No News like Ancient News – Roman frescoes discovered

[Prof.Witchheimer]

Do you know what it is? 

[joroas]

Measure for spices?

[OSHIROmodels]

TV dinner tray...

No, wait. Gladiatorial combat dinner tray 

cheers

James

[Calimero]

Muffins mould?

[white knight]

Where you place the "pétanque" balls?

[Captain Blood]

That is my paint palette 

[Plynkes]

Yeah, the watercolour blocks we had at primary school would have fitted in those holes nicely.

Matter of fact, I reckon the watercolour blocks at my primary school were probably school supplies the Romans left behind.

[Captain Blood]

...or a hypocaustic egg poacher... 

[Paul]

The designs look eastern..india maybe.
it´s either a gaming table or for keeping spices in..but the lids are missing

[Prof.Witchheimer]

Answer - Israelite cosmetics tray

This decorated cosmetics tray is made of sandstone and dates to the ninth century B.C.E. Although the few Biblical references to makeup seem to have a somewhat negative connotation, archaeological excavations throughout the areas of Israel and Judah have turned up numes similar trays and other cosmetic accessories, indicating that the use of cosmetics was rather popular among the ancient Israelites.

Makeup was often used by both men and women for hygienic or medicinal purposes, as well as for beautification. Various roots, minerals and other substances were ground up and mixed with oil or water in a tray like this to create the different kinds of makeup. It was then applied with the fingers, a brush or a small spatula, many of which have also been discovered at ancient sites.

[aecurtis]

For me,my ancients fascination has always been the Sarmatians (no surprise there then... ), and the idea that the Sarmatians were the inspiration for the Arthur myth (Sarmatians were stationed in Britain). An interesting book has been written 'From Scythia to Camelot' by Littleton and Malcor. Some would suggest such a premise is rubbish,I rather like it,and when one deals with Arthur,well,he is  a myth (I think?) so no harm done.

It would be too easy to just post links to several scholars' blogs who quite ably point out that Littleton and Malcor's premise is indeed rubbish.

But if you're interested in Sarmatians, especially Sarmatians in Britain, I recommend as inspiration Gillian Bradshaw's excellent novel "Island of Ghosts", which is based on the *historical* introduction of Sarmatian numeri into Britain by Marcus Aurelius.  Reviews:

http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/bl/bl_rev_islandghosts.htm

http://us.macmillan.com/islandofghosts/GillianBradshaw

A good read, and it's easy to adapt several sequences into wargames scenarios, from skirmishes to substantial battles.

There's no need to spoil perfectly good myths by trying to connect them with history that simply does not fit!

Allen

[Prof.Witchheimer]

Scythian Archers – Police force of Athen?

In Athens the so-called “Scythian Archers,” who may or may not have been from Scythia and who may or may not have been archers, served as a police force, keeping order in public gatherings (the Council, the Assembly, and the Agora) and perhaps authorized to use force against citizens under certain circumstances.

Read more: http://www.stoa.org/projects/demos/scythian_archers.pdf

[argsilverson]

Scythian archers:
They were foreigners (most from Scythia but not quite necessary) and servants belonging to the Politeia (State) i.e. they were public slaves.
Initially they were scythians but later who knows, at school we learned that they were appox. 600. In the text provided it is not clear but the scythians archers (police) were never a part of the Athens army, since slaves were not accepted in their ranks. Initially the army was only athenian citizens while later they included metoikous (immigrants) that were settled for long time (more that 10 years) in the Athens area. Slaves could follow the army as camp followers, servants etc. As you can see a military organised forced of 600 or 1000 policemen inside the town was always a fear so, in order to reduce the power of the leaders all the main officials of the Athenian state were elected in their positions every year.

Further to the above, today I got a new research paper not yet printed claiming that "long" distance seafaring has started much earlier than it was though. Some time between 110kyBP  - 200 kyBP (thousand years before present) and Neanderthals were the first to probe seafaring. The claim is based on archaeological evidence found in insulated islands of the aegean and ionian sea.

[Blackwolf]

Ooh Scythians,which brings me Sarmatian  women warriors,perhaps the origin of the Amazons? Certainly weapons and warlike gear have been found in female tombs on the Pontic steppe.
  According to Herodotus women of the Sauromatae (Sarmatians) hunted,shot bows and threw javelins from horseback.and went to war dressed in the same clothing as men.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazons

 

  

[Remington]

I love words like "Scythian" that will always confuse us. This is one of those lovely terms we will never fully understand and completely grasp, like "Peltast". Lovely how in our national-state mindset we try to grasp something in absolutes, that was probably a very loose term throughout antiquity.

In one of our excavations in the Northwest of Greece, we found a tombstone with the name Dindylas on it... It doesn't sound Greek to me and the epigraphic experts couldn't place the name. I always wanted to imagine him as a Scythian mercenary.

Lovely thread, Prof!