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Gaps in what we know about ancient Romans could be filled by AI
Gaps in what we know about ancient Romans could be filled by AI

BBC News

time23-07-2025

  • Science
  • BBC News

Gaps in what we know about ancient Romans could be filled by AI

A new AI tool has the potential to turbocharge our understanding of all human history, researchers intelligence has already been used to fill in gaps in ancient Roman scrolls, but a new system goes much can fill in missing words from ancient Roman inscriptions carved on monuments and everyday objects, as well as dating and placing them often introduces errors in its analysis of even simple modern texts, so there are concerns that relying too much on this technology might distort rather than enhance our understanding of history. But historian Prof Dame Mary Beard of Cambridge University has described the technology as potentially "transformative" to our study of past said that the system, called Aeneas, after a Greek and Roman mythological figure, could accelerate the rate at which historians piece together the past from ancient texts."Breakthroughs in this very difficult field have tended to rely on the memory, the subjective judgement and the hunch/guesswork of individual scholars, supported by traditional, encyclopaedic databases. Aeneas opens up entirely new horizons." Ancient inscriptions are usually incomplete, of unknown origin and date, and often all three. Historians and classicists attempt to fill in the blanks by drawing on texts that are similar in wording, grammar, appearance and cultural setting, known as 'parallels'. Ancient inscriptions tend to be formulaic so historians can often infer what the missing part of a sentence goes on to process is painstaking and can take months and years but opens new vistas in our understanding of the past, according to Dr Thea Sommerschield, an historian at Nottingham University, who co-led the research."Inscriptions are the earliest forms of writing. They are so precious to historians because they offer first-hand evidence for ancient histories, languages and societies."But they degrade over the centuries and interpreting them is like solving a gigantic jigsaw puzzle with tens of thousands of pieces, of which 90 per cent are lost." It's not the first time AI has been used to join up the missing dots in Roman this year, another team of scientists digitally "unwrapped" a badly burnt scroll from the Roman town of Herculaneum using a combination of X-ray imaging and AI, revealing rows and columns of Sommerschield developed Aeneas along with her co-research leader Dr Yannis Assael, an AI specialist at Google DeepMind. It automates the process of contextualising based on parallels, in the blink of an eye. Aeneas draws on a vast database of of 176,000 Roman inscriptions including images and uses a carefully designed AI system to pull up a range of relevant historical parallels, to support the work of historians, according to Dr Assael."What the historian can't do is assess these parallels in a matter of seconds across tens of thousands of inscriptions, and that is where AI can come in as an assistant."The team tested out the system in dating a famous Roman text at the Temple of Augustus in Ankara in Turkey, known as the queen of inscriptions because of its importance to our understanding of Roman history. The Res Gestae Divi Augusti was composed by the first Roman Emperor, Augustus, giving an account of his life and accomplishments. Its date is hotly contested among was able to narrow down the options to two possible ranges, the most likely being between 10 and 20 CE and a second slightly less likely range from 10 to 1 BCE. This showed the system's accuracy as most historians agree on these two as the most likely possibilities. In tests of the system with 23 historians the team found that an historian working with Aeneas came up with more accurate results than either Aeneas on its own or an historian on their own. "The feedback was that Aeneas was not only allowing the historians to accelerate their work but it also revealed parallels that they had previously not identified," according to Dr Sommerschield."And that is the future value of this work, not just to do what we do faster and better but also to do things we didn't think to do before."AI interpretation of even modern texts can be glitchy, so there is concern that mistakes could be made. But according to Dr Assael, Aeneas is a tool to guide historians, not a replacement for them."We acknowledge that AI might not be able to get everything right all the time and I don't think historians will work under that expectation," he said it would be down to human historians to weigh up Aeneus' predictions and decide which made more sense.

15 of the best hotels in Athens under £200
15 of the best hotels in Athens under £200

Times

time21-07-2025

  • Times

15 of the best hotels in Athens under £200

Athens is one of the world's top city breaks and with good reason: the climate is mild, the food delicious and affordable, the ancient sights, museums and art galleries are world class, and the nightlife remains as vibrant as ever. Plus, most of the city's hotels are conveniently located in or near Plaka and Monastiraki, the lively antiquity-filled neighbourhoods under the Acropolis, within walking distance of almost everything you'll want to see and do. Many have rooftop bars with views of the Parthenon, gorgeous sunsets guaranteed. As Athens has become more popular, hotels have upped their offerings. Greek taste naturally tends towards minimalism, and even the city's budget hotels are (mostly) models of contemporary cool. Prices have upped as well, but you can still find a good deal, often in the neighbourhoods just outside the ancient core, including the nightlife vortex Psirri and the quieter, residential districts of Thissio and Koukaki. But staying even further away from the tourist hotspots to get a better sense of daily Athenian life is an option, thanks to the city's excellent and inexpensive metro system. Besides, the Acropolis is so dominant you can see it from nearly anywhere in the city. Here are our picks of the best affordable hotels in Athens. Rates for hotel rooms in Athens are very dynamic, but in general the prices of these affordable places are based on a midweek stay in low season (October to March); at other times prices may be significantly higher. That said, even if you're travelling in high season, you can bag a great deal if you book well in advance. This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue Best for being in the heart of action With a touch of 1960s flair, this little hotel is located near Monastiraki Square and the buzzing nightlife of Psirri, but also right off the main shopping streets of Ermou and Athinas. Rooms have parquet floors, colourful pop-art wallpaper and handy mini fridges; rates include a generous buffet breakfast and access to the rooftop bar with the view of the Acropolis at its nearby big sister hotel, the 360Degree. Add to the mix great staff and it's no surprise this is a hotel that gets a lot of repeat guests. Best for alternative Athens Located near the National Archaeology Museum, the Exarchia is the vibrant bohemian alternative neighbourhood of Athens. Nicknamed 'Anarchia' by the stodgy and old fashioned, it's full of bookshops, cafés, bars and small restaurants on narrow lanes where tourists seldom venture. This super-friendly little hotel, one of the very few in the area, has ship-shape rooms, tea and coffee makers, walk-in showers and a very affordable family suite, sleeping four. • Discover our full guide to Athens Best for young travellers You'll find this pad just off Omonoia Square in the former KKE (Greek communist party) headquarters. It's full of bright colours (especially shades of red), with industrial-style exposed walls, pipes and neon lines. Funky retro touches add to fun, including dial phones and vinyl albums in the rooms; if romance is in the air, book the Foxy Room with its round bed. Other goodies include Nintendo and Pac-Man consoles, hammocks, pool tables and a roof terrace sundeck, hot tub and massage room. SPA | POOL | Best for a super spa This urbane little hotel with only 16 rooms is in Psirri, a web of narrow streets filled with restaurants and bars just north of Monastiraki. Rooms have good soundproofing, Coco-Mat beds and linens, balconies and staff who will make you feel perfectly at home. The spa includes an indoor pool, hammam and sauna; last but not least, on the top there's a hot tub and bar, where breakfast is served with breathtaking views of the Acropolis. SPA | ACCESSIBLE | Best for vintage cool This hotel in a stylish neoclassical building is on the metro-equipped Omonoia Square in the heart of modern Athens — but the design is a throwback to the 1960s and early days of Greek tourism, in burnt orange and brown. Along with the usual mod cons, rooms have vinyl record players, trolley bars and dial phones. Breakfast is excellent and there are great Acropolis views, which you can enjoy day or night from a sunbed, hammock, or one of four strategically placed hot tubs. Best for Acropolis views Centrally located in the heart of ancient and early 19th-century Athens, in easy walking distance of the sights and the Monastiraki and Syntagma metro stations, the Plaka Hotel is a reliable old favourite for its immaculate rooms and helpful staff. The real standout here is its fabulous rooftop bar, perfect for sipping a cocktail (they are delicious) while contemplating a view of the Acropolis, which seems so close you can almost reach out and touch it. ACCESSIBLE | Best for nightlife This cheerful hotel opened in a conversion of a commercial building, on a quiet street, a short walk north of lively Monastiraki Square and all the main sights of ancient Athens. Rooms, white and bright with dashes of colour, come in a range of configurations that sleep up to four — if your budget stretches to a splurge, book the Penthouse Hot Tub Acropolis View. There's a bar and a little library in the lobby, a good breakfast buffet and excellent staff full of useful tips to help you make the most out of visiting Athens day and night. Best for service On the edge of the historic Plaka district, just two streets away from Syntagma Square, the Marblous is a complete renovation of a building that dates back to 1934 — the name is a combination of 'marble' and 'marvellous', which aptly fits the sleek black marble façade. Rooms are designed for comfort, some sleeping up to four, some with views of the nearby Acropolis. The staff couldn't be more friendly and helpful, and serve an exceptional à la carte breakfast until 11am in the breakfast bistro. ACCESSIBLE | Best for hanging with the cool kids The once undesirable neighbourhood by the evocative ancient cemetery of Kerameikos has evolved into a vortex of edgy bars, clubs, galleries and murals. This new hotel is around the corner from the Benaki Museum of Islamic Art, a five-minute walk from the Thissio metro. Rooms are minimalist and luminous, with views of the Acropolis or the hilltop National Observatory; even the economy rooms have king-size beds with Egyptian cotton linen, climate control units, fridges, tea and coffee makers, and ergonomic desks. Added bonuses are the fitness room in the basement and the breakfast box, with a menu to order from the night before. Best for families Located in the lively residential Thissio neighbourhood, just west of the Ancient Agora and a five-minute walk from the metro station, this stylish contemporary hotel has a range of 14 budget rooms in minimalist charcoal and white tones and marble and pine that can sleep families of all sizes, from triples to two-bedroom suites in the nearby annex that can sleep up to six. The hotel has a beautiful rooftop terrace, and rents out Coco-Mat wooden bikes for exploring. SPA | ACCESSIBLE | Best for a central location It's hard to be more in the centre of Athens — a minute's walk from Monastiraki Square and its very useful metro station, linked to both the airport and the port of Piraeus, and within walking distance of the city's main attractions. Soothing, contemporary rooms, including interconnecting rooms for families, come in shades of taupe and cream. There's a beauty spa and cocktail bar and creative restaurant on the roof with fabulous views; you can enjoy DJs on Friday and Saturday nights and tango nights on Thursdays. Best for the market vibe If you love big city markets, you can't get much closer. Located on a pedestrian street by the fruit section of Athens's central market, this hotel is a landmark with its colourful outdoor lighting. Rooms are classic and modern (try to bag one on the eighth floor) and there's also a roof terrace with panoramic views. The breakfast buffet is excellent, including many Greek choices, and ample enough to keep you going; the nearby Taverna Klimataria is good fun, and often has live music. The Monastiraki metro with its direct link to the airport is a seven-minute walk. POOL | ACCESSIBLE | Best for a rooftop pool The big Stanley is away from tourist Athens next to the Metaxourgio metro station, so it's within minutes from the sights. But what it gains in being removed from the vortex of tourist Athens is the remarkable, wide-ranging view from Cloud 9, the largest rooftop terrace in the city, with a good-sized pool, bar and excellent restaurant, and views of the Acropolis, Lycabettus Hill, and Mount Hymettos. Room choices include family rooms and two-bedroom suites; rare in a budget hotel, there's parking on site. Best for cosiness Athens is a busy, noisy city, and it's a bonus having a cosy room to return to kick off your shoes. One of the first boutique hotels to open in Athens, the 22-room O&B gets all the essentials right: comfortable beds and Egyptian cotton linens in ample rooms, all in calming shades of ochre, brown and beige. There are great showers, made-in-Greece Korres toiletries, an all-day bar-restaurant and great staff — all near the Thissio metro and Ancient Agora. Best for getting to the beach This stylish hotel, run by a very charming couple, is a short walk from the Acropolis Museum, the Acropolis and the Temple of Olympian Zeus, so it's handy for getting a good dose of ancient Athens — and for taking the tram (the stop is just down the street) to the beaches of the Athens Riviera. Everything is immaculate, every room, from the economy to the family apartment, comes with useful kitchenettes, and you can choose between six different delicious breakfast menus delivered to your room. • Best hotels in Athens• Best things to do in Athens Additional reporting by Oliver Berry

These aged care residents in Melbourne were given a rare glimpse of ancient Greece
These aged care residents in Melbourne were given a rare glimpse of ancient Greece

ABC News

time12-07-2025

  • Entertainment
  • ABC News

These aged care residents in Melbourne were given a rare glimpse of ancient Greece

Greek elders are sat around a table, listening intently as two volunteers sing the oldest surviving complete musical composition in the world. One of the volunteers plucks at strings of a lyre — and during a second run through of the song, the elders gradually begin singing along. "It was originally on a tombstone," explains Natasha Marinopoulos from the Hellenic Museum of Melbourne. "A man named Seikilos wrote it for his wife, so the lyrics are talking about … while you live, shine, and don't get down on the small stuff." The exercise is part of an outreach program lead by the museum that brings ancient history to the residents. Previously, residents of Fronditha Care in Thornbury would make the bus trip to the Hellenic Museum themselves — but challenges around mobility and the pandemic have made that more difficult. Now, the museum is coming to them. Museum staff and volunteers partnered with the centre to run sessions inside the home, using song, storytelling, weaving, and object handling to create a full sensory experience. Ms Marinopoulos says her own grandparents are residents of Fronditha Care in Clayton South — so leading the program holds a personal connection for her. "It's the most rewarding thing I've ever done in my professional life," she says. "Seeing people who can't make it into museums get to come and have that experience — and a really tailored experience as well." "Each of them involve object handling. We want to keep it really tactile so there's lots of different ways to engage — you can use your hands, you can see things, you can hear things." The hope for staff — igniting the deep connection between residents' muscle memory and more profound nostalgia, now lost to time. At 85, Angeliki knows she's losing her memory. She's started keeping a journal to write down the important ones. But after sitting in on a weaving workshop, it all comes rushing back to her. "She remembers she's from Ioannina," explains Mary Christofidis, a volunteer from the museum who lead the session. Mary translated her conversation with Angeliki, who spoke little English, to the ABC. "She also remembers the balconies high up in the mountains," Mary explains. "She said she would go up to those balconies and shout greetings to the neighbours which would be carried to them through echoes." Mary explains Angeliki also passed on tips and tricks to care for woven garments, handed down through generations of women in her family. The evidence of this generational knowledge, according to Mary, was intricately woven into Angeliki's cardigan. "If you have a close look … these designs go way back to ancient Greece," Mary explains. "It's just amazing." For Angeliki's husband, Lazaros, aged 88, a woven blanket brought in for the class begins to resurface memories of their wedding. "He got the dowry from [Angeliki's] family to marry this lovely lady," Mary says. "To create a family, the most important thing was safety, warmth and food". Louisa Storer, deputy manager at Fronditha, explains the day is more than just an opportunity to get the residents up and about. "[It's] language and culture," she says. "A lot of our residents speak limited English so having something that's in Greek and so relevant to their background is so important. "Many of our residents, when they move into aged care may have been quite isolated, but then they gain this whole community here." "It's not uncommon for people to already know someone here, or find someone they know, or came from their village, or came out on the same ship, worked at the same factory — it's just this lovely community," Louisa says. She says the men of the home have engaged particularly well with the session on implements of war and lessons on Petteia — an ancient gambling board game involving pebbles. One of the gentlemen, 84-year-old Christopher Theodoridis, says it's "pretty interesting". "We're talking about Hellenic history. We're talking three thousand years before — Alexander the Great!" The men pass around a reproduced coin engraved with the face of the historical Macedonian king, along with an authentic coin featuring Greek goddess Athena. For some, it's perhaps the first time they've held something that reflects their heritage in such a tangible way. It shows in their eyes. "So many Greeks are into their own history," Natasha says. "People have said, 'It's nice to feel connected to my culture again'. "That's the best we could hope for." She says she would like to see more museums bringing the exhibits within the walls of aged care homes. "People in aged care are just as much part of our community as anybody else, and we should include them as much.

Archaeologists find 3,500-year-old city in Peru which once served as a trading hub - with sculptures and jewellery inside
Archaeologists find 3,500-year-old city in Peru which once served as a trading hub - with sculptures and jewellery inside

Daily Mail​

time06-07-2025

  • Science
  • Daily Mail​

Archaeologists find 3,500-year-old city in Peru which once served as a trading hub - with sculptures and jewellery inside

An ancient city has been discovered in Peru that once was a trading hub thousands of years ago. The 3,500-year-old settlement, named Peñico, is located in the northern Barranca province - close to where the Caral civilisation, the oldest on the America, developed 5,000 years ago. Archaeologists believe Peñico was likely a trading hub linking Pacific coast cultures with those in the Andes mountains and the Amazon basin. Ceremonial temples and residential complexes were uncovered as well as a circular structure on a hillside terrace, with remains of stone and mud buildings constructed some 600m above sea level. The walls of a central plaza stand out for their sculptural reliefs and depictions of the pututu, a conch shell trumpet whose sound carries over long distances. In other buildings, researchers found clay sculptures of human and animal figures, ceremonial objects and necklaces made from beads and seashells. The then-bustling city - with 18 surviving structures that have been studied in the last eight years - would have been at its peak at around the same time as early civilisations in the Middle East and Asia, between 1,800 and 1,500 BC. But what has intrigued archaeologists most is that Peñico is close to where the Caral civilisation, the oldest in the Americas, developed 5,000 years ago. Caral, comprised of 32 monumental structures, is considered a contemporary of civilisations in Egypt, India, Sumeria and China. However, unlike them, it developed in complete isolation, according to researchers. Ruth Shady, the archaeologist who led the research into Peñico, said the newly unveiled city is key because experts believe it emerged after the Caral civilisation was devastated by climate change. 'They were situated in a strategic location for trade, for exchange with societies from the coast, the highlands and the jungle,' Shady said. Archaeologist Marco Machacuay, a researcher with the Ministry of Culture, said at a news conference that Peñico's importance lies in it being the continuation of the Caral society. Peru is a center of ancient cultures and home to archaeological sites such as the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu in Cusco and the mysterious Nazca lines located in the desert region along the country's central coast. In May, a vandal sparked outrage after being filmed spray painting a penis onto a wall at an ancient Peruvian UNESCO site. In footage, the man was seen spraying the crude graffiti on one of the original walls of Chan Chan, a pre-Columbian city 300 miles north of Lima that is flooded with thousands of visitors each month. He wore a backpack and drew a giant black penis on the stone which is more than 600 years old and a World Heritage Site. Peru's ministry of culture said the culprit showed 'a grave disrespect toward our history and cultural heritage, as well as a violation of the regulations that protect archaeological heritage sites. 'We express our strongest condemnation of this regrettable act of vandalism,' the ministry emphasised in its statement. Authorities have not yet identified the attacker but he could face up to six years behind bars if he is caught under Peruvian heritage protection statutes. The clip of the incident has made its rounds of social media, leaving viewers stunned at how he was able to damage the wall unchallenged. Others questioned why the site was not better protected. Chan Chan was the capital of the Chimu kingdom before it fell to the Incas in the 15th century and it remains one of Peru's most important archaeological sites. The Citadel of Chan Chan was built on an area of ​​approximately 20 square kilometers, featured ten palaces, and at its peak housed approximately 30,000 inhabitants. It is regarded as the largest mud city in the world. The complex features temples, residential structures, and storage buildings, any adorned with intricate and symbolic carvings. Together with the stone citadels of Machu Picchu and Caral, Chan Chan forms the most important archaeological complexes in Peru.

Lapis lazuli, prized since ancient times for its dazzling blue hue and protective properties, is attracting a new generation of admirers, including Rihanna, Kate Middleton and Jennifer Lawrence
Lapis lazuli, prized since ancient times for its dazzling blue hue and protective properties, is attracting a new generation of admirers, including Rihanna, Kate Middleton and Jennifer Lawrence

South China Morning Post

time21-06-2025

  • Entertainment
  • South China Morning Post

Lapis lazuli, prized since ancient times for its dazzling blue hue and protective properties, is attracting a new generation of admirers, including Rihanna, Kate Middleton and Jennifer Lawrence

Defined by a deep, ultramarine hue, lapis lazuli is one of the world's oldest and most storied jewellery materials. Unusually, it's not a single mineral, but a rock composed of lazurite – responsible for its signature hue – with veins of white calcite and flecks of metallic pyrite that lend subtle marbling and a hint of sparkle. Formed within limestone under intense heat and pressure, the finest lapis has been prized for millennia at Afghanistan's Sar‑e‑Sang mines in Badakhshan province, where miners have long sought stones with the richest colour and the fewest veins. That geological legacy laid the groundwork for lapis' role in adornment, which stretches back to antiquity. As early as the third millennium BC, Mesopotamian rulers carved cylinder seals and amulets from the stone. In ancient Egypt, lapis graced scarabs, jewellery for the elite, and – most famously – the intricate inlays of Tutankhamun's burial mask. Advertisement Van Cleef & Arpels Two Butterfly ring in yellow gold, diamond and lapis lazuli, and earring in lapis lazuli. Photo: Handout Across the Mediterranean, lapis was powdered into ultramarine pigment so vivid it often cost more than gold leaf, bringing rich colour to medieval manuscripts and Renaissance altarpieces. Over in Mughal India, artisans set slabs and cabochons into pietra dura mosaics adorning palaces and monuments such as the Taj Mahal, cementing lapis' status as a symbol of power and prestige. Fast-forward to the present day, and the lapis lazuli legacy continues to inspire designers. Unlike transparent gemstones that depend on internal reflection, opaque lapis delivers unwavering colour no matter the light – ideal for carving cabochons, beads and colourful watch dials. Celebrities like Rihanna and Jennifer Lawrence are fans, and none more so than the Princess of Wales , who sported a pair of lapis hoop earrings by London-based label Shyla at Cardiff's Principality Stadium during the Wales vs England Six Nations match in March this year. In London, Ananya – founded by Central Saint Martins graduate Ananya Malhotra – draws on lapis' healing aura in its long-running Chakra series. Each energy point of the body aligns with a gemstone, and lapis, linked to the third‑eye chakra, takes centre stage. In the white gold Chakra earrings, a deep blue lapis cabochon is cradled by concentric rings of baguette and pavé diamonds, mimicking the spinning wheel of energy. A matching bracelet is strung with polished lapis beads, anchored by a diamond-set bar clasp. Jacquie Aiche Evil Eye pendant with lapis lazuli. Photo: Handout French maison Van Cleef & Arpels has woven lapis into two recent lines. The Lucky Summer Wave necklace alternates slices of lapis lazuli, turquoise, chalcedony, white mother-of-pearl and diamonds on a beaded yellow gold chain – the rich blue segments providing depth to an otherwise coastal palette. In the brand's Perlée Couleur collection, lapis appears as a high-dome cabochon on both an open bangle and a matching ring – each framed with the maison's signature gold beads and a trim of round brilliant diamonds. Opaque lapis delivers unwavering colour no matter the light

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