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Fox News
02-04-2025
- General
- Fox News
Ancient tomb tied to Roman gladiator discovered by archaeologists
Italian archaeologists recently unearthed ancient Roman tombs during the excavation of a necropolis – including one bearing the epitaph of a gladiator. The discovery was announced by the Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape (ABAP) Superintendence for the Metropolitan Area of Naples on March 21. In a statement translated from Italian to English, officials said that the dig took place in Liternum, an ancient town near the city of Giugliano in Campania. The excavation site was used as a necropolis from roughly the first century B.C. to the third century A.D. Italian officials highlighted two funerary enclosures that still contained fragments of white cladding plaster "with a more recent decoration phase in red, separated by a closed space, and a very deep masonry well," the press release said. "One of the enclosures preserves in the center a quadrangular mausoleum…shaved on the surface, with niches plastered along the sides to accommodate cinerary urns," the statement said. Historians were able to unearth "grave goods" at the site, consisting of coins, lamps and small vases. The discoveries then helped them identify the "different building phases" of the structures. Italian officials said the discovery offered "precious information on daily life, the ritual practices and social dynamics of the communities that inhabited the site." "Among the most relevant findings, several marble funerary inscriptions stand out, some of which are intact, [including] one bearing the epitaph of a gladiator, [which is] a precious document for understanding the role and memory of these fighters in Roman society," the press release added. ABAP superintendent Mariano Nuzzo said in a statement that recent archaeological discoveries near Giugliano have been "particularly fruitful." "Thanks also to the excellent state of conservation of the wall structures and burials, [this necropolis] adds an important piece to our knowledge relating to the settlement of the colony of Liternum and it constitutes a unique opportunity to deepen the study of ancient civilization, and the historical and cultural context of the epoch," Nuzzo said. ABAP officials said that the recent discoveries will help historians develop a "better understanding of the physiognomy of the ancient landscape and the urban perimeter of the colony, of which very little is known yet." "[This will lead] us to propose new hypotheses also with respect to the route of the ancient Via Domitiana, on the sides of which such burials were to be placed," the release said. The latest discovery is one of several ancient Roman excavations in recent months, both in Italy and elsewhere. A 1,600-year-old Jewish bath was recently uncovered in the Italian province of Lazio, making it the oldest of its kind in Europe. Last autumn, an ancient Roman helmet turned up in an unusual location: a Danish village. Around the same time, a 2,000-year-old Roman road was discovered in the heart of London.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Archaeologists Found a 2,000-Year-Old Tomb That Adds a New Twist to Roman History
Archaeologists discovered a Roman necropolis near Naples at the location of the ancient settlement of Liternum. An inscription in the marble of a tomb indicated that it was the final resting place of a gladiator. Experts hope to continue exploring the site to learn more about its history. At a site not far from an ancient forum and amphitheater once used to host Roman gladiators, archaeologists discovered an extensive necropolis that contained a tomb full of gladiator history. Located just outside of modern-day Naples, archaeologists have started excavating the 1,600-square-foot necropolis. While excavating the site—which was part of the ancient town of Liternum—archaeologists discovered one burial place linked to a gladiator thanks to a funerary inscription etched into the marble, according to a translated statement from the Superintendent of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Naples Metropolitan Area. The marble inscription, which was among a few that were discovered onsite, mentioned the gladiator and invoked the memory of the role that the famed fighters played in Roman society, which may suggest that the necropolis (and the ancient settlement as a whole) contained the remains of a number of gladiators. While this particular fighter's final resting place was a major highlight of the discovery, there's plenty more history that the excavation is still working to uncover. Simona Formola, the archaeologist who led the excavation, said that the work is only beginning on the expansive site, and is already potentially rewriting the history of the area. The excavation crews discovered two funerary enclosures where much of the original designs remained well-preserved even after centuries. Some sections featured white plaster decorations, others had red detailing, and there was a quadrangular mausoleum with gray tuff blocks stretching up to 10 feet long. That section featured plastered niches inside the tombs that housed cinerary urns, suggesting prolonged use of the site. In all, crews have found roughly 20 tombs so far, which were likely in use from the first century B.C. until the third century A.D. (the middle imperial age). The discovery of coins, oil lamps, and small vases helped the archaeologists to accurately date the site. The team has identified a mix of burial styles—some sections of the tombs were covered with roof tiles, and others hosted remains that were placed within carefully crafted boxes. The site features a deep well, which experts believe was used for ceremonies or rituals as part of the funerary traditions. 'The territory of Giugliano is experiencing a particularly fruitful moment form the point of view of archaeological research,' Marian Nuzzo, superintendent of archaeology for Naples, said in a statement, 'first with the discovery of Tomb of Cerberus and now with this necropolis that, thanks also to the excellent state of conservation of the wall structures and burials, adds an important piece to our knowledge related to the settlement of the Liternum colony and constitutes a unique opportunity to depend the study of ancient civilization, and the historical and cultural context of the time.' Archaeologists will continue working in the area, hoping to uncover more history from the site. This includes the organization of the Roman colony that surrounded the necropolis, the history of which, Nuzzo said, is little-known. Since necropolis sites typically lined the sides of key roads during that time, the team hopes to propose new hypotheses with respect to the layout of the ancient Via Domitiana roadway (which connected southern Italy to Rome) and the surrounding areas. 'It will be possible to achieve important results in the field of knowledge of a territory of crucial relevance form a historical and archaeological point of view,' Nuzzo said. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Miami Herald
24-03-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
1,700-year-old tombs — with links to a gladiator — unearthed in Italy. Take a look
Sifting through the stony dirt of southern Italy, a team of archaeologists expected to find some ancient Roman ruins, but the 1,700-year-old burial ground that reemerged hid a few surprises. Researchers in Campania began excavating a vast cemetery, or necropolis, on the edge of Liternum Archaeological Park as part of ongoing work at the site, the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Metropolitan Area of Naples said in a March 21 news release. Archaeologists soon uncovered a stone mausoleum separated from the rest of the burial ground by a wall, officials said. A photo shows the blue-tinged mausoleum, which had nooks along its sides for holding funeral urns. The ancient mausoleum was likely isolated for a ceremonial reason, but archaeologists don't know what that reasoning might have been. Outside the mausoleum's walls were about 20 burials in a variety of styles, officials said. Photos show a few of these graves. One tomb has a skeleton placed on a layer of tile. Another is covered by an A-frame-like structure made of tiles. Inside the tombs, archaeologists found some vases, lamps and coins, officials said. The most important artifact found so far was an epitaph, or tombstone, with an inscription referencing a gladiator, archaeologists said. The find is still being analyzed and offers a glimpse into the role of gladiators in ancient Roman society. Based on the grave styles and artifacts, archaeologists concluded the burial ground was used from 2,100 years ago until 1,700 years ago. The ancient Roman settlement of Liternum was found in 194 B.C. and thrived for about 400 years before rapidly declining and being abandoned. Today, Liternum Archaeological Park is on the outskirts of Naples and a roughly 130-mile drive southeast from Rome. Google Translate was used to translate the news release from the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Metropolitan Area of Naples.
Miami Herald
18-03-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
2,900-year-old settlement found submerged in Italy lake. See its treasures
Nearly three millennia ago in central Italy, people of the Iron Age lived in wooden homes. Today, those homes sit on the bottom of Lake Bolsena. Gran Carro di Bolsena, a Villanovan complex dating to the ninth century B.C., lies just offshore and has been studied for decades, according to Italian officials. The site is known by a large monumental elliptical complex made of stones, called the Aiola, and may have been linked to the use of hot springs, officials said. Ancient artifacts have also been found, including a molded statuette discovered in 2024 that still has the fingerprints of its maker 2,900 years later. Now, the site is undergoing preparations to open to the public, including divers, snorkelers and passengers of glass-bottom boats, according to a March 18 news release from the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the province of Viterbo and Southern Etruria. As part of the restoration process, research divers armed with metal detectors recently hit the water to see what was buried below the silt and sediment. Officials said the water was particularly cold this time of year, less than 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and visibility is poor, but a collaborative research team sped up the investigation at the site. Metal detectors pointed researchers to areas below the superficial sand, according to the release. Researchers found multiple ceramic vases, metal rings, chains, spoked wheels, pieces used for spinning, needles, fibulae (a brooch or clasp) and more as they cleaned away the sediment layer by layer, officials said. Removing the artifacts protects them from theft or damage as the site opens to more people, officials said, and paves the way for more restoration to take place. The research team will begin mapping the Aiola with divers in the coming weeks, according to the release. Videos of divers working on the site were posted by officials to Youtube on March 9. Bolsena Lake is in west-central Italy, about an 80-mile drive northwest from Rome. Google Translate was used to translate the news release from the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the province of Viterbo and Southern Etruria.
Miami Herald
24-02-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Underground river hid traces of 2,000-year-old cult — until now. See finds in Italy
In a cave in southern Italy, archaeologists sifted through a muddy riverbed normally submerged by the turquoise waters of an underground river. A dull brown artifact caught their attention — and revealed traces of cult activity 2,000 years ago. The Pertosa-Auletta Caves are a popular tourist site with two claims to fame: Italy's only navigable underground river and Europe's only preserved remains of an underground Bronze Age village. As part of the site's ongoing research, a team of archaeologists spent a few weeks excavating a new section roughly 130 feet from the cave entrance, the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape of Salerno and Avellino said in a Jan. 31 Facebook post. The underground river was temporarily dammed to allow for the archaeological work, officials said. Photos show how the cave entrance normally looks and how it looked during the excavations. In the muddy riverbed, archaeologists uncovered traces of a Hellenistic, or Greek, cult site dating between 2,000 to 2,400 years old, Italy's Central Institute for Archaeology said in a Feb. 19 news release. A photo, shared by Pertosa-Auletta Caves in a Feb. 20 Facebook post, shows a brown bowl-shaped incense burner linked to the cult activities. Much about the ancient cult site remains unknown. Archaeologists plan to continue analyzing their finds. The team also found another section of the Bronze Age pile-dwelling village and took wood samples for further laboratory analysis, the institute said. Excavations ended in mid-February and will resume in 2026. The Pertosa-Auletta Caves are in Salerno Province of southern Italy and a roughly 210-mile drive southeast from Rome. Google Translate was used to translate the news release from Italy's Central Institute for Archaeology and Facebook posts from Pertosa-Auletta Caves and the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape of Salerno and Avellino.
