Nothing unexpected there. Ancient and modern may be separated by time and technology but not at all by our humanity or intelligence. My example of this is the humble safety pin. It was given a US Patent sometime around the 1850s. How that could be, I don't know. I'd seen one just like a modern nappy pin (with with bent hook rather than the stamped metal) in the Etruscan Museum in Perugia in the '80s. Etruscan, ie pre-Roman. This meeting of modern tech and ancient relics was the launch of an ap for the ANU Classics Museum. It was presented by Classics staff to a decently-sized group including the Friends of the Classics Museum clustered around the map of ancient Rome. it's an aside, but many structures in the map, even streets, are extant and in use. In that vein, I was amused to find an ancient building on the Palatine in use as a site office. That's Rome. But to return to the museum and ap. The Museum is a hidden treasure of Canberra. It's open business hours in the foyer of the AD Hope Building. Don't expect the British Museum or the Met, but it's a lovely little collection that continues to grow. As for the ap, it presents some detailed photos of some significant objects with short descriptions. It's more invitation than guide, but a worthy addition to a Canberra mobile. Both ap and museum are free. Just remember to visit the real thing.
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