Colosseum Cleaning Yields Ancient Art Discoveries Including Old Frescos, Graffiti

NICOLE WINFIELD   01/18/13 12:02 PM ET EST

ROME — A long-delayed restoration of the Colosseum's only intact internal passageway has yielded ancient traces of red, black, green and blue frescoes – as well as graffiti and drawings of phallic symbols – indicating that the arena where gladiators fought was far more colorful than previously thought.

7 Fashionable Finds

Throughout history people have been keen to keep up with the latest trends and fashions. Whether used to display wealth or indicate membership of a certain group, clothes and bodily decoration have played an important role in human societies from our deepest past to the present day. These seven finds shine a light on our long history of sartorial innovation and the ever-present human desire to look our best.

7 revolutionary writings

April 30, 2012 by Filed Under: Seven Wonders

We often think of archaeology as being all about objects, but written sources are just as fundamental to our understanding of the past. Official inscriptions, graffiti and manuscripts – all of these give us the chance to hear the voices of long-vanished peoples speaking once more. Read on for seven writings recently featured in the pages of CWA that have given us important insights into the past.

7 facts about the 7 Wonders of the World

Herodotus was the first to create a list of the seven most spectacular monuments in the world – or at least, in the world known to the ancient Greeks – but his writings have since been lost. Our traditional set of ancient wonders (listed below) is recorded in a poem by Antipater of Sidon, writing in c.140 BC, though later lists included Roman and then Christian sites.  In the 1st century the poet Martial championed the Colosseum, while Medieval theologian Gregory of Tours added the Temple of Solomon and Noah’s Ark. Of  Antipater of Sidon’s wonders, only the Great Pyramid at Giza is still standing today.