Helen Ball
LightNews LightNews
banner
hellshistory.bsky.social
Helen Ball
@hellshistory.bsky.social
210 followers 330 following 64 posts
Classics Lover.
BA Classical Studies OU.
MA Classical Studies OU.
Currently researching and writing a book on the everyday life of Classical Athenian Women.
🏺🏛️💖
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Helen Ball
rogueclassicist.bsky.social
Archaeologists unearth significant Roman burial chamber | The Independent
www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/new...
Archaeologists unearth significant Roman burial chamber
www.independent.co.uk
September 9, 2025 at 6:56 PM
hellshistory.bsky.social
I really do try to keep politics out of this space for me, but in present circumstances needs must….
libdems.org.uk Liberal Democrats @libdems.org.uk · Sep 9
Sick of the BBC acting as a mouthpiece for Farage and Reform? Us too.

Our national broadcaster should reflect the whole country, not just one man’s ego.
Stack of TV's showing coverage of Nigel Farage, topped with the words 'we must balance the BBC'.
September 9, 2025 at 7:42 PM
hellshistory.bsky.social
Y Gaer Roman fort, Brecon. Hidden well behind farm buildings, this fort dates to 75 CE and was a vital link in the Roman’s defensive network in wales. Its occupiers were the Vettonian Spanish Cavalry Unit, a group of highly trained legionaires.
#RomanoBritain
September 7, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Reposted by Helen Ball
clairemillington.bsky.social
Some say it's the Battenburg of Britain. But I'd rather #MakeCakeNotWar
harryeccles.bsky.social Harry Eccles @harryeccles.bsky.social · Sep 5
Turning flags into battenburg - could this be the solution?

Battenburg is both patriotic, whilst also kind and reassuring!

#MoreCake #BeKind
September 5, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Reposted by Helen Ball
bwallower.bsky.social
#GlassObjectThursday 🏺
#Roman blown glass flask with polychrome snake-thread decoration.
3rd C AD. Made in Rhineland, Cologne area.
In British Museum
Translucent glass vase with fine rounded body, and remains of small foot. An elegant narrow neck bows out slightly at the top, and is flanked by delicate handles either side, together forming a heart shape. The body is decorated with gold and light blue coloured threads of glass, in irregular swirly patterns
September 4, 2025 at 9:21 AM
Reposted by Helen Ball
hellenicsociety.bsky.social
'Ancient Mieza Gymnasium Excavations Reveal Links to Philip II and Alexander the Great'

greekcitytimes.com/2025/09/01/m...

#ClassicsBluesky 🏺
greekcitytimes.com
September 4, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Reposted by Helen Ball
drnwillburger.bsky.social
A 2000-year-old Roman bridge has been discovered in Aegerten, Switzerland. Over 300 oak piles were unearthed. Based on current dendrochronological analysis, the earliest construction dates back to approximately 40 BC, while the most recent parts are from 369 AD.

www.be.ch/de/start/die...

🏺
Five large wooden stakes with pointed ends are laid out on a beige surface at an excavation site. A measuring scale runs alongside them for reference, and a small labeled marker is placed near the bottom right. The background shows dirt, rocks, and excavation tools. Archaeological excavation site showing rows of wooden posts or stumps emerging from the soil, the remains of the bridge. Some posts have small yellow markers placed on them. In the background, parts of the area are covered with plastic sheets for protection, with tools and a wheelbarrow visible at the edge of the dig.
September 4, 2025 at 5:50 AM
Reposted by Helen Ball
rogueclassicist.bsky.social
The Real Locations of Odysseus' Journey in Homer's Odyssey - GreekReporter.com
greekreporter.com/2025/09/02/p...
GreekReporter.com - Greek News from Greece and the World
Greek news from Greece and the world, get the latest updates on business, economy, Greek travel, recipes, Ancient Greek culture and more.
GreekReporter.com
September 2, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Reposted by Helen Ball
drtobydriver.bsky.social
Gaze into the extraordinary face of Sulis Minerva - the hybrid goddess who presided over the cult site of Aquae Sulis - Roman Bath 🤩

Discovered in 1727 this is thought to be the head from the original cult statue from the foundation of the site:
www.romanbaths.co.uk/minervas-head

🎥 My own
September 2, 2025 at 6:11 AM
Reposted by Helen Ball
mark-walters.bsky.social
I gave up with the BBC #KingAndConqueror drama part way through episode 1. You are far better off spending the time reading this….it’s what actually happened.
September 1, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Reposted by Helen Ball
isabellemarie.bsky.social
We can learn a lot from Troy’s trash.
theconversation.com/we-can-learn...
We can learn a lot from Troy’s trash
The excavation of Troy’s rubbish is yielding arhceological treasure: how ordinary people lived several millenia ago.
theconversation.com
July 21, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Reposted by Helen Ball
drnwillburger.bsky.social
New discovery: Archaeologists have uncovered a rare, intact Etruscan chamber tomb – a discovery hailed as one of the most significant finds in recent decades for understanding the ancient pre-Roman civilization. 

news.web.baylor.edu/news/story/2...

🏺
A view into the tomb, showing various pottery vessels A view into the tomb, in the background archaeologists at work
July 21, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Reposted by Helen Ball
wittspat.bsky.social
Still thrilling to see this face emerging after so many years! Feared lost but @durotrigesdig.bsky.social and his colleagues proved otherwise. What else survives... 🤔😍
#MosaicMonday
durotrigesdig.bsky.social Durotriges Dig @durotrigesdig.bsky.social · Jul 21
Portrait of one of the Four Winds (complete with conch shell) from a late 4th century mosaic exposed during an excavation by @buarchanth.bsky.social at Frampton #Roman villa #Dorset in 2021

Happy #MosaicMonday !
July 21, 2025 at 6:13 AM
hellshistory.bsky.social
Roman mosaic depicting the story of Aeneas and Dido from Virgil’s Aeneid. Dates to c.350 CE and comes from Low Ham Villa in Somerset. Displayed (beautifully) at Taunton museum of Somerset.
#Romanobritain
July 20, 2025 at 9:52 AM
hellshistory.bsky.social
Bronze Age log boat at Taunton museum. Every time I visit this museum I take another picture of it. I think it’s stunning.
#bronzeagebritain
July 18, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Reposted by Helen Ball
antiquity.ac.uk
For example, at the Hittite capital of Hattusha, the burnt remains of a grain silo allowed researchers to uncover the largest archaeobotanical assemblage in the world, shedding light on everyday life and taxation in the Hittite Empire 2/2

🔗 from 2020 (£) doi.org/10.15184/aqy...
Burnt wheat and barley grains, black due to carbonisation.
July 18, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Reposted by Helen Ball
antiquity.ac.uk
The Great Fire of Rome began #OnThisDay (or maybe the day after) in AD 64, destroying almost 3/4 of the city.

Whilst a disaster for the #Romans, burning events are very useful for archaeologists, as they preserve organic remains, such as grain, which rarely survive normally. 1/2

🏺 #Archaeology
'Fire in Rome' by Hubert Robert (1785). The painting depicting the centre of 1st -century-AD Rome. Past the Pantheon, a fire consumes the Colosseum. Public Domain.
July 18, 2025 at 2:08 PM
hellshistory.bsky.social
antiquity.ac.uk Antiquity Journal @antiquity.ac.uk · Jul 18
The Great Fire of Rome began #OnThisDay (or maybe the day after) in AD 64, destroying almost 3/4 of the city.

Whilst a disaster for the #Romans, burning events are very useful for archaeologists, as they preserve organic remains, such as grain, which rarely survive normally. 1/2

🏺 #Archaeology
'Fire in Rome' by Hubert Robert (1785). The painting depicting the centre of 1st -century-AD Rome. Past the Pantheon, a fire consumes the Colosseum. Public Domain.
July 18, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Reposted by Helen Ball
drnwillburger.bsky.social
Amber bead necklace, dating 6th c. BC, from Saal a.d.Saale-Waltershausen.
It appears that amber served a dual purpose, enhancing the appearance and protecting the women who wore it during the Hallstatt period. The intriguing material, sourced from the Baltic region, underwent...🧵1/2

📷me

🏺
A large necklace made of polished amber beads in various shades from deep brown to golden yellow, strung in a gradient from small to large and back. The central beads are the largest and most vibrant, featuring natural inclusions and striations. The necklace hangs against a warm brown background, creating a striking contrast.
July 16, 2025 at 7:50 AM
Reposted by Helen Ball
andyrpglevum.bsky.social
Right going to post this again - since I'm not great at Bluesky yet! If you're interested in #Archaeology in Gloucestershire do consider coming along or watching from the comfort of your home. Some great speakers!
June 11, 2025 at 6:28 AM
Reposted by Helen Ball
brittunculus.bsky.social
#ReliefWednesday

The Bridgeness Distance Slab, carved in the AD140s, marked the eastern end of the Antonine Wall, Rome's most northerly frontier.

A dedicatory inscription is flanked by two reliefs which juxtapose military carnage and peaceful piety. (1/3)
The slab was found in 1868 in Bridgeness, now part of Bo'ness, West Lothian and donated to the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland by the landowner on condition that they erect a replica on site. Photo (c) National Museums of Scotland
May 28, 2025 at 8:58 AM
Reposted by Helen Ball
christinamartin.bsky.social
metro.co.uk/2025/05/30/s...
Steve Coogan reads the names of over 15,000 children killed in Gaza at vigil
'Those names are not just statistics.'
metro.co.uk
May 31, 2025 at 7:23 AM
Reposted by Helen Ball
jemojd.bsky.social
One of my favourite sites and I’m so glad that this has been revealed by the archaeological record #durotriges25
profaliceroberts.bsky.social Alice Roberts @profaliceroberts.bsky.social · May 22
The ancient wounded of Maiden Castle yield their secrets - with Dr Miles Russell concluding, “The Roman army committed many atrocities, but this does not appear to be one of them.”
www.bournemouth.ac.uk/news/2025-05...
The Roman massacre that never happened according to a new study of an iconic archaeological site
www.bournemouth.ac.uk
May 22, 2025 at 7:52 PM
hellshistory.bsky.social
The vaults underneath Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s Suspension Bridge in Bristol. The hard hat tour is the best way to spend an hour.
#industrialhistory
May 27, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Reposted by Helen Ball
rogueclassicist.bsky.social
Roman relief depicting Roman Victory goddess found
www.archaeology.wiki/blog/2025/05...
Roman relief depicting Roman Victory goddess found
The relief, a symbolic find marking the end of an ancient war, was uncovered at Roman Vindolanda on Hadrian’s Wall.
www.archaeology.wiki
May 23, 2025 at 5:58 PM