Earliest Rome (Romulus / Remus, Etc.): Archaeological Finds

[Mal_Adjusted]

Greets

Palace find lends weight to myth

Sophie Arie in Rome and agencies
Tuesday February 15, 2005
The Guardian

Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a royal palace in the heart of the Italian capital which dates back to the time when the mythical twins Romulus and Remus were said to have founded the city.

Until now, legend has described how Rome was founded in 753BC by the sons of Mars, the god of war, who were found and nurtured by a wolf. Museums have had nothing but statues of the twins drinking milk from a she-wolf to symbolise the origins of the city.

While there is little evidence of the existence of Romulus and Remus, the discovery of the palace offers tantalising indications that the legend had roots in fact.

In the last month, archaeologists digging in the Roman Forum have uncovered what they believe to have been a royal palace that dates back to the period.

Andrea Carandini, a professor of archaeology at Rome's Sapienza University, found the traces of what appears to have been a 435 sq metre palace, on the spot where the Temple of Romulus stands.

The palace seems to have had a monumental entrance and ornate furniture and tiles.

Mr Carandini, known for finding what are widely seen as the first bikinis in history in mosaics at Villa Piazza Armerina in Sicily in 1982, described the dimensions of his latest discovery as "absolutely extraordinary".

"It could be nothing other than the royal palace," he said, adding that ordinary homes were about a 10th of the size.

The walls were made of wood and clay, which archaeologists tested to establish the age of the building. There were a number of covered rooms and the rest was courtyard.

Archaeologists had previously found traces of early Roman civilisation dating back to the eighth century in the same spot, next to the Sanctuary of Vesta, just outside the Palatine walls, but nothing on such a sophisticated or grand scale.

Eugenio La Rocca, the superintendent of Rome's monuments, said Mr Carandini's interpretation of the ruins appeared to be accurate.

"It seems to me that what is emerging from the excavation of Carandini, who can be considered the highest authority in this field, is a very coherent archaeological reading," Mr La Rocca told the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1414682,00.html

mal

 

[EnolaGaia]

The alleged tomb of Rome's founder - Romulus - has been discovered.

Tomb of Rome's mythical founder Romulus unearthed

A tomb that was buried thousands of years ago and revered by ancient Romans as the resting place of their city's mythical founder Romulus has now been rediscovered beneath the Forum in Rome.

The underground tomb and the temple built around it are thought to date from the sixth century B.C., according to archaeologists.

Ancient Romans believed the tomb held the remains of their city's founder, but the stone sarcophagus that archaeologists just found inside the tomb is empty.

The underground temple — called a "hypogeum" in Greek — contains a votive altar that was dedicated to Romulus, said Alfonsina Russo, the director of the Parco Archeologico del Colosseo, which oversees the city's ancient ruins.

The entrance to the tomb is hidden in the northwest of the Forum, underneath the building of the "Curia Julia," or Senate House ... The tomb itself would once have been beneath the "Comitium" — the central meeting place of the ancient city where votes by public assemblies were conducted, she said.

The tomb is also near the "Lapis Niger" — meaning "Black Stone" in Latin — an ancient shrine paved in black marble and thought to cause bad luck, with a stone block marking the spot where Romulus was said to have been murdered by jealous members of the Senate.

The temple was therefore "located in a highly symbolic place for the political life of Rome," Russo said.

The empty 4.5-foot-long (1.4 meters) sarcophagus in the tomb was made of a light volcanic stone, called tuff, quarried from the Capitoline Hill beside the Forum, she said. ...

Romulus was the legendary founder of Rome said to have lived in the eighth century B.C. — but most historians think he did not exist in reality.

The tomb of Romulus in the Forum became a mystical site for Romans, and it is mentioned by the ancient Roman historian Marcus Terentius Varro, Russo said.

The tomb was discovered in November beneath the steps of the Curia, by archaeologists investigating the work of the Italian archaeologist Giacomo Boni, who excavated the Lapis Niger shrine and the Comitium in the early 20th century ...

The underground site has now been documented with 3D laser scans, and the excavations will resume at the end of April ...

FULL STORY: https://www.livescience.com/sarcophagus-romulus-discovered.html

 

[AlchoPwn]

The alleged tomb of Rome's founder - Romulus - has been discovered.
FULL STORY: https://www.livescience.com/sarcophagus-romulus-discovered.html

The thing about sarcophagi is they tend to "phag the sarc" (eat the body), as they were made of limestone.

 

[EnolaGaia]

The BBC version of this emerging news item focuses upon a debate (?) about the significance and the role of the hypogeum.

Absent further evidence indicating the sarcophagus actually ever held any remains, I have no problem believing it was a symbolic tomb for a legendary figure (as opposed to the actual tomb of a real person).

Romulus mystery: Experts divided on 'tomb of Rome's founding father'

A sarcophagus discovered in the remains of an ancient temple in Rome is causing a stir among historians who cannot agree if it belongs to the Italian city's legendary founder, Romulus.

The stone tomb, along with circular altar, dates from the 6th Century BC.

According to legend, Romulus founded the city on Palatine Hill in 753 BC after killing his twin brother Remus.

But experts are divided over whether the empty tomb can be linked to Romulus - or if the brothers even existed.

The discovery was unveiled by Italian archaeologists at the Roman Forum on Friday.

Historians said that while the find in the heart of the city was significant, it represented a symbolic rather than a real grave.

They argue that even if Romulus had existed, there would be no body in the tomb because - depending on your sources - he was either raised to heaven as the Roman god Quirinus, or was torn to pieces by senators envious of his power.

"This is not the tomb of Romulus, but is a place of memory where the cult of Romulus was celebrated, a cenotaph," Alfonsina Russo, director of Rome's Colosseum Archaeological Park, said. ...

FULL STORY: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51587892