Wall Suggests Rome Is 200 Years Older Than Previously Thought

News April 14, 2014

SHARE:
(Carla Tavares)

ROME, ITALY—Excavations in the Lapis Niger, a black stone shrine in the Roman Forum, have uncovered ceramics, grains, and a wall made of a type of limestone known as tufa. “Examination of the recovered ceramic material has enabled us to chronologically date the wall structure to between the ninth century B.C. and the beginning of the eighth century B.C. So it precedes what is traditionally considered the foundation of Rome,” archaeologist Patrizia Fortuni of Rome’s cultural superintendency told The Telegraph.  

  • Features March/April 2014

    All Hands on Deck

    Inviting the world to explore a shipwreck deep in the Gulf of Mexico

    Read Article
    (Courtesy NOAA)
  • Features March/April 2014

    Messengers to the Gods

    During a turbulent period in ancient Egypt, common people turned to animal mummies to petition the gods, inspiring the rise of a massive religious industry

    Read Article
    Courtesy The Brooklyn Museum
  • Letter From Borneo March/April 2014

    The Landscape of Memory

    Archaeology, oral history, and culture deep in the Malaysian jungle

    Read Article
    (Jerry Redfern)
  • Artifacts March/April 2014

    Chimú-Inca Funerary Idols

    Read Article
    (Matthew Helmer)