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Roman Technology

Our section on Roman technology is dedicated to exploring the remarkable advancements made by the Romans in fields such as engineering, architecture, and medicine. From impressive aqueducts and road networks to innovative machinery and weaponry, the Romans were pioneers in many areas of technology, leaving a lasting impact on the world.

Building materials piled up ready for installation at the Regio IX part of Pompeii. Source: Pompeii Sites
2 April, 2024 - 22:33 ancient-origins

Preserved Building Site at Pompeii Reveals Roman Construction Techniques

New information relating to Roman construction techniques is emerging from the ongoing excavations at the Archaeological Park of Pompeii. In the rooms of the ancient domus in Region IX, insula 10...
Replica of the Hallaton Helmet. The original is set to be displayed at the Harborough Museum in Leicestershire, UK. (Inset; the original helmet) Source: Harborough Museum (Inset; CC BY 2.0)
27 March, 2024 - 17:00 Sahir

The 2,000-year-old Hallaton Helmet Is Reborn in Beautiful Reproduction

A Roman cavalry helmet, initially called a ‘rusty bucket’ has been replicated to show its former glory, 23 years after the original was found in a field in Leicestershire, England. The Hallaton...
Conservator Bethan Bryan with the Roman arm guard. Source: Duncan McGlynn / National Museums Scotland
22 January, 2024 - 23:56 ashley cowie

“Absolutely Amazing” Roman Arm Guard Pieced Together After 1,800 Years

Over 100 years ago, a Scot unearthed over 100 fragments of metal which he thought comprised a Roman chest guard. Now, National Museums Scotland have reconstructed the artifact and discovered that it...
Cursus Publicus, ancient Roman courier and transportation logistics masterpiece, fuelled the Roman Empire's success. Source: Bill Perry/Adobe Stock
10 November, 2023 - 21:59 Aleksa Vučković

Cursus Publicus: The Ingenious Postal System of the Roman Empire

No great empire is truly functional without a proper system of communication and transport. Logistics are what keeps a vast realm ticking like a good mechanism, and what brings it together into one...
The Roman sandal in situ, discovered in Lugo de Llanera, Asturias. Source: Esperanza Martin/Astures
20 October, 2023 - 19:02 Sahir

Unique 2,000-Year-Old Sandal Found In A Roman Well In Spain

A collection of artifacts, including a unique Roman sandal thought to have been lost by a well-cleaner 2,000-years-ago, has been uncovered at an ancient Roman settlement called Lucus Asturum in...
Archaeologists Oriya Amichay and Hagay Hamer removing one of the Roman swords from the crevice where they were hidden. Source: Amir Ganor/Israel Antiquities Authority
6 September, 2023 - 22:55 Gary Manners

Four 1,900-Year-Old Roman Swords Found in Dead Sea Cave

Archaeologists working with the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) have uncovered a remarkable cache in the Judean Desert near the Dead Sea: four Roman swords in "almost perfect condition," believed...
Several timbers thought to be from a fragmented Roman crossing structure for the River Wye. Source: Simon Maddison/CAS
31 August, 2023 - 14:46 Sahir

2,000-Year-Old Roman Crossing Linking England and Wales Uncovered

A bridge connecting past and present – in this case the ancient past, has been found crossing the River Wye at Chepstow in the UK, often called the ‘gateway to Wales’. Archaeologists made the find...
Serbian coal miners found the remains of a Roman ship that likely supplied an ancient frontier city and military headquarters. Source: Institute of Archaeology, Belgrade
6 August, 2023 - 14:55 Sahir

42-Foot Roman Ship Unearthed in Serbian Mine, Part of an Ancient River Fleet!

The ancient woodwork of a Roman ship, likely part of an ancient river fleet from the 3rd or 4th century AD, has been accidentally uncovered by the Drmno coal miners in Serbia. The hull measures 42...
Shallow shipwreck found in Turkey waters
30 December, 2014 - 22:08 Mark Miller

Byzantine shipwrecks reveal advanced shipbuilding techniques

A trove of ancient Byzantine ships found in waters near Istanbul, Turkey, displayed more advanced construction than scholars previously knew for that era. The ships include two unique Byzantine...
This iron sword, now fragmentary and corroded, was discovered in 1993 in the Byzantine city of Amorium. Its surviving hilt with the ringed pommel is unique. Source: Amorium Excavation Project
7 February, 2022 - 18:00 Sahir

Unique Ring Pommeled Byzantine Swords Discovered at Amorium

In classical antiquity, Amorium was an important, strategically located city in the kingdom of Phrygia in the west central part of Anatolia, in what is now Asian Turkey. Amorium was founded in the...
This 2,000-year-old villa had luxurious ancient Roman underfloor heating. Source: Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/dpa
6 November, 2022 - 13:50 ashley cowie

2,000-Year-Old Roman Villa Found in Germany had Luxurious Underfloor Heating

In 15 BC the Roman Emperor Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus, and his brother Tiberius attacked, subdued, and destroyed a Celtic settlement and founded the city of Cambodunum. Today, the foundations of...
Medieval wooden catapult
26 February, 2021 - 18:06 dhwty

Catapult: The Long-Reaching History of a Prominent Medieval Siege Engine

One of the most iconic images of the European Middle Ages is the castle. This defensive structure was often heavily fortified and provided its inhabitants with much-needed safety. It was usually...
The Holey Jar restored.
27 December, 2018 - 14:00 dhwty

The Riddle of the Roman Holey Jar – Why Would A Vessel Be Full of Holes?

One of the most unusual pieces of Roman pottery around is a regular looking jar but for the feature of having many holes in its body. Since it’s restoration from a pile of broken pieces found in a...
Ancient Roman refrigerator found at Novae Roman settlement, Bulgaria. Source: P. Dyczek / PAP
30 September, 2022 - 22:53 Nathan Falde

Archaeologists Unearth First Century Roman Refrigerator in Bulgaria

Over the last few decades, archaeologists from Bulgaria and Poland have been performing excavations at the site where the Roman legionary fortress of Novae once stood. The ruins of the fortress can...
The Roman Army employed whistling stones as an effective terror weapon. Source: James Steidl / Adobe Stock.
16 August, 2021 - 22:59 Bipin Dimri

Whistling Sling Stones: Psychological Warfare and the Roman Army

1800 years ago, Roman troops carried a very unusual kind of missile weapon for defeating their enemies. Those weapons were “whistling” sling bullets, and new research suggests these were employed as...
A Turkish archaeologist holding up the 1800-year-old iron Roman cavalry mask found at the ancient garrison town of Hadrianopolis, Turkey. Source: YouTube screenshot / DHA
24 November, 2021 - 17:57 ashley cowie

Rare Iron Roman Cavalry Face Mask Discovered At Hadrianopolis, Turkey

An 1,800 year old Roman soldier's cavalry face mask has been discovered at a 3rd century AD military site in Turkey. But this site isn’t located in the heart of the Roman empire, but at a far flung...
The Russian Compound excavation site in central Jerusalem and the Roman siege engine ballista stones found there, which were then used to plot the launch location of the projectiles. Source: Yoli Schwartz / Israel Antiquities Authority
11 August, 2022 - 18:53 ashley cowie

Roman Siege Engines Tracked and Traced in Jerusalem

An Israeli archaeologist has been digging up and plotting the location of big roundish rocks in a specific area of ancient Jerusalem. But these are no building blocks, quite the opposite. They were...
Was sophisticated Roman technology used in construction of the Roman Colosseum?
4 May, 2019 - 17:04 Joanna Gillan

Romans Had Ancient Tech for Creating Seismic Invisibility Cloak Around Monuments

A team of civil engineers in France have revealed that the Romans had ancient technology for building structures that acted like modern-day electromagnetic cloaking devices. The pattern of...
Part of the Novae Roman military camp. (Kleo73 / CC BY-SA 3.0) Insert: Ancient Roman fridge found at the site. Source: P. Dyczek / PAP
10 October, 2022 - 22:53 ashley cowie

Ancient Fridge Unearthed at Roman Military Camp in Bulgaria Kept Food Cool

Polish archaeologists excavating a Roman military camp in Bulgaria expected to discover some coins; and they weren’t really surprised by the hoards of day-to-day tools and the expansive ancient water...
Roman defensive spikes found at Bad Ems. Source: Frederic Auth/Aktuelles Uni
1 March, 2023 - 13:49 ashley cowie

Caesar’s Savage Human Skewers Unearthed In German Fort

Was this German silver mine really defended by two Roman forts and a line of "spike defenses”? Or, were the Romans protecting something even more valuable than silver? Having spent several months in...
Roman weapons were vital to protecting and conquering the ancient world.
12 January, 2019 - 18:48 Ed Whelan

Roman Weapons: Sharp Blades to Conquer the Ancient World

The Romans were arguably one of the most successful conquerors of the ancient world. At the height of their power, the Roman Empire stretched from the British Isles in the north to Egypt in the south...
One of the naval Roman battering rams being hoisted from the sea near Ustica Island, Italy. Source: RPM Nautical Foundation
1 September, 2021 - 18:55 ashley cowie

Divers Find Four Naval Roman Battering Rams From the 241 BC Punic War

Four ancient bronze Roman battering rams, the kind used at the front of a battleship, have been discovered by divers near Ustica Island, north of Palermo, Italy. These rare artifacts of ancient naval...
A Roman Swiss Army Knife? 200-300 AD.
15 June, 2018 - 22:51 Carly Silver

The Original Swiss Army Knife: Check Out This Must Have Gadget for Guys on the Go

The modern Swiss Army Knife didn’t make its debut until the nineteenth century, revolutionizing convenient tools on the go. But, as with so many other things, the ancient Romans did it first! Meet...
2000-Year-Old Bronze Toy Provides Clues on How the Best Roman Chariots were Constructed to Win Races
15 January, 2017 - 00:48 Mark Miller

2000-Year-Old Bronze Toy Provides Clues on How the Best Roman Chariots were Constructed to Win Races

Toy models have fascinated kids since ancient times and the more realistic they look, the better. One rich kid in ancient Rome had a very special model toy chariot made of bronze. The model was found...

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