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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.

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.