Christianity changed after its adoption as the state religion of the Roman Empire in 380 AD. Inspired by centuries of Christian martyrs, asceticism became a prominent feature of its followers. Before the Romans adopted it, many emperors had elected to persecute the Christians within their territories, and martyrdom was a frequent end for the most
Archaeologists working in the Santa Croce area of Trento in northern Italy have found something exceptional beneath the city streets. An ancient necropolis has been discovered, some eight meters beneath the surface. Some 200 tombs have been discovered, as reported by the Provincia Autonoma di Trento. The tombs date to the early Iron Age, between
Brazil is famous for its Carnival season, an almost week-long party which unifies the country in a spirit of feasting, drinking, and of course dancing. This is traditionally held just before Lent, but a new study suggests it may have existed long before Christianity came to South America. The research, announced by the University of
A new study of a Zapotec site in Mexico may have finally revealed its purpose. A team using LiDAR to analyze the complex have revealed a large post-classical city. The site of Guiengola is well known to Mexican archaeologists. Built by the Zapotec, an indigenous pre-Columbian culture who lived in the Valley of Oaxaca in
Some of the finds from the cities destroyed in the eruption of Vesuvius are ruined beyond restoration. Much was preserved but the destruction was immense, and the greater part of the contents of the houses were lost. Where they survive they are heavily damaged, and so it is with a charred scroll from Herculaneum, far
Archaeologists in Germany have unearthed a series of burials near the village of Förderstedt, in Saxony-Anhalt. The graves are some 4,500 years old and contain warriors from the Copper Age. The brief period in our history marks the first use of metals as we moved out of the Stone Age. Over time our use of