Latest news with #Augustus
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Science
- The Irish Sun
Extinct creature found INSIDE ‘magical' Ancient Roman amulet lost for 2,000 years in ‘world first' discovery
A LONG extinct creature has been found inside a 2,000-year-old amulet that ancient Romans may have believed held magic powers, according to a new study. The mysterious marine creature, a trilobite, went extinct more than 250million years ago. 5 The fossil, now a common collector's item, showed clear signs of modifications that suggest it was made to be worn as a pendant or bracelet, according to researchers Credit: Archaeol Anthropol Sci (2025) 5 The small creatures would scavenge at the bottom of the ocean Credit: iStock - Getty It is the first time archaeologists have found a trilobite that was manipulated during Roman times, the Springer Nature journal. And it is only the third on record believed to have been deliberately collected by humans over a thousand years ago. The fossil, now a common collector's item, showed clear signs of modifications that suggest it was made to be worn as a pendant or bracelet, according to researchers. While the researchers did not find any holes or piercings in the fossil, they believe it was likely embedded in metal like gold or silver. READ MORE ON ARCHAEOLOGY Microscopic examination and high-contrast photographs of the fossil reveal human-made modifications, including seven artificial facets on the left and underside. These changes were used to flatten the fossil for use within a pendant or bracelet, the researchers said. 5 The fossil was found at the Roman settlement of A Cibdá de Armea in northwestern Spain Credit: Archaeol Anthropol Sci (2025) The fossil, found at the Roman settlement of A Cibdá de Armea in northwestern Spain, had been preserved in a natural cast mineralised with iron oxide , giving it a reddish hue. Trilobite fossils are frequently found in this way, and the colouring may have even made it appear more desirable as jewellery. Most read in Science After examining the weathering of the fossil, the researchers said the specimen was similar to fossils from the southern Central Iberian Zone, located approximately 430km from the discovery site. Weirdest fossil ever the 'Beelze-frog' was giant dog-sized toad that ate baby dinosaurs & had bite as strong as a Tiger The significant distance between the two places suggests ancient Romans intentionally transported these mysterious fossils for a purpose. The researchers say the interest from ancient Romans was possibly rooted in the belief that these specimens carried magical or protective powers. Trilobites are one of the earliest groups of arthropods to appear in the fossil record, and scuttled across ocean floors for almost 270million years. Among more than 22,000 species of trilobites, the researchers identified this ancient specimen as Colpocoryphe sp. It was unearthed alongside a bronze coin adorned with the face of Emperor Augustus, the first Roman Emperor who reigned from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD. According to the ancient historian Suetonius, Augustus was an avid collector of fossils. The Roman Emperor would import them from Greece, as well as personally excavate them on the island of Capri which had developed into a private resort. Augustus is credited with creating one of the first known paleontological museums at his villa, displaying the bones of long-lost creatures now understood to be fossils. 5 Among more than 22,000 species of trilobites, the researchers identified this ancient specimen as Colpocoryphe sp Credit: Archaeol Anthropol Sci (2025) 5 Trilobites are one of the earliest groups of arthropods to appear in the fossil record, and scuttled across ocean floors for almost 270million years Credit: SWNS:South West News Service A brief history of the Roman Empire Here's what you need to know... The Roman Empire began shortly after the founding of the Roman Republic in the 6th century BC It reigned for around a thousand years until the fall of the last Western emperor in 476 AD During this time, the Romans ruled over many countries in Europe and parts of Africa and the Middle East At its height, 90 million people lived in the Roman Empire It evolved from a monarchy to a democratic republic to a military dictatorship and then was finally ruled by emperors One of the most well-known Roman leaders is Julius Caesar, famously assassinated in 44BC He is largely credited for his military mind and laying the foundations for the Roman Empire The spread of the Roman Empire into Britain in around 55 BC has had a lasting impact on our lives today Latin, straight roads, underfloor heating and the spread of Christianity are all attributed to the Romans
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Science
- Scottish Sun
Extinct creature found INSIDE ‘magical' Ancient Roman amulet lost for 2,000 years in ‘world first' discovery
The researchers say the interest from ancient Romans was possibly rooted in the belief that these specimens carried magical or protective powers A LONG extinct creature has been found inside a 2,000-year-old amulet that ancient Romans may have believed held magic powers, according to a new study. The mysterious marine creature, a trilobite, went extinct more than 250million years ago. 5 The fossil, now a common collector's item, showed clear signs of modifications that suggest it was made to be worn as a pendant or bracelet, according to researchers Credit: Archaeol Anthropol Sci (2025) 5 The small creatures would scavenge at the bottom of the ocean Credit: iStock - Getty It is the first time archaeologists have found a trilobite that was manipulated during Roman times, the study, published in the Springer Nature journal. And it is only the third on record believed to have been deliberately collected by humans over a thousand years ago. The fossil, now a common collector's item, showed clear signs of modifications that suggest it was made to be worn as a pendant or bracelet, according to researchers. While the researchers did not find any holes or piercings in the fossil, they believe it was likely embedded in metal like gold or silver. Microscopic examination and high-contrast photographs of the fossil reveal human-made modifications, including seven artificial facets on the left and underside. These changes were used to flatten the fossil for use within a pendant or bracelet, the researchers said. 5 The fossil was found at the Roman settlement of A Cibdá de Armea in northwestern Spain Credit: Archaeol Anthropol Sci (2025) The fossil, found at the Roman settlement of A Cibdá de Armea in northwestern Spain, had been preserved in a natural cast mineralised with iron oxide, giving it a reddish hue. Trilobite fossils are frequently found in this way, and the colouring may have even made it appear more desirable as jewellery. After examining the weathering of the fossil, the researchers said the specimen was similar to fossils from the southern Central Iberian Zone, located approximately 430km from the discovery site. Weirdest fossil ever the 'Beelze-frog' was giant dog-sized toad that ate baby dinosaurs & had bite as strong as a Tiger The significant distance between the two places suggests ancient Romans intentionally transported these mysterious fossils for a purpose. The researchers say the interest from ancient Romans was possibly rooted in the belief that these specimens carried magical or protective powers. Trilobites are one of the earliest groups of arthropods to appear in the fossil record, and scuttled across ocean floors for almost 270million years. Among more than 22,000 species of trilobites, the researchers identified this ancient specimen as Colpocoryphe sp. It was unearthed alongside a bronze coin adorned with the face of Emperor Augustus, the first Roman Emperor who reigned from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD. According to the ancient historian Suetonius, Augustus was an avid collector of fossils. The Roman Emperor would import them from Greece, as well as personally excavate them on the island of Capri which had developed into a private resort. Augustus is credited with creating one of the first known paleontological museums at his villa, displaying the bones of long-lost creatures now understood to be fossils. 5 Among more than 22,000 species of trilobites, the researchers identified this ancient specimen as Colpocoryphe sp Credit: Archaeol Anthropol Sci (2025) 5 Trilobites are one of the earliest groups of arthropods to appear in the fossil record, and scuttled across ocean floors for almost 270million years Credit: SWNS:South West News Service
The Sun
2 days ago
- Science
- The Sun
Extinct creature found INSIDE ‘magical' Ancient Roman amulet lost for 2,000 years in ‘world first' discovery
A LONG extinct creature has been found inside a 2,000-year-old amulet that ancient Romans may have believed held magic powers, according to a new study. The mysterious marine creature, a trilobite, went extinct more than 250million years ago. 5 5 It is the first time archaeologists have found a trilobite that was manipulated during Roman times, the study, published in the Springer Nature journal. And it is only the third on record believed to have been deliberately collected by humans over a thousand years ago. The fossil, now a common collector's item, showed clear signs of modifications that suggest it was made to be worn as a pendant or bracelet, according to researchers. While the researchers did not find any holes or piercings in the fossil, they believe it was likely embedded in metal like gold or silver. Microscopic examination and high-contrast photographs of the fossil reveal human-made modifications, including seven artificial facets on the left and underside. These changes were used to flatten the fossil for use within a pendant or bracelet, the researchers said. The fossil, found at the Roman settlement of A Cibdá de Armea in northwestern Spain, had been preserved in a natural cast mineralised with iron oxide, giving it a reddish hue. Trilobite fossils are frequently found in this way, and the colouring may have even made it appear more desirable as jewellery. After examining the weathering of the fossil, the researchers said the specimen was similar to fossils from the southern Central Iberian Zone, located approximately 430km from the discovery site. Weirdest fossil ever the 'Beelze-frog' was giant dog-sized toad that ate baby dinosaurs & had bite as strong as a Tiger The significant distance between the two places suggests ancient Romans intentionally transported these mysterious fossils for a purpose. The researchers say the interest from ancient Romans was possibly rooted in the belief that these specimens carried magical or protective powers. Trilobites are one of the earliest groups of arthropods to appear in the fossil record, and scuttled across ocean floors for almost 270million years. Among more than 22,000 species of trilobites, the researchers identified this ancient specimen as Colpocoryphe sp. It was unearthed alongside a bronze coin adorned with the face of Emperor Augustus, the first Roman Emperor who reigned from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD. According to the ancient historian Suetonius, Augustus was an avid collector of fossils. The Roman Emperor would import them from Greece, as well as personally excavate them on the island of Capri which had developed into a private resort. Augustus is credited with creating one of the first known paleontological museums at his villa, displaying the bones of long-lost creatures now understood to be fossils. 5 5 A brief history of the Roman Empire Here's what you need to know... The Roman Empire began shortly after the founding of the Roman Republic in the 6th century BC It reigned for around a thousand years until the fall of the last Western emperor in 476 AD During this time, the Romans ruled over many countries in Europe and parts of Africa and the Middle East At its height, 90 million people lived in the Roman Empire It evolved from a monarchy to a democratic republic to a military dictatorship and then was finally ruled by emperors One of the most well-known Roman leaders is Julius Caesar, famously assassinated in 44BC He is largely credited for his military mind and laying the foundations for the Roman Empire The spread of the Roman Empire into Britain in around 55 BC has had a lasting impact on our lives today Latin, straight roads, underfloor heating and the spread of Christianity are all attributed to the Romans
India Today
7 days ago
- Science
- India Today
Google DeepMind unveils Aeneas AI model, claims it can decipher ancient inscriptions in seconds
Google DeepMind has recently introduced the Aeneas model, a new approach in historical research that utilises artificial intelligence to aid the interpretation of ancient Roman inscriptions. Developed in partnership with leading universities, Aeneas accelerates the process by which historians can identify textual "parallels" in Latin is adept at processing fragmentary or damaged inscriptions, providing historians with newfound capabilities to contextualise ancient texts. While the model primarily focuses on Latin, there is potential for adaptation to other ancient languages, expanding its reach further. This adaptability promises to enhance historical inquiry across different cultures and Aeneas is tailored to work with inscriptions that often lack comprehensive contextual details. By leveraging a combination of textual and visual data, the model can offer insights into Roman life and society. According to the blogpost, Google claims that this model achieves a 73 per cent accuracy rate in restoring gaps within inscriptions up to ten characters long, and a notable capability for dating texts, placing them within 13 years of historians' estimates. These capabilities make it a vital tool for exploring the Roman world through various inscriptions, from political graffiti to business model has been tested on the Res Gestae Divi Augusti, a famous Roman inscription attributed to Emperor Augustus. Aeneas provided a distribution of possible dates, capturing different prevailing hypotheses in a quantitative manner. This demonstrates the model's ability to transform historical questions into a probabilistic framework, offering historians a new approach to longstanding debates. The use of "embeddings" helps in drawing connections, allowing historians to uncover deeper insights into historical excels in geographical attribution through a multimodal generative neural network that analyses both text and images. Utilising the Latin Epigraphic Dataset (LED) with over 1,76,000 inscriptions, Aeneas offers a more precise grouping of texts by date than other models. This integration of AI into historical workflows exemplifies the synergy between machine learning and expert knowledge, fostering a collaborative research model is accessible through an interactive platform available to researchers and educators, aligning with initiatives to improve AI literacy. Aeneas supports the restoration of inscriptions with unknown gap lengths, a critical feature for managing severely damaged texts. Its ability to search for "parallels" enriches the understanding of Roman society and its geographical expanse, significantly enhancing historical in collaboration with the University of Nottingham, and partners from the Universities of Warwick, Oxford, and Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB), Aeneas represents a concerted effort to harness AI for historical research. This collaboration highlights a broader initiative to enable historians to identify and interpret parallels at scale, providing starting points for inquiry and developers are committed to enhancing the model's versatility through a new teaching syllabus designed to integrate technical skills with historical analysis. This initiative supports AI literacy and aligns with European educational frameworks, providing educational resources that bridge technical and historical Aeneas becomes an integral part of historical research, its capabilities in processing multimodal inputs and restoring texts of unknown length will prove indispensable. By transforming historical analysis into a more quantitative and interpretable process, Aeneas promises to unlock new perspectives on ancient societies, ensuring that the legacies of past civilisations can be explored and understood in innovative ways.- EndsMust Watch
New York Times
23-07-2025
- Science
- New York Times
A.I. May Be the Future, but First It Has to Study Ancient Roman History
Historians have long clashed over when 'Res Gestae Divi Augusti,' a monumental Latin text, was first etched in stone. The first-person inscription gave a lengthy account of the life and accomplishments of Rome's first emperor. But was it written before or after Augustus, at age 75, died in A.D. 14? Some experts have put its origin as decades earlier. Known in English as 'Deeds of the Divine Augustus,' the text is an early example of autocratic image-burnishing. The precise date of its public debut is seen as important by historians because the emperor's reign marked the transition of Rome from a republic to a dictatorship that lasted centuries. Artificial intelligence is now weighing in. A model written by DeepMind, a Google company based in London, cites a wealth of evidence to claim that the text originated around A.D. 15, or shortly after Augustus's death. A report on the new A.I. model appeared in the journal Nature on Wednesday. It makes the case that the computer program can more generally help historians link isolated bits and pieces of past information to their socially complicated settings, helping scholars create the detailed narratives and story lines known as history. The study's authors call the process contextualization. The new A.I. model, known as Aeneas, after a hero of Greco-Roman mythology, specializes in identifying the social context of Latin inscriptions. 'Studying history through inscriptions is like solving a gigantic jigsaw puzzle,' Thea Sommerschield, one of the researchers, told reporters Monday in a DeepMind news briefing. A single isolated piece, she added, no matter how detailed its description, cannot help historians solve the overall puzzle of how, when and where it fits into a social context. 'You need to use that information,' Dr. Sommerschield said, 'to find the pieces that connect to it.' In the Nature paper, the authors note that roughly 1,500 new Latin inscriptions come to light every year, making the new A.I. model a potentially valuable tool for helping historians to better illuminate the past. In an accompanying commentary in Nature, Charlotte Tupman, a classicist at the University of Exeter in England, called the A.I. model 'a groundbreaking research tool' that will let scholars 'identify connections in their data that could be overlooked or time-consuming to unearth.' The DeepMind researchers trained Aeneas on a vast body of ancient inscriptions. They used the combined information from three of the world's most extensive Latin epigraphy databases: the Epigraphic Database Roma, the Epigraphic Database Heidelberg and the Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss-Slaby. The third of those archives, based in Germany, holds information on more than a half-million inscriptions. The model could then analyze a particular text and link it to similar examples in that body of information. The final readings consist of sets of probabilities on the text's likely age and site of its geographic origin, and make predictions for likely candidates to fill in an inscription's missing parts. The Google scientists also surveyed 23 epigraphers — specialists who study and interpret ancient inscriptions. The A.I. model aided the vast majority of them in locating starting points for their research as well improving confidence in their subsequent findings. To study the Augustin text, the DeepMind researchers linked it to subtle linguistic features and historical markers. For instance, the model found close parallels in a proclamation by the Roman Senate in 19 A.D. that honored an heir of the emperor's dynasty. With the model's unveiling, DeepMind says it is making an interactive version of Aeneas freely available to researchers, students, educators and museum professionals at the website To spur further research, it says it is also making the computer code of the Aeneas model public.
