CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND—According to a statement released by the University of Cambridge, a study led by archaeologist Alessandro Launaro indicates that the well-preserved Roman town of Interamna Lirenas in central Italy continued to prosper during a period when the region was thought to have been in decline. The town was well situated between the River Liri and a major road, making it a trade hub. A ground-penetrating radar survey of the site’s 60 acres revealed a large warehouse; a temple; three bath complexes; and 19 “courtyard buildings” that may have been indoor market buildings, guild houses, apartment blocks, and public warehouses. Inscriptions indicate that the large, roofed theater decorated with imported marble was still operating between the third and fourth centuries A.D. Launaro thinks the residents finally abandoned the town as the invading Lombards approached in the late sixth century. “We think many other average Roman towns in Italy were just as resilient,” he said. “It’s just that archaeologists have only recently begun to apply the right techniques and approaches to see this,” he concluded. To read about a Roman sundial unearthed at the site, go to “Artifact.”
