Naxian sphinxes depict a winged lion with a female face. One example from the third century AD was uncovered in the Roman provincial town of Potaissa in ancient Dacia, located in present-day Romania. The bronze sphinx was stolen in the nineteenth century and never has been recovered. Based on a surviving drawing, however, the sphinx inscription has finally been translated. 

Note that the poem needs to be read right to left. A "dactyl" in poetry is a poetic foot (rhythmic unit) consisting of a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables, but in this inscription which is read right to left, the patten is the opposite.

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An examination of sketches depicting the sphinx revealed that the inscription constitutes a metric poem composed in dactylic hexameter. This intricate poetic meter originated from ancient Greek verses and was subsequently embraced by Latin literature. Dactylic hexameter employs a recurring rhythmic structure of six metric feet per line, accentuating certain syllables over others.

According to the study, the poem is written in a proto-Hungarian language and welcomes visitors approaching the sphinx: Íme imádd: itt híres oroszlán (“Lo, behold, worship: here is the holy lion”).

 

https://arkeonews.net/mysterious-inscription-on-ancient-dacia-sphinx-is-deciphered/

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2024/01/inscription-on-naxian-style-sphinx-deciphered/150132

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This paper gives a translation of an inscription around the base of a bronze sphinx statue from the 3^rd century Roman Province of Dacia. The bronze sphinx statue has several striking parallels with the famous Sphinx of the Naxians from 560 BCE, which is now located in the Archaeological Museum of Delphi. Presumably, the sphinx cult also spread to Dacia from Naxos. The inscription is identified as having been written using an archaic Greek alphabet. However, the Greek alphabet phonetic values render a text that is non-sensical in the Greek language. Therefore, the meaning of the inscription has puzzled scholars since the artifact’s discovery in the early 19^th century. The scribe probably intended to express something in a language other than Greek using an archaic Greek alphabet. The archaic Greek alphabet phonetic values record a short rhythmic poem in the Proto-Hungarian language. The inscription is unusual in that it contains some archaic letters that are mirrored and need to be read from right to left.

Inscription on a Naxian-Style Sphinx Statue From Potaissa Deciphered as a Poem in Dactylic Meter | Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry (maajournal.com)

A small hoard or cache of ten coins dating from the reign of Byzantine Emperor Constans II (AD 641-668) have been discovered in the ancient city of Hadrianopolis in the modern day Karabük’s Eskipazar district in Turkey.

https://www.dailysabah.com/turkiye/1400-year-old-coins-found-in-piggy-bank-in-turkiyes-karabuk/news/amp

http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/69169

https://arkeonews.net/1400-year-old-coins-found-in-a-piggy-bank-in-ancient-city-of-hadrianopolis/#

A head of Bacchus that dates to the Ancient Greek era has been discovered in the water near the Ancient Greek city of Cyrene in modern day Libya. The artifact may have been uncovered as a result of a storm in September.

The city of Cyrene was well know for its export of the coveted medicinal plant silphium (see post below):

https://arkeonews.net/researcher-found-the-head-of-the-statue-of-bacchus-inside-a-water-channel-near-the-ancient-city-of-cyrene-in-libya/

Manhattan District attorney Melvin Bragg ordered the return 30 antiquities to Greece:
 

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Some of the key pieces being returned include:

• Marble Aphrodite: this marble statue is based on the famous Aphrodite of Knidos and was recovered from a storage unit that belonged to the convicted trafficker Robin Symes, where it had been hidden since at least 1999.
• Cycladic Marble Figure: originally illegally excavated from the Cycladic Islands in the Aegean Sea, this four-thousand-year-old marble figurine was seized from a storage unit belonging to a New York-based private collector by the ATU earlier this year.
• Corinthian Helmet: this bronze Corinthian helmet is an example of popular helmet style for Ancient Greek warriors, particularly in the Archaic and Classical periods (c. 700 B.C.E-350 B.C.E). It was smuggled out of Greece, given false provenance in Germany, and put on consignment with the New York-based art dealer Michael Ward who pled guilty to Criminal Facilitation in the Fourth Degree and admitted to purchasing stolen antiquities on consignment through his gallery as part of money-laundering scheme allegedly orchestrated by Eugene Alexander.

 

https://news.artnet.com/art-world/us-repatriates-30-artifacts-to-greece-2410036

https://manhattanda.org/d-a-bragg-announces-return-of-30-antiquities-to-the-people-of-greece/

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has been involved in other repatriations: 

The Scythians were a nomadic Steppe tribe. They were an equestrian nomadic people. They were well known for being skilled mounted bowmen. They were known stating in the 9th century BCE until they were replaced by the Sarmatians in the 3rd century BCE.
 

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The Scythians were known to the ancient Greeks, —famed historian Herodotus mentioned them in his writings. He said they were known to drink the blood of their slain enemies and sometimes used their scalps as a means for wiping the blood from their hands. He suggested that there had also been reports of them removing the skin from the right hand of an enemy and using it to make leather for their quivers. In this new effort, the research team looked for evidence of this last claim.

The researchers used a variety of paleoproteomics techniques to analyze 45 leather samples collected from 14 Scythian dig sites. They were able to identify the source of all of them—all but two were made from horse, cattle, goat or sheep skin. The other two had a human source, confirming what Herodotus had written.

 

https://phys.org/news/2023-12-analysis-ancient-scythian-leather-samples.html

Here is a comprehensive video on the Scythians.

The women were known for their military skills and tattoos:

Ceramic roof tiles attributed to the Greek King Antiochus IV (reign 175-164 BCE) were found in Jerusalem this week. It was his persecution of the Jews of Judea and Samaria that led to the rebellion of the Jewish Maccabees and the Hanukkah celebration.

https://www.aninews.in/news/world/middle-east/roof-tiles-found-in-jerusalem-traced-to-greek-king-antiochus-iv-of-chanukah-fame20231206150253/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiochus_IV_Epiphanes

Two ancient Roman statues from the second century AD were destroyed by a lunatic in Israel in October. Strangely, he was acquitted. His defense was unusual:

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“The suspect did not act out of iconoclastic fanaticism. His acts prior to the incident and general demeanor suggest that he is suffering from a well recognized condition known as the Jerusalem Syndrome.”

“Jerusalem syndrome is a rare condition in which tourists become so overwhelmed by the city’s history and power that they dissociate from reality and believe themselves to be biblical figures.“

 

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/travel/article/tourist-smashes-statues-israel-scli-intl/index.html

https://m.jpost.com/israel-news/article-776757

There have been many posts in the past about the controversial Elgin marbles and their return to Greece (see below). Once again, they are in the news.
 

Earlier this week British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak abruptly cancelled his scheduled meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis after Mitsotakis appeared on British TV and demanded the repatriation of the statues and frieze panels that once decorated the Parthenon.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-67549044.amp

 

A large number of animal sacrifices, including horses, have been found at the Iron Age site of Casas del Turuñuelo at Badajoz, Spain, in the western Iberian Peninsula. These sacrifices were found in a building site from the late 5th century BCE.

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2023/11/analysis-reveals-rituals-of-mass-sacrifice-of-horses-and-other-animals/149677

Badajoz, Spain

 https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/maya-warrior-statue-with-serpent-helmet-discovered-at-chichen-itza

Here is a nice summary article that lists the contrasts between Mayans and Aztecs:

https://www.diffen.com/difference/Aztecs_vs_Mayans#:~:text=The Aztecs were Nahuatl-speaking,as early as 2600 BC.

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It has long been assumed that the sculptures were left unpainted, however, using visible-induced luminescence imaging, the researchers have been able to identify microscopic traces of an Egyptian blue pigment on the sculpture’s garments. Egyptian blue is a man-made pigment composed of calcium, copper and silicon, that was commonly used in Ancient Greece and Roman, and even as far back as 3,000 BC in Egypt.
 

According to a study, published in the journal Antiquity: “Small traces of white and purple were also detected on the sculptures. True purple pigment was very valuable in the ancient Mediterranean; it was produced from shellfish, but the Parthenon purple apparently was not. The exact nature of the purple remains unclear, but classical texts refer to recipes to make non-shellfish purple.”

 

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2023/10/new-study-identifies-traces-of-paint-used-to-decorate-the-parthenon-sculptures/148836

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/style/greek-parthenon-sculptures-painted-egyptian-blue-scn/index.html

A 2nd Century AD Roman head of Alexander the Great  has been found in Prusias ad Hypium, Turkey. It measured 23 cm (or 9 inches).

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2023/10/marble-head-of-alexander-the-great-uncovered-at-prusias-ad-hypium/148809

Dr Georgia Pike-Rowney says the museum doesn't know how the Roman marble head that was stolen from the Vatican ended up in an Australian collection.(

The Apulian red-figure fish-plate was found to have been smuggled out of Italy by a well-known dealer of illicit items who sourced materials directly from tomb robbers.

https://amp.abc.net.au/article/102857092

Five gold Carthaginian coins have been discovered at a Carthaginian temple in Tunisia. They are thought to be an offering to the deities. Also found were urns containing infants, premature infants, and animals. It is unclear whether these infant deaths were from natural causes or were victims of sacrifices.

https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/rare-gold-coins-and-cremated-infants-were-possible-sacrificial-gifts-to-the-ancient-gods-of-carthage

A suspected child’s shoe from the Iron Age salt mine in Austria has been discovered during recent excavations. The shoe, made from leather, was discovered in a mining tunnel. It is believed the salty microenvironment of the surrounding mine helped to preserve the organic material of the shoe.

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The shoe is made of leather and roughly corresponds to today’s shoe size 30. The shape, as well as the lace-up closures, which were likely made of flax or linen, are still intact. The shoe’s design provides additional indications of its manufacture, which was most likely in the second century B.C.

Although I find this to be a fascinating discovery, much of the hype around the story is the assumption that this was not an adult’s shoe, instead. A child’s size 30 in Europe is equivalent to a 7.25” in the US (US size 12.5 and U.K. 11.5 children’s).

https://arkeonews.net/extremely-well-preserved-2000-year-old-childs-leather-shoe-discovered-during-archaeological-mine-excavations/

https://footwearnews.com/fashion/fashion-news/children-preserved-shoe-museum-iron-age-1203511657/

A large Gothic cemetery dating to the fourth century AD has been discovered in Northern Poland. The site has at least fifty Gothic graves and many silver items have been recovered:

https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/vast-gothic-cemetery-brimming-with-grave-goods-and-ornate-silver-jewelry-discovered-in-poland

Recent DNA analysis of Ötzi the ancient iceman of the Italian Alps has shown that he had Turkish roots, as well as his skin was darker and he was balder than previously thought.

The most recent image of Ötzi.

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Oetzi, who lived over 5,000 years ago, was frozen in the ice after he was killed by an arrow to the back. His corpse was preserved as a "natural mummy” until 1991 when hikers found him along with some of his clothing and gear – including a copper ax, a longbow, and a bearskin hat. Since then, many researchers have worked to uncover more about the mummy, which is displayed at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano, Italy.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02562-0
 

https://www.dailysabah.com/life/oetzi-the-turk-dna-study-shows-surprising-details-about-iceman/news

There have been several previous posts about the probable robust trade that existed between Rome and India. New evidence seems to confirm the ancient spice trade between India and Vietnam (a distance of 1394 km or 1985 miles) between 1800 and 2000 years ago.
 

By examining starch elements found on cooking tools, researchers were able to find Cylon cinnamon from Sri Lanka and turmeric from India. Other spices found included nutmeg, ginger, clove, and nutmeg

Possible origin of spices found on cooking tools examined at Óc Eo.

Food preparation tools examined  including mortars, pestles, and grinding slabs

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adh5517

A wonderful discovery of glass artifacts from a suspected Celtic Iron Age glass workshop in Nemčice, Czech Republic north of the Alps has been announced.
 

It is thought to date from 2300 years ago. The presence of more than 2000 Celtic gold and silver coins suggest that the site was also important in regional trade. [I’m looking forward to more in-depth numismatic information.]
 

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The coins are clues that Němčice was likely part of the "Amber Road," a large central European network that linked the Baltic coast to the Mediterranean region.

Sunken huts (features used, among other things, for craft production) have been identified, along with other adjacent structures clustered in areas separated from each other by empty corridors, apparently representing paths. Production facilities have also been recognised at the site, while the most striking situations consist of three square areas designated as sanctuaries.

 

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/nemcice-research-at-a-key-la-tene-site-in-moravia/F060689835C2D55D44B1764DE0D08CB2

https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/2300-year-old-glass-workshop-littered-with-celtic-coins-is-oldest-known-north-of-the-alps

https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/nemcice-iron-age-site-0018931
 

Němčice, Czech Republic 

GOLD EARRING FROM EGYPT’S FAYUM MUMMY PORTRAITS DISCOVERED IN ROMAN CITY DEULTUM IN SOUTHEAST BULGARIA

First, background on the Fayum portraits:

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The portraits covered the faces of bodies that were mummified for burial.

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Mummy portraits have been found across Egypt, but are most common in the Faiyum Basin. "Faiyum portraits" is generally used as a stylistic, rather than a geographic, description. While painted cartonnage mummy cases date back to pharaonic times, the Faiyum mummy portraits were an innovation dating to the time of Roman rule in Egypt. The portraits date to the Imperial Roman era, from the late 1st century BC or the early 1st century AD onwards. It is not clear when their production ended, but recent research suggests the middle of the 3rd century. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fayum_mummy_portraits

Now, the article:

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An actual ancient gold earring which can be seen depicted in some of the so called Fayum Mummy Portraits from Roman Egypt has been discovered in Southeast Bulgaria by archaeologists excavating the Ancient Roman colony Deultum near the town of Debelt, Burgas District, close to the Black Sea coast.

This jewel is extremely sophisticated, it is very interested. We found it has parallels to one of the Fayum mummy portraits, which has led us to date it to the 2^nd century AD," she adds

http://archaeologyinbulgaria.com/2020/10/06/gold-earring-from-egypts-fayum-mummy-portraits-discovered-in-roman-city-deultum-in-southeast-bulgaria/

https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/earring-bulgaria-0014394

Summary: There is quite a similarity between earrings found in Bulgaria and those found on the Fayum portraits in Egypt. Coincidence? Maybe. Or, this is a reflection of the extent of trade in the Roman Empire. Bulgaria (home of the Thracians) was conquered by the Romans in AD 46. It should be little surprise that items for trade were transported long distances in the Empire. Unfortunately, I didn't read any mention of the chemical analysis of the earrings found in Bulgaria, possibly confirming its Egyptian origin. At least, it appears that the women of this Roman colony in Bulgaria were following the fashions of Roman Egypt.

City of Debelt (site of the earrings) close to Black Sea.