy (to the theft).” Other curses are even more personal ... “May your penis burn away when you make love.”

In Viminacium, Christians and pagans buried together suggests they were living together in relative harmony.

Aqrabuamelu - Scorpion men

Scorpion men are featured in several Akkadian myths, including the Enûma Elish and the Babylonian version of the Epic of Gilgamesh. They were also known as aqrabuamelu or girtablilu. The Scorpion Men are described to have the head, torso, and arms of a man and the body of a scorpion. Their "terror is awesome" and their "glance is death."

Roman gold : Coins of the Twelve Caesars

Gaius Julius Caesar (born 13 July 100 BCE), belonged to the Caesares family of the large Julian clan. He would live to make the name “Caesar” a title for emperors and their sons; a title that would endure for millennia, becoming Kaiser in German and Tsar in Russian. Few of Caesar’s gold coins bear his portrait; many depict an uncertain female goddess. A rare example struck by a military mint moving with Caesar’s army in 48-47 BCE sold for over $300k.

The assassination of Caesar renewed the civil war, which ended 17 years later when his great-nephew Octavius received the title of “Augustus” from the Senate. On much of his elegant gold coinage the only inscription is the word AUGUSTUS. Although he lived to the age of 75, his coin portrait remained youthful and idealized. A superb aureus of Augustus sold for nearly $400k.

Caligula was born in the year 12. His father Germanicus was a successful, popular general. Caligula’s mother, Agrippina was the daughter of Marcus Agrippa, the organizer behind Octavius’s victory in the civil war. Caligula’s silver and gold coins are scarce.

Following the murder of Caligula (24 January 41), the Praetorian Guard declared his uncle Claudius, aged 51, as emperor. Claudius proved to be an effective ruler for the next 13 years.

In numismatics, Nero is remembered as the depraved emperor who debased Roman coinage.

Nero is remembered as a depraved emperor. Nero’s gold coins survive in large numbers and are the most affordable aurei of the Twelve Caesars.

Nero’s suicide resulted in another civil war. Servius Sulpicius Galba was proclaimed emperor by his legions. Galba’s coinage is abundant.

Aulus Vitellius was born in 14 CE. Galba appointed him commander of the legions in Germania. He defeated Otho’s forces and occupied Rome in June, 69. He lasted eight months. When the legions of the East under general Vespasian advanced on Rome, he was hunted down and killed on December 22. The coinage of Vitellius is scarce.

Titus Flavius Vespasianus was the son of a tax official. He rose through the ranks and distinguished himself in the invasion of Britain (43 CE). In 67, Nero sent him to crush the revolt in Judaea. On July 1, 69, the legions proclaimed Vespasian emperor at Alexandria. Titus was 40 when he succeeded his father but lived only two years.

His most famous coin is a very rare bronze sestertius depicting the Colosseum. An example sold for $155k.

The Arch of Titus in Rome marks the destruction of Jerusalem.

Domitian was about 30 when he succeeded his elder brother Titus. His coinage was prolific.

La Conception and the Lost 1715 Treasure Fleet

Seafarer Exploration Corporation believes the mask may be from the 'La Conception' of the 1715 treasure fleet.

The partial remains of a rare Peruvian death mask was found on Melbourne Beach, off the coast of Florida in 2019. The mask is made mainly of copper and contains traces of gold, silver and iridium, which is usually found in meteorites. The mask was likely stolen by tomb raiders from a royal grave.

Funerary Mask, gold, silver-copper overlays, cinnabar, Lambayeque (Sicán)

On July 31, 1715 eleven of the twelve Spanish ships sailing from Havana to Spain with royal treasure were wrecked by a violent hurricane on the east coast of Florida from St. Lucie to Cape Canaveral. Seven days after departing from Havana, the ships were lost near present day Vero Beach, Florida. Around 1,500 perished

Seven of these Spanish treasure laden ships were scattered over the reefs from south of Fort Pierce to the Sebastian Inlet. Gold and silver coins started to be found on the beaches in the 1950s after strong nor'easters or a violent hurricane. This part of Florida's Atlantic east coast quickly became known as the Treasure Coast.

The Nuestra Señora de la Concepción was a 120-ton galleon. It very likely contained a significant portion of the treasure. It is believed the ship separated from the fleet the day before the storm struck. It's wreck has never been found. It's thought only a small fraction of the treasure of the lost 1715 Treasure Fleet has been recovered. Seafarer Exploration says the mask is a major link in a 'debris trail' that could pinpoint La Conception's final resting place.

1715 Fleet ships found are: 1 - Nuestra Senora de la Regla 2 - Santo Cristo de San Roman 3 - Nuestra Senora del Carmen 4 - Nuestra Señora de La Popa 5 - Nuestra Senora del Rosario 6 - Urca de Lima 7 - Nuestra Senora de las Nieves

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Ships of the 1715 Fleet never found: 8 - Maria Galante 9 - El Senor San Miguel 10 - El Cievro 11 - Nuestra Senora de la Concepcion 12 - Griffon made it safely and went on to France

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VERO BEACH — Bonnie Schubert couldn’t believe her eyes when, about 1,000 feet off Frederick Douglass Beach near Fort Pierce, she came face to face with a solid gold statue of a bird that had lain under the Atlantic Ocean over 295 years. “I remember asking myself, ‘Is this real?’” Schubert recalled as the 5.5-inch-tall statue she found was revealed to the public at her home in the Vero Shores neighborhood of Vero Beach. “The Bird,” as it’s come to be known, is real all right. So is it’s $885,000 appraised value.