It is disturbing to see how gravely inaccurate 19th-century depictions of the destruction of Rome are used to illustrate news stories today, particularly those that draw parallels between Rome and the United States.
Sarah E. Bond
Sarah E. Bond is associate professor of history at the University of Iowa. She blogs on antiquity and digital humanities, and is the author of Trade and Taboo: Disreputable Professions in the Roman Mediterranean.
Archaeologists May Have Found the Place Where Roman Emperors Were Baptized
Excavations conducted around the largest Christian cathedral built in the ancient Mediterranean have yielded new archaeological discoveries.
The Sensuality of Ancient Art in the Round
In antiquity and in the Renaissance there was an inherent sensuality to being able to visually consume a sculpture from every angle.
The Lasting Influence of the Waxen Venus on Studies of Anatomy
Modern constructions of beauty and biological race were heavily influenced by the study, replication, and measurement of classical sculpture in eighteenth century Europe.
What Can Fingerprints Tell Us About Ancient Artisans?
Thousands of fingerprints and footprints survive from the ancient world, while the modern science of fingerprints to identify criminals has relatively recent and racist origins.
A Virtual Reality App that Reconstructs Ancient Rome May Have Exploited Its Developers
The virtual reality tour of Rome at the heart of Rome Reborn started as a digital humanities project collaboratively developed by dozens of artists, classicists, archaeologists, and 3D modelers.
Stories of an Assyrian King and What Became of His Empire
A new exhibition at the British Museum underscores the material remains associated with the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal, and their display alludes to Britain’s long and fraught history with Iraq.
Pseudoarchaeology and the Racism Behind Ancient Aliens
Where, exactly, the idea of ancient aliens building the pyramids began — and why some academics think racism lies at the heart of many extraterrestrial theories.
You Gotta Fight for Your Rhyta to Party
A newly opened exhibition at the Harvard Art Museums features animal-shaped drinking vessels from across the ancient Mediterranean called Rhyta.
Seeing Ourselves in Animals Throughout Art History
The exhibition Stampede prods the viewer to consider how artists use animals to represent human traits and critique the world we humans live within.
Fasces, Fascism, and How the Alt-Right Continues to Appropriate Ancient Roman Symbols
The use of fasces by alt-right groups is another attempt to commandeer the insignia of ancient Rome to connect their movements to the bygone power and legitimacy of the Roman empire.
The Misuse of an Ancient Roman Acronym by White Nationalist Groups
SPQR initially stood for Senatus Populusque Romanus (the Senate and Roman people), but a growing number of white supremacists have adopted the acronym to symbolize their movement.