We know what’s coming and we are prepared.
š“ó §ó ¢ó „ó ®ó §ó æš Archaeologists find 2000 year-old 'Gemstones' in drain beneath a Roman Bathhouse, Carlisle, England
Down a drain beneath the murky waters of an ancient Roman bathhouse in Carlisle, England, nearĀ Hadrianās Wall, archaeologists have discovered a troveĀ of gemstones lost by bathers 2000 years ago. More than 30 gems, including amethyst,Ā jasperĀ andĀ carnelian have been found so far during excavations at the site. Wealthy bathers likely dropped them back in opulent bathhouseās heyday in 2nd-3rd Century CE.
āItās incredible,ā says archaeologistĀ Frank Giecco, who led the excavation, toĀ Observerās Dalya Alberge. āItās caught everyoneās imagination. They were just falling out of peopleās rings who were using the baths. They were set with a vegetable glue and, in the hot and sweaty bathhouse, they fell out of the ring settings.ā
The pieces feature deities dedicated toĀ war, sun,Ā commerce,Ā luckĀ andĀ fertility. The largest were around 0.6 inches and smallest were just under 0.2 inches. Their small size would have made the carvings particularly difficult, requiring the expertise of an advanced craftsman.Ā
āYou donāt find such gems on low-status Roman sites,ā Giecco tells Observer. āSo theyāre not something that would have been worn by the poor.ā Still, Carlisle site isnāt entirely unique: In the past, similar gemstones have beenĀ found in the drainsĀ of other bathhouses during archaeological excavations.Ā
The small, semiprecious engraved gems areĀ known as intaglios, which were first produced some 5000 years ago in Mesopotamia. Owners would press their intaglios into clay or wax to create a seal, which they used to authenticate documents (similar to a modern-day signature). āTheir material, size and color would reflect the wealth and taste of the patron,ā writes G. Max Bernheimer, Christieās international head of antiquities, on auction houseās website. At one point, he adds, it was in fashion for Romans to wear intaglios featuring the likenesses of their favorite philosophers.
āThe intaglios can be seen on many levels,ā Giecco tellsĀ Artnetās Min Chen, āfrom pieces of art to connections to the individuals who owned them.ā
In addition to the gemstones, the team at the Carlisle bathhouse found over 40 womenāsĀ hairpins and 35 glassĀ beadsĀ in drain. Hundreds of other artifacts, including pottery, weapons and coins have also been uncovered at the site. Eventually, discoveries will most likely go on view at Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery.
āCarlisle was very much at the center of the Roman frontier,ā Giecco tells BBC News, āand we are very excited to go back ā¦ for more amazing finds, as it is the site that just keeps giving.ā
š archeohistories
šŗšø #Oklahoma high school principal (Kirk Moore) seen charging at and disarming a school shooter.
The suspect, identified as 20-year-old Victor Hawkins, was a former student who said he wanted to shoot up the school ālike the Columbine shooters did.ā While taking down the shooter, Moore was shot in the leg. He is expected to recover.
When the Principal woke up that day, he never thought he would be tackling a gunman.
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šØš³š¢ How much strategic oil does the world actually have in reserve?
Global strategic crude oil inventories stood at ~2.5 BILLION barrels as of December 2025, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
China holds by far the largest stockpile at 1,397 million barrels, more than 3 times the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve of 413 million barrels, which itself sits at only 58% of its full storage capacity of 714 million barrels.
China added an average of 1.1 million barrels per day to its strategic inventories throughout 2025, with preliminary data suggesting it continued building stockpiles in early 2026 ahead of the Iran War.
Japan holds the 3rd-largest reserve at 263 million barrels, followed by OECD European countries at 179 million barrels.
Meanwhile, the US is releasing 172 million barrels from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve to suppress oil prices, part of a broader 400 million barrel coordinated release agreed by 32 IEA member nations in March.
š ...
š¢ JP Morgan Warns Oil Market Out of Balance, Prices Must Rise
šøThe closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of the worldās oil flows, has removed 13.7 million barrels per day from global supply in April alone. A JP Morgan research note warns the market has no good way to replace it.
šøNormally, spare production capacity in Saudi Arabia and the UAE acts as the marketās shock absorber. But that buffer has effectively been removed, eliminating the systemās first line of defense.
šøWith spare capacity unavailable, markets turned to inventories
ā¤ Global stockpiles are now being drained at ~7.1 mbd in April, an extraordinary pace, according to the note.
šøMeanwhile, demand is collapsing because supply simply isnāt reaching users ā āforced demand destruction.āThe hardest hit sectors include:
āŖļø Petrochemical plants across Asia are shutting down or slashing output as LPG, ethane, and naphtha flows from the Gulf collapse
āŖļø Airline jet fuel ...
š¢ā½ļø Global oil inventories are heading toward RECORD LOWS:
Global visible oil inventories have fallen -255 million barrels since the start of the conflict on February 27, to 7,864 million barrels.
Total estimated oil draws, including non-OECD refined products storage, have accelerated to 10.9 million barrels per day in April, the largest monthly draws on record since 2017.
Cumulative estimated draws since the start of the war now stand at 474 million barrels, with Hormuz flows holding at ~10% of normal, or 2.0 million barrels per day.
Meanwhile, even in an optimistic scenario where Strait of Hormuz flows begin recovering by late April, it is unlikely to prevent global visible inventories from reaching all-time lows, according to Goldman Sachs.
As inventories keep falling, physical oil markets are likely to require sharply higher prices for immediate delivery, since buyers cannot wait months for cheaper futures delivery when stocks are running critically low.
Goldman also warns...
