Over at Powered By Osteons, Kristina Killgrove has a very interesting post (which seems to have skipped past my Circumundique posts) on mapping parasites (the non-literary kind) in ancient Italy and its implications for mobile populations:

• Mapping Parasites in Ancient Italy

… and this item from Athens News causes a tip o’ the pileus to Diana Wright (dw on the same scrap of paper as the next item) … this adds a few details to previous coverage of the find (cf: Greek Farmers and Their Livestock):

Eleven tombs of people buried with domesticated animals dating back to the late 6th century and early 5th century BC have been discovered during archaeological excavations in Mavropigi, Kozani prefecture, in the Public Power Corporation (DEI) lignite mine.

The finds, unearthed over a period of one month, are considered to be of major importance as it is the first time that humans buried together with animals have been discovered in Greece on such a scale.

“The tombs of 11 humans and bones of 16 animals, namely horses, dogs, cows, a buffalo and a pig were found, while there are also partial remains of deer, ship and goats,” the director of the 30th ephorate of prehistoric and classical antiquities, Georgia Karamitrou, told the Athens-Macedonian Press Agency.

Karamitrou, who presented the finds on Thursday in Mavropigi, said that the uniqueness of the cemetery unearthed is the entombment of a large number of animals with the dead.

She said that similar isolated finds have been unearthed in several areas of the country, the most characteristic being the entombment of small children with dogs, dolphins and turtles on the Dodecanese islands and Samothraki.

Archaeological studies have been ongoing for years in the Mavropigi area, financed by DEI in the context of its “Actions for Society” programme that includes the conservation of cultural wealth in the areas it is active in.

• via: 6th-century BC tombs unearthed in Kozani (Athens News)

… that seems sufficient, I suspect, to remove my initial speculation about anthrax vel simm …

From Athens News (I think I need to tip the ol’ pileus to Francesca Tronchin on this one …  I have an ‘FT’ on the scrap of paper I wrote it down on):

A marble statue of the mythical god Hermes, a copy of a 4th century BC statue, has been discovered during restoration works of the surrounds of ancient Epidaurus.

The life-size statue depicts the torso of a standing nude man with a cloak on his left shoulder and draped over his arm.

According to archaeologists the marble statue, which is in excellent condition, is believed to have been sculpted in the Roman era, possibly in the 2nd century AD, during Emperor Hadrian’s visit to Epidaurus.

Archaeologists are not yet definite whether the head of the statue depicts Hermes or is the reproduction of a noted official of the era.

The place where the statue was found is within the area of the ancient theatre is also believed to have also contained the ancient city’s agora (forum).

The artifact was moved to the Epidaurus Museum for restoration.

The restoration works in the area are being conducted by the Culture Ministry’s Epidaurus Monuments Restoration Committee.

• via: Marble statue found during restoration works (Athens News)

The original article has a cut off photo of the find … not much there to help in regards to identification.

Brief item from the Costa News:

EXCAVATIONS on Dénia’s central Avenida Miguel Hernández have unearthed remains of huge harbour buildings and warehouses thought to date back to the first century AD.

Archaeologists are studying an area of around 3,200 square metres along the length of the street in the hope of uncovering more hidden treasures giving further clues about Dénia’s Roman past.

Their work has also revealed 10 tombs which they estimate were last used in the second or third century AD and which form part of the necropolis of the old city of Dianium, as Dénia was known around 2,000 years ago.

Other findings include a marble gravestone with an epitaph engraved on it, and the foundations of four Roman houses containing valuable artefacts such as coins and shards of pottery.

• via: Roman relics found (Costa News)