A unique intricate miniature box lock made of gold and iron from the Roman period has been discovered in Petershagen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Just 1.2 by 1.1 centimeters in dimension, smaller than a one euro coin or a U.S. quarter, the tiny lock dates to the 3rd or 4th century. It is the northernmost box … Read the full post →"Roman miniature gold lock found in Germany"
A hoard of 404 Roman and English gold and silver coins has been discovered in Bunnik, a village in the province of Utrecht, Netherlands. The most recent coins, struck in 46-47 A.D., are in excellent condition with no wear and tear from circulation, so the hoard was likely buried in or shortly after 47 A.D. … Read the full post →"Mixed hoard of Roman and British coins found in Netherlands"
A group of atypical Gallic graves with the deceased buried in a seated position have been unearthed in Dijon, southern France. While they have not all been individually dated yet, they generally date to the La Tène period (450-25 B.C.). Archaeologists with France’s National Institute for Preventive Archaeology (INRAP) made the discovery in an excavation … Read the full post →"Rare Iron Age seated burials found in Dijon"
The Rijksmuseum has been given a permanent loan of a sculpture of Triton by 17th century sculptor Gianlorenzo Bernini from a private collector. This is the only sculpture by the Italian Baroque master in the Netherlands. The sculpture is 28 inches high and made of terracotta. It depicts the mythological son of Poseidon standing on … Read the full post →"The Netherlands gets its first Bernini"
A plaster mold of Medusa has been discovered in the archaeological area of Finziade, modern-day Licata, in southwestern Sicily. The negative impression of the gorgoneion, the face and serpent hair of the gorgon Medusa, was a matrix used to produce masks or decorative reliefs. The matrix was one of several discovered in an excavation of … Read the full post →"Medusa mask matrix found in Sicily"