Discoveries and news in Rome

Marble statue of Mercury (Greek Hermes), the messenger god and patron of trade, from the Roman Empire (2nd-3rd century CE) was discovered in the ancient city of Aspendos (southern Turkey).

Archaeologists made an extraordinary discovery in Pompeii – beautiful frescoes depicting rituals related to Dionysian mysteries were uncovered. This is one of the best-preserved paintings presenting such events.

In January 2025, members of the Inventum Association, Rafał Proszowski and Mariusz Lampa, discovered in the northern Kraków-Częstochowa Upland, a Roman sword from nearly 2000 years ago. The artifact, probably a two-rear spatha used by the Roman trough, was found in three fragments, which suggests his ritual fracture during a funeral ceremony.

Archaeologists in Denmark made an extraordinary discovery in December 2024, digging up a 1600-year-old Roman helmet and German weapons.

In August 2023, the arena of a Roman amphitheater was discovered in eastern Portugal, which was located between a quarry and a wall in the ancient city of Ammaia. The city existed from 1st BCE to the 5th century CE and was an important source of quartz and gold supplies.

Archaeologists in Pompeii discovered a private, richly decorated bathhouse from 2,000 years ago, considered to be one of the largest found so far. The bathhouse could accommodate about 30 people and consisted of several rooms: hot, warm, cool, and a changing room equipped with benches.

In March 2024, archaeologists from the Red River Archeology Group discovered a Roman villa while working on the Brookside Meadows estate in Grove, near Wantage in Oxfordshire, central England. The area has been inhabited since the Bronze Age and is rich in artifacts.

Rowan Brannan, 12, from Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England, discovered a Roman gold military bracelet from the 1st century CE in April 2024 while walking his dog on the beach in Pagham. The bracelet, known as an armilla, was a decoration awarded to soldiers for bravery.

Archaeologists have discovered in Heerlen (southern Netherlands) a 2,000-year-old tomb of a Roman soldier named Flaccus, which provides the earliest evidence of Roman settlement in the region. The discovery was made in November 2024.

During the reconstruction of Piazza Pia in Rome, related to preparations for the Vatican’s Jubilee Year in 2025, Italian archaeologists found the remains of a portico and a garden belonging to Emperor Caligula (reigned 37-41 CE), known for his despotic rule.