#2000-Year-Old Artifacts Recovered From Well in Rome

[blueiscoool]

2,000-Year-Old Artifacts Recovered From Well in Rome

The objects, found within the Ostia Antica archaeological site in southern Italy, include burnt animal bones and a carved wooden chalice.

A trove of perfectly preserved ceramics, burnt animal bones and a wooden chalice have been pulled up from a well in Ostia Antica, shedding new light on religious life at the heart of Ancient Rome.

Discarded peach stones, oil lamps and marble fragments dating from the first and second centuries BC were also pulled up from the 3m-deep shaft at Ostia, an ancient port city at the mouth of the Tiber that is now the site of a vast archaeological park.

The well is located outside the ruins of the Temple of Hercules in the archaeological site’s so-called sacred area, once home to Ostia’s most important places of worship. Water at the bottom has preserved the artefacts for centuries.

Specialists were hoisted inside and they then carefully removed the objects. Recovered pig and cattle bones and ceramics showed burn marks, suggesting the animals had been sacrificed, cooked and eaten during banquets honouring deities. “These finds are a direct testament of the ritual activity that took place at the sanctuary,” Alessandro D’Alessio, director of the Ostia Antica archaeological park. “We might have imagined this happened but previously we had no evidence.”

One of the most spectacular discoveries was a carved wooden chalice or funnel. Archaeologists are still trying to determine its precise function. “Refined objects like this are rare given that wood usually deteriorates,” D’Alessio said. “We believe it may have been used as a musical instrument such as a pipe.”

Before Christianity was adopted as the official religion of the Roman empire in 380 AD, Romans typically fulfilled vows to multiple gods, made divine requests and asked for forgiveness by sacrificing animals in designated sacred spaces including altars and temples.

Ostia’s sacred area, which was located near a spring along the Via della Foce road that led towards the coast, was discovered in the late 1930s and is currently being restored with a view to opening it to the public.

D’Alessio said that the newly discovered objects would be restored by specialists from the archaeological park and eventually displayed at the refurbished Museo Ostiense, which is due to reopen by the end of June following a three-year closure.

Massimo Osanna, director of museums at Italy’s culture ministry, said in a statement: “Restoration work [in Ostia Antica] has proved to be a unique opportunity to study and deepen our knowledge of the functions and activities that took place in the sanctuary”.

By James Imam.

[manga-and-stuff]

Secrets of Evangelion 

06: Adam

Two different-appearing entities, which may or may not be one and the same, have been referred to by this name at this point in events: a.) an object several centimeters in length resembling a human embryo, carried by Ryoji Kaji in "suspended animation" within a case and delivered to Gendo Ikari, an object described as "the key to the Instrumentality Project" and "the first human being;" and, b.) several weeks later: a giant, humanoid figure hanging from a cross in NERV's ultimate-level classified facility, the deep subterranean hangar known as Terminal Dogma. Upon first witnessing this figure, Major Katsuragi characterized Adam as "the First Angel;" Kaji added, "This is also 'Project-E'." The appearance of the figure described in b.) is that of a sexually indistinct human, white, hairless, almost blubbery. Its wrists are affixed to the cross by bolts or screws. Where its face would be is a mask, possibly physically driven into the figure (a dark liquid can be observed oozing from where the mask meets the neck). On the mask is the sigil of SEELE (see below). The "body" is missing its presumed lower half, as if severed at the waist; but close inspection shows many smaller (that is, human-sized) pelvises and legs dangling from the blobby terminus of the figure. A paler, serum-like liquid runs down from the figure to the bottom of the cross. Kaji told Shinji that his mother, Dr. Yui Ikari, who vanished during the initial creation of the Evangelion series, solved the "primary problem" or "'Eva,' born from 'Adam.— In an action related to the "Adam Project," Unit-00 pilot Rei Ayanami drove the Spear of Longinus into the body of Adam, where it currently resides at this point in events.

07: Spear of Longinus 

Said to be the weapon with which the Roman legionnaire Longinus pierced Christ's side as he hung on the cross, the origins of the Spear are shrouded in uncertainty. In previous centuries the Spear has been variously claimed to reside in Rome, Vienna, and Krakow. However, according to a discussion (recorded by classified UN documentary footage and recovered by Brendan Jamieson) amongst scientists of the Katsuragi Expedition that first discovered Adam beneath their base at Mt. Markham on the Shackleton Coast of Antarctica, the Spear was found in the Dead Sea itself. It was subsequently delivered to the base's dock the week of August 7, 2000. The Second Impact occurred on September 13 during the experimental insertion of the Spear into Adam; the UN scientists attempted to pull it back after "the planned limit values" were exceeded. The Spear, however, continued to sink into Adam, whose A.T. Field released itself in an explosion causing massive tsunami, climactic change, and subsequent civil strife that led to the death of 50 percent of humanity within the next year. The Spear was recovered and brought to Tokyo-3 in 2015 by an expedition to Antarctica led personally by Gendo Ikari and his second-in-command, Kozo Fuyutsuki. The lore surrounding the Spear has extended into modern times, as it is maintained by some that Hitler's interest in the occult included this relic. From the gigantic dimensions (the length of an aircraft carrier) of the Spear recovered by NERV, it is evident that it cannot literally have been a weapon wielded by any human being. Neither does the Spear's design, that of a military fork whose tines emerge from the unwinding of a progressively tightened double helix, resemble any Roman weapon known to have been in use during the 1st century A.D. NERV, however, and its putative overseer SEELE, are organizations steeped in symbolism and seeking an esoteric meaning behind the plain text of scripture and prophecy. The association of the Spear with the structure of DNA may have been quite literal; one of the very last remarks recorded in the UN footage, mere seconds before the Second Impact, is "The genes implanted into Adam have already achieved physical merging." Taking that into account, as well as the uncertainty regarding the relic itself, speculation suggests one or more of the following: a.) the Spear is an authentic relic whose supernatural origins, like those of the Angels, were revealed only through secret revelations to which SEELE and NERV have access, b.) "Spear of Longinus" is a code name, chosen for its mythological associations in the manner of the names given to many modern military weapons, or even c.) the Spear contains encased within it the actual artifact; interestingly, one of the massive pillars over the high altar of the Vatican is said to contain the Spear. 

08: Seele

German for "soul" (pronounced "ZAY-leh"), a committee variously shown to be of as few as five or as many as fifteen personages of apparently different ethnic or national origins, to whom Gendo and his sub-commander, Fuyutsuki, have been seen to report. "Seele" is the esoteric name of the (itself secret) Instrumentality of Man Committee of the United Nations. However, neither the existence of the Committee nor the name "Seele" are known to the general public; indeed, it is not known if anyone outside NERV is aware of their existence, and they appear a secret to many inside NERV as well. Also secret is the existence of the Instrumentality Project, the completion of which (and not defeating the Angels per se) Chairman Kiel has stated as NERV's primary objective. Adam, the crucified First Angel kept by NERV, bears a mask with marks resembling lunar craters above the sigil of SEELE—an inverted triangle with seven eyes. The origins of SEELE and Kiel are unknown, although "Lorenz Kiel" is also a German name, as is both "NERV" and its precursor organization "GEHIRN." Although sometimes communicating only through a hologram, there is certainly evidence to suggest Kiel is an actual person, his having been photographed in a public gathering with Gendo Ikari in 2002. Kiel is a Caucasian and has the appearance of a man in late middle or early old age; he possibly has sensitive eyesight, as he, unlike the other members of SEELE, wears a slitted visor over his eyes and wore wide dark glasses in the 2002 photo. It is known for certain that Dr. Yui Ikari, and through her, Gendo, worked for SEELE in the year before the Second Impact. It is possible that SEELE is indeed an organization of ancient lineage and a hidden power in world history (indeed, Ryoji Kaji suggests this is in fact the case, saying they at least are certainly the progenitors of NERV); they may also be of more modern origins and merely claim an unwarranted, exaggerated, or unproven antiquity to bolster their prestige or sense of mission, as has been the case with other secret societies such as the Masons and Rosicrucians. In any event, SEELE makes a convincing claim to have access to ancient knowledge, including knowledge of both the human past and future based on prophecies and revelations in certain secret Dead Sea Scrolls in their possession. A great many of the Dead Sea Scrolls—important early Jewish historical and theological documents dating from circa 250 BC to circa 135 AD—are publicly known to scholars. However, the first of the scrolls were unearthed under chaotic circumstances in 1947 and were restricted to a small group of scholars for many years thereafter; scholars also assume others remain hidden in private custody, if only for their priceless monetary value. All are factors lending mystery to these documents and make SEELE's claim to possess secret scrolls difficult to dismiss on its face.

Source: Neon Genesis Evangelion / Shin Seiki Evangerion 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン 

by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto 

[dentonindenmark]

Copenhagen (11-14 Feb)

Through school, we were given a week of winter holidays. We decided to go to go to Copenhagen for a few days. Birgittes sister owns a small ( and when I say small I mean small) apartment. Although it was small it worked fine to stay in. We left Monday morning and headed to Copenhagen. The drive was much better than when I was picked up from the airport because I could actually see this time. It was very beautiful. We had to pick Zofie up on the way as she was staying with a friend she met in Chile. Before we picked her up we stopped just before we crossed the big bridge to get some food (I had fish and chips which was very good). 

The small town Zofie stayed in was very cute and it was so nice and pretty. It was very rural compared to Vejle. After we picked up Zofie we had another hour drive to get to Copenhagen. I was very tired so I fell asleep for the last part of the journey. Eventually, we made it to the apartment where we got settled in before going out and doing some exploring. 

Monday afternoon: We went for a walk and went down one of the main shopping streets and went up the Round Tower (Rundetårn) which was built by Christian the fourth (who built a lot of things in Denmark). The view from the top was amazing, you could see a small part of Sweden! You could also see all around Copenhagen. It was amazing to see but it was very windy and very cold. When we decided it was too cold we headed back down the tour and went to get cake and coffee (well hot chocolate). We went to see the town hall afterward’s however we had just missed the closing. We decided to head back to the apartment as it was getting dark. When we arrived back we just relaxed and had dinner. 

Tuesday: On Tuesday (unfortunately Victor was sick so he couldn’t join us) we went out to do some more exploring. We went to the  Kastellet (which was an old fortress of the royal family). It was good to go back there considering that I had previously visited it with Mum and Dad in 2016.  We walked along the main road of the fortress (although you can see most of it from there anyway). Once we had stopped by the eternal flame. We then headed to the Little Mermaid (which is very little). There were many tourists there so we got in and took our photos and left, to go and see The Gefion Fountain, which wasn’t flowing because it is winter so they stop the water so that it doesn’t freeze and burst the pipes. Once we had seen the fountain (which is amazing), we headed to see the palaces. 

We headed along the harbor before going through the gardens and finally to the palaces. We got there in time to watch the changing over of the guards. There were a lot of other tourists there too, but I managed to sneak to the front to watch. It was very cool to watch and see how disciplined they all were. We watched them change a few of the standing positions and went to get a photo with a guard in it (we didn’t go right next to him because he seemed a little angry). We then headed by the Fredriks church, which is huge with a dome at the top. We went inside to have a look. The ceiling is magnificent and was painted with the 12 disciples. The church was amazing but we didn’t stay for long as it was getting quite crowded. We then decided to go and get some lunch. For lunch, we decided to get smørrebrød (open sandwichs on rugbrød (rye bread)). On mine, I had laks (salmon), æg (egg), asparagus, and what I think was sour sobs (you will understand when you see the photo). It was absolutely delicious and I wish I could eat it every day. 

Once we had finished our lunch, we had a look around the food markets which were so nice and full of fresh produce. Zofie and I also got some fresh juices, which were also amazing. From there we went to see the crown jewels! These are at Rosenborg Castle, which is a beautiful old castle, located near the Kongens Have (the Kings gardens). We went inside the museum in the castle first which showed us through different rooms still in the form of what the castle would’ve been like in the olden days. It was gorgeous, every room had detailed walls and ceilings, and the throne room (which I think may have been originally a ballroom) was stunning. It was then time to head down to the basement which held the crown jewels. First, we saw some old swords (super cool) and some other bits and pieces (which you will see a few in the photos). Finally, we headed and saw the crown jewels. The three crowns were mesmerizing and the jewels were beautiful. I do wish that I could have taken them home with me and worn some of the jewelry. 

Next, it was time to try a famous hotdog, a Danish Hotdog. These are hot dogs loaded with several types of sauces, fresh onion, fried onion, and pickles. It is delicious. (of course, I have had another one since). From there we went to a museum.

In the museum was a courtyard full of plants, and a giant goldfish pond. It was beautiful (you will see a photo). Throughout the museum, we saw some mummies, sculptures, ancient Rome, and of course, the museum shop! Once we had seen enough of the museum we headed back to the apartment. 18′509 steps and 12.7 km later we were exhausted and ready for a rest, so heading back to the apartment was nice, although the day had been wonderful!

Wednesday: On Wednesday we decided to take a quick trip through Freetown Christiania. I held not many expectations of it but I had heard that there had been trouble there the night before so I think it might have been very different from the normal day there, although I wouldn’t know. It was quite peaceful, and I have heard that the people there are nice and helpful. We didn’t spend long there and headed off to the Nyhavn (the colorful buildings on the harbor). We took a walk down looking at the buildings before deciding to get on a harbor tour. 

The tour took us around to see the Copenhagen Opera house, Amalienborg Palace, Christiansborg Palace, the Black diamond, the Little Mermaid, a submarine, along with some adorable canals (built by Christian the 4th). These were just a few of the places we saw but it is difficult to remember everything. The tour was really nice but absolutely freezing so it was good to get walking again and headed to the museum where there was a special exhibit about Vikings. 

When we got to the museum they had on display the Handball championships trophy. We took our photos with it and then headed into the Viking exhibition. The exhibition was amazing and we saw all sorts of artifacts and old shields and swords. We went through and saw different exhibitions at the museum, like African culture, Greenland culture, and ancient Europe. We also saw an exhibition on Danish culture 2000-2020, which explored all the significant, or interesting developments and events that have happened over the past few years. We spent a few hours looking through the museum so by the time we had finished (and after finishing the museum shop) it was time to head back to the apartment. 

Thursday: On Thursday it was time to head back to Vejle, however, we went through Roskilde first. In Roskilde is the Viking ship museum where they have on display 5 recovered Viking ships which they have tended to and protected as well as possible. They have a small movie which plays describing the process of discovering and recovering the ships. They then have the 5 ships which are on display to see. Towards the end, you can dress up as a Viking and sit in a pretend ship. We then had a look in the museum shop. Once we had seen the museum we headed into town to get lunch. For lunch, I shared Nachos with Zofie. We had planned on seeing a church in Roskilde but it was shut off due to a private function. It was then time to head home. 

Friday: On Friday I met up with Zara downtown (in Vejle), we walked around town and had lunch together, an did some shopping. 

I will have more updates soon! 

Tak, Lexie xx

[stufftoreadonthetoilet-blog]

Divers locate 2,000-year-old Roman wreck with cargo of fermented, salted fish intestines.

By David Millar

Underwater Italian archaeologists have located a first or second century AD shipwreck that was carrying 3,000 clay jars filled with Roman fish sauce made by fermentation of salted fish intestines.

Fish sauce or garum may not sound appetizing to modern people, but the ancients found it delicious and ate it at banquets. It was also sold in street food stands around the Roman Empire. It was highly nutritious and was a source of what we now call monosodium glutamate, a flavor enhancer.

The archaeologists, led by Simonluca Trigona, found the ship 200 meters (656 feet) deep after fisherman dragged up fragments of amphorae in their nets in 2012 about five miles (8 kilometers) off of Alassio on Italy’s Ligurian coast.

Archaeologists knew what the amphorae had contained because the jars were of a type used only for fish sauce. But the wreck also had some jars that they believe were manufactured around the Tiber River in Rome and that may have been meant to transport wine to the Iberian Peninsula.

The ship was 25 meters long (86 feet). "She most likely sailed out of Rome along the Tiber and sank a couple of weeks later while making the return journey, weighed down by all that fish sauce," Dr. Trigona told TheLocal.it. “It's one of just five 'deep sea' Roman vessels ever to be found in the Mediterranean and the first one to be found off the coast of Liguria.”

The archaeologists did a painstaking search for the shipwreck even though the general area it went down was known. It took two years to find it.

In recent years, scientists have had considerable success in recovering well-preserved artifacts from shipwrecks by using sophisticated technologies like remote operating vehicles, sonar mapping equipment and genetic analysis. One finding was of an ancient salad dressing (olive oil flavored with oregano) found in a 2,400-year-old shipwreck off the Greek island of Chios.

In 2012, another 2,000-year-old shipwreck, this one off the coast of Varazze, Italy, was found with sealed clay jars that scientists had hoped would contain preserved food. Police divers identified the shipwreck 50 meters (164 feet) underwater after fishermen reported finding numerous pieces of old pottery in their nets.  The wreck was buried in mud, which kept it hidden for centuries but also helped preserve it and its cargo, including a number of amphorae. The amphorae still have intact caps of pine and pitch (a kind of tar), giving archaeologists hope that the contents were still preserved.

Then, in 2013, a team of Italian scientists conducted a chemical analysis of some ancient Roman medicinal pills discovered in the Relitto del Pozzino, a 2000-year-old submerged shipping vessel that sank off the coast of Tuscany.

The results of the chemical analysis, which were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , revealed that the pills contain a number of zinc compounds, as well as iron oxide, starch, beeswax, pine resin and other plant-derived materials. Based on their shape and composition, scientists have suggested that the tablets were used as a type of eye medicine.

The Roman shipwreck lay near the remains of the Etruscan city of Populonia, which at the time the ship foundered was a key port along sea trade routes between the west and east across the Mediterranean Sea.

The Relitto del Pozzino was excavated by the Archaeological Superintendency of Tuscany throughout the 1980s and 90s, revealing a variety of fascinating cargo including lamps originating in Asia minor, Syrian-Palestinian glass bowls, bronze jugs, ceramic vessels for carrying wine and, of particular interest, the remains of a medicine chest containing a surgery hook, a mortar, 136 wooden drug vials and several cylindrical tin vessels, one of which contained five circular medicinal tablets. The tin vessels (called pyxides) had remained completely sealed, which kept the pills dry, providing an opportunity to find out what substances they contained.

Source: Ancient Origins