Top 10 Ancient History News of 2012

The year 2012 was marked with two non-stories that made international headlines – in one case it was probably a good thing that nothing happened! Several great archaeological finds were also announced during the last twelve months, along with some interesting research about ancient civilizations.
1. “Jesus said to them, my wife…” – Was it a new gospel or a fake?

In September religious scholars and Christians were surprised to hear that a fragment of a new Christian gospel had been discovered.
Supposedly written in the fourth century, the small fragment included the line “Jesus said to them, my wife…” which suggested that founder of the Christian religion was married. The story was carried around the world, but within days other scholars weighed in, calling the fragment a modern-day forgery. The scholar who found the fragment, Karen King of the Harvard Divinity School, was criticized for coming out too early with her discovery, having not done some tests to see if the document was indeed written in the fourth century. Some test results will come out soon, but the fact that the text seems to have repeated a typographical error from a modern edition of the Gospel of Thomas seems to have cemented opinion against the text’s authenticity.
2. The world did not end on December 21st
For the last several months various doomsday aficionados have been pointing to the date of December 21st as the day when the world could come to an end. It was based on a flawed reading of ancient Mayan writings, in which it referred to this date in some of their calendars as marking the end of a period. Fortunately, the day passed without incident and we can continue to study the Mayans and other ancient civilizations.
3. Julius Caesar was stabbed right here, researchers claim
On March 15, 44 BC, a group of Roman senators set upon Julius Caesar in the Curia of Pompey. As they stabbed him with daggers, their murder would mark one of the most important events of ancient Rome. Now, 2056 years later, a team of researchers from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) has found the exact plot where the Roman leader was stabbed.
4. Rare Ancient Statue Depicts Topless Female Gladiator
The gladiator statue shows a topless woman, wearing only a loincloth and a bandage around her left knee. Her hair is long, although neat, and in the air she raises what the researcher, Alfonso Manas of the University of Granada, believes is a sica, a short curved sword used by gladiators. The gesture she gives is a “salute to the people, to the crowd,” Manas said, an action done by victorious gladiators at the end of a fight.
5. Descendants of Alexander the Great’s army fought in ancient China, historian finds
A recent article is examining the possibility that a contingent of soldiers from the Mediterranean fought at the Battle of Talas River in 36 BC, but instead of being Roman forces, new research suggests they may have been descendants of the armies of Alexander the Great.
6. Is this the knucklebone of John the Baptist?
The bones were originally discovered in 2010 by archaeologist Kazimir Popkonstantinov, excavating under an ancient church on an island in Bulgaria known as Sveti Ivan, which translates into English as St John. The knucklebone was one of six human bones, including a tooth and the face part of a cranium, found in small marble sarcophagus under the floor near the altar. Oxford professors Thomas Higham and Christopher Ramsey attempted to radiocarbon date four human bones, but only one of them contained a sufficient amount of collagen to be dated successfully.

7. Greenhouse gases were on the rise in Ancient Roman times
Climate change continues to be an important global concern, and scientists and historians are starting to examine how people affected climate in the past. This year research was unveiled that examines how methane emissions have been changing due to human activity, such as the burning of wood.
8. Huge Roman mosaic discovered in Turkey
Turkey has seen several important archaeological finds in 2012, including the discovery of a 1,600 square-foot mosaic that dates from the third or fourth-century AD.
9. Why did the Mayan civilization collapse in the 9th century? 
A new analysis of complex interactions between humans and the environment preceding the 9th century collapse and abandonment of the Central Maya Lowlands in the Yucatán Peninsula points to a series of events – some natural, like climate change; some human-made, including large-scale landscape alterations and shifts in trade routes – that have lessons for contemporary decision-makers and sustainability scientists.
10. Were the Ancient Greek Athletes Tougher Than Today’s Olympians?
How would the ancient Greeks, who invented the Olympic Games, compete against today’s athletes? Probably not well.
See also our Top 10 Ancient History News of 2011