ancient Rome

Fisherman discovers 2,000-year-old Roman shipwreck off Sicily

A fisherman and free-diver has stumbled upon an ancient Roman shipwreck estimated to be over 2,000 years old off the coast of Sicily, in what Italy's culture minister called "one of the most important underwater archaeological discoveries of recent years."

Imperial Roman villa unearthed near Rome after illegal dig

A lavish Roman villa from the imperial era has been uncovered at Castel di Guido, about 19 kilometers west of Rome, after police were tipped off about illegal excavations on government-owned land in February. Italy's Special Superintendency of Rome will…

AI reconstructs rules for ancient Roman board games

Researchers have harnessed artificial intelligence to crack the mystery of how Romans played their board games some 1,600 years ago, using archaeological evidence and thousands of simulated matches to reconstruct playable rules for games whose instructions were lost to history.

Peacock frescoes, four new rooms found at Pompeii villa

Archaeologists have unveiled vivid new frescoes and four previously unknown rooms at Villa di Poppea near Pompeii, offering fresh insights into the lavish residence traditionally associated with Poppaea Sabina, the second wife of Emperor Nero.

Ancient Roman tombstone found in New Orleans backyard

A New Orleans family's routine yard work has solved an 80-year-old international mystery, revealing how a 1,900-year-old Roman sailor's tombstone missing since World War II ended up buried beneath Louisiana weeds.

Ancient Roman engineers built breakwater in Misenum with recycled ruins

Underwater archaeologists have discovered a remarkable Roman-era breakwater at the ancient port of Misenum near Bacoli, Italy, revealing how Imperial engineers ingeniously repurposed architectural fragments, columns, and sculptural elements to create a 295-foot-long protective barrier that shielded the Roman Empire's…