Archaeologists are perplexed by the Roman coins recovered on Shipwreck Island

On a distant, isolated island in the Baltic Sea, two silver coins from the Roman Empire have been discovered. It is unknown to archaeologists how they got there.

The coin on the left is a silver denarius minted in the reign of Antonius Pius, from A.D. 138 to 161. The emperor's head and some Latin characters can just be seen.The coin on the right is a silver denarius minted in the reign of Trajan, from A.D. 98 to 117. It shows the emperor's head and part of a Latin inscription. (Image credit: Johan Rönnby)

The discovery of two silver coins from the Roman Empire on a lonely island in the Baltic Sea, midway between Sweden and Estonia, has archaeologists puzzled but also excited.

The coins' origins are unknown, but they could have been dropped off by Norse traders, drowned in a shipwreck, or transported there by a Roman ship that traveled as far north.

Using metal detectors, a team led by Johan Rönnby, an archaeologist at Södertörn University in Stockholm, discovered the coins in March at a beach location indicated by ancient fireplaces on the island of Gotska Sandön.

“We were overjoyed”, he said to Live Science. “Although we have this website, we are unsure of its purpose. However, the discovery of the coins makes the excavation process even more intriguing.”

Roman Coins

The two silver coins discovered on the island are both Roman "denarii"; one is from the reign of Trajan, which lasted from A.D. 98 to 117, and the other is from Antoninus Pius, which lasted from A.D. 138 to 161.

When they were first produced, each coin would have cost around a day's wages for a worker and weighed less than an eighth of an ounce (4 grams).

The word "money" in some Latin-based languages, such as "denaro" in Italian and "dinero" in Spanish, still has the name of the denarii, the common coin of ancient Rome.

Because the silver they contained never lost its value, Rönnby claimed that Roman Empire coins may have been in use for a very long period. He also suggested that Norse traders who sought refuge in Gotska Sandön from storms at sea may have brought the coins there.

However, it's also conceivable that they were brought there by shipwreck survivors: He claimed that the area's seas are notoriously hazardous and strewn with wrecks.

Although there are no records of a Roman ship traveling into the Baltic, it is still possible that the coins were transported to Gotska Sandön by Romans.

“It's unlikely to be a Roman ship”, claimed Rönnby. “But you must also take into account the fact that the Romans sailed to Scotland and other places, and that they had authors at the time who wrote about the Baltic region.”

Baltic island

Gotska Sandön, or "Sand Island," is one of the most remote islands in the Baltic Sea. The coins were found at a site on the plateau above the modern beach. (Image credit: Johan Rönnby)

Roman coins have also been discovered on Gotland, a larger island located 40 kilometers (25 miles) to the south, but this was likely to be expected given that it was home to multiple villages. But there are no cities or villages in Gotska Sandön.

Although Gotska Sandön, sometimes known as "Sand Island," is currently uninhabited, it once housed lighthouse keepers. Before that, it had a reputation for being a pirate hangout and a site of shipwrecks, according to Rönnby.

The recent discoveries, according to archaeologist Daniel Langhammer, who manages Gotska Sandön's cultural assets for Gotland County, support a 19th-century lighthouse keeper's allegation that he discovered a Roman coin on the island.

But, he warned, it might never be known how the coins got there. Simply said, "We have no idea how they got there."

According to him, during the summer months, seal hunters and fishers used to frequently visit the isolated island. Seal hunting is now illegal, but the seals are still present.

Later this year, Rönnby and his colleagues—among them Uppsala University osteologist Sabine Sten—will visit the location once more. They intend to eventually rebuild the island's past.

Source: https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/ro...

Young Woolly Rhino Perfectly Preserved, Revealed by Melting Permafrost

The amazing discovery passed away at least 20,000 years ago when it was three or four years old.

An absolute unit of a woolly rhino on display at the Weston Park Museum, Sheffield, UK. The new specimen discovered is a juvenile. Image credit: Chemical Engineer

With several of its internal parts, such as its hazel-colored hair, intestines, lumps of fat, and tissues, retained intact for thousands of years by permafrost, it is the best-preserved juvenile woolly rhino ever discovered.

In August 2022, scientists in the far north of Russia's Yakutia region found the Ice Age monster in thawing permafrost. It is believed to be the most well-preserved woolly rhino ever discovered there.

The first person to describe the discovery was Dr. Valery Plotnikov from the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), who informed the Siberian Times that the baby rhino was between three and four years old and lived apart from its mother until it died, most likely by drowning.

The animal's [sex] is still a mystery. When it lived, which will be determined by radiocarbon dating, is most likely between 20,000 and 50,000 years ago.

The only baby woolly rhino ever found, Sasha, was found in 2014, not far from the spot where the wonderfully preserved rhino was also just discovered. Sasha, who has remarkable strawberry blond fur, has a 34,000-year-old age estimate.

A "very thick short underfur" can be seen on the recently discovered specimen, according to Dr. Plotnikov. Sasha had assisted scientists in establishing the existence of dense hair on woolly rhinoceroses, which had previously only been implied by cave paintings. The new discovery has strengthened the case that baby woolly rhinos were already perfectly suited to the cold climate.

Sasha the baby woolly rhino found in 2014 in Yakutia lived 34,000 years ago. Image credit: Albert Protopopov, The Siberian Times

The Ice Age artifact is still present in Yakutia at the moment because ice roads must first be created before it can be moved to the area's capital, Yakutsk, where scientists can study it.

Source: https://www.beautyofplanet.com/perfectly-p...

A passionate love story is depicted in Caligula's beautiful, 2,000-year-old sapphire ring

This stunning, 2,000-year-old sapphire ring is hard not to adore. The third Roman emperor Caligula, who ruled from 37 to 41 AD, is thought to have formerly owned this antiquated Roman artifact.

The sky blue hololith, made from a single piece of sapphire, is believed to have owned by Caligula, who reigned from 37AD until his assassination four years later. © Wartski/BNPS

The Roman emperor known as "Caligula" (which translates to "little soldier's boot") was given the name Gaius Julius Caesar in honor of Julius Caesar.

Today, Caligula is remembered as an infamous emperor who was cunning and ruthless. He may or may not have been mad, but there is little doubt that he was one of the most brutal tyrants in all of ancient Rome. He engaged in incest with his sisters, had his contemporaries worship him as a god, and planned to name his horse consul. Torture and murder were frequent throughout his brief reign.

This exquisite ring is as lovely as Caligula was terrible, if accounts of his behavior in the past are to be believed. The expensive stone hololith in the color of the sky is said to represent Caesonia, Caligula's fourth and last wife. There were rumors that she was so beautiful that the Emperor occasionally ordered her to parade before his companions naked.

Because Suetonius, a Roman historian, called Caesonia "a woman of reckless extravagance and wantonness," she must have been outstanding.

The face engraved into the bezel is thought to be his fourth and last wife Caesonia. © Wartski/BNPS

Julia Drusilla was born as a result of Caligula and Caesonia's romance. Caesonia was the emperor's most trusted advisor and the one he was most in love with. The couple was surrounded by adversaries who wanted to depose Caligula, nevertheless.

A plot hatched by senators, courtiers, and Praetorian Guard members under the direction of Cassius Chaerea resulted in Caligula's murder. Also slain were Caesonia and her daughter. Various sources have varying accounts of the homicide. Some claim that Caligula had his chest slashed. Some claim that he was slashed between the neck and shoulder with a sword.

Seneca claims that Chaerea decapitated the emperor in a single blow, but a large group of conspirators still surrounded him and slashed at his corpse with swords.

Chaerea despatched a tribune named Lupus to kill Caesonia and Drusilla, the emperor's young daughter, just after the murder.

Apparently, the young girl was slammed into a wall while the empress bravely took the hit. Then, out of concern for what might happen next, Chaerea and Sabinus ran into the palace complex's interior before making their way into the city via a separate route.

Emperor Caligula’s ring leads stellar exhibition at Royal Jewellers Wartski. © Wartski/BNPS

From 1637 through 1762, the Earl of Arundel owned Caligula's lovely sapphire ring, which later became one of the renowned "Marlborough Gems."

Unsurprisingly, the ring created a stir when Royal jewelers Wartski offered it for sale in an auction.

This ring, which was formerly owned by the Earl of Arundel, is one of the famous "Marlborough Gems." It is totally made of sapphire. There are very few hololiths in existence, and this, in my opinion, is the best one. According to the engraving, which depicts the debauched Emperor Caligula's last wife Caesonia, we think it belonged to him, said Wartski director Kieran McCarthy. In 2019, Caligula's ring was eventually sold for about £500,000.

Source: https://mysteriesrunsolved.com/2023/03/cal...

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The Euphrates River is not only one of the world's oldest rivers but also one of the most significant rivers. This river is the site of a significant amount of historical events. The Euphrates River is in the process of drying up as it flows through parts of western Asia. Why has the river historically struggled with maintaining adequate water levels in its channels? To what extent does the Euphrates River play a significant role? There are those who believe that the drying up of the river will bring about the end of the world, but is this actually the case? Continue reading to learn more about the causes of and significance behind the drying up of the Euphrates River.

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