Hercules Shrine and Elite Tombs Discovered Near Rome
- Ancient Roman Tombs Unearthed During highway Construction in Italy Archaeologists have discovered two well-preserved Roman tombs near Viterbo, Italy, during construction of a new highway.
- One tomb contains a stone sarcophagus and three cremation urns, while the other holds the skeleton of an adult male.Archaeologists believe the tombs date back to the Roman...
- "These discoveries are especially vital as they provide valuable details about the funerary rituals and social structures of the ancient populations who lived in this area," said Alessandro...
Two elite tombs from the time of the Roman Republic more than 2,400 years ago have been unearthed near Via Pietralata in the northeast of modern Rome.
The buried chamber tombs were together in a funerary complex and near what seems to have been a shrine to the Greek demigod Hercules, who was a popular symbol of protection to the Romans. The excavations include a stretch of ancient roadway and two large monumental basins or tanks that were likely used in sacred ceremonies.
with these finds,Rome’s suburbs “reveal themselves to be repositories of deep memories,still to be explored,” Daniela Porro, the head government archaeologist for Rome, said in a translated statement.
Evidence of ancient occupation around Via Pietralata was found in the 1990s, and excavations of the area of the shrine began in 2022 under the direction of government archaeologist Fabrizio Santi. The area was outside the
One tomb contains a stone sarcophagus and three cremation urns, while the other holds the skeleton of an adult male.Archaeologists believe the tombs date back to the Roman Imperial era, between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD. “These discoveries are especially vital as they provide valuable details about the funerary rituals and social structures of the ancient populations who lived in this area,” said Alessandro Santi, an archaeologist with the Italian Culture Ministry, in a statement to Live Science. The tombs were found during preliminary archaeological investigations ahead of highway construction. Work was temporarily halted to allow for the careful excavation and documentation of the sites.
Ancient occupants
(Image credit: Italian Culture Ministry)