u/Roman-Empire_net

This ancient and detailed mosaic floor, dating back approximately 2,000 years, was part of a rich Roman villa or baths and has recently undergone careful underwater restoration to preserve its marine tesserae. In the shot, you can see a fish (a gilt-head bream or white seabream) swimming just above the geometric and polychrome decorations of the underwater structure.

This plaster artifact and its handwritten French descriptive label are preserved in the [Science Museum Group Collection](https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co84770/plaster-cast-of-a-roman-childs-face-paris-france-1878-1920), UK.

It was constructed so expertly, it is able to withstand six lanes of traffic passing under it every day. The vibration levels from all that traffic must be astonishing. Image: Public Domain.

A dagger and pair of greaves (shin guards) belonging to a gladiator discovered at Pompeii. The bronze greaves depict Jupiter and Neptune and the dagger is decorated with ivory.

This massive basin is carved entirely from purple porphyry, a rare and coveted marble mined from a single quarry in Roman Egypt: if you were to acquire that much of it today, it would cost around $1 billion.