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archaeohawke.bsky.social
Jon Hawke
@archaeohawke.bsky.social
3.5K followers 960 following 1.3K posts
#Archaeology, #Ancient #Classical World & #Roman Frontier Studies MA. Former life Archaeologist doing a bit now and then. Every day above ground is a good day! Romanes eunt domus!😂
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archaeohawke.bsky.social
Jon Hawke @archaeohawke.bsky.social · Jun 30
The #Welsh phrase

"dod yn ôl at fy nghoed",

meaning

"to return to a balanced state of mind",

literally means

"to return to my #trees"
🌲🌳🌳🌲🌳🌲
Reposted by Jon Hawke
wittspat.bsky.social
For this #MosaicMonday, continuing the homage to the Withington Orpheus mosaic. Some of the animals are now excitingly on display @coriniummuseum.bsky.social, including this colourful leopard who is among those recently let out from the BM's store. 1/2
Part of a hand-coloured engraving of a Roman mosaic showing a white leopard with yellow spots in profile running to the right. The animal is flanked by trees with colourful, lotus-like leaves.
February 16, 2026 at 12:42 PM
Reposted by Jon Hawke
anthonymajanlahti.bsky.social
#MosaicMonday takes us into the women's section of the Central Baths of #Herculaneum. This is the changeroom or #apodyterium with a splendid ribbed vault (for her pleasure) and a black and white #mosaic depicting a tentacled #triton and some marine life, all from the early C1 CE. #AncientBluesky 🏺
FLOOR MOSAIC OF THE WOMEN'S APODYTERIUM, 1-25 CE. CENTRAL BATHS, HERCULANEUM The main bath complex of Herculaneum had a large section exclusively for men and a much smaller one for women. The changeroom has preserved its barrel-vaulted ceiling ribbbed in plaster, a shelf for leaving one's clothes, a bench clad in cement all around the room, and a dramatic black and white floor mosaic with a wonderful triton occupying most of the pictorial space, a muscular nude man carrying a staff or oar in one hand and a fish, presumably an offering to the disrobing ladies all around him. His legs become snaky tentacles with many curls. Dolphins, an Eros, and a calamaro complete the scene. The triton is proudly naked: not even in a space reserved for women could they escape the omnipresence of the phallus.
February 16, 2026 at 12:53 PM
Reposted by Jon Hawke
archaeohawke.bsky.social
#MosaicMonday

Detail of a corner panel from Mosaic Floor with a Bear Hunt, A.D. 300–400, #Roman, from near "Stufe di Nerone", near Lago Lucrino, near Pozzuoli, #Italy

Stone tesserae, 51–68 1/2 × 34 1/2–58 ¼ in.
Enough of the fragmentary floor survives to identify the subject as a bear hunt. The figures of three hunters are preserved, and one of them has his name, Lucius, inscribed above his head. The arm of another hunter is preserved along the left edge, along with his name, Minus. The hunters are driving four bears into a net; a fifth has already been captured. The net is set in a semi-circle and tied to trees at the right and left edges of the scene. The hunting scene is surrounded on three sides by a border of loop guilloche, and another vertical border of a foliate garland with a central ribbon frames the right end. The outermost border is a luxurious acanthus scroll. Heads emerge from elaborate leaf complexes in the corners, and smaller figures of erotes with armor, fruits and animals (both real and imaginary) are tucked into the scrolling acanthus along the edges.
February 16, 2026 at 8:55 AM
Reposted by Jon Hawke
romanpalace.bsky.social
It's the Winter Olympics, so here's a mosaic of a Roman who is *definitely* skiing. ⛷️👍

#MosaicMonday
A slightly blurred picture of a Roman person in a tunic, facing left. Above and below are two parallel decorative borders. The person is definitely not skiing. Instead a poorly executed attempt by the mosaicist to give the person a shadow means it looks like he's skiing.
February 16, 2026 at 8:42 AM
archaeohawke.bsky.social
#MosaicMonday

Detail of a corner panel from Mosaic Floor with a Bear Hunt, A.D. 300–400, #Roman, from near "Stufe di Nerone", near Lago Lucrino, near Pozzuoli, #Italy

Stone tesserae, 51–68 1/2 × 34 1/2–58 ¼ in.
Enough of the fragmentary floor survives to identify the subject as a bear hunt. The figures of three hunters are preserved, and one of them has his name, Lucius, inscribed above his head. The arm of another hunter is preserved along the left edge, along with his name, Minus. The hunters are driving four bears into a net; a fifth has already been captured. The net is set in a semi-circle and tied to trees at the right and left edges of the scene. The hunting scene is surrounded on three sides by a border of loop guilloche, and another vertical border of a foliate garland with a central ribbon frames the right end. The outermost border is a luxurious acanthus scroll. Heads emerge from elaborate leaf complexes in the corners, and smaller figures of erotes with armor, fruits and animals (both real and imaginary) are tucked into the scrolling acanthus along the edges.
February 16, 2026 at 8:55 AM
Reposted by Jon Hawke
archaeohawke.bsky.social
#WorldHippoDay

#Roman mosaic with hippopotamus
on display in Naples Archaeological Museum. This is one of the Nile mosaics found in the House of the Faun in the ancient ruined Roman city of #Pompeii. #art
#AncientBlueSky
February 15, 2026 at 2:07 PM
Reposted by Jon Hawke
jamin80.bsky.social
Pierre Belon
1553
February 15, 2026 at 3:28 PM
archaeohawke.bsky.social
#WorldHippoDay

#Roman mosaic with hippopotamus
on display in Naples Archaeological Museum. This is one of the Nile mosaics found in the House of the Faun in the ancient ruined Roman city of #Pompeii. #art
#AncientBlueSky
February 15, 2026 at 2:07 PM
Reposted by Jon Hawke
chapps.bsky.social
This is an extremely rare and the best example of Roman glassware with wavy sides, a type known as a ‘handkerchief‘ bowl - so named because the design mimics the folded, drooping appearance of a cloth handkerchief. 🏺 #ancientbluesky 1/

3rd-4th c. CE. #MetMuseum
📸 me
Translucent blue green glass; trail in the same color. Intact; a few large bubbles; small patches of soil encrustation, weathering, and iridescence. Vessels that have been deliberately worked to create a wavy rim and sides are extremely rare in Roman glassware. This bowl is perhaps the best example known to have survived. A handkerchief bowl (or vase) is a decorative glass piece designed to mimic the folded, drooping appearance of a cloth handkerchief. Popularized in the modern era by Italian glassmakers in the 1940s and 50s, it remains a popular form. 3rd-4th century CE. H.: 3 5/8 in. (9.3 cm) Met Museum, New York (17.194.314)
February 14, 2026 at 3:08 PM
Reposted by Jon Hawke
archaeohawke.bsky.social
#StandingStoneSunday

The Standing Stones of Torhouse (also Torhousekie) are a stone circle of nineteen granite boulders on the land of Torhouse, three miles west of Wigtown, Scotland.
The stone circle consists of nineteen granite boulders set on a slightly raised platform. The stones have a height ranging from about 0.6 metres to 1.5 metres and are arranged in a circle with a diameter of about 22 metres. The larger stones, over 1 metre high, are on the southeast side. Three upright boulders stand in a line near the centre of the circle. The direction of the line of the three central stones is northeast to southwest. Two stones stand 40 metres to the south-southeast of the stone circle, one large and the other small, and there is a stone row of three stones 130 metres to the east. There are also surviving remains of several burial cairns, and history records others long removed to build field dykes. The stone circle has not yet been archaeologically excavated. It probably dates to the Neolithic period or the Bronze Age. The Torhouse Stones are in the care of Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument. Local tradition maintains that the three large stones in the center of the circle contained the tomb of Galdus, a mythical Scottish king. A similar story is told about one of the tombs at Cairnholy, also in Galloway. In the dyke on the south side of the road is a stone with a deep cavity which according to tradition, "the knowing never pass without depositing therein some pebble or gift to pass in peace"
February 8, 2026 at 1:28 PM
Reposted by Jon Hawke
durotrigesdig.bsky.social
*Academic sells history off to the highest bidder*

There, BBC, we sorted that headline for you

If he truly feels *a connection* to the find, as the article claims, would he not have donated it to a museum?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Professor finds Iron Age coin hoard near Bury St Edmunds
Tom Licence says he feels a personal connection to the coins, which are to be auctioned.
www.bbc.co.uk
February 15, 2026 at 8:43 AM
Reposted by Jon Hawke
anthonymajanlahti.bsky.social
#FrescoFriday takes us into a garden in #Herculaneum, in the gloomily-named House of the Skeleton. Part of the #fresco decoration survives, showing us how the real garden extended into the painted space. Bushes, birds, and an #oscillum with a #Medusa all rise over a wicker fence. #AncientBluesky 🏺
GARDEN FRESCO, BEFORE 79 CE. HOUSE OF THE SKELETON, HERCULANEUM This somewhat faded fresco faces onto what was once a small garden with, at the centre of this frescoed wall (and still visible at lower right), a mosaic-covered niche which served as a lararium. A large red frame with a black lining serves as a fictive window looking into another, imaginary garden with a blue background. From this frame hangs a disc with a Gorgoneion on it. This is an oscillum, a disc in terracotta, stone, or metal with a low relief on it, that would be put up for feasts or celebrations, and would oscillate in the wind. On either side is a bush with a bird singing and facing the oscillum. The remains of a light wicker fence form a lower boundary for this garden.
February 13, 2026 at 6:38 PM
Reposted by Jon Hawke
archaeohawke.bsky.social
A Banger for #FindsFriday

In 2006, archaeologists led by Clementina Panella of Rome's La Sapienza University discovered an extraordinary cache of 4th-century (often referred to as early 300s/late 3rd-century) #Roman imperial items on the northeast slope of the Palatine Hill. See Alt.

#Archaeology
An exceptional discovery has been announced by the archeologist Clementina Panella. Who said that on the Palatine Hill everything has been already discovered? In the last 5-6 years archeologist have revealed new ground layers with tombs and early roman artefacts and now they have discovered a collapsed wooden box originally hidden with a silk and linen textile believed to be vexilla (flags). In the box the unique find: four lancea iron points covered with oricalcum and possibly used to hold standards according to the very common iconography, two pikes and two alabards possibly cerimonial "weapons", and, overall, three scepters with the handgrip in oricalcum and a carved flower and a calcedonium globe and a number of glass spheres, believed to be a symbolic representation of the earth. Some catastrophic event forced someone to hide them and another similar event didn't allow to get them once possible. The box was located in a hole under a staircase aside to the Via Sacra, by the team from La Sapienza University leaded by Clementina Panella the expert of the ground in front of the Colosseo that in 2003 brought to the light the Meta Sudans of Augustus. Experts said are striking for their completeness, in fact digs usually turn up only fragments, and the fact that they are the only known artifacts of their kind. The scepters and all other equipment found are dated early IV century AD, and it is thought they belong to Emperor Maxentius. They were probably hidden to be preserved from the enemy, in that case Constantine, that was approaching the city of Rome. Some of the objects, which accompanied the emperor during his public appearances, are believed to be the base for the emperor's standards, rectangular or triangular flags (vexillum), officials said. All the objects are now under restoration and it will be displayed in one of the national museums in Rome Conservator Esmerelda Senatore fits a green glass sphere on a scepter that may have belonged to the emperor Maxentius. (Images: ©Pasquale Sorrentino) The discovery of Roman imperial standards on Palatine hill was a first for classical archaeology.
February 13, 2026 at 11:21 AM
Reposted by Jon Hawke
archaeohawke.bsky.social
#FrescoFriday
#Roman fresco (detail) from #Pompeii 1st century AD
House of the Golden Bracelet Archaeological Museum of Naples
#Archaeology #art #Birds
AncientBlueSky🏺
March 7, 2025 at 7:19 AM
Reposted by Jon Hawke
archaeohawke.bsky.social
#FrescoFriday

Herons, from the peristyle domus (peristylum) found in Vienne, 1st century AD, now fragments on display at Musée gallo-romain de Saint Romain. France.

#Art #painting #bird #Wildlife #History
Detail of a mural from the 1st century, and from the peristyle of a Gallo-Roman house discovered in 1977 in Vienne (France). This painting represents waders on the plinth and winged genii at the top of decorated masts on the upper register. Site and museum, Saint-Romain-en-Gal-Vienne.
January 30, 2026 at 10:46 AM
archaeohawke.bsky.social
A Banger for #FindsFriday

In 2006, archaeologists led by Clementina Panella of Rome's La Sapienza University discovered an extraordinary cache of 4th-century (often referred to as early 300s/late 3rd-century) #Roman imperial items on the northeast slope of the Palatine Hill. See Alt.

#Archaeology
An exceptional discovery has been announced by the archeologist Clementina Panella. Who said that on the Palatine Hill everything has been already discovered? In the last 5-6 years archeologist have revealed new ground layers with tombs and early roman artefacts and now they have discovered a collapsed wooden box originally hidden with a silk and linen textile believed to be vexilla (flags). In the box the unique find: four lancea iron points covered with oricalcum and possibly used to hold standards according to the very common iconography, two pikes and two alabards possibly cerimonial "weapons", and, overall, three scepters with the handgrip in oricalcum and a carved flower and a calcedonium globe and a number of glass spheres, believed to be a symbolic representation of the earth. Some catastrophic event forced someone to hide them and another similar event didn't allow to get them once possible. The box was located in a hole under a staircase aside to the Via Sacra, by the team from La Sapienza University leaded by Clementina Panella the expert of the ground in front of the Colosseo that in 2003 brought to the light the Meta Sudans of Augustus. Experts said are striking for their completeness, in fact digs usually turn up only fragments, and the fact that they are the only known artifacts of their kind. The scepters and all other equipment found are dated early IV century AD, and it is thought they belong to Emperor Maxentius. They were probably hidden to be preserved from the enemy, in that case Constantine, that was approaching the city of Rome. Some of the objects, which accompanied the emperor during his public appearances, are believed to be the base for the emperor's standards, rectangular or triangular flags (vexillum), officials said. All the objects are now under restoration and it will be displayed in one of the national museums in Rome Conservator Esmerelda Senatore fits a green glass sphere on a scepter that may have belonged to the emperor Maxentius. (Images: ©Pasquale Sorrentino) The discovery of Roman imperial standards on Palatine hill was a first for classical archaeology.
February 13, 2026 at 11:21 AM
Reposted by Jon Hawke
brittunculus.bsky.social
Maybe scope for starting a #churchinformerromanforttuesday. They’re definitely a thing.
February 12, 2026 at 10:00 PM
Reposted by Jon Hawke
kpw1453.bsky.social
The reconstructed stone foundations of the granary building of the Roman fort at Manchester (Mamucium). 📸 My own. #RomanFortThursday #RomanBritain #Manchester
February 12, 2026 at 7:06 AM
Reposted by Jon Hawke
archaeohawke.bsky.social
Exceptional for its size and its craftsmanship, the Vix Krater is made of several pieces, and weighs 208.6 kg in total. The vase is made of a single sheet of beaten bronze and weighs around 60 kg. made c. 530 BC

#Ancient #History #art #artwork #Archaeology
February 11, 2026 at 12:26 AM
Reposted by Jon Hawke
archaeohawke.bsky.social
#RomanFortThursday
Canovium was a fort in the #Roman province of Britannia. Its site is located at Caerhun in the Conwy valley, in the county borough of Conwy, in North #Wales.

Built in timber at an important river crossing around AD 75.

#Archaeology #RomanBritain #History
February 12, 2026 at 8:40 AM
archaeohawke.bsky.social
#RomanFortThursday
Canovium was a fort in the #Roman province of Britannia. Its site is located at Caerhun in the Conwy valley, in the county borough of Conwy, in North #Wales.

Built in timber at an important river crossing around AD 75.

#Archaeology #RomanBritain #History
February 12, 2026 at 8:40 AM
Reposted by Jon Hawke
durotrigesdig.bsky.social
#HillfortsWednesday 👇👇
irenep.bsky.social Irene M. Petschko @irenep.bsky.social · 6d
On this #hillfortwednesday a book recommendation: The rampart of Stillfried (Austria). Hellerschmid and Griebl describe the features of the three Urnfield Culture phases and suggest the use of fire to strengthen the timber elements.
austriaca.at/9206-0inhalt
@fwf-at.bsky.social @oeai.bsky.social
Photo of the Stillfried rampart Section Trench I/1969: View from the west towards the southern profile of the first wall section under the direction of Felgenhauer in 1969 (SP I 69) and the former settlement area in the background. In the foreground are the remains of the older wood-earth box V1267/V1167, which runs from north to south. It consists of round and square timbers, mostly oak. Towards the settlement (to the east), a few beams from the younger wood-earth box V1154/V1268 were also uncovered immediately adjacent. The former rampart is now covered by 1–2.5 m thick fill from later periods of use. Foto of a feature of the Stillfried rampart: Close-up of the older wood-earth box V1267/V1167 in the western part of the Planum, view to the west. In the centre of the image are mostly un-debarked, superficially charred (oak) logs in the direction of the rampart. They come from the lowest box filling. The charred branches between the beams are clearly visible and most likely served as intentional fire preservation
February 11, 2026 at 6:53 PM
Reposted by Jon Hawke
durotrigesdig.bsky.social
Abbotsbury Castle is a roughly triangular multivallate Iron Age hillfort encircling 1.8ha of a limestone outcrop overlooking the Jurassic Coast betwixt Bridport and Weymouth in Dorset

We love it 😍

Here looking NE dominating the B3157 coast road

📷 © Jo and Sue Crane 2016

#HillfortsWednesday
A grass covered ramparts of an Iron Age hillfort with a road bottom right and trees behind
February 11, 2026 at 7:14 AM
Reposted by Jon Hawke
kpw1453.bsky.social
Relief of Priapus - a fertility god from Turkey. The relief was discovered at Birrens Roman Fort (Blatobulgium) in Dumfriesshire. Now part of the collections at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. 📸 My own. #ReliefWednesday #RomanScotland #Birrens
February 11, 2026 at 7:47 AM
Reposted by Jon Hawke
drtobydriver.bsky.social
Finally it's #HillfortsWednesday! 🍻

Feast your eyes on this absolutely stonking Lidar of Llanmelin Wood hillfort in SE Wales 😮🤩

This overgrown & partly wooded fort rarely shows so well. The long 1930s trenches of V E Nash-Williams can be made out 🧐

Burials may indicate a mortuary function 💀🤔
A multi hill shade Lidar view of a complex hillfort
February 11, 2026 at 7:29 AM