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.
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!
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
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
A beautiful #Roman glass bowl, with striped bands in blue, yellow, & clear/white glass. It was made about 2000 years ago, & was found in the area around Mount Vesuvius, after being buried in the AD 79 eruption 🏺 #AncientBlueSky #Archaeology
October 19, 2025 at 10:48 PM
A beautiful #Roman glass bowl, with striped bands in blue, yellow, & clear/white glass. It was made about 2000 years ago, & was found in the area around Mount Vesuvius, after being buried in the AD 79 eruption 🏺 #AncientBlueSky #Archaeology
A beautiful #Roman glass bottle in a beautiful shade of amber-orange with white swirly decoration - a beautiful piece of ancient glass made more than 1600 years ago.
October 16, 2025 at 6:58 PM
A beautiful #Roman glass bottle in a beautiful shade of amber-orange with white swirly decoration - a beautiful piece of ancient glass made more than 1600 years ago.
An adorable little #Roman figurine of a mouse playing a trumpet - because, why not?
#Archaeology #AncientBlueSky
#Archaeology #AncientBlueSky
October 14, 2025 at 9:27 PM
An adorable little #Roman figurine of a mouse playing a trumpet - because, why not?
#Archaeology #AncientBlueSky
#Archaeology #AncientBlueSky
A #Roman figurine of a dog, shown lying down with its back legs curled underneath, looking at something behind it. Dogs feature quite prominently in Roman everyday art, associated with loyalty & healing, & valued for their companionship (just like today!) 🐶 🏺 #AncientBlueSky #Archaeology
October 13, 2025 at 7:38 AM
A #Roman figurine of a dog, shown lying down with its back legs curled underneath, looking at something behind it. Dogs feature quite prominently in Roman everyday art, associated with loyalty & healing, & valued for their companionship (just like today!) 🐶 🏺 #AncientBlueSky #Archaeology
A #Roman glass cup, in amber glass with irregular blue, red, & white splodgy decoration #Archaeology #RomanArchaeology #AncientBlueSky
October 8, 2025 at 7:31 PM
A #Roman glass cup, in amber glass with irregular blue, red, & white splodgy decoration #Archaeology #RomanArchaeology #AncientBlueSky
Thinking today about some less well-known (but still important!) ancient #Roman deities:
Cardea: goddess of door hinges
Suadela: goddess of persuasion
Fornax: divine personification of ovens & properly-baked bread
Verminus: god who protected cattle from worms
🏺 #AncientBlueSky #MythologyMonday
Cardea: goddess of door hinges
Suadela: goddess of persuasion
Fornax: divine personification of ovens & properly-baked bread
Verminus: god who protected cattle from worms
🏺 #AncientBlueSky #MythologyMonday
October 6, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Thinking today about some less well-known (but still important!) ancient #Roman deities:
Cardea: goddess of door hinges
Suadela: goddess of persuasion
Fornax: divine personification of ovens & properly-baked bread
Verminus: god who protected cattle from worms
🏺 #AncientBlueSky #MythologyMonday
Cardea: goddess of door hinges
Suadela: goddess of persuasion
Fornax: divine personification of ovens & properly-baked bread
Verminus: god who protected cattle from worms
🏺 #AncientBlueSky #MythologyMonday
A #Roman dodecahedron, found in the Netherlands; they look so cool - now if only we knew for sure what they were for! 🏺 #AncientBlueSky
October 5, 2025 at 5:46 PM
A #Roman dodecahedron, found in the Netherlands; they look so cool - now if only we knew for sure what they were for! 🏺 #AncientBlueSky
A metal face mask from a #Roman cavalry helmet; the blank expression is quite off-putting even now, & must have been pretty intimidating in antiquity (whether or not they were ever worn in battle) 🏺 #AncientBlueSky
September 30, 2025 at 5:58 PM
A metal face mask from a #Roman cavalry helmet; the blank expression is quite off-putting even now, & must have been pretty intimidating in antiquity (whether or not they were ever worn in battle) 🏺 #AncientBlueSky
A beautiful #Roman mosaic wall-niche, containing a garden scene with lush plants & birds, including a peacock. About 2000 years ago it decorated the garden or courtyard of a luxurious home in Baiae (near Naples, Italy) 🏺 #AncientBlueSky #MosaicMonday
September 29, 2025 at 5:35 PM
A beautiful #Roman mosaic wall-niche, containing a garden scene with lush plants & birds, including a peacock. About 2000 years ago it decorated the garden or courtyard of a luxurious home in Baiae (near Naples, Italy) 🏺 #AncientBlueSky #MosaicMonday
A #Roman glass bowl in amber-brown & blue glass with white irregulat spots running through. A beautiful piece of ancient glassware made about 2000 years ago #AncientBluesky 🏺
September 28, 2025 at 3:30 PM
A #Roman glass bowl in amber-brown & blue glass with white irregulat spots running through. A beautiful piece of ancient glassware made about 2000 years ago #AncientBluesky 🏺
A #Roman figurine of a lizard, carved from a single piece of hyaline quartz. It was found in a Gallo-Roman tomb in Belgium, where it was buried as part of an assortment of grave goods about 2000 years ago (📷 MFAH, Brussels) 🏺 AncientBlueSky #Archaeology #RomanArchaeology
September 26, 2025 at 8:46 PM
A #Roman figurine of a lizard, carved from a single piece of hyaline quartz. It was found in a Gallo-Roman tomb in Belgium, where it was buried as part of an assortment of grave goods about 2000 years ago (📷 MFAH, Brussels) 🏺 AncientBlueSky #Archaeology #RomanArchaeology
The tombstone of a #Roman gladiator named Apollonios; the portrait identifies him as a retiarius, armed with a trident & fishing net. He was obviously good at what he did, with the inscription - dedicated by his wife Zosime - revealing that he won 48 combats in his career 🏺 AncientBlueSky
September 25, 2025 at 6:46 PM
The tombstone of a #Roman gladiator named Apollonios; the portrait identifies him as a retiarius, armed with a trident & fishing net. He was obviously good at what he did, with the inscription - dedicated by his wife Zosime - revealing that he won 48 combats in his career 🏺 AncientBlueSky
An #AncientGreek chicken on wheels - a child's toy made & first played with at least 2400 years ago in ancient Athens. If it wasn't made of terracotta it could probably pass for a modern toy; apparently the things kids find fun has not changed that much in over two millennia!
AncientBlueSky
AncientBlueSky
September 19, 2025 at 10:39 PM
An #AncientGreek chicken on wheels - a child's toy made & first played with at least 2400 years ago in ancient Athens. If it wasn't made of terracotta it could probably pass for a modern toy; apparently the things kids find fun has not changed that much in over two millennia!
AncientBlueSky
AncientBlueSky
A #Roman ribbed glass bowl, in a pale shade of bluey-green. It is in beautiful condition despite being about 2000 years old; this type of glass vessel was very popular in the early Imperial period.
AncientBlueSky #Archaeology #RomanArchaeology
AncientBlueSky #Archaeology #RomanArchaeology
September 18, 2025 at 5:27 PM
A #Roman ribbed glass bowl, in a pale shade of bluey-green. It is in beautiful condition despite being about 2000 years old; this type of glass vessel was very popular in the early Imperial period.
AncientBlueSky #Archaeology #RomanArchaeology
AncientBlueSky #Archaeology #RomanArchaeology
A #Roman tile, stamped with the maker's mark of the infamous & somewhat mysterious 9th Legion Hispana #Archaeology #RomanArchaeology AncientBlueSky
September 15, 2025 at 9:55 PM
A #Roman tile, stamped with the maker's mark of the infamous & somewhat mysterious 9th Legion Hispana #Archaeology #RomanArchaeology AncientBlueSky
A wild tortoise wandering through the ruins of the Library of Hadrian in Athens... wonderful that these ancient sites are still lived in!
#Archaeology #RomanArchaeology #RomanSiteSaturday AncientBlueSky
#Archaeology #RomanArchaeology #RomanSiteSaturday AncientBlueSky
September 13, 2025 at 5:37 PM
A wild tortoise wandering through the ruins of the Library of Hadrian in Athens... wonderful that these ancient sites are still lived in!
#Archaeology #RomanArchaeology #RomanSiteSaturday AncientBlueSky
#Archaeology #RomanArchaeology #RomanSiteSaturday AncientBlueSky