Curiosities of ancient Rome (Artifact)

Roman fresco depicting a pygmy soldier with a large raised cleaver, hung above the child outstretched on the table. One woman holds the child, another imploringly kneels before a three-person tribunal, as if asking for mercy.

Roman mosaic showing a lion knocking down a panther. The mosaic can be seen at the Archaeological Museum of Naples, and it comes from the so-called the Pigeon House in Pompeii, located in the southwestern part of the archaeological site.

Bronze tablet containing the original text of the Lex Cornelia from 81 BCE from Sulla’s time, which increased the number of quaestors to 20. The object is located in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.

Portrait of a mummified woman from Roman times, dated back to 150 CE. The painting was made on wooden panels that were in the grave of a mummified Roman woman.

The famous Etruscan terracotta sarcophagus (so-called “Sarcophagus of Spouse”) is an example of the outstanding craft skills of the Etruscans. The artifact was found in 1881 in the Banditaccia necropolis in Cerveteri (antique Caere).

Roman short dagger with cover. Found in the Cetina riverbed near the city of Trilj (Croatia). Dated to the end of the 1st century BCE.

Dated to the 1st century BCE an Egyptian document on which, according to the researchers, there is the only preserved handwritten signature of queen Cleopatra VII. Papyrus has survived to our times, because it was used in the first century CE to wrap the mummy in the ancient cemetery of Busiris (200 km southeast of Alexandria).

According to the records of Pliny the Elder, Roman Emperor Nero during gladiatorial fights looked at the arena through a concave emerald. In this way, he eliminated the glare of the sun and his nearsightedness.

Decorated Roman colander, made of bronze. The object was found in Pompeii and dates from the 1st century BCE.

An interesting collection of postcards from Rome from around 1890 was collected. The photos were taken using photochromic technology.