Pompeii: Italy’s Frozen-in-Time Roman City

February 1, 2025 - by USA Facts News - Leave a Comment

Pompeii: Italy’s Frozen-in-Time Roman City

The people of Pompeii woke up and went on with their business as usual on August 24, 79 AD. Although the city experienced some tremors for the last few days they were not worried. They did not realize that these tremors were the signs of a disaster coming their way. On that day, mount Vesuvius erupted. It spew ash, pumice, and actual rocks on fire and darkened the sky. It killed more than 10.000 people and destroyed two cities. Historians believe that the eruption was 100.000 times more powerful than an atomic bomb. The amount of destruction can be seen in Pompeii Ruins some of which survived despite the eruption.

House of the Faun

House of the Faun was the largest and one of the wealthiest houses in Pompeii. The owners built it around 2 BC and the eruption covered it with ash in 1 AD. Excavations reveal the luxurious lifestyle of its owners. Lavish and lively mosaics cover its walls telling stories of battles and myths. Its architecture is Roman in its purest sense maybe even more than some buildings in Rome, historians claim.

The house takes its name from the mythological creature with the same name. Faun is half-goat half human and a small statue of it can be found in the house entrance. One of the mosaics depicts a battle of Alexander the Great in detail. The fact that the battle took place 150 years before the house’s construction shows the owners’ fascination with history.

pompeii ruins house of the faun mosaics — Alixe Bovey

Thermopolium (snack bar) of Pompeii (~79 AD)

Although the excavated part in Pompeii (which amounts to two-thirds of the old urban area) has 89 thermopolia, small cook-shops where hot food was sold, it does not mean that the wealthy owners of large atrium houses used to dine out. The lower classes frequented such places. When passing through Pompeii, one can see many dwellings and shops within the large houses, which overlook the street and often consist of a single room. Craftsmen and merchants lived and worked here, often living with their families on the upper floors. These homes rarely have a kitchen. Therefore one would dine out, in one of the many thermopolia that offered hot food.

This is the first thermopolium found with a perfectly intact lararium (household shrine) on the wall, with the original colours

Temple of Apollo

The Temple or the Sanctuary of Apollo was the most important religious site of Pompeii. Romans built it as a celebration of Greco-Roman culture near Mount Vesuvius. The followers of Apollo were in many numbers in the beginning. Although the number decreased gradually, the temple stood tall and the people of Pompeii respected it.

The Pompeians conducted many rituals and sacrifices in the temple. Moreover, considering that it is not far from the mountain, it is noteworthy how the temple survived the eruption. Inside the temple there were statues of Apollo and his sister Diana to which people brought gifts and asked for favors. The original statues are in a museum in Naples and their copies are currently on display in Pompeii.

sun dial of temple of apollo — Dave & Margie Hill / Kleerup

House of the Tragic Poet

The House of the Tragic Poet is one of the peculiar Pompeii ruins currently on show. While the size of the house is not impressive, the inside of the house is quite marvelous. A mosaic in its atrium depicting theatre players getting ready gives the house its name. Although no one is sure of the identity of the owners, it is thought that they all died during the eruption.

Another peculiar aspect of the house is that at its entrance there is a mosaic that reads “Beware of the dog.” This sign may be one of the first beware of the dog signs ever. Moreover, the house is full of frescos and mosaics that are in excellent condition. Stories from mythology, scenes from battles, and daily life greet the visitors. The house is arguably one of the most stylish Pompeii ruins.

dog mosaic in the house of the tragic poet — Miguel Hermoso Cuesta

Amphitheatre of Pompeii

Right after colonizing Pompeii, the Romans built an amphitheater. Contrary to other amphitheaters in the Roman world, they used stone instead of wood. While the lower entrance belonged to the high-class citizens, the other seats belonged to the commoners. The amphitheater was mainly home to exciting and gory gladiator fights.

the amphitheater in pompeii ruins — Stacie

The amphitheater supported up to 12.000 spectators but this caused some problems. After a fight between spectators from Pompeii and Nuceria, the emperor closed the amphitheater for 10 years. While the emperor opened it again after an earthquake hit Pompeii, the amphitheater was buried under ash during the eruption.

close up of the pompeii amphitheater — Macelaru Ionut Silviu

Villa of the Mysteries

True to its name, the Villa of the Mysteries is a mysterious Pompeii ruin. At its entrance, a name of a freed slave and the statue of Livia, the wife of Emperor Augustus indicate that the villa might have belonged to one of these two. Although historians are not really able to decide who owned the house or what purpose, frescos and mosaics inside the villa offer some insights.

Various frescos on the walls depicting initiation ceremonies tell that this villa belonged to members of a mysterious cult. The frescos show men and women being accepted into the cult in secret. Moreover, the paintings of Dionysus and Maenads in the villa also tell that the mysterious cult was dedicated to the Greek deity, known as Bacchus by Romans.

frescp inside the villa of the mysteries — Archeology Magazine

The Garden of the Fugitives

Maybe the most harrowing and disturbing Pompeii ruins are the actual people who turned to stones due to the fire and ash of the eruption. The place where the 13 bodies are is called the Garden of the Fugitives. Archeologists say that these people were trying to escape the eruption but did not make it. Originally the bodies were in separate groups but are displayed together.

A closer examination of the casts reveals more tragedies. Out of the 13 bodies, 5 or 6 were children including a baby whose bone analysis show that it was only a year old. The body of a woman, possibly a mother, is holding her children’s hands indicating that they were trying to run together. Another body is that of a merchant who is raising his body. This is probably because he did not die when the ash first reached him and he tried to raise himself and run.

What are casts? Are they actually petrified people?

The casts of Pompeii are plaster molds created by Giuseppe Fiorelli in the 19th century. When archaeologists discovered cavities in the volcanic ash, they filled them with plaster, preserving the shapes and final postures of the victims. These casts are not petrified bodies but rather impressions left behind by the bodies, offering a unique and haunting glimpse into the tragic events of the eruption.

History / News

Rowling’s Latest Comments Ignite a Firestorm, Labelled ‘Transphobic Manifesto’ as Public Fury Grows

December 16, 2024 - by USA Facts News - Leave a Comment

The “Harry Potter” author said she has “five reasons for being worried about the new trans activism, and deciding I need to speak up.”

J.K. Rowling attends the Broadway Opening Day performance of ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One and Two’ at The Lyric Theatre on April 22, 2018 in New York City.Walter McBride / WireImage – Getty Images file

“Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling published a nearly 4,000-word blog post Wednesday, further reaffirming her controversial stance on the transgender community, which critics have called transphobic.

In a tweet sharing the blog post, Rowling simply wrote “TERF wars.” TERF stands for trans-exclusionary radical feminist, a term which critics have called the author.

“This isn’t an easy piece to write, for reasons that will shortly become clear, but I know it’s time to explain myself on an issue surrounded by toxicity. I write this without any desire to add to that toxicity,” she wrote at the start of her piece.

Rowling addressed the origin of the claims that she’s transphobic — that she supported Maya Forstater, a tax specialist who was fired for tweets deemed anti-transgender. Rowling then catalogued a series of missteps on Twitter that further led to accusations she is transphobic.

“I mention all this only to explain that I knew perfectly well what was going to happen when I supported Maya. I must have been on my fourth or fifth cancellation by then. I expected the threats of violence, to be told I was literally killing trans people with my hate, to be called c— and b—- and, of course, for my books to be burned, although one particularly abusive man told me he’d composted them,” Rowling wrote.

In the blog post, Rowling states that she has “five reasons for being worried about the new trans activism, and deciding I need to speak up.” Among these reasons, she mentions her charity for women and children, being an ex-teacher, her interest in free speech, a concern about “the huge explosion in young women wishing to transition” and her experience as a victim of sexual and domestic abuse.

While mentioning the increase in young people coming out as transgender, Rowling questions whether there’s a “contagion” fueled by social media that’s behind the rise, at one point stating, “I’ve wondered whether, if I’d been born 30 years later, I too might have tried to transition.”

She also brings up the topic of “detransitioning,” in which a trans person transitions back to their sex assigned at birth, calling it an “increasing” phenomenon. While there is little information available on people who detransition, what is available appears to indicate it is an infrequent occurrence

In a 2015 survey of nearly 28,000 people conducted by the U.S.-based National Center for Transgender Equality, only 8 percent of respondents reported detransitioning, and 62 percent of those people said they only detransitioned temporarily. The most common reason for detransitioning, according to the survey, was pressure from a parent, while only 0.4 percent of respondents said they detransitioned after realizing transitioning wasn’t right for them. And the results of a 50-year survey published in 2010 of a cohort of 767 transgender people in Sweden found that about 2 percent of participants expressed regret after undergoing gender-affirming surgery.

Later in the piece, where Rowling reveals that she is a survivor of domestic abuse and sexual assault, she uses this traumatic history to discuss her fifth reason why she’s “deeply concerned about the consequences of the current trans activism.”

“So I want trans women to be safe. At the same time, I do not want to make natal girls and women less safe. When you throw open the doors of bathrooms and changing rooms to any man who believes or feels he’s a woman – and, as I’ve said, gender confirmation certificates may now be granted without any need for surgery or hormones – then you open the door to any and all men who wish to come inside. That is the simple truth,” she wrote.

Online, the reaction to the piece quickly bubbled up, with people on Twitter stating Rowling had written a “transphobic manifesto.”

“don’t bother reading JK rowling’s bulls— ‘defense.’ it’s just blatant transphobia through and through. don’t give her the attention,” activist Delaney Tarr tweeted .

Actress Felicia Day said Rowling’s piece was “steeped in fear and hate.”

“I honestly don’t even understand the logic of JK Rowling’s argument. All I know is that it feels steeped in fear and hate and it makes me so so sad,” Day wrote.

Author Heidi Heilig called Rowling an “a——.”

“JK Rowling’s worst retcon of all was when she revealed that a beloved children’s book author was a huge a—— all along,” Heilig wrote.

Rowling’s Wednesday blog post came days after she was criticized for several Saturday tweets deemed transphobic.

Rowling appeared to take issue with a headline that used the phrase “people who menstruate,” which is language inclusive of people like transgender men and nonbinary and gender-nonconforming people, all of whom could be people who menstruate, rather than using the word “women.”

“‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?” Rowling tweeted. In several subsequent tweets, as critiques began rolling in, Rowling doubled down.

Several actors from film adaptations of Rowling’s wizarding world pushed back on the author’s comments in the days following the tweets.

Daniel Radcliffe, who starred as the titular Harry Potter, and Eddie Redmayne, who starred in the “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” series both publicly stated they disagree with Rowling.

“To all the people who now feel that their experience of the books has been tarnished or diminished, I am deeply sorry for the pain these comments have caused you. I really hope that you don’t entirely lose what was valuable in these stories to you. If these books taught you that love is the strongest force in the universe … then that is between you and the book that you read, and it is sacred,” Radcliffe wrote in a letter published by The Trevor Project.

The LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD also criticized Rowling’s latest tweets, urging people to “direct your rightful anger over JK Rowling’s latest anti-trans comments into something positive,” such as supporting organizations that help trans people.

Scientists have determined that the diet of a Clovis woman who lived in North America 13,000 years ago included a substantial portion of mammoth and other large game.

History / News

Mammoth Meat Powered Ice Age Humans, Study Finds

December 5, 2024 - by USA Facts News - Leave a Comment

Scientists have determined that the diet of a Clovis woman who lived in North America 13,000 years ago included a substantial portion of mammoth and other large game.

An artist's rendition of Clovis people eating mammoth, and the December 4 cover of the journal Science Advances. — An artist’s rendition of Clovis people eating mammoth and the December 4 cover of the journal Science Advances. © The image was created in a collaboration between the artist, Eric Carlson (Desert Archaeology, Inc.) and archaeologists Ben Potter (University of Alaska Fairbanks) and Jim Chatters (McMaster University).

Have you ever wondered what prehistoric humans ate 13,000 years ago? Researchers in the United States and Canada have presented evidence suggesting that some of the earliest inhabitants of North America preferred their steak large—like, mammoth-sized large.

A team of scientists, led by James C. Chatters of McMaster University and Ben A. Potter from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, has presented the first direct evidence that Clovis people consumed large animals, such as mammoths, for food. Their findings, detailed in a December 4 study published in the journal Science Advances, could help explain early humans’ rapid expansion throughout the continent and shed light on their possible role in the extinction of large mammals at the end of the last ice age.

Sites Relevant To Clovis Diet Study — Location of the Anzick child discovery, study faunal samples (circles), and important Clovis sites (triangles). The white is the glacial ice around 12,800 years ago. © Chatters et al., Sci. Adv. 10, eadr3814 (2024)

Clovis refers to a prehistoric culture in North America known for its distinctive stone tools that emerged toward the end of the last Ice Age. Clovis people are widely considered to be the ancestors of today’s Indigenous people of the Americas, but their diets have become a contentious topic among experts. While some scholars argue that Clovis people thrived on foraging and small game, others claim they were “megafaunal specialists,” the researchers wrote in the study, meaning big-game hunters. The results of the study confirm the latter theory.

The team analyzed isotopic data, measuring atoms in samples to uncover their origins and ancient eating habits. They studied pre-existing isotopic data from the 13,000-year-old remains of a Clovis infant previously discovered in Montana and reconstructed his mother’s diet. They then compared that inferred diet to the isotopic data of foods that would have been available to her in that region.

“Isotopes provide a chemical fingerprint of a consumer’s diet and can be compared with those from potential diet items to estimate the proportional contribution of different diet items,” Mat Wooller of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, who participated in the study, said in a university statement. In other words, Wooller and his colleagues were able to estimate the proportions of different food sources within the woman’s diet.

According to the study, 40% of the Clovis woman’s food came from mammoths. Most of the remainder came from other large animals, such as elk and bison, with only a small fraction coming from small mammals. This is the first direct evidence of Clovis people’s preferred meals—previous research had only inferred this via secondary evidence, including stone tools or animal remains.

The scientists then compared these results to the diet of other omnivores and carnivores from the same period and found that the woman’s diet was most similar to the scimitar cat—a big cat that notoriously preyed on mammoths. Coincidence? The researchers (and Edna Mode) would think not.

“What’s striking to me is that this confirms a lot of data from other sites. For example, the animal parts left at Clovis sites are dominated by megafauna [large animals], and the projectile points are large, affixed to darts, which were efficient distance weapons,” Potter said.

The megafauna theory is also consistent with several other elements. Since animals like mammoths existed across the Americas, they would have been a reliable source of fatty protein for migrating people—such as the Clovis—in a way that smaller regional animals could not.

“The focus on mammoths helps explain how Clovis people could spread throughout North America and into South America in just a few hundred years,” Chatters said. The Clovis people’s preference for big game could have also had a hand in the extinction of large animals that took place at the end of the last ice age.

“If the climate is changing in a way that reduces the suitable habitat for some of these megafauna, then it makes them potentially more susceptible to human predation. These people were very effective hunters,” Potter said. Indeed, as the last ice age waned and vast tundras transformed into dense forests, the mammoths were already struggling—and humans hit them while they were down.

“This study reshapes our understanding of how Indigenous people across America thrived by hunting one of the most dangerous and dominant animals of the day, the mammoth,” said Shane Doyle, executive director of Yellowstone Peoples. The team reached out to Native American tribal governments in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho to involve them in the study of their ancestors.

Tag: History