Posted inClassical Archaeology

Byzantine Ascetic Monk Buried with Chains in Jerusalem Discovered to Be a Woman

An archaeological discovery near Jerusalem has shaken the foundations of historical knowledge about asceticism in the Byzantine era. A team of scientists from the Weizmann Institute of Science and the Israel Antiquities Authority has identified the remains of a woman in an ascetic burial traditionally associated with men, a discovery that raises new questions about […]

Posted inMedieval Archaeology

The famous Sutton Hoo tombs may belong to Anglo-Saxons who served in the Byzantine army fighting against the Sassanids in the 6th century

Sutton Hoo, one of England’s most iconic archaeological sites, has once again captured the attention of historians and archaeologists following the publication of a recent study in which Helen Gittos, a researcher at the University of Oxford, reveals possible connections between the Anglo-Saxons and the Byzantine world. This discovery, which could rewrite the history of […]

Posted inClassical Archaeology, Medieval Archaeology

A lovely bronze figurine found in the Negev desert reminded its Middle Ages owner of its Roman origins

In the ruins of Shivta, an ancient and small Byzantine village located in the arid Negev Desert, researchers discovered a unique bronze figurine depicting a seated child. This seemingly ordinary find tells a fascinating story spanning centuries and reveals the cultural exchange between the Roman and Byzantine periods. Shivta, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site […]

Posted inMiddle Ages

The Victorious Battle of the Masts Against the Byzantines Was The First Major Naval Combat of Islam

When we think about the early conquests of Islam, we imagine vast numbers of warriors riding camels across deserts, waving banners adorned with the crescent moon and Quranic verses. However, this expansion also took place by sea. In the year 655, after the conquest of the Sasanian Empire, the Rashidun Caliphate turned against the Byzantine […]

Posted inArt, Medieval Archaeology

The Only Contemporary Portrait of the Last Byzantine Emperor, Constantine XI Palaiologos, Discovered in Greece

An exceptional discovery has brought to light the only known contemporary representation of the last emperor of the Byzantine Empire, Constantine XI Palaiologos. This valuable work was uncovered during restoration work at the main church of the former Monastery of the Archangels, located in the region of Aigio, Greece. The finding, dating back to the […]

Posted inMiddle Ages

The Mystery of the Mardaites: The Christian Highlanders Who Maintained Their Autonomy Between Byzantium and the Caliphate

In the province of Hatay, in southern Turkey, there is a mountain range locally known as Nur Dağları. Arabs call it Jabal al-Lukkam, and in Spanish, its Greek name, Amanus, has been adopted. It spans approximately 200 kilometers in length, with its highest peak being Mıgır Tepe or Bozdağ, standing at 2,240 meters. It was […]

Posted inMedieval Archaeology

A Monumental Byzantine Basilica Built by Justinian, Found in the Ancient Roman City of Aquileia

Aquileia, a small town in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region in northeastern Italy, is now a modest place with barely 3,000 inhabitants. However, its past is among the richest and most significant in ancient history. Founded in 181 B.C. as a Roman military colony, Aquileia became an important economic center of the Roman Empire. Its strategic […]

Posted inMedieval Archaeology

Decline of the Eastern Roman Empire Was Not Caused by Plagues and Climate Change in 6th Century AD, But Rather Experienced a Population Boom

A recent study published in the journal Klio by researchers Haggai Olshanetsky, from the University of Warsaw, and Lev Cosijns, from the University of Oxford, analyzes the true causes of the decline of the Eastern Roman Empire. Traditionally, it has been believed that natural factors, such as the Late Antique Little Ice Age (LALIA) and […]

Posted inMiddle Ages

Bohemond of Taranto, the Sinister Norman Who Conquered Antioch and Hated the Byzantine Empire

There are quite a few literary and cinematic works about the First Crusade, and in most of them, beginning with the anonymous Gesta Francorum or Torquato Tasso’s famous epic poem The liberated Jerusalem (La Gerusalemme liberata), we find a curious figure who was one of its main leaders, the Norman Bohemond of Taranto. He was […]

Posted inAntiquity

Two Wines Dominated the Market in Late Antiquity in the Mediterranean: Gaza and Cilician

A recent study has brought to light interesting details about the distribution and consumption patterns of two of the most important wines in the eastern Mediterranean during Late Antiquity. These are Gaza wine and Cilician wine, two products that not only captivated the palates of the elites but also marked economic and cultural differences in […]