I wondered if the Romans ever found dinosaur bones — and surprisingly, they did.

Of course, they didn’t know about dinosaurs, but they did discover and even collect giant fossils. Pliny the Elder describes a “sea monster” found near Joppa, with ribs taller than an elephant. The bones were brought to Rome and publicly displayed.

Today, we believe these were likely marine reptile fossils — possibly making the Romans some of the earliest fossil collectors in history.

#AncientRome #Fossils #PlinyTheElder #Archaeology #History