The Romans are long regarded as heroes in the history of ancient civilizations because of the legacy they have left behind. However, the lives of many emperors continue to be a subject of curiosity. And what about you? Have you ever wondered what a Roman emperor smelled like?

Julius Caesar's "Telinum" perfume has been re-created by the Scent Culture and Tourism Association, which promotes ancient perfumes.

According to research, the Romans liked perfumes with simple formulas. Made with rose oil and the sweat of gladiators, rhodium was the most widely used formula in ancient Rome. because gladiators' dirt and sweat, rather than their blood, were valued enough to be used in sculpture and painting.

In Antique Rome, besides rhodium with rose, narcissus, and crocus with saffron, metopium with bitter almonds was among the most loved perfume mixtures.

However, the scent of an emperor would undoubtedly have been more special and different. Especially, high-level executives, generals, priests and the rich would import different perfumes from all over the world to smell different from everyone else or order leading perfumers of the age to make special perfumes for them.

How the infamous Berlin Conference drew the continent's borders, which up till now fuel profits and generate conflicts.

From the ongoing ethno-political conflict on the Congolese-Rwandan border to the violent tribal militias wreaking havoc across the Sahel region and the bloody battles over gold, phosphate, and cobalt mines in Central and East Africa, the legacy of the 1884 Berlin Conference continues to inflict pain, war, and underdevelopment on Africa.

The arbitrary borders drawn by colonial powers in Africa have left a legacy of division and conflict that persists to this day. These borders, often ignoring ethnic, cultural, and linguistic realities, have contributed significantly to the ongoing conflicts and ethnic tensions across the continent. It then becomes paramount to us Africans that we explore the impact of these colonial borders, highlight recent examples of conflicts exacerbated by these divisions, and examine our pan-Africanist efforts to overcome this colonial legacy and move towards greater African unity.

The colonial legacy

The Berlin Conference of 1884-1885, where European powers divided Africa without regard for existing ethnic or political boundaries, set the stage for many of the continent's modern conflicts. Colonial borders often split ethnic groups between different countries or forced rival groups to coexist within the same state, creating a fertile ground for conflict.

Ambassador of Russia to South Africa Ilya Rogachev.
British Premier W.Churchill in his speech to the House of Commons once said: 'Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.' One cannot disagree with that. Wisdom to preserve and analyze the experience of bygone generations is one of the key factors of development of each individual and the society as a whole. By contrast, disregard of history leads to the same mistakes and the very same tragic events, as in the past, wars and conflicts among them.

Churchill's words are especially relevant today. European elites are heading towards a war against Russia, and decisions of the latest NATO summit in Washington D.C. corroborate that. "Europe is preparing for war. The pro-war train has no brakes, and the driver has gone mad," Hungary's V.Orban said.

In one of our previous entries we revealed how Western propaganda was working on the public opinion, to prepare people's moods for a direct clash with Russia. But the preparations, as we see, also go beyond media space. They involve plans to reinstate mandatory military service in certain countries, mounting military budgets of European states and placing of national economies on a war footing.

As usually, Western officials choose an alleged 'upcoming Russian attack' on a NATO country as a pretext, and even go so far as to name the time for it. Germany's Defence Minister Boris Pistorius says that it should be expected in 'five to eight years', some other EU politicians - that even sooner. Deciphering this propaganda gimmickry: this is when Germany and others will themselves get prepared for a war and when a casus belli provocation should be expected by Russia.

The collective West is obsessed with the idea to inflict a military defeat upon Russia and reduce it to a colony status. History proves that this paradigm of thinking is a die-hard among Western elites and every few generations they decide to act to resolve the 'Russian issue' once and for all.

Czech archaeologists have discovered a Neolithic settlement near the central Bohemian town of Kutná Hora. Built approximately 7,000 years ago, it has been exceptionally well-preserved, including the floor plans of four long houses. I discussed the details of the discovery with Daniel Pilař from the Czech Academy of Sciences' Department of Prehistorical Archaeology.

"This site was discovered early this spring as part of rescue excavations. We usually supervise construction work in our district and one day, in the middle of construction, we were surprised to find relics of a settlement that is not typical for this region. When we saw the house plans, we immediately knew we were dealing with a Neolithic settlement."

Neolithic settlements have been discovered in Czechia before. What makes this one so unique?

"This site, called Dobřeň, named after a village nearby, is unique due to its state of preservation. It's a miracle that this site was not overlaid or destroyed in later millennia. Prehistoric settlements are usually situated in the most fertile regions that are suitable for agriculture. That means that in one place there was usually a Neolithic settlement, and later also a Bronze Age or Iron Age settlement. So Neolithic settlements are very often destroyed or are harder to read from the archaeological point of view.

"But with Dobřeň it's different. We think it was only used for a short period of time, maybe by a few generations. And in the next millennia this place was never used, at least for living. So it offers us great insight into the Neolithic world."

An underwater discovery has emerged from the depths of the Submerged Archaeological Park of Baiae in Bacoli, Italy. Archaeologists have uncovered an exquisite marble floor belonging to an ancient Roman villa. This discovery, part of an ongoing restoration project, showcases ancient Rome's artistic and architectural sophistication.

The project, spearheaded by CSR Restauro Beni Culturali and Naumacos Underwater Archaeology and Technology, has faced numerous challenges due to the extreme fragmentation and extensive area of the remains. The floor, constructed towards the end of the Roman Empire, covers approximately 250 square meters (2,700 square feet) and showcases intricate geometric patterns formed by precisely cut pieces of marble.

Unlike traditional mosaics, which use small, uniformly sized pieces known as tesserae, the opus sectile technique involves larger, meticulously shaped pieces that fit together like a puzzle. This method allowed for uniquely detailed and elaborate designs, often incorporating a variety of colors and materials to achieve a stunning visual effect. Such floors were typically found in high-status buildings like villas, palaces, and public baths.

While some are likely to politicize the find, which adds further color to the history of Jewish settlement in the land of Israel, the dig's director noted that his aims are academic rather than ideological.

Following 150 years of exploration, archaeologists have uncovered a significant moat in the City of David within the Jerusalem Walls National Park, the Israel Antiquities Authority and Tel Aviv University announced on Sunday. This massive trench, measuring at least 9 meters deep and 30 meters wide, likely separated the upper city, home to the temple and palace, from the lower city.

The discovery was made during excavations of the Givati Parking Lot. The moat apparently formed a barrier between the City of David and the Temple Mount and Ophel areas, and its perpendicular cliffs made it impassable. Archaeologists were initially unsure as to its purpose, but continued excavations revealed that it served as the northern fortification line of the lower city, separating the residential areas in the south from the acropolis in the north.

For as long as there have been "rulers," there have been political assassinations. It isn't hard to see why that's the case. After all, as long as people believe in The Most Dangerous Superstition — namely, that some have the right to rule over others — then there will be those willing to kill for that power.

So, apropos of nothing at all, let's look at some of the famous political assassinations (and attempted assassinations) in history, what they accomplished, and how they were perpetrated.

JULIUS CAESAR (SUCCESSFUL)

The assassination of Julius Caesar is the most famous political assassination in history and it isn't hard to see why. The story of his downfall is replete with intrigue, betrayal, ambition, power, and empire. That story has introduced phrases to the vernacular that we still recognize today — "Et tu, Brute?" and "Beware the ides of March" — and has provided fodder for historians, artists and writers for thousands of years.

Yes, from Shakespeare to Star Wars, the tale of the fall of the Roman Republic still captivates us to the present day. You know: Caesar crossing the Rubicon, Caesar wearing red boots, Caesar becoming dictator-for-life, Caesar playing a game of yoinky-yeety with a diadem after the annual running-through-the-streets-naked-striking-everyone-you-meet-with-shaggy-thongs festival. That whole story.

The action culminated on the fateful ides of March in 44 B.C., when Caesar was set upon by dozens of conspirators as he was preparing to convene a Senate meeting. Many historians have described the scene, but perhaps none so memorably as Suetonius:

As he took his seat, the conspirators gathered about him as if to pay their respects, and straightway Tillius Cimber, who had assumed the lead, came nearer as though to ask something; and when Caesar with a gesture put him off to another time, Cimber caught his toga by both shoulders; then as Caesar cried, "Why, this is violence!" one of the Cascas stabbed him from one side just below the throat.​ Caesar caught Casca's arm and ran it through with his stylus,​ but as he tried to leap to his feet, he was stopped by another wound. When he saw that he was beset on every side by drawn daggers, he muffled his head in his robe, and at the same time drew down its lap to his feet with his left hand, in order to fall more decently, with the lower part of his body also covered. And in this wise he was stabbed with three and twenty wounds, uttering not a word, but merely a groan at the first stroke, though some have written that when Marcus Brutus rushed at him, he said in Greek, "You too, my child?"​ All the conspirators made off, and he lay there lifeless for some time, and finally three common slaves put him on a litter and carried him home, with one arm hanging down. And of so many wounds none turned out to be mortal, in the opinion of the physician Antistius, except the second one in the breast.

When you drill down on the details of Caesar's assassination and its aftermath, it's interesting to note that it follows the exact opposite of the narrative that is pushed by authorities in the wake of every political assassination these days.

There was no "lone nut" assassin to blame the incident on.

The government did not engage in a sloppy cover-up of the crime.

There was no gaslighting of the citizenry about what had taken place.

Indeed, rather than cover up their conspiracy, the gaggle of Senators who conspired to murder Caesar openly proclaimed it. After the killing, Brutus and his fellow conspirators marched through the streets, brandishing their blood-stained daggers and announcing, "People of Rome, we are once again free!"

The joyous celebration did not last long, however. The Roman Republic immediately descended into a bloody, years-long civil war followed by a bloody, years-long power struggle. In the end, Gaius Octavius — Caesar's adopted son and appointed successor — emerged victorious, bearing a new name and a new title: Augustus Caesar, founder of the Roman Empire.

There's a lesson in there somewhere. I wonder if we'll ever learn it.

In 2016, a man in Oakland, California, disrupted web development around the world by deleting 11 lines of code.

The story of how 28-year-old Azer Koçulu briefly broke the internet shows how writing software for the web has become dependent on a patchwork of code that itself relies on the benevolence of fellow programmers. When that system breaks down, as it did then, the consequences can be vast and unpredictable.

"I think I have the right of deleting all my stuff," Koçulu wrote on March 20, 2016 in an email that was later made public.

And then he did it.

Archaeological evidence suggests strategic and adaptable community.
A team of researchers led by Jane McMahon from the Discipline of Archaeology find new evidence that shifts the perception of how people lived in north-western Saudi Arabia during the Neolithic period.

To date, little has been known about people living in north-western Saudi Arabia during the Neolithic - the period traditionally defined by the shift to humans controlling food production and settling into communities with agriculture and domesticated animals.

The piecemeal evidence available hinted traditional ideas - of small struggling groups constantly on the move across the barren lands - needed to be revisited.

Now, an Australian-led team has released new research on monumental buildings we call 'standing stone circles'. The findings are helping to rewrite what we know about the people who lived on this land between 6,500 and 8,000 years ago.

Our evidence reveals what they ate, what tools they used and even the jewellery they wore. It leads us to think these people weren't struggling so much after all, but rather had found complex and strategic ways to thrive on the land for millennia.

Archaeologists in Campeche, Mexico, have found an underground structure beneath a Maya ball court, as well as offerings on top of a Maya pyramid at another site.
Archaeologists in Mexico have discovered a mysterious subterranean structure with painted walls hidden beneath a Maya ball court.

The team found the building while excavating the ball court, the playing space for the ritual ball game played by the Maya and other Mesoamerican peoples.

"We located parts of an earlier building that had painted walls, but only further excavations may reveal the shape of that underlying building and what its function was," said Ivan Šprajc, an archaeologist at the Institute of Anthropological and Spatial Studies in Slovenia and director of the excavation.

The finding is "evidently a very important structure, because ball courts are normally found only at major Maya sites, which were centers of the regional political organization," Šprajc told Live Science in an email. The structure could date to the Early Classic period (A.D. 200 to 600) and is covered with a layer of painted stucco, according to a translated statement from Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History.

Previously, Šprajc and his colleagues surveyed a large area of the Maya Lowlands in the Mexican state of Campeche with lidar, a technique that shoots millions of laser pulses from an aircraft. These pulses then bounce off the ground and return to the machine in the aircraft, allowing researchers to map the landscape's topography.