The Latest Archaeological Finds in Italy [5:10]

Transcript
· Introduction
0:10 · Welcome to Old News, a series exploring the latest discoveries about the ancient world,
0:16 · along with the analysis and interpretation that give those finds meaning.
· San Casciano dei Bagni
0:20 · Today, we'll start with San Casciano dei Bagni,
0:24 · a picturesque town nestled among the hills of southern Tuscany. The "Bagni" in the town's name
0:30 · refer to hot springs that have drawn visitors since antiquity.
0:34 · Before the rise of Rome, this region was controlled by the Etruscans,
0:38 · who built a healing sanctuary around the largest of the springs. Worshippers
0:43 · prayed to Apollo, Fortuna, and the goddess of the spring for healing,
0:47 · and threw coins and figurines into the pool as offerings. Wealthy families – first Etruscan,
0:54 · then Roman – commissioned elegant statues, which were positioned around the pool.
0:59 · During the reign of Tiberius, lightning struck the sanctuary. In keeping with Roman religious
1:05 · practice, the statues damaged by the strike were ritually buried – in this case, within the spring
1:12 · itself, beneath a layer of tiles and a bronze thunderbolt that symbolized the lightning strike.
1:18 · There they remained until the recent excavation of the spring. No fewer than 24 bronze statues,
1:25 · all in nearly pristine condition, were recovered. They date from the third
1:30 · century BC to the time of Augustus, and show a fascinating mix of Roman and Etruscan artistic
1:37 · styles and clothing. Most are portraits of people who had been healed at the sanctuary,
1:42 · or hoped to be. Their hands are outstretched in prayer, and their eyes turned up toward the gods.
1:49 · The statues will be housed in a museum near the site of discovery. Currently,
1:54 · they are being exhibited in other Italian cities – including Naples,
1:58 · where I saw them in the archaeological museum. Speaking of Naples...
· Pompeii
2:03 · At Pompeii, a short distance away, a long-term project to shore up the retaining walls between
2:08 · the excavated and unexcavated parts of the site has produced a series of exciting discoveries.
2:15 · Many of these have made the news over the past six years. A child's drawing of gladiators,
2:21 · sketched in charcoal on a wall. A spectacular fresco of Leda and the
2:26 · swan. A painting of what appeared to be an ancient Roman pizza.
2:32 · I'd like to focus, however, on the thermopolium – a bar and fast-food
2:37 · restaurant – that was recently opened to visitors.
2:41 · Like almost all of Pompeii's fast-food restaurants, the thermopolium had a
2:45 · service counter. Remarkably, this counter was decorated with frescoes, which have survived
2:51 · almost intact. Besides a nereid riding a seahorse and a fierce-looking guard dog,
2:57 · they show some of the foods served in the restaurant, including ducks and a chicken.
3:02 · We know that these birds were on the menu thanks to analysis of the bones found in the earthenware
3:07 · containers that studded the counter. Alongside chicken and duck, diners were served snails,
3:13 · pork, goat, and fish. That bones from all of these creatures were found in the same place
3:20 · has led some scholars to speculate that their meat was combined into a paella-like dish.
3:26 · It's more likely, however, that the bones were simply being disposed of together.
3:31 · At Herculaneum, Pompeii's sister-city, the most exciting new developments have taken place
· Herculaneum
3:37 · remotely, as scholars from around the world race to virtually unwrap and read the famous carbonized
3:44 · scrolls discovered in the Villa of the Papyri. Check out the linked video for more details.
3:51 · The site itself, however, has been improved by the opening of the ancient
3:55 · beach to visitors. Back in the 80's, an extension of the excavated area revealed
4:01 · Herculaneum's waterfront, complete with a row of boat sheds. Inside the sheds,
4:06 · the archaeologists found the bones of more than 300 people, killed by the pyroclastic flow and
4:12 · heat so intense that it seared the brain of one victim into a chunk of volcanic glass.
4:19 · The bones were replaced with replicas, which continue to fascinate visitors. For a long time,
4:25 · the boatsheds and their bones could only be viewed from a narrow wooden walkway.
4:30 · Now, however, the water that covered the beach has been paved over with gravel, and it's possible to
4:36 · walk the ancient waterfront, closer than ever before to the life and death of a Roman city.
4:44 · Thanks for watching this first installment of Old News. Stay tuned for future episodes
4:49 · on new discoveries and developments. In the meantime, for more content and commentary,
4:54 · check out my Patreon page, which is linked onscreen and in the description.

Plus a transcript, because some people complain about not having one, and under different nicks complain about how bad the transcript is.

The Basilica of Sant'Eufemia in Grado, Italy, built during the sixth century, has survived almost unchanged since. Uniquely, the church still has its original mosaic floor.

Ave Verum Corpus
The Cathedral Singers, Richard Proulx
Sublime Chant: The Art of Gregorian, Ambrosian & Gallican Chant
An Incredibly Well-Preserved Ancient Church | 3:38
Scenic Routes to the Past | 31.2K subscribers | 8,386 views | October 31, 2023

There is no transcript because there is no narration.

Ave Verum Corpus The Cathedral Singers, Richard Proulx Sublime Chant: The Art of Gregorian, Ambrosian & Gallican Chant [YouTube search results]

Wow, they uncovered a cache full of artifacts. What a great feeling it must have been for the researchers!

Better shape then a lot of modern day artifacts.

For a while I've been envious that there's so much to be found in certain places in the world (but not here). Sometimes people can't even plant a tomato in a new garden patch without unearthing something. The cities of Vesuvius were rediscovered when some local ruler had some workmen dig a well. :^)

Transcript
	·	Introduction
0:10	·	Welcome to Old News, a series exploring the latest discoveries about the ancient world,
0:16	·	along with the analysis and interpretation that give those finds meaning.
	·	San Casciano dei Bagni
0:20	·	Today, we'll start with San Casciano dei Bagni,
0:24	·	a picturesque town nestled among the hills of southern Tuscany. The "Bagni" in the town's name
0:30	·	refer to hot springs that have drawn visitors since antiquity.
0:34	·	Before the rise of Rome, this region was controlled by the Etruscans,
0:38	·	who built a healing sanctuary around the largest of the springs. Worshippers
0:43	·	prayed to Apollo, Fortuna, and the goddess of the spring for healing,
0:47	·	and threw coins and figurines into the pool as offerings. Wealthy families – first Etruscan,
0:54	·	then Roman – commissioned elegant statues, which were positioned around the pool.
0:59	·	During the reign of Tiberius, lightning struck the sanctuary. In keeping with Roman religious
1:05	·	practice, the statues damaged by the strike were ritually buried – in this case, within the spring
1:12	·	itself, beneath a layer of tiles and a bronze thunderbolt that symbolized the lightning strike.
1:18	·	There they remained until the recent excavation of the spring. No fewer than 24 bronze statues,
1:25	·	all in nearly pristine condition, were recovered. They date from the third
1:30	·	century BC to the time of Augustus, and show a fascinating mix of Roman and Etruscan artistic
1:37	·	styles and clothing. Most are portraits of people who had been healed at the sanctuary,
1:42	·	or hoped to be. Their hands are outstretched in prayer, and their eyes turned up toward the gods.
1:49	·	The statues will be housed in a museum near the site of discovery. Currently,
1:54	·	they are being exhibited in other Italian cities – including Naples,
1:58	·	where I saw them in the archaeological museum. Speaking of Naples...
	·	Pompeii
2:03	·	At Pompeii, a short distance away, a long-term project to shore up the retaining walls between
2:08	·	the excavated and unexcavated parts of the site has produced a series of exciting discoveries.
2:15	·	Many of these have made the news over the past six years. A child's drawing of gladiators,
2:21	·	sketched in charcoal on a wall. A spectacular fresco of Leda and the
2:26	·	swan. A painting of what appeared to be an ancient Roman pizza.
2:32	·	I'd like to focus, however, on the thermopolium – a bar and fast-food
2:37	·	restaurant – that was recently opened to visitors.
2:41	·	Like almost all of Pompeii's fast-food restaurants, the thermopolium had a
2:45	·	service counter. Remarkably, this counter was decorated with frescoes, which have survived
2:51	·	almost intact. Besides a nereid riding a seahorse and a fierce-looking guard dog,
2:57	·	they show some of the foods served in the restaurant, including ducks and a chicken.
3:02	·	We know that these birds were on the menu thanks to analysis of the bones found in the earthenware
3:07	·	containers that studded the counter. Alongside chicken and duck, diners were served snails,
3:13	·	pork, goat, and fish. That bones from all of these creatures were found in the same place
3:20	·	has led some scholars to speculate that their meat was combined into a paella-like dish.
3:26	·	It's more likely, however, that the bones were simply being disposed of together.
3:31	·	At Herculaneum, Pompeii's sister-city, the most exciting new developments have taken place
	·	Herculaneum
3:37	·	remotely, as scholars from around the world race to virtually unwrap and read the famous carbonized
3:44	·	scrolls discovered in the Villa of the Papyri. Check out the linked video for more details.
3:51	·	The site itself, however, has been improved by the opening of the ancient
3:55	·	beach to visitors. Back in the 80's, an extension of the excavated area revealed
4:01	·	Herculaneum's waterfront, complete with a row of boat sheds. Inside the sheds,
4:06	·	the archaeologists found the bones of more than 300 people, killed by the pyroclastic flow and
4:12	·	heat so intense that it seared the brain of one victim into a chunk of volcanic glass.
4:19	·	The bones were replaced with replicas, which continue to fascinate visitors. For a long time,
4:25	·	the boatsheds and their bones could only be viewed from a narrow wooden walkway.
4:30	·	Now, however, the water that covered the beach has been paved over with gravel, and it's possible to
4:36	·	walk the ancient waterfront, closer than ever before to the life and death of a Roman city.
4:44	·	Thanks for watching this first installment of Old News. Stay tuned for future episodes
4:49	·	on new discoveries and developments. In the meantime, for more content and commentary,
4:54	·	check out my Patreon page, which is linked onscreen and in the description.