Ancient History
Happy ancient Roman Mother’s Day
No breakfast in bed and a bouquet, on ancient Roman Mother’s Day, women served their slaves, says University of Melbourne historian and archaeologist.
Think you know your Ancient History?
Test your Classics knowledge against University of Melbourne experts in our Ancient History quiz - part of the Faculty of Arts' Being Human Festival.
What was it like to be a child in the Roman Empire?
In researching a new children’s novel set in Ancient Roman times, a University of Melbourne archaeologist found herself hunting answers to unusual questions
Laos jars are slowly revealing their secrets
New dating techniques find Laos’ stone jars may be over 3000 years old, but the sites remained in ritualistic use longer, says University of Melbourne research.
How plague helped make Rome a superpower
Epidemics like COVID-19 shape history, as happened in 212 BC when a plague set Rome on the path to becoming a superpower, says a University of Melbourne expert
Out of ancient marshes
Archaeologists co-led by University of Melbourne uncover massive ancient reclamation work in the Pontine Marshes that was a harbinger of Rome's determination
How do you crack the code to a lost ancient script?
Linear A, the script of one of the earliest European civilisations, the Minoans, is still undeciphered but a University of Melbourne expert is finding new clues
Bringing ancient Rome to life
What film adaptions of Ancient Rome do historians like the most? We ask four University of Melbourne experts to give us their favourite screen visions of Rome.
Saving the secrets of the jars of Laos
The mysterious Plain of Jars in Laos, which University of Melbourne archaeologists are working to reveal, has just been made a UNESCO World Heritage site.
What history can really teach us
History is too intricate to teach simple lessons, but studying it helps in understanding the complexities of the present says a University of Melbourne expert