PARIS, FRANCE—A 100-foot-long section of stone curtain wall and the foundation of a round tower thought to have been part of a warehouse district have been uncovered at Narbonne, the site of the first Roman colony outside of Italy, according to a Miami Herald report. The colony, called Colonia Narbo Martius, was founded in 118 B.C. on the Mediterranean coastline of what is now France as part of Rome’s port system. Researchers from the French National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research said that the colony quickly grew into a city, complete with several blocks with streets, an alley, and water pipes. One of the warehouses had a crawlspace lined with recycled pottery. Goods were likely stored on the ground floor of this structure, which features concrete floors, mudbrick walls, mosaics, and paintings, while the upper floor may have been used as an administrative or living space, the researchers explained. The building was eventually destroyed in a fire. A second warehouse, also destroyed by fire, was decorated with wall paintings mimicking marble slabs. To read about another important ancient Roman provincial port city, go to “France’s Roman Heritage.”
