The ancient city of Rome became the heart of a sprawling empire that lasted for hundreds of years, and we're still unearthing ship-loads of Roman artifacts, mystifying treasures and even forts around 2,000 years later.
At Live Science, our expert writers and editors follow the work of historians and archeologists to bring you the most compelling discoveries and facts about the Romans. From their unusual superstitions to the rise and fall of the once-mighty empire, check out the latest news, features and articles about the Romans.
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The Romans and Vikings left few genetic traces of their occupations of Britain, research suggestsDespite their occupations of Britain, the Romans and Vikings didn't leave much of a genetic mark on Britons. The Anglo-Saxons, though, were a different story.
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Doctor's kit found on Mount Vesuvius victim in PompeiiA man who died in Pompeii during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79 was carrying a medical kit with him, new scans reveal.
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High-status Roman woman was buried in a lead coffin with jet hairpins and exotic resins, archaeologists findA burial of an elite Roman-era woman who appears to have been buried with exotic resins has been discovered in Colchester.
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Athena bowl: A silver and gold vessel of the goddess and her owl, buried in a German forest 2,000 years agoAstonishing Artifacts The ornately decorated metal bowl was found as part of a hoard containing dozens of pieces of ancient Roman tableware.
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Poop-encrusted chamber pots from the Roman Empire reveal oldest known human cases of Crypto parasiteChamber pots from the frontier of the Roman Empire have provided the world's earliest evidence of humans infected with the Cryptosporidium parasite.
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1,900-year-old souvenir cup featuring Hadrian's Wall and Roman forts discovered in SpainArchaeologists think a broken bronze cup found in Spain was made for a soldier as a memento of his time stationed at Hadrian's Wall in England.
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Altar to Sol: A rare 1,900-year-old monument dedicated to the Roman god of light and used in a secret underground ritualAstonishing Artifacts This unique carved altar represents the triumph of light over darkness in ancient Roman religion.
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Roman mosaic shows topless woman battling leopard in arena, study findsA third-century mosaic shows a topless woman battling a leopard in a Roman arena.
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1,800-year-old nails discovered in 3 burials in Roman necropolis, possibly to 'protect' both the living and the deadArchaeologists excavating in Rome's Ostiense necropolis found three skeletons with iron nails on their chests, hinting at a ritual to prevent restless spirits.
