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My apologies to everyone for not putting on a ‘Happy Christmas/Holidays’ greeting on before the 25th of December. Snowed under by festive catering etc. etc. etc.

Anyway, a very Happy New Year to all of you, and may it be a better year than 2009, which of course was hard for many people in so many ways.

I’ve started Soldier of Carthage, the first novel in my new trilogy, which is very exciting…getting my head into new characters and a new time zone is strange, after so long with Romulus, Fabiola and the boys.

Interesting finds from the sea off Alexandria include parts of a temple which may have been positioned beside Cleopatra’s palaces, as well as parts of the Pharos, the huge lighthouse which dominated the city. Read about it here.

Nice photo of a possible Roman thigh tourniquet here. Interesting that plus ca change over the centuries!

Two years ago, a new poll was taken to establish the modern wonders of the world. See pictures and photos of them here. I see the Colossus of Rhodes is pictured astride the entrance to the harbour there, which from my research is apparently incorrect: the statues stood on one side of the entrance. It still must have been amazing to see…

As if we needed proof of that. Joef Loffl, an extraordinary researcher, has marched more than 350 miles (560 km) in full Roman army gear, and carrying all the kit too. Check out a Financial Times article on it here.

A recent late Roman period find in Gloucester may be the skeleton of a Gothic warrior according to experts. Read more here.