Dr Jo Ball
@drjeball.bsky.social
#Roman & conflict archaeologist; Lecturer in Ancient History at Manchester Met University; University Teacher at the University of Liverpool; Early Career Research Fellow at the Centre for Integrative Research in Conflict Archaeology.
Pinned
Dr Jo Ball
@drjeball.bsky.social
· Jun 30
A #Roman glass bottle, made about 2000 years ago & probably used to store perfume or perfumed oil #AncientBlueSky
November 28, 2025 at 12:54 AM
A #Roman glass bottle, made about 2000 years ago & probably used to store perfume or perfumed oil #AncientBlueSky
The Nijmegen Helmet - a #Roman 'cavalry sports' helmet with a slightly chilling face mask attached. It is about 1900-2000 years old, & was found in the Waal river near Nijmegen (Netherlands) in 1915 #AncientBlueSky
November 26, 2025 at 9:17 PM
The Nijmegen Helmet - a #Roman 'cavalry sports' helmet with a slightly chilling face mask attached. It is about 1900-2000 years old, & was found in the Waal river near Nijmegen (Netherlands) in 1915 #AncientBlueSky
Reposted by Dr Jo Ball
Another hilltop 360 for #HillfortsWednesday, this time from Mither Tap, Bennachie, Aberdeenshire, taken 2 weeks ago. I do declare that each Scottish hillfort I ascend is windier than the last, & this was definitely windier than Eildon Hill, which was pretty windy, tbf.
November 26, 2025 at 7:51 AM
Another hilltop 360 for #HillfortsWednesday, this time from Mither Tap, Bennachie, Aberdeenshire, taken 2 weeks ago. I do declare that each Scottish hillfort I ascend is windier than the last, & this was definitely windier than Eildon Hill, which was pretty windy, tbf.
Reposted by Dr Jo Ball
🏺🗃️ Thinking back to my Italy trip a year ago, here are some of the most beautiful works I saw in the Naples museum: rare paintings on marble from Herculaneum & Pompeii, their colours faded, yet with a delicacy that recalls Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
November 21, 2025 at 4:11 PM
🏺🗃️ Thinking back to my Italy trip a year ago, here are some of the most beautiful works I saw in the Naples museum: rare paintings on marble from Herculaneum & Pompeii, their colours faded, yet with a delicacy that recalls Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
Reposted by Dr Jo Ball
A dog’s paw print on a Roman clay tile 🐾 🐕 😍
About 2,000 years-ago, a dog made its mark for ‘pawsterity’ when it wandered across the wet tile laid out to dry before firing.
From Richborough Roman fort
📷 by me
#TilesonTuesday
#Archaeology
About 2,000 years-ago, a dog made its mark for ‘pawsterity’ when it wandered across the wet tile laid out to dry before firing.
From Richborough Roman fort
📷 by me
#TilesonTuesday
#Archaeology
November 25, 2025 at 2:54 PM
A dog’s paw print on a Roman clay tile 🐾 🐕 😍
About 2,000 years-ago, a dog made its mark for ‘pawsterity’ when it wandered across the wet tile laid out to dry before firing.
From Richborough Roman fort
📷 by me
#TilesonTuesday
#Archaeology
About 2,000 years-ago, a dog made its mark for ‘pawsterity’ when it wandered across the wet tile laid out to dry before firing.
From Richborough Roman fort
📷 by me
#TilesonTuesday
#Archaeology
Reposted by Dr Jo Ball
I think I’m just going to keep posting pictures of decorative Roman cavalry horse chamfrons from @vindolandatrust.bsky.social and @trimontiumtrust.bsky.social until people start blocking me.
Have some.
1/
Have some.
1/
November 23, 2025 at 6:49 PM
I think I’m just going to keep posting pictures of decorative Roman cavalry horse chamfrons from @vindolandatrust.bsky.social and @trimontiumtrust.bsky.social until people start blocking me.
Have some.
1/
Have some.
1/
Reposted by Dr Jo Ball
Fancy a #grasshoppers on a ring? The #Romans did.
Between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD, grasshoppers seem to have been pretty fashionable amongst the subjects carved on #intaglios.
Between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD, grasshoppers seem to have been pretty fashionable amongst the subjects carved on #intaglios.
November 25, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Fancy a #grasshoppers on a ring? The #Romans did.
Between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD, grasshoppers seem to have been pretty fashionable amongst the subjects carved on #intaglios.
Between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD, grasshoppers seem to have been pretty fashionable amongst the subjects carved on #intaglios.
A #Roman wooden ship, excavated from the bottom of the Rhine near Utrecht (Netherlands) in 2003. It sank about 1850-1800 years ago - probably very quickly, as a lot of artefacts were found inside, suggesting the crew were not able to salvage them in time 🏺 #AncientBlueSky
November 25, 2025 at 10:36 PM
A #Roman wooden ship, excavated from the bottom of the Rhine near Utrecht (Netherlands) in 2003. It sank about 1850-1800 years ago - probably very quickly, as a lot of artefacts were found inside, suggesting the crew were not able to salvage them in time 🏺 #AncientBlueSky
A mummy portrait from #Roman Egypt, depicting a bearded young man dressed in a white tunic with dark red stripes. We don't know his name, but he probably lived & died towards the end of the C2nd AD, & may well have been a soldier in life 🏺 #AncientBlueSky
November 24, 2025 at 6:52 PM
A mummy portrait from #Roman Egypt, depicting a bearded young man dressed in a white tunic with dark red stripes. We don't know his name, but he probably lived & died towards the end of the C2nd AD, & may well have been a soldier in life 🏺 #AncientBlueSky
Reposted by Dr Jo Ball
A Roman glass funerary urn that was found during excavations in the Botchergate area of Carlisle. Dating to the 1st century AD, the urn can be viewed in Carlisle Cathedral’s treasury. 📸 My own. #FindsFriday #RomanBritain #CarlisleCathedral
November 21, 2025 at 7:24 AM
A Roman glass funerary urn that was found during excavations in the Botchergate area of Carlisle. Dating to the 1st century AD, the urn can be viewed in Carlisle Cathedral’s treasury. 📸 My own. #FindsFriday #RomanBritain #CarlisleCathedral
Reposted by Dr Jo Ball
The base of a 2,000 year old, Late Iron Age Durotrigian style Black Burnished Ware bowl from Winterborne Kingston #Dorset
A series of squiggles were scored into the fabric prior to firing - decoration, doodle or pot-makers mark?
📷 during cleaning in June 2013
#FindsFriday
A series of squiggles were scored into the fabric prior to firing - decoration, doodle or pot-makers mark?
📷 during cleaning in June 2013
#FindsFriday
November 21, 2025 at 7:40 AM
The base of a 2,000 year old, Late Iron Age Durotrigian style Black Burnished Ware bowl from Winterborne Kingston #Dorset
A series of squiggles were scored into the fabric prior to firing - decoration, doodle or pot-makers mark?
📷 during cleaning in June 2013
#FindsFriday
A series of squiggles were scored into the fabric prior to firing - decoration, doodle or pot-makers mark?
📷 during cleaning in June 2013
#FindsFriday
A fragment of #Roman pottery, into which a sketch of a rowing ship has been incised - I love the little details, like the oars coming down into the water, & the ram at the front of the ship. A lovely piece of everyday art, made nearly 2000 years ago 🏺 #AncientBlueSky
November 20, 2025 at 8:14 PM
A fragment of #Roman pottery, into which a sketch of a rowing ship has been incised - I love the little details, like the oars coming down into the water, & the ram at the front of the ship. A lovely piece of everyday art, made nearly 2000 years ago 🏺 #AncientBlueSky
A #Roman glass bottle, in blue, white, & green glass with gold gilt decoration. It was probably once used to hold perfume or perfumed oil, about 1800-2000 years ago.
November 19, 2025 at 10:29 PM
A #Roman glass bottle, in blue, white, & green glass with gold gilt decoration. It was probably once used to hold perfume or perfumed oil, about 1800-2000 years ago.
A selection of Roman glassware, mostly from the eastern provinces & made 1600-2000 years ago - and a clear demonstration of how much the Romans like a bit of colour in their homes!
November 16, 2025 at 11:15 AM
A selection of Roman glassware, mostly from the eastern provinces & made 1600-2000 years ago - and a clear demonstration of how much the Romans like a bit of colour in their homes!
Reposted by Dr Jo Ball
New post this week starting a new series on (Colonia Martia Julia Valeria) Salona! The colony was established by Caesar in 47 BCE, and would later be the birthplace of Diocletian:
www.roamintheempire.com/index.php/20...
#RomanSiteSaturday #Archaeology #RomanArchaeology #AncientBlueSky 🏺
www.roamintheempire.com/index.php/20...
#RomanSiteSaturday #Archaeology #RomanArchaeology #AncientBlueSky 🏺
November 15, 2025 at 5:40 PM
New post this week starting a new series on (Colonia Martia Julia Valeria) Salona! The colony was established by Caesar in 47 BCE, and would later be the birthplace of Diocletian:
www.roamintheempire.com/index.php/20...
#RomanSiteSaturday #Archaeology #RomanArchaeology #AncientBlueSky 🏺
www.roamintheempire.com/index.php/20...
#RomanSiteSaturday #Archaeology #RomanArchaeology #AncientBlueSky 🏺
A #Roman wooden barrel, once used to bring supplies to the soldiers stationed at Bar Hill fort on the Antonine Wall (Scotland) - hopefully it was a little luxury that made frontier life a bit more bearable! #AncientBlueSky
November 14, 2025 at 7:55 PM
A #Roman wooden barrel, once used to bring supplies to the soldiers stationed at Bar Hill fort on the Antonine Wall (Scotland) - hopefully it was a little luxury that made frontier life a bit more bearable! #AncientBlueSky
November 9, 2025 at 9:51 AM
A #Roman oil lamp in the shape of a gladiator helmet (of a Thraex gladiator); the green glaze makes it a really unusual example! #AncientBlueSky
November 7, 2025 at 11:56 PM
A #Roman oil lamp in the shape of a gladiator helmet (of a Thraex gladiator); the green glaze makes it a really unusual example! #AncientBlueSky
A #Roman helmet with a bit of a decorative surprise - on the back, it features two little mice chasing after loaves of panis quadratus bread.
Made about 1850 years ago, it once belonged to a soldier named Julius Mansuetus - did he choose this unusual decoration? 🐭 (📷Christies) 🏺 #AncientBlueSky
Made about 1850 years ago, it once belonged to a soldier named Julius Mansuetus - did he choose this unusual decoration? 🐭 (📷Christies) 🏺 #AncientBlueSky
November 4, 2025 at 11:05 PM
A #Roman helmet with a bit of a decorative surprise - on the back, it features two little mice chasing after loaves of panis quadratus bread.
Made about 1850 years ago, it once belonged to a soldier named Julius Mansuetus - did he choose this unusual decoration? 🐭 (📷Christies) 🏺 #AncientBlueSky
Made about 1850 years ago, it once belonged to a soldier named Julius Mansuetus - did he choose this unusual decoration? 🐭 (📷Christies) 🏺 #AncientBlueSky
Reposted by Dr Jo Ball
#MosaicMonday takes us back to the #MuseodelleCiviltà in #Rome, this time to look at the dazzling #opussectile floor of the #domus of #PortaMarina from #OstiaAntica, 385-388 CE. Its complex #geometric design makes it the most perfect floor of its kind in #LateAntiquity. #AncientBluesky 🏺
November 3, 2025 at 11:23 PM
#MosaicMonday takes us back to the #MuseodelleCiviltà in #Rome, this time to look at the dazzling #opussectile floor of the #domus of #PortaMarina from #OstiaAntica, 385-388 CE. Its complex #geometric design makes it the most perfect floor of its kind in #LateAntiquity. #AncientBluesky 🏺
Reposted by Dr Jo Ball
A tiny but very charming #Etruscan amber pendant in the shape of a squatting #monkey, height 4.7 cm.
Found in Vetulonia, #Italy, dating late 8th/early 7th century BC.
Photo: Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Toscana
🏺 #archaeology
Found in Vetulonia, #Italy, dating late 8th/early 7th century BC.
Photo: Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Toscana
🏺 #archaeology
November 4, 2025 at 7:14 AM
A tiny but very charming #Etruscan amber pendant in the shape of a squatting #monkey, height 4.7 cm.
Found in Vetulonia, #Italy, dating late 8th/early 7th century BC.
Photo: Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Toscana
🏺 #archaeology
Found in Vetulonia, #Italy, dating late 8th/early 7th century BC.
Photo: Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Toscana
🏺 #archaeology
A lovely #Roman mosaic found in the grounds of a villa in Rabat, Malta, with a popular 'drinking doves' design - two doves drinking from a large bowl #MosaicMonday #AncientBlueSky
November 3, 2025 at 8:06 PM
A lovely #Roman mosaic found in the grounds of a villa in Rabat, Malta, with a popular 'drinking doves' design - two doves drinking from a large bowl #MosaicMonday #AncientBlueSky
The beautiful #Roman ruins of Ostia Antica, a port city located just a short distance from #Rome - such an amazing & well-preserved site! 🏺 #AncientBlueSky #AncientSiteSunday
October 26, 2025 at 9:13 AM
The beautiful #Roman ruins of Ostia Antica, a port city located just a short distance from #Rome - such an amazing & well-preserved site! 🏺 #AncientBlueSky #AncientSiteSunday
The tombstone of a #Roman woman named Curatia Dinysia, who died at the age of 40 in Deva Victrix (modern #Chester, Britain); she is pictured on the stone in a banqueting scene. Her tombstone later became part of the city wall #AncientBlueSky
October 21, 2025 at 7:43 PM
The tombstone of a #Roman woman named Curatia Dinysia, who died at the age of 40 in Deva Victrix (modern #Chester, Britain); she is pictured on the stone in a banqueting scene. Her tombstone later became part of the city wall #AncientBlueSky
In the #Roman world, roads & crossroads had their own guardian spirits - the Lares Viales (roads) & the Lares Compitales (crossroads). Travellers would offer them sacrifices in the hope of arriving & then returning home safely (travel was dangerous back then!) 🏺 #AncientBlueSky #MythologyMonday
October 20, 2025 at 9:21 PM
In the #Roman world, roads & crossroads had their own guardian spirits - the Lares Viales (roads) & the Lares Compitales (crossroads). Travellers would offer them sacrifices in the hope of arriving & then returning home safely (travel was dangerous back then!) 🏺 #AncientBlueSky #MythologyMonday