Posted on 06/11/2018 12:57:11 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
Sometimes the most extraordinary finds occur by sheer luck. At least that was the case of a fourth century B.C. chamber tomb that came to light five weeks ago during the construction of an aqueduct in a Rome suburb, when an earthmover accidentally opened a hole in the side of the chamber... The tomb contained the remains of four occupants -- three men and a woman -- and funerary wares. Archaeologists are calling it "the Tomb of the Athlete" because of the presence of two bronze strigils, the instrument used by ancient Greek and Roman athletes to scrape sweat from the skin after a workout. Actually, the male skeletons in the tomb belonged to older men (all three were over 35 -- very old in those days). "To say there was an athlete is a bit of stretch, but it works journalistically," joked Fabio Turchetta, the on-site archaeologist who followed the aqueduct works... The tomb was dated to between 335 and 312 B.C. on the basis of a coin found next to a skeleton. One side depicts the head of Minerva, the flip side a horse head with the lettering: "Romano." Excavated into a bank of porous tuff, the volcanic rock typical of the area, the family tomb was distinctive "because it remained intact, and was never violated," said the archaeologist Stefano Musco, scientific director of the dig. The quality of the black-glazed pottery found next to the skeletons -- a variety of bowls and plates, some bearing mini-skeletons of animals (two, a rabbit and a lamb or a goat, have been identified) -- suggested that the owners of the tomb came from a privileged social class, Mr. Musco said.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Or in my case, one.
First time I read that (in this lifetime anyway) was in the National Lampoon, I was just expecting to find it online somewhere, but imagine my surprise just now.
More classical Roman suicide jokes:
https://www.purplemotes.net/2015/12/20/husband-suicide-cicero/
The Nat Lamp list included this thigh-slapper from Flavian Rome:
http://www.google.com/search?q=Titus+Vespasian+and+the+urinal+tax
And the Romans themselves derided their neighbors and former overlords, calling them “obesus Etruscus”, or the Fat Etruscan. Calling Americans fat is one of the favored pejoratives of European alleged humorists. In the 1980s Khaddafy let European Nazis make their demonstrations in Libya (they’re still illegal in Europe), and one of the popular signs was, “we are with you, Palestinian people, not with the fat, dirty Jew.” The upshot is, it’s possible that European humor peaked with the Roman empire. ;^)
“The upshot is, it’s possible that European humor peaked with the Roman empire. ;^)”
Times change. People don’t.
L
It took me a few minutes, but, now, I see what you did there. :^D
Why do athletes call those things medicine balls? There’s no medicine inside them. :^)
(all three were over 35 — very old in those days)
Where do they get this nonsense?
History and Scripture is replete with people living to their 70’s,80’s, and 90’s, in this era.
The same claims are made as recently as the 1800’s and I have Great, Great Grandparents, Great Grandparents, and Grandparents who lived to their 90’s.
I’m sure that the rate of infant death impacts the “averages”, but to suggest 35 was old is nonsense.
“...during the construction of an aqueduct in a Rome suburb...”
That’s funny. One of the greatest civic accomplishments of the Roman Empire...the aquaduct...and they’re still building them! Outstanding!
(Hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.)
Average life span for a Roman in those days was twenty one (21) years of age. I didn’t believe it myself until I looked it up from several different sources.
Nice find.
It’s funny how random truths and insight to life, the universe and everything turns up unexpectedly at times.
“... is a bit of stretch, but it works journalistically,...””
I just bought a set of those dishes at Kohl’s.
DariusBane is right. Life span and life expectancy are two different things. Life expectancy is also greatly reduced by infant and childhood mortality.
More info on Roman life expectancy:
https://revealedrome.com/2012/06/ancient-rome-daily-life-women-age/
True Facts!
Thanks for the explanation I didn’t take time to make.
Thanks for the explanation I didn’t take time to make.
he family tomb was distinctive “because it remained intact, and was never violated,”
At least, it wasn’t violated until the “chamber tomb that came to light five weeks ago during the construction of an aqueduct in a Rome suburb, when an earthmover accidentally opened a hole in the side of the chamber...”
Honestly, we expect people to leave our dead and buried alone, but this GRAVE from hundreds (ok, possible 2000) years ago, we dig into? It’s a grave - if you want ours respected and left alone, leave others alone.
/Not directed at you SC, just find it crazy/odd...
Dead White Male Privilege.
Where do they truly draw the line between grave desecration and archaeology?
That’s the point, where do we? Personally, I am going to be cremated (or, well, I want to be, this body will be dead, so I don’t really have any say in the matter). Just at what point will someone in the future dig up the graves of today?
Do we expect the future generations to leave our sunken ships alone, as we expect other countries to leave them alone now?
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